The battleships departed from the port one after another, setting off in separate waves toward different destinations.
Half an hour later, the battleship carrying Kōjin began to move, setting course for the Edd War Sea.
"I checked, and the northwest area of the Edd War Sea is pretty empty," Saul said in his deep, rumbling voice. His tone was filled with enthusiasm. "So you could say we're probably on one of the safer missions."
"Safe?" Kōjin blinked in mild surprise.
"Yeah. Our mission this time is mainly to scout and observe the movements of the Golden Lion's crew from a distance. Normally, we shouldn't encounter any real combat." Saul said this cheerfully.
As a Marine, especially one dispatched for missions in the New World, the death rate was notoriously high. Many of Saul's comrades who had enlisted with him had already lost their lives.
"I see..." Kōjin murmured softly.
He wasn't afraid of death; repeatedly walking the line between life and death had become a way for him to grow stronger faster. Still, this particular assignment was unexpected. He had thought he would go with Kuzan, Garp, and the others, but clearly, fate had arranged otherwise.
The journey wasn't overly strict. Apart from the officers assigned to stand watch in rotation, the others were given quite a bit of freedom. Their commanding officer, Rear Admiral Jerry, was an unorthodox superior; he barely interfered with them.
Most of the time, the tall, thin Rear Admiral who looked perpetually weak and hollow-eyed as though chronically short on vitality sat alone, smoking cigars and sighing endlessly as if weighed down by some deep sorrow.
In contrast, Kōjin's time with Saul was surprisingly pleasant. This giant with a big frame and an even bigger heart turned out to be gentle, kind, warmhearted, and a bit simple-minded.
They had first met a few days earlier and were introduced by Kuzan.
"I saw Kuzan and Sakazuki boarding Vice Admiral Garp's ship," Saul mentioned one day, his voice echoing across the deck. "It seems they were assigned some kind of special mission."
"Borsalino looks like he stayed back at the base."
That piece of news surprised Kōjin. "A mission? What kind of assignment would they be on?"
"No idea," Saul shrugged. "But it's gotta be dangerous. Not like our cushy assignment." He laughed heartily, the sound booming across the sea.
Kōjin nodded slightly and didn't dwell on it further. He went back to his quiet training.
Once someone possessed superhuman physical strength, the Six Powers (Rokushiki) could be learned fairly quickly as long as one was diligent and had some talent.
On the third day of their voyage toward the Edd War Sea, Kōjin mastered Shigan (Finger Pistol).
By the fifth day, their battleship had reached its designated position and switched to patrol mode. Rear Admiral Jerry sent his report to Headquarters and received orders to maintain their position and observation.
That afternoon, a new line of text appeared on Kōjin's mental status panel.
Geppo LV1+.
This meant that he had now learned five of the Six Rokushiki Techniques, all except Kami-e (Paper Drawing), and could use them in combat. However, true mastery would require far more time and effort.
As far as he knew, it was easy to start learning Rokushiki, but far harder to perfect and develop one's own variations of it. Even the so-called monsters, Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki, hadn't fully achieved that yet.
The sea was calm. From time to time, Rear Admiral Jerry raised his binoculars to scan the horizon, but there was nothing to see. Not even a shadow of the Flying Pirate Crew.
This evoked mixed feelings among the Marines aboard: disappointment at the lack of action and relief at not having to risk their lives.
"Looks like this one's going to be an easy job," Jerry sighed.
Kōjin, however, continued his training in silence. The ship had basic exercise equipment, and he carefully followed Bogard's and Zephyr's instructions, swinging the dumbbells with such force that gusts of wind rippled through the deck.
"Monsters like him are rare these days!" An officer laughed. "A monster that trains this hard is even rarer. Gotta respect that!"
Ha ha! Shinbu, you're a middle-aged man in your forties; you've already hit your ceiling. Of course, you don't need to push that hard. But Kōjin's still young."
"Who knows? Maybe he'll be an Admiral one day!"
The laughter echoed warmly across the deck.
Kōjin smiled faintly and lifted his dumbbells again. Though quiet by nature, his strong work ethic and youth made him popular with the other officers.
In particular, the Colonel named Shinbu often chatted with him and shared useful advice about combat and survival at sea.
At the bow of the battleship, Rear Admiral Jerry glanced at Kōjin as he listened to the commotion behind him.
"This kid . . . he's the same type as Kuzan and the other so-called Monsters," Rear Admiral Jerry thought to himself, his gaze lingering on Kōjin. "And yet, he's been assigned to my ship."
Recently, while at the G-5 Base, Jerry had naturally heard the incredible rumors surrounding Kōjin.
"He's only just beginning to grasp the Six Powers (Rokushiki), probably because his fundamentals aren't fully developed yet, but his potential is huge. That's why he's been sent to a relatively safe area."
"A favor from the higher-ups, perhaps?"
'Well, he is still young and inexperienced', Jerry thought.
He genuinely believed that the area under his charge was relatively safe. Maybe they wouldn't even encounter an enemy by the end of this mission.
"I heard that Headquarters decided to give the new generation a batch of Devil Fruits to make them stronger."
"Will he get one, too?"
But that was none of his concern. Jerry knew his own limits. The best resources naturally went toward training younger talents with greater potential.
...
Meanwhile, in another region aboard a different battleship...
"Sengoku, why isn't Kōjin on the same ship as us? That kid clearly has the ability to face the Golden Lion Pirate Crew and the Roger Pirates head-on!"
Garp held his Den Den Mushi and shouted angrily into the receiver.
His beloved disciple was being sent on a mission alone. Following Garp were Kuzan and Sakazuki, the other prodigies of the new generation.
"I have my reasons, Garp," Sengoku replied calmly. "You still don't understand. This mission isn't about fighting Gold Lion Shiki directly. It's long-range observation. While the two major pirate crews clash, we must also focus on the safety of the Marine bases and headquarters."
"What reasons? All I know is that you've hidden Kōjin away!" Garp shouted, frustrated.
"He just joined the Marines and still lacks the fundamentals. What he needs now is time to grow. Being with you is too dangerous. Can you guarantee his safety?"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's own temper flared as he bellowed.
Having such a talented young prodigy follow Garp was a huge risk. If anything went wrong, it would be a massive loss for the Marines. Even a genius needs time and careful growth.
The Three Monsters, Kuzan, and Sakazuki already had the physical strength and combat experience necessary for heavy responsibility.
"I can naturally handle it!" Garp shot back without hesitation.
He knew full well that his disciple possessed the Undying trait. This exceptional kid could play a decisive role in a direct confrontation, exceeding normal expectations.
"You asshole! Where is he? At least tell me which region he's in!" Garp roared.
"Northwest sector, A13 region," Sengoku replied, his tone softening slightly as he gave up the information.
Garp's fury surged.
The Edd War Sea was vast, and Marine forces in the New World were not dominant. At this era, it was difficult for them to compete directly with pirates.
For this mission, Sengoku had divided the sea into numerous monitoring sectors, tasked only with observation and covert scouting for opportunities. If the two pirate crews clashed, the Marines would then decide their next moves based on the situation.
It was a careful and deliberate strategic positioning, yet there remained the unpredictable factor of Garp.
"Ha ha ha ha, understood," Garp laughed heartily.
Consulting the sea map, he realized that his own sector was not far from Kōjin's.
However, according to Sengoku's assessment, the danger levels were completely opposite, Garp's area being high-risk, Kōjin's relatively low-risk.
(End of Chapter)
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