Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1500.
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was captured and imprisoned. The name of Marine Rear Admiral Kojin spread across the world.
The entire sea boiled over. The prestige of the Marines reached an unprecedented peak, and the pirates who had been restlessly stirring were doused with a bucket of cold water.
…
Grand Line, Second Half.
Aboard the Moby Dick.
"Marine… Kojin. Is he the kid Roger mentioned before?" A blond-haired man with a crescent-shaped white mustache spoke in a deep voice.
The man's figure was towering, far exceeding ordinary height. Even seated, his frame dwarfed those around him, and an oppressive, suffocating aura radiated from his body.
He was none other than one of the world's three great legendary pirates… Edward Newgate, Whitebeard.
"Pops, there's probably something more to this. Roger isn't someone who could be captured so easily!" Marco spoke up with confusion written across his face.
Newgate narrowed his eyes, then smiled faintly. "You're right. But what interests me more is that Marine kid mentioned in the news."
Marco paused. "You mean Kojin?"
"In the past, I didn't pay him much attention; after all, he was just another young Marine. But today, his name has appeared before me again… and it's tied to Roger!" Newgate said in a low voice, his gaze sharpening.
"This kid… even Roger had him on his mind."
Facing the sea breeze, he slowly looked into the distance.
"So was it truly your strength that captured Roger?"
"Or is there something else behind it?"
Newgate suddenly recalled Roger's visit last year, his words had sounded like a farewell, as if he had made some enormous decision.
"What exactly did you see on that island?" Murmuring to himself, Newgate lowered his head once more to look at the newspaper in his hands.
…
At the same time…
The wind howled as a battered flying armada hovered above the sea.
Golden hair draped down to the deck, with a ship's helm embedded in his skull, like a lion king incarnate. The domineering, haki-laden man suddenly trembled, and a ring of violent airwaves blasted outward, causing the surrounding pirates to lose their footing.
"Oyabun (Boss)?!" The pirates stared in shock at the towering figure ahead.
"Impossible!! This is impossible!" Shiki, the Golden Lion, wore an ugly expression on his face as he spoke in a vicious and feral voice.
"Someone like Roger… how could he be captured by those feeble Marines?!"
"And by such a young brat, no less!"
His gaze locked onto the youthful face printed in the newspaper.
Suddenly, Shiki froze.
That face… he vaguely remembered it.
"It's him!!"
It all came back to him.
Two years ago, during the Battle of Edd War, that very face had once been surrounded by his fleet. Back then, he hadn't even deigned to take the other party seriously. And yet today, news had spread that this same person had captured Roger.
"Jihahahaha! How could something like this possibly happen?!" Shiki burst into laughter, but the look in his eyes turned razor-sharp.
"Even if Roger were to die! He shouldn't die at the hands of the Marines. To be captured by such a weakling…"
"That's an insult to the Pirate King! And an even greater insult to me, who stood alongside him as an equal!"
The next instant, he spread his arms wide. His lion-like golden mane flared wildly.
Buzz…!
The void trembled as ripples spread outward. The entire fleet behind him shook violently.
"I'm going to Marine Headquarters!" Shiki suddenly roared.
Aboard the fleet, all the pirates stared wide-eyed at their Boss, unable to comprehend or even understand his decision.
"Captain Shiki!!" An officer shouted in confusion.
"This humiliation…"
"I, the Golden Lion Shiki, will never accept it!!!"
Shiki growled.
Then he bent forward sharply and slammed a palm onto the deck beneath his feet.
Buzz…!
Shockwaves exploded outward. The surrounding pirates were blasted into the air, screaming as they were thrown off their ships.
"For something like this… I alone am enough!!"
Staring straight ahead, Shiki stood tall at the bow, with golden hair whipping violently behind him.
Moments later, the massive armada roared into motion, charging straight toward Marineford.
"Marines! Prepare to face my wrath!"
——
Impel Down · Eternal Hell
Hua… La… La!
Chains clashed as the Seastone-forged prison door slammed shut.
Monkey D. Garp sat down heavily outside the cell, staring at the man separated from him by iron bars with a complicated expression on his face.
"I never imagined that the next time I'd see you… it would be here."
Gol D. Roger looked up and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, Garp! Are you feeling disappointed right now?"
"You spent your whole life trying to catch me and throw me in here… and in the end, it was your own disciple who did it?"
Garp rolled his eyes, and the melancholy, tangled emotions in his heart instantly dissipated.
Then he fixed his gaze on the man before him and spoke. "That boring game of chase… is finally over."
Hearing this, the smile on Roger's face faded as well. "You're right. It's finally over."
"That sword?" Suddenly, Garp recalled the long blade at Kojin's waist and asked in a low voice.
"I gave it to him. What about it? Surprised?" Roger said with a grin.
"That blade… is probably more than just a sword." Garp replied solemnly.
"It was his own choice, wasn't it?" Roger said.
Garp fell silent.
In a lifetime, how many evenly matched opponents could one meet? How many kindred spirits who truly understood the self?
Even as enemies, it couldn't stop the mutual respect between them.
Now, with Roger captured and confined in such a place, Garp felt a surge of emotion he couldn't explain; he felt a faint sense of loss and desolation.
"Garp, I need to ask you for something." Roger's smile vanished as he suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Oh?" Garp replied.
"I am going to have a son," Roger said slowly. "I entrusted him to Kojin."
"But…"
At those words, Garp's pupils abruptly contracted.
In Eternal Hell, candlelight flickered weakly, barely illuminating the darkness of the corridor. Gradually, their voices fell lower and lower, fading until they could no longer be heard.
…
Marineford
"Huuu…!"
The sea wind roared as Kojin stood atop the highest point of the Marine fortress, gazing down below.
All sights lay fully within his view at this moment.
Behind him, Douglas Bullet was loudly barking orders, directing Crocodile, Donquixote Rosinante, and the others in training.
This small squad that belonged to him trained hard, their strength rising rapidly as sweat poured down.
Over the past year, their training had never lapsed. Crocodile, Rosinante, T. Penn, and the others had all reached superhuman-level physical conditioning.
In other words, they were now qualified to begin learning Rokushiki.
Kojin had no intention of hoarding his knowledge. Once the major event of Roger's execution was over, he planned to teach them Rokushiki.
There was no need for them to master every technique, only to comprehend the moves that suited them best.
"Huff…"
Exhaling a mouthful of smoke, Kojin narrowed his eyes.
"It's about time to start looking for that Devil Fruit."
At present, aside from not yet mastering Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), his Busoshoku Haki (Armament), Rokushiki, and swordsmanship had all reached a level where further improvement was extremely difficult.
If he wanted to grow stronger again, the only remaining path was through a Devil Fruit. And for now, Kojin's gaze was fixed on the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit).
Without a doubt, it was an extraordinarily powerful Devil Fruit.
(End of Chapter)
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