Smoker boarded the battleship, his heart pounding with excitement and anticipation.
But he became uneasy and nervous almost immediately.
He quickly realized that the other Marines all looked like people you shouldn't mess with. Aside from the man with the red nose and ill-fitting uniform, everyone else looked like ferocious demons.
Especially the man with the zombie-like face. Just from his appearance, you could tell he wasn't a good person.
"From today onward, Smoker, you are a trainee Marine aboard this Vice Admiral's ship!"
"Mina, take him to change his clothes."
Seeing Smoker's nervousness, Kojin said with a light smile.
Judging by his appearance, Smoker seemed younger than Rosinante, around 11 or 12 years old.
"Come on, White-Haired Little Brother! Follow me!" Mina ruffled Smoker's hair, giggling as she led him away.
Smoker followed along gloomily. When he passed Buggy, he couldn't help but glance at the other man's nose.
The battleship left Loguetown Harbor and soon sailed out to sea.
Smoker was clearly excited to be going out to sea for the first time. He leaned over the railing and watched all kinds of fish leap out of the water, exclaiming nonstop.
"What an ignorant brat." Seeing this, Buggy muttered in a stifled, mocking tone.
"Red Nose, what did you say?" Smoker heard him and turned to ask.
"I said you're ignorant," Buggy sneered.
He was in a very bad mood. Despite there being two of them, that guy had only shocked him with electricity. Fine, zapping him was one thing. But after just one night, he had somehow become a Marine himself.
Damn Marines!
Damn Kojin!
"My dream of finding the ultimate treasure!"
"And kill that bastard Shanks!"
Thinking of this made Buggy angrier.
"Red Nose, are you also a trainee Marine? Did you join because you admire Vice Admiral Kojin?"
Seeing Buggy's outfit, Smoker filtered out the earlier mockery and asked curiously.
"Who would admire that guy?!" Buggy retorted angrily. "And stop calling me Red Nose! I hate it when people talk about my nose!"
"Is that so? Red Nose," Smoker said with a faint smile.
"Ah, you bastard!" Buggy finally lost his patience and lunged at Smoker.
Smoker retaliated without hesitation, throwing punches and kicks. He couldn't believe this Red Nose character didn't admire Vice-Admiral Kojin. Such lofty ideals should inspire everyone in the world.
In Loguetown, Smoker was also known as the "king of the kids." Fighting was routine for him, but most of the time, he fought to protect the children in his neighborhood. He was on the side of justice.
In an instant, the two newly enlisted Marine trainees under Kojin's command became tangled in a brawl.
Kojin stood at the bow and didn't turn his head, but he could still see everything clearly and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Look at how well these two newcomers are getting along," he remarked. "I didn't expect them to start fighting so soon."
Crocodile chuckled as well. "You should be more concerned about the consequences of your remarks yesterday when we return to headquarters."
"At worst, I'll just lose my chance to become an Admiral," Kojin said with a dismissive smile.
"That's a pity," Crocodile said regretfully. "The Admiral wields considerable power."
In Crocodile's view, given Kojin's reputation, strength, and status as a senior official, it was only a matter of time before he would be promoted to Admiral. At that point, he would truly stand at the pinnacle of his life.
Moreover, if he bided his time for another decade or two, even the position of Marine Fleet Admiral could be his.
At that time, no matter what he wanted to do, with the entire Marine organization backing him, just a single thought would be enough to overturn the world and throw everything into chaos with extreme ease.
After all, as the world's strongest force, the Marines covered almost every sea and country. Their prestige and numbers were beyond imagination.
The World Government's ability to rule the world, and the Celestial Dragons' ability to enjoy their privileged status, hinged critically on the Marines' existence.
"Sometimes, sacrificing something leads to greater gains," Kojin said with a smile.
He turned to watch the two young men locked in a brawl, chuckling again.
Take Smoker, for example.
Who could have imagined that the very next day after those words were spoken, a future Marine Vice-Admiral would become one of his subordinates?
And judging by the Marines' gazes, it was clear that his actions had stirred up a massive commotion among the rank-and-file officers.
After all, who would willingly let someone else ride roughshod over them?
The two boys fought fiercely on the ship, their brawl lacking any technique but full of genuine intensity. Before long, both were sporting black eyes and swollen faces.
Buggy was actually the stronger of the two. He had spent two years as an apprentice pirate on Roger's ship and was already fifteen years old. However, his old injuries from being electrocuted the previous day hadn't fully healed.
As a result, the battle ended in a draw, leaving both boys sprawled exhaustedly on the deck.
"Rosinante," Kojin suddenly called out after the fight.
"Present!" Rosinante immediately ran over, responding with a cheerful grin.
Everyone on the ship had been watching the fight without intervening, finding the childish scuffle amusing.
"These two are your responsibility now!" Kojin ordered casually. "They're full of energy, so ramp up their training!"
"Just make their training regimen about the same as yours was back then."
"Understood!" Rosinante chuckled and turned to leave.
Moments later, the two newly recruited Marine trainees began screaming in agony from the torturous training.
That evening, the battleship passed through the Calm Belt. After several more hours, it arrived at Marine Headquarters in Marineford.
By then, it was already late at night.
Smoker and Buggy, their faces bruised and swollen, had collapsed from exhaustion and were fast asleep.
At Kojin's command, Rosinante and T. Penn carried the two boys on their backs.
The group returned to the villa district and dispersed to rest.
The moon shone brightly through the sparse stars as a gentle evening breeze swept across Marineford.
An invisible field rapidly expanded, enveloping the entire Marine Headquarters.
In an instant, every detail of the military fortress base appeared in Kojin's mind.
"Kuzan and the others have already returned."
"The Vice-Admirals are all resting."
"Garp-sensei."
"Hmm?"
His gaze suddenly fixed on the Headquarters building.
A series of sounds and several figures rapidly transitioned from blurry to clear. The imagery in his mind was like watching a VR movie.
"Are you striving to grow stronger just to become superior to others in the world?"
"Equal Justice."
At his desk, Kong's expression turned slightly serious before he let out a soft sigh.
"Kojin's idealism deserves respect."
"His words align perfectly with the Justice we Marines uphold. If spread, they could even counteract the waves Roger stirred up before his death, causing a temporary surge in enlistments worldwide."
"But..."
At this point, Kong didn't continue.
A moment later, he sighed again, his expression full of regret and pity.
"Then what arrangements does the Fleet Admiral intend to make for his future work?" Sengoku asked in a deep voice.
"I had planned for him to take the position of Third Headquarters Admiral, besides you and Zephyr, after Roger's execution."
"Whether in terms of strength or prestige, that Kojin brat was already more than qualified."
He paused, then sighed again.
"But those words to the world… will bury everything he has."
Hearing this, Sengoku's expression changed drastically.
"You're going to kick him out of the Marines?"
(End of Chapter)
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