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The battleship departed the Sabaody Archipelago and headed toward the Marines' exclusive passage through the Red Line.
As for Kojin taking in five pirates under his command, it didn't attract much attention.
After all, recruiting pirates as subordinates was an old tradition for the Marine high command; so long as it wasn't done too ostentatiously, no one would make an issue of it.
The bounties on the five pirates were quietly revoked the next day after Kojin spoke with Sengoku.
At sunrise, loud shouts echoed across the battleship's deck. Six people dressed in Marine trainee uniforms panted as they scrubbed and mopped the deck.
A Marine lieutenant named T. Penn'en stood sternly nearby, supervising them.
Kojin stretched lazily and observed the scene before him. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he felt a trace of emotion rise in his heart.
His own battleship. His own soldiers. They were gradually taking shape. His career as a Marine had finally gotten off to a solid start.
"My name is Rosinante. Nice to meet you all!" Rosinante held a mop and chuckled as he greeted his newly joined comrades.
He had originally been the only one handling all the chores. Now that five more people were sharing the load, his mood was much improved.
"Evans, sniper, twenty-two years old. I hope for world peace."
"Kaien Jūbei, swordsman, twenty-one. I want to use the sword in my hand to protect the justice in my heart."
"Mina, navigator."
"Kira, cook and gourmet. My dream is to taste all the world's delicacies."
"Slo, shipwright! I want to see the legendary ship spirit."
The five of them exchanged glances, then, led by Evans, reluctantly introduced themselves.
"From now on, we're companions!" Rosinante grinned broadly.
Hearing this, the expressions of the five softened, and they all nodded. At the very least, the word "companion" made them feel more at ease.
"My name is T Penn'en. You can also call me Penn. My rank is Lieutenant."
At that moment, T Penn'en came over. His zombie-like face looked rather frightening, but his tone was gentle and polite.
"Greetings, senior officer." The five were momentarily stunned before responding.
"Rear Admiral Kojin is also the highest commanding officer of our unit, so there's no need to be nervous. The senior officer is a very good person and very kind as well." A smile appeared on T Penn'en's zombie-like face as he spoke.
Kojin could hear their conversation, but he didn't pay it much mind.
Friendly interactions were beneficial for leading the team. Not to mention, T Penn'en was basically describing him entirely from his own perspective, everything he said was praise and admiration.
"The senior officer was once targeted by Nobles…"
"And later by the Celestial Dragons…"
"After joining the Marines, he…"
"In a battle against the Roger Pirates, he held back the world-famous great pirate, Dark King Rayleigh."
"Afterward, Roger himself said that the senior officer was a powerful opponent not to be ignored, and he gave him high praise."
"..."
T Penn'en's words shocked Evans and the others. From time to time, they stole glances at the figure standing at the bow of the ship. They hadn't expected that this young Marine officer would have such extraordinary stories, experiences that, in some ways, were not unlike their own.
The battleship soon passed through the Red Line and entered the second half of the Grand Line.
During this period, through conversations with the others, Kojin gradually came to understand the five of them better.
First was Evans, a sniper who had already begun awakening Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), capable of foreseeing danger, seeing farther, and accurately striking distant targets.
Then there was Kaien Jūbei, who had practiced swordsmanship since childhood and had already reached the realm of cutting steel, with excellent physical conditioning.
Slo, though a shipwright, also possessed decent close-combat skills.
Mina wasn't strong, but she had rich navigation experience.
As for Kira, just as he had said, he was a gourmet, he is able to precisely cater to everyone's tastes, though he is not skilled in combat.
All in all, with the addition of these five, life aboard the battleship became livelier.
"Necessary training cannot be skipped. You'll be in charge of leading these trainee brats. Of course, I'll also personally guide you based on your individual weaknesses." Kojin spoke with the bearing of a senior officer, his voice firm.
"Yes!" All seven stood straight and responded loudly.
In just a few short days, Evans and the others, who were once pirates, had already begun to carry themselves like Marines.
During subsequent joint training, they were shocked to discover that the tall Rosinante in front of them was only twelve years old.
"How is that possible? You're clearly just a kid. How did you grow this tall?"
"What did you eat growing up?"
Kaien Jūbei and Mina shouted at the same time.
"Talent... this is talent!" Rosinante burst into laughter, wearing a smug, self-satisfied expression on his face as he spoke.
Despite his towering build, he clearly still possessed the innocence and slight childishness of a young teen.
Just then, Kojin walked over, his iron fist swinging out.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several punches landed in succession, instantly raising swollen bumps on everyone's foreheads.
"During training, don't shout or make noise," Kojin barked.
Evans clutched his head as tears welled up in his eyes.
"How can this guy's fists hurt so much?! They're harder than my blade!"
Kaien Jūbei was also baring his teeth in pain.
"Senior Officer Kojin is Vice Admiral Garp's disciple. He inherited his strength directly from his teacher." Rosinante said this while sucking in cold air and enduring the pain.
The training continued. None of them could escape the physical conditioning expected of Marine trainees on this deck.
Kojin's guidance and training methods could be described as scientific and highly effective. He had refined the proven techniques of Garp and Zephyr while integrating the rigorous discipline of the Marine Academy.
T. Penn'en also participated earnestly, making no attempt to hide his admiration for the senior officer.
After entering the second half of the Grand Line, the battleship spent most of its time drifting at sea, aside from occasionally docking at fortresses for supplies.
At the same time, Kojin maintained contact with Marine Headquarters. Upon receiving intelligence about pirate movements, he would lead suppression operations.
Everyone's strength grew steadily and evenly through real combat.
…
Half a month after entering the second half, a newspaper was dropped from the claws of a News Coo, landing in front of them.
"Gol D. Roger reaches the end of the Grand Line, becomes the Pirate King, and names the final island Laugh Tale!"
When Evans read the headline aloud, everyone aboard the battleship froze.
"Roger became the Pirate King?!" Slo exclaimed in shock.
Kojin narrowed his eyes slightly. He recalled that not long ago, during a call with Garp, his mentor had already mentioned this possibility.
At that moment, the entire world trembled. Newspapers spread everywhere like a tidal wave.
It was also then that the Den Den Mushi in his arms began to ring.
"Garp Sensei," Kojin answered in a low voice.
"You've probably already seen the latest newspaper, right?" Garp's voice came through, heavy with fatigue.
"I've seen it." Kojin nodded.
"I chased him for two years, and in the end, I still couldn't stop him. I have to say that guy really was incredible, dragging around a body ravaged by illness." Garp laughed as he spoke, but his tone was tinged with helplessness.
"I originally thought that after becoming Pirate King, he'd do something unimaginable. But who would've thought Roger would disband his pirate crew? Now, no one knows where that guy is!"
Hearing this, Kojin smiled.
"Then you can rest for a while now, at least."
"Hahaha! You little brat… do you think your teacher is the kind of person who wants to rest?" Garp laughed and scolded him.
The master and disciple chatted casually for a while longer. Most of the time, Kojin simply listened while Garp reminisced about his years of constant battles and pursuits with Roger.
From the God Valley incident, all the way to Roger becoming the Pirate King.
Finally, the Den Den Mushi clicked off.
Kojin fell into silence.
He knew that while Garp was talking about Roger, he was also talking about his own life.
And Kojin could clearly hear the confusion about the future, and a faint trace of regret in his teacher's words.
'What… was he regretting?'
(End of chapter)