An icy, biting wind swept past the two figures. Rosinante glanced at the child beside him, looking worried.
His pale, almost sickly skin made his complexion seem to blend into the surrounding snow. His thin, fragile body looked weak and powerless.
"Corazon… I… I might not be able to hold on…"
A feeble voice rang out. The child, who had seemed full of spirit just a moment ago, suddenly stiffened and collapsed straight into the snow, his face burying itself in the icy ground.
"Hey! Wake up... Law!" Rosinante's expression changed drastically. He quickly pulled the child up from the snow and shook him hard.
"I'll get the fruit for you right away; just hold on a little longer, kid!"
Law struggled to open his eyes. Seeing concern in the other's gaze, he forced an ugly smile in response.
"Trust me, Law! You will definitely survive!" Rosinante shouted.
Then he dashed rapidly towards the town ahead.
"Even if I live, there's no meaning for someone like me..." Law murmured weakly.
"Shut up, kid! The meaning of your life isn't something you get to decide!" Rosinante roared.
Law smiled faintly without making a sound. His vision was growing blurry; he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and rest. But, for some reason, despite feeling his body sway with each step and the scenery retreat on either side, he forced his eyes open again, clinging to consciousness.
"Then… who decides it?"
For no reason at all, that question surfaced in his mind.
Yet, as he felt the broad, sturdy back beneath him, he couldn't suppress the warmth that welled up in his heart.
Corazon's back is really comfortable.
Moments later, the two of them entered the town.
"Wait here for me, Law! I'll bring back the Operation-Operation Fruit. I'll cure your illness, no matter what!" Rosinante said firmly.
Law blinked hard and nodded. He no longer had the strength to speak.
"Calm."
Rosinante snapped his fingers and, in an instant, all sound around them vanished.
As he watched Rosinante's figure quickly disappear into the distance, Law tightened his clothes around himself. Looking at his pale hands, he fell silent. At some point, the wind and snow grew even fiercer. Even his thick coat could no longer keep out the cold.
"So cold..." Law muttered.
His vision blurred further, and his consciousness began to fade. He seemed to hear explosions coming from the town, followed by flames rising and shouts of pursuit and curses.
At this moment, time felt both unbearably slow and terrifyingly fast.
Then, suddenly, a gust of wind rushed towards him.
Law opened his eyes and cried out in joy.
"Corazon!"
Before him stood that tall figure. His black, feathered coat fluttered wildly in the freezing wind. He grinned and pulled out a red, heart-shaped fruit from his chest.
"Kid, your illness can be cured now!"
Without giving Law time to react, he shoved the fruit straight into his mouth.
"Eat it... now!"
Law chewed it instinctively, his face instantly twisting in disgust.
"It tastes awful!"
Then, in the next second... with a thud, the tall figure collapsed to the ground.
Law's expression changed visibly, turning to sheer terror.
"Corazon!!!"
...
North Blue, Minion Island Shore
On a battleship, a leading officer was just about to disembark when the Den Den Mushi in his arms rang. He quickly picked it up.
"What?!"
"I've already reached the destination, and now you're telling me to withdraw? Are you kidding me right now?!"
His face twisted in anger as he shouted. But more information soon came through.
"That's impossible… That exalted one has come to the North Blue? And is about to arrive at Minion Island?!"
His anger vanished almost instantly, replaced by shock and reverence.
Without hesitation, the battleship turned around and departed the moment the call ended. They weren't the only ones; another Marine unit had already landed. However, that was no longer their concern.
Minion Island was about to welcome the exalted one, so no matter how difficult the mission was, it would surely end in a satisfactory outcome.
...
Elsewhere, ten kilometers from Minion Island...
On a battleship adorned with a golden scepter at its bow, a tall, imposing, and powerfully built figure stood with his arms crossed. Behind him, a white Marine coat fluttered in the wind.
"Vice Admiral, we're about to reach Minion Island," Eveya spoke with a smile on her face.
Kojin nodded, his eyes fixed on the sea ahead.
In reality, however, his perception had already spread outwards, covering nearly 100,000 meters. Everything within that range was clearly reflected in his mind, including everything happening on Minion Island.
The two figures... one tall, one small.
The boy who had nearly given his life to snatch the Operation-Operation Fruit from pirates… and forced it into Law's mouth.
The enraged pirates.
The Marines hidden within the snowstorm.
And the Donquixote Family landing from the opposite shore.
Everything was within his sight.
"Rosinante… It seems you've forgotten everything I once told you." Kojin shook his head lightly; a trace of coldness appeared in his eyes.
Dealing with a mere group of pirates had nearly cost him his life. Not only had his strength failed to improve over the years, it had actually declined.
In battle, he hadn't even used Rokushiki.
Of course, he had his reasons for hiding his Marine identity. But, to Kojin, that was nothing but foolishness.
"Big Brother... Rosinante…?"
"Is our mission this time actually him?"
Smoker and Buggy exchanged glances when they heard Kojin's words, and a hint of surprise and excitement appeared on their faces.
They had both received guidance from him many times back then. As they were all similar in age, they got on well. In their eyes, Rosinante had become one of Kojin's subordinates before them, which made him a senior figure worthy of respect.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort suddenly came from ahead, causing them both to tremble slightly and confusion to appear in their eyes. They could clearly sense that the Vice Admiral was very angry, but they didn't know why and didn't dare ask.
Time passed slowly as the battleship sailed forward, drawing ever closer to Minion Island.
When Kojin saw that the Marine Law had found was actually Vergo, the Donquixote Family's spy who had infiltrated the Marines, his expression grew even gloomier. He remained with his arms crossed, tapping his right index finger lightly against his left arm.
"Vice Admiral Kojin is really angry..." Smoker and Buggy exchanged glances and became noticeably more cautious.
Finally, when the battleship reached Minion Island, a vast expanse of white threads suddenly rose up in front of them, rapidly forming a structure resembling a birdcage.
"What is that?"
"A Devil Fruit ability?"
Smoker and Buggy exclaimed in shock.
At that moment, Kojin's expression turned utterly icy. Blue arcs of electricity flickered around his body, giving off an aura that warned others to stay away.
Then, suddenly... his figure vanished.
...
The freezing wind howled, sharp and bone-piercing.
Rosinante leaned against a wooden crate. His clothes were soaked in blood, and his face was bruised and battered.
"Haa…" He panted heavily and looked towards the figure ahead.
"Where is the Operation-Operation Fruit?" Donquixote Doflamingo asked in a low voice.
He stared at his only remaining blood relative, his heart utterly cold.
"I fed it to Law! I cured his Amber Lead Disease! He's already escaped!" Rosinante grinned.
Doflamingo fell silent. He slowly clenched his fists, then loosened them slightly.
"You betrayed me."
Leaning against the crate, Rosinante looked up at the sky and smiled faintly, feeling the cold wind.
"Not really. We were never on the same path to begin with."
Doflamingo became even angrier yet remained composed. His expression was dark and unreadable, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts.
"Fate really is cruel… It always forces me to kill the people closest to me. Fufufufufufufu!"
His laughter echoed through the snowstorm. As his pink, feathered coat fluttered in the wind, he suddenly raised the pistol in his right hand and pointed it at Rosinante.
"Is this the end?" Rosinante, utterly exhausted, tilted his head back to look at the sky.
"What a pity... There's still one apology I never got to say."
Murmuring softly, he closed his eyes, waiting for his life to end. Doflamingo's finger rested on the trigger. Hidden behind his sunglasses, his eyes were invisible.
"Whoosh... whoosh..."
The cold wind swept past, rustling his coat. The other Donquixote Family officers watched nervously, their expressions complicated.
Even now, some of them still couldn't believe that Corazon was a traitor, a Marine spy who had infiltrated the family.
Yet the truth was right before their eyes.
Others couldn't help but feel sorry for Doflamingo. As an elder brother who had been forced to kill his own younger brother, he must be in great pain.
"Will he really pull the trigger?"
"He may be a traitor, but that's still his own brother!"
Various thoughts flashed through the officers' minds.
Then... in the next second, a sudden, heavy gunshot rang out.
"Bang!"
Smoke rose from the muzzle and quickly dispersed into the snowy wind.
The officers' pupils shrank. Their mouths opened slightly and their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
Had he actually shot his own brother?
Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept through, the swirling snow obscuring their vision, making it impossible to see Corazon clearly.
"Is he dead?"
Doubt arose in their hearts. No one noticed the gravity in Doflamingo's eyes at that moment, or the trace of tension never seen before.
"Whoosh…"
As the snowstorm parted, a figure slowly emerged within flashes of lightning, appearing before everyone's eyes.
"Who is that?!"
"He blocked the Young Lord's bullet?!"
"Corazon isn't dead!"
Shock and astonishment filled their gazes.
The figure became clearer in the wind and snow… a cold, imposing face calmly sweeping over the crowd.
"What a disappointment… Rosinante."
A low voice echoed slowly.
The moment those words sounded, the surrounding wind, snow, everything, seemed to freeze.
Even Doflamingo's expression stiffened.
"What…!?"
"Vice Admiral Kojin!!"
Rosinante opened his eyes wide, shouting in shock and disbelief.
(End of Chapter)
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