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Inside, on Street 178.
Ryan was running at the very front. His face was filled with excitement and madness, and his crewmates followed closely behind.
They knew they weren't the only group daring enough to take such a risk. Many pirates had the same idea: kill the Pirate King and elevate their own fame and status.
With countless pirates roaming the seas, their ambitions and dreams came in all shapes and sizes.
But, ultimately, it was all about fame, status, and money.
As for the One Piece, that was meant for the man destined to become the Pirate King.
"If we succeed!"
Ryan's heart pounded wildly as he began to fantasize about the future after success.
Suddenly, lightning flashed in the dark street ahead.
Crackle!
A figure wreathed in lightning appeared abruptly. The sudden sight made the entire group come to a dead stop.
"Harboring ideals and ambition is a good thing," Kojin said, his voice calm as arcs of electricity crackled around him. "But if you misjudge the path ahead and overestimate your own strength, it will become the greatest obstacle to your survival!"
"A Marine?!" Ryan's pupils constricted.
But in an instant, he roared, "Kill him!"
From the moment this operation began, he had made his decision.
Anyone who stood in his way would be killed.
At his command, the crew behind him surged forward, drawing their blades and charging menacingly toward Kojin.
Kojin didn't even blink nor make a move to dodge.
The next second, a long blade slashed through his body, sparks of lightning crackling in its wake.
The pirate landed on the ground, his face instantly turning pale with terror.
"Boss... it's a Logia user!"
Only then did Kojin slowly raise his right hand and casually point forward with a finger.
However, he wasn't pointing at the pirate who had just attacked.
Before they could understand what was happening, Kojin suddenly vanished from their sight.
"It's not just Logia," Kojin murmured calmly.
His right index finger was now pressed against the forehead of the pirate who had drawn his sword.
"How is that possible?!"
"That speed... it's too fast!"
Ryan's pupils contracted, and his entire body began to tremble.
Then, he saw light gather at Kojin's fingertip, followed by a sudden burst.
A bolt of lightning pierced the swordsman's forehead.
"Roger isn't someone trash like you can get close to." Kojin said, turning to look at Ryan.
His gaze was calm yet icy, sending shivers through the entire pirate crew.
"Thunder! It's the Thunder Thunder Fruit!"
"He actually ate the Thunder Thunder Fruit!! He's a lightning man!"
A pirate screamed in fear.
In the eyes of most pirates, Logia users were already considered invincible, let alone someone who could command lightning itself.
"Wait, he... he looks like..."
"That Vice-Admiral!"
"Kojin! It's Kojin!"
As more pirates recognized the Marine's identity, their fear intensified.
Ryan was completely stunned.
Marine Vice-Admiral Kojin?
The same Marine who captured Roger and, just days ago, defeated Golden Lion Shiki and sent him to Impel Down?
"Damn it! How could someone as powerful as you be here?!" Ryan roared in terror.
Kojin raised his right hand. Lightning crackled between his palm and fingers, sounding sharply in the air.
"The route you chose happens to be the area I'm stationed in."
"Courageous individuals deserve respect. But unfortunately, trash like you don't warrant any pity."
As Kojin finished speaking, the electric arcs around him rapidly expanded and grew violent. The temperature inside the alley skyrocketed in an instant.
The next second, Kojin pointed forward.
Crackle!
The sound of electricity exploded as branching arcs surged forward like tree limbs, instantly charging toward the remaining pirates.
"Wait! Stop!" Ryan screamed in terror.
But in a flash, he and the other pirates were struck by the lightning. The intense heat generated in that instant ignited their bodies in flames, which were then twisted and annihilated by the lightning's terrifying destructive force.
The pirate crew of over a dozen members was vaporized in the blink of an eye by Kojin's lightning.
Kojin turned around, his brows knitting slightly.
"Looks like the coming hours will be the busiest."
With a flash of thunderlight, he vanished once again.
...
This was the second-to-last day before the execution.
It was also on this day that countless pirates and underground forces, driven by madness and ambition yet misjudging their own strength, launched assaults on the place where Roger was imprisoned.
With his domain fully activated, Kojin eliminated over a hundred pirates in a single day while continuously assigning missions to his subordinates.
When night fell, their workload only intensified.
By the time the seventh day arrived, Crocodile tallied that they had wiped out thirty-six pirate crews, killing four hundred and fifty-eight pirates in total.
"Tomorrow, Roger will be executed!" Borsalino murmured, gazing up at the dawn's first light.
Kojin remained impassive, offering no comment on the statement.
"Let's move out. Today will be another busy day."
"These lowly sewer rats never truly understand their place!" Sakazuki said coldly.
After adjusting his Marine cap, he radiated killing intent and led the way out.
The rest of the squad followed in turn. Kojin dispersed his field and used his ability to conjure a thundercloud three kilometers in diameter above Loguetown.
Throughout the day, people beyond the three-kilometer radius frequently heard thunderous roars and witnessed lightning strikes.
They had no idea that each lightning strike claimed the lives of several, even dozens, of people.
That same day at Loguetown's harbor, people continuously disembarked from ships and quickly merged into the dense crowds ahead.
Among them were future Great Pirates who would become renowned across the seas.
"Fufu fufu fufu fufu!"
"This is quite an event!"
"It's exhilarating... so thrilling it makes the blood boil!"
Within the crowd, a figure spread his arms wide and laughed loudly.
"I can already feel the pulse of the era!"
...
At the same time, on another street...
A man with red hair, a long blade at his hip, and a straw hat on his head walked silently with his head bowed. A red-nosed boy followed closely behind him.
By evening, thunderclouds had gathered over Loguetown, and thunder rumbled endlessly.
Hōng lóng lóng!
The sky flickered between darkness and light. After a bolt of lightning tore through the air, a figure appeared on the street near Central Park, draped in a green cloak with the hood pulled low to completely obscure his face.
When the next bolt flashed, the man slowly raised his head and looked toward the towering execution platform ahead.
"So this is where you'll meet your end tomorrow?"
"Roger!"
(End of Chapter)