"An... Admiral?!"
Floating in the air, Perona froze in shock, her large black eyes locked onto the man standing in front of Kuma.
He wore a simple Marine uniform. His short black hair was neatly cropped, and his tall, powerfully built frame radiated raw strength at a glance.
"You're saying... he's a Marine Admiral?" Perona muttered blankly.
"I am indeed an Admiral of Marine Headquarters," Kojin smiled. "I haven't been active in the world for ten years, so it's only natural you wouldn't recognize me."
His eyes settled on the ghost girl hovering before him, a hint of interest flashing across them. Having a ghost girl like her as an aide would be... rather entertaining.
"But we don't have time to chat," Kojin said. "Tell me: where is Gekko Moria?"
His main mission here was to inform Moria about the new candidate for the Seven Warlords of the Sea. As for his secondary objective...
Kojin's eyes narrowed slightly, and another smile appeared on his face.
Moria had once been a legend. Before suffering the crushing defeat that broke his spirit, he had even fought Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.
And Moria's name was also on his list.
"You want to know where Master Moria is? As if I'd tell you that!" Perona's expression turned cold as she shot forward through the air.
"Oh?" Kojin chuckled.
It seemed he had underestimated the loyalty of Moria's followers.
"I heard Moria took you in when you were little, and you've always treated him like a father. What an adorable daughter." Still smiling, Kojin casually sidestepped Perona's attack.
She unleashed one ghost after another, but quickly noticed something that had never happened before: her ghosts were instinctively afraid of the man in front of them.
Ever since she had eaten her Devil Fruit, nothing like this had ever happened.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Then she saw Kojin slowly raise his right hand, palm facing forward.
'Crackle!'
Blue lightning exploded from his palm, condensing into a dazzling beam. Before she could even react, the pillar of lightning streaked past her ear and vanished into the distance.
The scorching electrical energy made her pupils contract, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"Move again... and I won't go easy on you, Perona," Kojin spoke calmly.
Perona's face had gone deathly pale. That single bolt had made her realize just how terrifying this man truly was.
Behind her, Captain John clutched his liquor bottle with both hands, trembling all over. His pink hair had been scorched to ash by the passing lightning.
"That was close... way too close! I was almost cut in half!"
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his legs shaking uncontrollably as he hurried into the crowd of zombies to hide.
Barely two breaths later, the silent horde erupted into terrified screams. The zombies scattered in every direction, fleeing so fast that they vanished in the blink of an eye.
"So. Where is Moria? It would be best if you cooperated," Kojin smiled faintly.
Perona trembled. The answer nearly slipped out on instinct, but she quickly covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head desperately.
Kojin frowned, his gaze turning cold. Then, just as quickly, it softened.
"I like you even more now."
He stepped past her.
After glancing at Perona once, Bartholomew Kuma silently followed behind him.
Thriller Bark was enormous, practically an island in its own right. But to Kojin and Kuma, the thick fog and eternal darkness made little difference from the outside world.
A few minutes later, they spotted Nami.
The orange-haired girl wore a look of pure fear.
"K-Kojin?! Why are you here?" Nami's voice trembled.
Not long ago, the Straw Hat Pirates had experienced the greatest terror and despair of their lives. Faced with this man, they hadn't even been able to fight back. His unfathomable strength had shaken the entire crew to the core.
Although he had inexplicably left in the end and spared them, the shadow he cast still lingered in everyone's hearts.
"I'm here on official business," Kojin said with a smile. "You're Nami, right? Such a beautiful young lady. Do you happen to have a boyfriend?"
He knew perfectly well that his previous appearance had left every member of the Straw Hat Pirates terrified of him.
"Huh?" Nami stared blankly.
She instinctively searched for an escape route, only to fall into despair. There was no escaping someone like him.
"No need to be afraid. I'm not here for you." Kojin smiled lightly, his posture completely relaxed, showing no trace of hostility.
"Really? That's such a relief!" Nami let out a long sigh, her face lighting up with joy.
At that moment, Kuma spoke in his deep voice.
"Does Monkey D. Luffy... have an older brother?"
Nami blinked in surprise before nodding.
"Yeah. Luffy does have an older brother. Why?"
Kuma glanced at Kojin's back, but said nothing more.
Ace's capture was still a closely guarded secret. The World Government had yet to announce it publicly, and Luffy clearly knew nothing about it. Besides, judging from Kojin's intentions, he had no desire to let the Straw Hats learn the truth.
The two men turned and walked away.
Only then did Nami finally let out the breath she had been holding.
"It looks like... they really weren't here for us. Then who 'were' they after?" Nami wondered aloud.
During that battle, everyone had been completely overwhelmed by despair. But after going back over everything that had happened, they realized Kojin must have had some other objective. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all said they had learned new techniques from fighting him, and those lessons had ultimately helped them win at Enies Lobby.
Did that mean... the man before them was actually an ally rather than an enemy?
---
The castle was dark and damp, filled with the occasional eerie creak echoing through its halls.
Kojin walked in front, Kuma silently following behind. Neither of them paid the atmosphere the slightest attention.
"You..." Kuma's deep voice was low, as though he was still debating whether he should ask.
"You want to know what I think of the Straw Hat crew?" Kojin smiled faintly without looking back.
"...Yes." Kuma nodded.
"I've always believed in looking past appearances to see what's underneath," Kojin chuckled.
Kuma blinked.
"There's a difference between pirates who prey on others... and adventurers who spend their time helping ordinary people. They do cause quite a few major incidents." He paused before smiling again. "But in my eyes, what they've done is far more just than the actions of certain Marines."
Kuma fell silent. For a brief moment, the corners of his mouth seemed to lift ever so slightly.
After spending some time working alongside Kojin and reaching an agreement with him, Kuma had come to understand the man.
Kojin embodied everything a Marine ought to be. Yet he wasn't someone who blindly enforced justice without question; he had a sharp sense of right and wrong.
Of course, that didn't make him soft. Whenever evil crossed the line or violated his principles, his response was swift and merciless. Anyone who witnessed it would never forget it.
A short while later, an enormous castle came into view.
"Moria should be here." Kojin looked up at the towering structure with a smile.
Several crows perched along the castle's rooftops, silently watching them. The moment they noticed his gaze, they flapped their wings and disappeared into the sky.
"Living in a place where the sun never shines... no wonder Moria's heart has grown so dark."
Kuma remained silent.
The two entered the castle, and no one attempted to stop them.
Before long, they reached a vast chamber where they found Gekko Moria.
Standing behind him were two men. One was Absalom, the Clear-Clear Fruit user and one of Thriller Bark's three mysterious monsters. The other was Hogback, the genius surgeon. The third member of that trio, Perona, was nowhere to be seen, they had already met her outside.
Moria sat upon his massive throne, narrowing his eyes as the two approached.
"A Marine Admiral and a Warlord of the Sea... this is a first. What brings you here?"
Bartholomew Kuma alone was already one of the most mysterious and powerful members of the Seven Warlords. Now he'd arrived alongside someone even more unbelievable.
The legendary former Vice Admiral...
No.
The legendary Admiral.
Long ago, Kojin's name had stood alongside Roger, the Golden Lion, and Whitebeard. Naturally, Moria had heard countless stories about him, but this was their first meeting.
Only two men had come, yet the pressure they brought was overwhelming. If they intended to attack him, the result would undoubtedly be a disaster.
"Gekko Moria," Kojin finally spoke.
Moria stared back at him.
"We're not here to cause trouble, and we're certainly not here because of you. So you can put aside your fear and relax." A smile spread across Kojin's face.
To Moria, however, that smile felt like open mockery.
"I'm not afraid!" he snapped.
Kojin paid no attention to the bluff, simply continuing on.
"We're only here to inform you... there's a new member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The position will be filled by the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates... Marshall D. Teach."
Moria froze. "A new Warlord? Marshall D. Teach... Blackbeard?"
"That's right." Kojin nodded, then smirked at Moria's astonishment. "Surely you didn't think the Seven Warlords would remain the same forever. To carry a title with that much prestige and influence... you need strength worthy of it."
He paused before letting out a cold laugh.
"Forgive my bluntness, Gekko Moria. I'm afraid your current strength no longer matches the reputation and status of a Warlord of the Sea. If things continue like this... you'll be the next one to be replaced."
Moria's pupils contracted. His hands slowly clenched into fists as he fixed Kojin with a murderous glare.
There was no doubt about it, those words had struck him where it hurt the most.
(End of Chapter)
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