Silence.
The temporary base in the South Blue fell into a deadly stillness.
Kojin remained silent for a long time.
His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched and unclenched several times.
If you looked closely enough, you could see his body trembling slightly.
First came shock, as if he had been struck by lightning. Then his mind buzzed, and after that, rage flooded his mind. Sky-soaring fury flooded Kojin's mind, narrowing his vision.
"Heh heh heh heh heh."
The laughter that escaped from between his lips sent a chill straight into Sengoku's soul.
"Kojin... Calm down!"
The resourceful general suddenly shouted loudly, his voice carrying faint strands of Conqueror's Haki.
Kojin's body jolted. His smile vanished, and his emotions gradually settled. His thoughts surged wildly as he pondered the World Government's true intentions.
Undoubtedly, to those at the very top, the lives of civilians were utterly insignificant. On the scales of importance, they wouldn't carry much weight.
To single him out by name and demand that he handle this matter, the hidden meaning behind it was even more chilling.
It was a sharpened weapon aimed directly at him.
Killing the body and destroying the heart! He had spoken of equal justice to the world, so how was he supposed to face this order from his superiors?
They were trying to shatter his merit by forcing him to personally overturn everything he had said before.
"Kojin!" Sengoku shouted again, worry evident in his eyes.
This order from the World Government was far too specific.
Perhaps to the five high above, it was just an ordinary warning. But it was impossible to know what was going through Kojin's mind.
If he snapped and defected from the Marines to become an enemy of the world...
At that thought alone, the Admiral's body trembled slightly.
He couldn't imagine how he would face Kojin, who had grown into a powerhouse rivaling an admiral. Kojin took down Golden Lion Shiki in an extremely short time and now stood at the pinnacle of the world.
If Kojin were to switch sides and become an enemy...
Just imagining it made Sengoku shudder to the core.
Immortality, Haki, Rokushiki, and Devil Fruit abilities were all at terrifying peak levels.
At the same time, this man, who upheld equal justice and possessed firm ideals, had recently stirred up a global wave of ideological change.
Sengoku didn't even dare think further.
"Calm down, Kojin!" He couldn't help but speak again.
But just then, Kojin suddenly turned around and walked outside.
"I know what I should do."
Sengoku froze and hurriedly asked, "What are you going to do?"
With his back to Sengoku, Kojin suddenly revealed a strange smile. He bared his teeth slightly.
"Carry out the order issued by the World Government."
By the time the words fell, Kojin had already walked out.
Staring at his disappearing back, worry surfaced on Sengoku's face. After hesitating for a moment, Sengoku immediately contacted his old friend.
If the other party did something impulsive, then perhaps only Garp could talk some sense into him.
Half an hour later, on the battleship...
The atmosphere was depressed. Everyone in the squad remained silent.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Are you really going to carry out such a ridiculous mission?"
Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke and asked in a deep voice.
After arranging for Portgas D. Rouge to be hidden, the two of them had returned.
"Carry it out?"
"You said it yourself, this is a ridiculous mission."
Kojin sneered.
Then, his eyes shifted toward the distant sea, and his expression became uncertain.
Bullet stood at the back. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth curved upward into a smile.
He was quite curious. 'What choice would this powerhouse, who had already reached the top tier of the world, make at this moment?'
'Would he ruthlessly attack the innocent pregnant women and civilians of Baterilla Island?'
'Or would he openly defy the order passed down from his superiors?'
Either way, the consequences for the future would be unimaginable. Even Kojin, who now had the highest prestige in the Marines, found it hard to bear.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived.
The battleship reached Baterilla Island, and Kojin was the first to disembark.
The colonel stationed on the island, Proshu, saluted him meticulously, his eyes filled with reverence.
"Colonel Proshu, tell me about the situation here," Kojin said, nodding slightly.
"At present, we have completely surrounded the island.
The garrison here numbers about two thousand men."
They are all elites among elites, and I can guarantee that the civilians on the island won't be able to escape," Proshu said seriously.
"Tell me about the message you received not long ago," Kojin said, glancing at Proshu.
"Yes. The source of the information was a report from someone on the island. He claimed that Pirate King Roger once lived on this island for a period of time. He also said that Roger acted just like an ordinary person, completely unremarkable, which is why he never attracted anyone's attention." Proshu spoke quickly.
The two of them walked toward the interior of the island, with Crocodile and the others following closely behind.
"Where is that person?" Kojin narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice.
"He's already been detained by us," Proshu replied.
"Take me to see him," Kojin said.
"Yes!"
Proshu led the way, and after a short time, they saw the man who had filed the report. He had a sharp chin, small eyes, and messy hair. When he saw Kojin and Proshu, his expression turned to panic immediately.
He recognized who they were in that instant.
"Did you see Roger living on this island?" An icy voice rang out beside his ear.
The man's body trembled. "Yes! I did!"
"What about the others?" Kojin ignored him and turned to look at Proshu.
"Everyone else on the island says they don't know anyone named Roger."
"This island is too remote, and information is scarce. Many people here haven't even left the island in their entire lives," Proshu said.
"Is that so?" Kojin's eyes flickered.
Then he looked at the man who had reported it and suddenly smiled.
"Everyone else doesn't know Roger, yet you alone claim that you've seen him?"
The man froze and just as he was about to say something, a thunderous roar suddenly exploded in his ears.
"While serving in the South Blue, I patrolled this island more than ten times and never saw Roger!"
"So where exactly did you see him?"
"Did you actually dare fabricate lies and pass false information to the Marines just for that little bounty money?!"
By the time the tirade ended, the thunderous voice had ruptured the man's eardrums, leaving him stunned.
"Reporting false information... you really deserve to die!"
"What I hate most in life are wicked scum like you!"
Kojin moved in a flash and slapped his palm toward the man's head.
Bang!
The solid skull instantly exploded.
Proshu watched the whole scene, his scalp going numb.
He never expected this legendary young Vice Admiral, who had such an exalted reputation, to kill someone so cleanly and decisively the moment he arrived here.
He didn't even dare think about the deeper meaning behind it.
Just then, Kojin's voice rang out again.
"The higher-ups' intention is for me to deal with all the suspicious pregnant women on this island."
"Colonel Proshu, what do you think about that?"
Hearing this, Proshu's whole body shuddered, shock and terror flashing through his eyes.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395