Chapter 133: It's That Simple
"That's right, come and say hello to your old friend."
Aokiji handed the phone to Sonic's position.
Sonic had been silent for quite a while.
When the call connected just now, the familiar yet strange name Aokiji used to greet the other person had awakened his past memories.
Sent to the Ninja Village since birth, he had spent sixteen years of his life there.
Deprived of emotions, subjected to high-intensity training, with only 6 hours of rest in a 72-hour period (allowed 6 hours of rest only after three days of continuous activity), forbidden from speaking with other students, and encouraged to kill one another.
In this Hell-like environment.
Sonic also had one, and only, friend.
"It's been six years, Flash."
"Sonic... so you're not dead."
Flash was surprised internally, but his tone remained flat.
The poison he had administered back then had actually been endured by Sonic.
"Thanks to the tempering I received during my days as a dead-last, my drug resistance is stronger than you think... are you hanging out with heroes now?"
Sonic knew that the destruction of the Ninja Village was by Flash's hand.
At that time, he was collapsed on his bed, struggling against the toxin.
After surviving, he saw the tragic state of the Ninja Village and identified Flash's fighting style from the sharp marks of battle.
However, at that time, Sonic had no intention of seeking revenge against Flash.
Because the dream he had established since childhood no longer had any possibility of being realized, from that day on, Sonic only took on missions in the Hidden World to get by.
Sonic's past dream.
—To completely take over and control the Ninja Village!
To destroy that shitty system of training ninja assassins.
To allow orphans like them to grow up freely.
This dream seemed somewhat contradictory for a ninja who made a living in the dark Hidden World by taking on assassination missions.
But his past dream was indeed like that.
"Hanging out with heroes, huh..."
Since he asked such a question.
Flash also quickly realized Sonic's situation.
"Aokiji, Sonic has fallen into your hands now, hasn't he?"
"I happened to run into him while clearing out an Underworld activity site."
Aokiji saw that these two, reuniting after a long time, couldn't say much for a while.
So he simply took charge of the conversation again.
"This dear friend and brother of yours is yours to do with as you please; in exchange, do me a favor."
"...Go ahead."
Flash actually didn't know exactly how to handle Sonic.
But he agreed to it first.
"I'm going to continue clearing out these criminal gathering spots, no matter the size; as long as people are being oppressed, I will go there."
"Tell me all the places you know, and continue to find these dark gathering spots and inform me."
Flash's eyebrows rose slightly.
Even the few people beside Aokiji looked at him in surprise.
"Are you sure? The scope of the powers involved will be exceptionally vast... and it definitely won't just be Hidden World forces."
"If they jump out on their own, isn't that even better?" Aokiji countered.
Flash was silent for a moment.
Then he chuckled, "That's true."
"I'll organize and gather information right now. As for Sonic, please look after him for a while."
"Mhm, as soon as possible."
The call ended.
Aokiji took back his phone.
He noticed the few people beside him were still looking at him.
Tatsumaki's gaze was complex, "You guy, as a hero, you're barely considered qualified."
For Tatsumaki, this was a very high compliment.
Superalloy Darkshine clenched his fists.
His voice was heavy, yet filled with a rising excitement: "As expected of you, Aokiji-kun, my muscles are telling me they want to join in too!"
Relaxing? It doesn't matter if that happens a bit later!
"So this is a true hero, Senior Aokiji..." Mizuki murmured, unusually not shouting with her typical vigor.
But her eyes sparkled more and more.
Darkness and injustice also exist in the sports world.
But compared to this most primal malice of the human Origin, it's just like a childish game of playing house.
Just this dark area beneath the city's largest sports center made it impossible for Mizuki to imagine how many networks of influence were involved.
And Senior Aokiji was going to clear out other existing oppressions in the world.
The resistance and difficulties involved would definitely not just be the enemies he actually faced.
"Senior Aokiji, I'm going to register as a hero right away! Just give me any orders!"
Aokiji waved his hand casually and said:
"Don't make it so complicated; it's just a simple and necessary thing to do."
In a world where great power resides in individuals.
If the strong cannot carry out their own will.
It only means there are even stronger people above them.
And in current human society, Aokiji didn't believe anyone stronger than him existed among those who would stop what he wanted to do.
Whoever stops him from filling his progress bar, he won't let them exist.
It's that simple.
"Simple yet necessary... so this is the conviction Aokiji-kun adheres to. I understand."
Superalloy Darkshine nodded with a look of realization.
Aokiji didn't know what he had realized either.
"Uh, yeah, it's basically like that. There's no need for help; I'm more efficient acting on my own."
At this moment, a commotion broke out among the crowd being moved outside under the guidance of Association personnel.
"Make way, please make way."
A thin father holding a little girl squeezed through the crowd.
He walked toward Aokiji.
Behind him, following his movements, the crowd also noticed Aokiji's figure.
Without hesitation, bypassing the confused Association staff, the crowd turned their steps at the same time.
Following behind this slightly stumbling father.
The group of over a hundred people came before Aokiji.
"Hero... Lord Aokiji..."
The father's voice was a bit choked up.
It was as if something suppressed, like a bird about to break out of its cage, was escaping from his throat.
The crowd behind him was silent.
The silent gaze of over a hundred pairs of eyes carried more weight than the cheers and shouts of tens of thousands of spectators at the sports center earlier.
At this moment.
This father seemed to have become the spokesperson for their unified thoughts.
"My daughter and I will always, always firmly support you, for the hope and help you've given us..."
His knees bent as he moved toward the ground.
"I will never forget this for as long as I live!"
The crowd also began to lower themselves.
The movements of the hundred or so people were not synchronized, but they were very firm.
But they were suddenly stopped mid-way.
The flame clouds held everyone up, slowly lifting them.
"Don't kneel, and don't cry."
They heard him say.
"From now on, you are free."
——————
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A few days later.
Just as expected.
Not only did assassins come looking for him one after another, but some high-ranking members of the Hero Association also questioned his authority and proposed to curtail it.
Even in the political world, many voices emerged, demanding regulation of heroes with great power, insisting they couldn't be allowed to move freely in society.
Discussions about Aokiji on the internet also fell into an endless flame war.
But besides Aokiji's own massive fanbase.
There was another voice, though small, that was exceptionally fanatical and firm, speaking up for Aokiji online.
It was the oppressed people Aokiji had been liberating day and night.
Faced with the massive malice that inexplicably surged in the public opinion field, they seemed insignificant, yet they never backed down.
Aokiji also felt a bit of unexpected gratification.
As for those malicious intentions and troubles?
After he traveled through various cities, destroyed numerous villas and manors, excavated many underground bunkers and shelters, and even had a brief conflict with the military.
And after having his first and last communication with many "big shots".
They all disappeared.
It's that simple.