What truly binds humanity?
'Thought!'
When Marine Vice-Admiral Kojin spoke to the reporters and the whole world, his words undoubtedly caused the thoughts of countless people to come to light.
Even those who felt negatively towards the Marines could never have imagined that a Marine could utter such words.
In Loguetown, a white-haired boy with a crew cut stood in a daze, staring blankly at the enormous screen in front of him. He was watching the live broadcast that had just ended when he suddenly froze.
Not long ago, he had personally witnessed the death of the Pirate King, Roger. And right after that, he heard these words spoken by Kojin, a Marine Vice-Admiral.
"Humans are born equal!"
"The goal of striving for strength is to create a world where no one is above another!"
Murmuring these two sentences over and over again, an indescribable light flickered in the white-haired boy's eyes.
Suddenly, as if he had remembered something, he turned and ran towards the harbor.
"Marine!"
"I'm going to become a Marine!"
I, Smoker, will become a Marine like Vice-Admiral Kojin!"
"I'll fight to eliminate the privileged elite and strive for true Justice!"
The boy shouted excitedly as he ran.
He knew that, at that very moment, a large number of Marines were withdrawing from the harbour at Loguetown. There, he might be able to see the man whose words had shaken the world.
No one could have imagined the impact that Kojin's two simple sentences would have on the world.
But, for many, what this Marine said undoubtedly awakened the entire world, and it was as if a great bell had been struck, bringing sudden clarity to countless confused souls.
"Fuf fuf fuf fuf fuf! Hah!"
"Equal Justice, you say?"
"Does this world still harbor naive, laughable idealists like that man?"
"How utterly absurd!"
A cold laugh echoed from the pirate ship that had just set sail from Loguetown, evading the pursuing battleships.
"But isn't it fascinating?"
"A Marine actually daring to speak out against those high-and-mighty fools sitting at the top!"
"This is too amusing!"
Doflamingo paused, licked his lips, and tilted his head back to gaze at the sky.
"How many more foolish, naive fools will fight for their so-called dreams this time?"
He knew perfectly well the immense impact such words would have on the world, especially coming from a Marine, a Marine who had captured legends like Roger and Golden Lion Shiki, now a star figure in the Marine ranks.
Was this perhaps sending out a special signal?
For a long time, the Justice upheld by the Marines had often clashed with the World Government's policies and orders in many ways.
For instance, the Marines' willingness to act as bodyguards for the Celestial Dragons without any moral boundaries, or their participation in dark missions.
In ordinary times, the Marine typically portrayed themselves as champions of light and justice. But when the World Government intervened, they would transform into the wicked demons and enemies of the people in the eyes of most.
"In the end, you're just spears in the hands of those people! How dare you speak such words?" Doflamingo chuckled softly.
"I'm already looking forward to seeing the expressions on the faces of those fools sitting in the Holy Land!"
"They..."
"Must be terrified, right?"
...
At the same time, in the second half of the Grand Line:
[ The Moby Dick ].
"Roger…"
A soft sigh drifted out. A towering man with a crescent-shaped white moustache, holding a naginata, stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the rolling sea ahead.
"Even a man like you has withdrawn from the stage?"
There were no words to describe how the world's strongest man, Whitebeard, was feeling at that moment.
Regret, sorrow, or perhaps a sense of shared grief, like the wolf mourning its packmate's death.
"Old... Old Man!" Suddenly, Marco and the others behind him cried out in alarm.
"Hmm?" Whitebeard did not turn around, only uttering a puzzled sound.
"Kojin! That Kojin! He spoke words that shook the world!" Marco's expression at that moment held shock, surprise and utter disbelief.
"Oh? What did he say?" Whitebeard replied lightly.
He wasn't particularly interested in what the boy Roger had mentioned had said. His mind was still preoccupied with the sorrow of his rival and old friend's departure.
"You... you should see for yourself!" Marco said in a trembling voice.
He took a deep breath and looked at his crewmates, especially the Fish-Man members, whose faces were flushed with excitement. Their fervor sent a shiver down his spine.
Without a doubt, these were words that shook the world.
A moment later, when Whitebeard learned what Kojin had said, he fell into a long silence.
"As a Marine..."
"He... he's grasped an extraordinary meaning of Justice!"
"Gurahaha!"
"I'm starting to look forward to what he'll do next."
Whitebeard raised his head and gazed at the sea ahead.
"Roger."
"Kojin."
Muttering these names, Whitebeard suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.
"The world is so damn interesting!"
...
Grand Line, First Half... Alabasta.
Kingdom Capital, Alubarna.
The newly enthroned King Nefertari Cobra was trembling as he stared at the projector showing the footage in front of him.
On the screen, a young man in a Marine uniform, his rank Vice-Admiral, stood before a microphone, uttering words that silenced the entire world.
"It's you?!" Cobra gasped, his voice trembling.
"It's actually you?!"
His pupils constricted, and his face twisted with a mix of excitement, agitation, and a familial warmth.
"You're… still alive!!"
...
Setting aside the reactions from all over the world, the night quickly passed.
By the next day, Kojin received word that they would be withdrawing from Loguetown and returning to headquarters.
At the same time, he keenly noticed the grim expressions on the faces of Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr.
At noon, Kuzan and Borsalino came to bid him farewell.
"It's been an honor working with you, Vice Admirral Kojin. This will be an unforgettable memory," Borsalino said with a smile.
Earlier that morning, the future Three Admirals had been informed that they would be leaving Kojin's team for other assignments.
"What you said yesterday was so cool!" Kuzan gave him a thumbs-up, grinning widely. "I can only describe everything about you, Kojin, in one word: elegant!"
Kojin returned his smile. "Take care, Kuzan!"
"Your words have helped me vaguely find the path I should follow," Kuzan continued. "I'll work hard to catch up to your shadow someday."
As for Sakazuki, he had already departed the moment he received his orders.
"Those words..." Crocodile murmured from behind him. "You need to be careful. Some people higher up are already moving against you."
"Now that his words have spread, no amount of caution will help," Bullet sneered, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes.
"Why not defect from the Marines?"
"With our strength, we can become pirates and aim to become Pirate King…"
"Or do anything else, it would be more than enough!"
Hearing this, Kojin's eyes narrowed slightly. A moment later, however, he merely let out a soft chuckle and did not reply.
(End of Chapter)
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