As Rowan's instructor during his years in the Marine training camp, Zephyr frowned and thought for a moment.
Before the Den Den Mushi call was disconnected, he stood up and walked over.
"Rowan."
"Does Teacher Zephyr have something else to say?"
"This mission the Marines are entrusting to you concerns the lives of every single person in Wano Country."
"Whether they are good or evil, nobles or commoners."
Zephyr's voice was exceptionally serious.
"I don't know whether Nomi ever told you about his past, but during your childhood in the West Blue... you must have experienced times when you were powerless to resist."
"If you become the investigator sent into Wano, then the life or death of everyone in that country may rest upon a single decision from you."
"I believe you will make the right choice."
As his words fell, Rowan remained silent for a while.
Meanwhile, inside the commander's office of G5 Branch, the expression hidden behind Rowan's sunglasses had also turned grave.
Based on what he knew about the World Government and the Marines, the conversation just now had already proven one thing:
The World Government had set its sights on Wano Country.
They were even willing to use that weapon capable of destroying an entire island.
One had to know that after Vegapunk's disappearance, the so-called Ember Energy project had naturally come to an end.
Yet even under those circumstances, they still intended to use that weapon.
Had the Five Elders already reported everything directly to Imu?
But even if Wano was the birthplace of the Poneglyphs...
Even if opening Wano's borders meant releasing the ancient weapon Pluton...
In Rowan's memories, Wano had never encountered such a situation.
Because of him?
Before his thoughts could drift any further, Zephyr's voice came through the Den Den Mushi once more.
"This isn't a Buster Call."
"It's another kind of power, one capable of erasing Wano from existence."
"The reason lies in the battle between Kaido and the Cloaked Man."
"Wano is... special."
"The World Government will never allow anyone else to possess it."
"So..."
"Do you understand now?"
The snail-shaped Den Den Mushi slowly nodded.
Rowan let out a long breath.
"I understand."
"Teacher... you've really handed me a difficult problem."
"I've never wanted to stand against the World Government."
"After all..."
"I'm one of their people."
Vice Admiral Tsuru smiled faintly.
"If I remember correctly..."
"...you just said a moment ago that you were one of the Marines."
"..."
The Den Den Mushi shot the middle-aged woman a sidelong glance.
As expected...
Women were terrifying.
She had even sent Tashigi no, Tina to keep an eye on him.
"I can only say that I'll do my best."
"I can't guarantee anything else."
"And remember, I only work after seeing the money."
"So tell the finance department to move faster."
Click.
The call ended immediately.
Sengoku stared blankly for a moment.
Just like Sakazuki, that troublesome thorn in his side...
This was the second Marine Vice Admiral bold enough to hang up on the Fleet Admiral.
"Will there be any problems, Zephyr?"
It was obvious that Sengoku was referring to Rowan.
"The moment I told him the truth, the best possible solution was already set in motion."
"He belongs to the new generation that Nomi acknowledged."
"And considering his background..."
"...there's a very high chance everything will be alright."
Tsuru nodded in agreement.
"Whether there will be problems or not..."
"...none of us can control that."
"The people of Wano can only pray."
"Pray that the Revolutionary Army isn't actually inside their country."
After those words, silence filled the office.
At that moment, the very meaning of the Marines seemed unbearably fragile.
Even the large character for 'Justice' hanging above Sengoku's head felt like a cruel mockery.
They were Marines.
They were supposed to be the shield protecting the ordinary people of the seas.
That had been the reason they joined the organization in the first place.
Yet now...
With nothing more than a single order from the World Government, they had no choice but to obey.
Even if Wano, like God Valley before it...was filled with innocent people.
The shield... and the executioner.
Both descriptions were correct.
After a long silence, Sengoku rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"Garp, what's the situation with the disappearance of the Heavenly Tribute in the East Blue?"
Garp casually picked at his nose.
"It just disappeared."
"Five escort ships, along with all the CP agents aboard them, vanished completely in that stretch of sea."
"Over the next few days, CP sent a lot more people. At first they even suspected some kind of unusual maritime disaster."
"A bunch of agents dove into the water and searched the seabed around the area."
"But they still found absolutely nothing."
"Just a few broken pieces of wood."
The Heavenly Tribute had been stolen.
Mary Geoise was preparing to truly make a move against Wano.
One problem after another gave Sengoku a splitting headache.
No one should think the Celestial Dragons would simply let this go.
The Cloaked Man was proof enough.
Even after killing three Celestial Dragons, the World Government was still willing to deploy that kind of power just to erase him completely.
The investigation in the East Blue would not end.
In fact, it would probably drag countless innocent people into it.
G5 Branch, Commander's Office.
This was the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.
It was much farther from Enies Lobby than Marine Headquarters was, so contacting Spandine naturally had to be done through a Den Den Mushi.
After all, Rowan's public identity couldn't teleport.
The time and place of his appearances had to match the persona of his various identities.
Moreover, compared to Sengoku and the others, Rowan knew far more about that weapon hidden within Mary Geoise.
The five old monsters in the Chamber of Authority had no authority to use it.
Only the final ruler seated within the Chamber of Flowers—Imu—could take out a pen and erase an island from existence.
So, at present, things were probably exactly as Sengoku and the others had guessed.
Whether Wano would actually be erased still depended on the outcome of the investigation.
But from this alone, Rowan could tell that, in the eyes of those five old monsters, both the Revolutionary Army and himself had become threats of considerable importance.
After all...
They actually had to report the matter to Imu.
Furthermore, in Rowan's own plans, Wano was just as important to both him and the Revolutionary Army.
After that conversation with Roger back in the Goa Kingdom, he had made several changes to his original strategy.
Wano was to become the first testing ground.
A Wano that had not suffered through twenty years of misery...
Would its people accept ideological awakening?
Would they embrace the spirit of revolution?
There was Kozuki Oden's assistance.
There was also the gratitude the people would feel toward the Revolutionary Army for destroying the Beasts Pirates.
If even under those circumstances progress remained difficult...
Then Rowan would have to rethink the entire path he had chosen.
As he had concluded before, it was easier to awaken the minds of the new generation.
That was his backup plan.
No matter what happened, Wano would be liberated.
But the difficulty of that process and the amount of time required to truly change the people's way of thinking would become crucial data for Rowan's future plans.
Lost in thought, the Den Den Mushi finally connected.
"Hahaha!"
"I just got the promotion notice, and you call me immediately!"
"I'm in charge of part of the CPO now."
"You could say I've taken a big step forward."
Rowan offered a few words of congratulations.
After paying both favors and money, Spandine agreed to arrange the matter.
In truth, Rowan knew perfectly well that the Five Elders would never bother personally selecting investigators for Wano.
The task would almost certainly be handed directly to CP.
In that case, Spandine, now holding considerable authority, wouldn't need to pull any strings at all.
He could simply make the decision himself.
Still...
The polite request and the payment were necessary.
That was just the kind of corrupt person Spandine was.
Sure enough, the very next day Spandine called back.
The arrangements had already been completed.
A total of six people would be sent to investigate Wano.
Rowan would serve as the temporary commander.
Their first destination would be the hidden port, where they would gauge Wano's current attitude.
If that failed, they would have to wait until nightfall and use Moonwalk to cross Wano's natural barriers, infiltrating the country directly.
Before ending the call, Spandine offered one final warning.
"The waters around Wano are very dangerous right now."
"If the Cloaked Man is really there, then this mission could cost you your life."
He continued,
"Marine Headquarters should also have analyzed the Cloaked Man by now."
"His teleportation ability and that high-temperature flaming sword..."
"...those are the things you absolutely have to watch out for."
On Rowan's side of the line, his expression remained completely calm.
Inside, however, he was already cursing.
Just how seriously do the World Government and the Marines take me now?
"Just go investigate. If you're discovered, retreat immediately."
"You know the Marines have also been ordered to help seal off the surrounding waters. They're paying me a fortune for this mission, so we'll split it fifty-fifty."
Those words actually made Spandine feel a little embarrassed, and the Den Den Mushi copied his awkward expression perfectly.
After thinking for a moment, Spandine spoke again.
"Fine then. You're being generous, so I can't just shamelessly pocket half the money."
"The World Government's research lab recently came up with something new."
"You'll need to wait at G5 for someone to meet up with you. I'll have them deliver it."
Rowan hadn't expected another bonus.
He immediately smiled and asked,
"What kind of new thing? A famous sword? Or one of the cute girls from the research lab?"
The two of them let out identical lecherous chuckles.
Knowing it was just a joke, Spandine simply told Rowan to look forward to it before hanging up.
However, almost immediately, another private Den Den Mushi in Rowan's pocket began ringing.
As soon as he answered, the snail's appearance changed into a sneaky, secretive expression.
"Rowan... can you talk privately?"
Hearing that, Rowan spread out his Observation Haki before replying,
"What's wrong? You can speak."
Kuzan lowered his voice.
"Is someone from our side in Wano?"
"I've received information that the World Government is planning to use some kind of weapon to completely destroy Wano in a single strike."
"You have to notify our people and get them out as soon as possible!"
"Hurry!"
Even though he was deliberately suppressing his voice, the urgency and tension were impossible to hide.
It really wasn't easy for this future Admiral.
After thinking for a moment, Rowan replied directly,
"Don't worry."
"The World Government assigned me as one of the investigators."
"As long as I'm handling it, there won't be any major problems."
"You just keep doing what you've always done and stay undercover."
The Den Den Mushi copying Kuzan's face froze for a second.
Then, somewhat helplessly, he sighed.
"When the chance comes... let me meet the people from home."
"I've been carrying out too many missions lately."
"I'm afraid that one day... my mentality will completely collapse."
"There will be a chance."
After a brief pause, Rowan added,
"You understand why you're undercover."
"Of the three future Marine Admirals, you're already destined to become one of them."
"Your value isn't in the present, Kuzan."
"It's in the future."
"We've carried out many missions together."
"I know that most of them force you to face the darkness of this world head-on."
"But if we ourselves can't endure that darkness..."
"...then how can we ever bring dawn to the world?"
"We're different from them..."
The Den Den Mushi remained silent for a while.
In the end, Kuzan simply answered,
"...Understood."
Then the line disconnected.
Rowan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead irritably.
Changing the world was never going to be easy.
Even if the next Diamond Treasure Chest granted him absolute power, simply destroying all of Mary Geoise would not change the world.
Strength was only one necessary condition.
Erasing the old ideas from the entire world, allowing new beliefs and convictions to take root...that was just as necessary.
The scale of that task was simply too immense.
It meant changing the deeply ingrained way of thinking across the entire sea.
It wasn't as simple as the rulers issuing an order and everyone obediently following it.
That was make-believe.
Not revolution.
Only after experiencing suffering could people finally erupt from their silence.
Only then could they truly understand what it meant for all lives to be equal.
Only then would that belief shape the future.
Several days later, a ship that had crossed the Red Line arrived at G5 Branch's harbor.
It wasn't even disguised as a Marine vessel.
Instead, it looked exactly like a pirate ship, complete with a pirate flag hanging from the mast.
After boarding, the CP agents handed Rowan a large crate.
Inside was the gift that Spandine had promised him.
"Hm?"
"A mechanical arm?"
"It actually looks pretty cool."
"There's even an instruction manual."
But after Rowan read through the manual once...his face instantly turned completely black.
It had only been a few months.
Because he had been transferred to G5 Branch, allowing the Revolutionary Army to develop in secret, and because of the Heavenly Tribute and the current situation in Wano, Rowan had only taken his eyes off the World Government for a short while.
And in that time...they had actually created something like this?
As expected of Vinsmoke Judge.
Making equipment was truly his specialty.
The arm had no other functions at all.
It was simply a glove and armored gauntlet that covered the entire arm, without hindering movement or affecting the user's ability to utilize Haki.
It only had one purpose:
Heat insulation.
Rowan rubbed his forehead.
Unlike the Germa raid suits with their invisibility, poison gas, laser cannons, and all sorts of fancy functions, this thing had discarded every extra feature.
Its sole purpose was to counter him.
Not more, not less.
It was designed to withstand temperatures just over six thousand degrees.
It was pure black technology.
What kind of material could possibly endure six thousand degrees?
Ridiculous.
After grumbling for a while, Rowan still decided to try on the new equipment.
From the outside, it looked like a mechanical arm, but the moment he touched it, it automatically unfolded and wrapped around his entire right arm.
"They couldn't even send a pair?"
"Just one arm?"
"So my left hand doesn't matter anymore?"
Obviously, the production cost of this thing couldn't be low.
And since it was equipment specially developed to counter Rowan, there was no point mass-producing it for ordinary cannon fodder.
A few days later, the ship departed from G5 Branch and finally arrived at Wano Country.
Because the World Government had maintained trade relations with Wano for years, they already possessed Log Poses and sea charts, allowing them to head directly toward the waterfall at the hidden port.
Meanwhile, after Rowan had contacted Wano in advance, all lectures and public speeches had been suspended since the previous day.
More than a dozen inspection sites had also been specially arranged for the World Government's investigators.
The goal was to prove that the Revolutionary Army had already left, and that Wano remained the same isolated nation it had always been.
Negotiations at the hidden port went smoothly.
With Kin'emon acting as the samurai in charge of the harbor, he expressed Wano's willingness to continue cooperating with the World Government.
Most importantly, that cooperation involved the trade of Seastone.
Since there was no need to forcefully enter Wano using Moonwalk and risk conflict, the CP agents all breathed sighs of relief.
After all, they knew perfectly well that if they really encountered the Cloaked Man, they would simply become disposable sacrifices.
After entering Wano without incident, Rowan deliberately guided the group through an inspection tour of the entire country.
They even visited the bustling marketplace of the Flower Capital.
Finally, at the Shogun's residence, Oden personally invited them to a lavish banquet, eating and drinking to their hearts' content while once again expressing Wano's desire to maintain trade relations with the World Government.
At this point, Oden did not know Rowan's true identity.
But he understood one thing very clearly:
The results of this investigation would determine Wano's fate.
Every staged performance...
Every carefully arranged scene...
Even the explanation given to the people a few days earlier that pirates had invaded and everyone needed to gather and hide for a few days...had all been Oden's arrangements.
Since the Beasts Pirates had only recently been wiped out, the people obeyed without much resistance.
Those left behind to complete the act were only the samurai, a portion of the ninja, and the court performers and singers.
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