The world's strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk's Vivre Card had burned out.
The meaning was clear even to Kaido, who had been imprisoned for so long. Though he appeared rugged, he possessed a cunning mind. Shanks' ability to obtain firsthand intelligence regarding the battle between Rosen and the Whitebeard Pirates versus the Big Mom Pirates—and to capitalize on Rosen's preoccupation to launch an assault on the Judge's Forbidden Zone—clearly indicated an inside man.
Aside from a spy infiltrated into the Marines, the only other possible accomplices were members of the campaign forces arrayed against the Four Emperors. Furthermore, the other party possessed Dracule Mihawk's Vivre Card. Connecting the dots, Kaido deduced that the collared Shichibukai had been recruited by Rosen to participate in the war against Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin. This explained why Dracule Mihawk was able to notify Shanks immediately, leading to the Red-Haired Pirates' invasion.
But now? Dracule Mihawk died in battle.
Even a fool wouldn't believe the world's strongest swordsman perished fighting Whitebeard and Big Mom. Which Shichibukai would be so noble as to serve the Marines to the death? Even with Rosen suppressing them, given the Shichibukai's character, they would at most go all out—but never risk their lives.
"Hawkeye once told me," Shanks slumped onto the deck of his ship, eyes welling up. "If I saw his Vivre Card burn out, then he must have died trying to break free of his collar to assassinate Rosen. He saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the war."
Like a stray dog, Shanks had fled with his tail between his legs. He hadn't shed a tear when Hongo was severely wounded, or when Rem Jones was killed, or even when Ben Beckman—his throat slit and head blown off—fell. He hadn't shed a tear then.
But now, Dracule Mihawk's Vivre Card burning out became the final straw. Even with his overwhelming power and unwavering will, Shanks was still made of flesh and blood. Having experienced so many heart-wrenching sacrifices in a single day, he couldn't bear it anymore.
"Let's go!"
Kaido glanced at the weeping Shanks, offering no mockery, but turned away, abandoning the thought of returning to the Judge Fortress. No one noticed that, the moment he turned, his rugged, demonic face, like Shanks', was enveloped in wisps of mist. Shanks had said it: Dracule Mihawk saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was why he risked everything to confront Rosen.
What constitutes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? It was, of course, after the battle with Edward Newgate and Charlotte Linlin.
Yet the result was Dracule Mihawk's Vivre Card burning out, while Rosen's will descended upon the Judge's Forbidden Zone. And Charlotte Linlin?
Thinking of this, even the strongest creature on land, sea, and air, felt dizzy and disoriented, losing any interest in returning to the Forbidden Zone.
"Old woman," Kaido's hands clenched tight, his crimson eyes veiled with tears. "Are you… still dead? I survived, escaped, and even became stronger. I could ally with you anytime, but why are you dead?" His heart was breaking.
Looking at Shanks slumped on the deck, weeping uncontrollably, and then at Kaido—his back turned, the deck at his feet already soaked with water droplets—Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the others fell silent.
In the world today, the strongest Marine was undoubtedly Rosen. As for the strongest pirate, there was no definitive answer, but it was either the escaped Kaido or Shanks. Yet now, these two men, who could rival each other for that title, were both weeping. They hadn't even seen Rosen yet. The two Emperors had already suffered heavy losses and unbearable pain. What if they faced him directly? All the pirates felt a heavy weight on their hearts.
In the ward of the Judge's Forbidden Zone, the flickering crimson light in Rosen's eyes slowly faded. Through his top-tier Observation Haki, he had read Garp's memories, viewing the great battle from the Vice Admiral's perspective.
"Edward Newgate. Charlotte Linlin. Shiki. Dead in battle," Rosen told Garp, who had recovered from the Shield-Shun Six Flowers treatment.
"Then the seas will be devoid of the Four Emperors?" Garp's eyes lit up, then dimmed. "Alas! It's all my fault. I failed to guard the Judge Fortress, allowing Kaido to escape."
"It's alright," Rosen comforted him. "Kaido is nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn; he won't last long. Mr. Garp, you can contact Sengoku-sensei for details. I have other matters to attend to."
After leaving the ward, Rosen headed toward a room in the Judge Fortress where no one was allowed to enter. Click. Through the automatic door, he entered a spacious room where rows of Zanpakutō stood before him.
Rosen scanned each blade before standing before the two at the front, both with nicks in their steel.
"Thank you for your hard work, Katen, Kyokotsu. And all you Zanpakutō, my lords." He rested his left hand on one hilt, drew another with his right, and held it solemnly.
Clang.
A series of sword sounds followed. The Zanpakutō, its blade chipped and held in Rosen's hand, vanished. In its place stood a purple-haired woman with skull-patterned clothing and headdress, long curly hair, an eyepatch over her right eye, and unparalleled, dignified beauty. She nestled in his arms. It was the materialized form of Katen.
Meanwhile, the Zanpakutō whose hilt Rosen held in his left hand transformed into Kyokotsu, resting its head in his palm and gently rubbing against him. Like a wounded cat yearning for its master's affection.
"Rosen," Katen abandoned her usual dignified demeanor, adopting the posture of a young girl longing for love. "Here… it hurts so much!" She placed her hand on her left chest, pierced by a Haki bullet, her delicate head tilted slightly, pitiful eyes gazing at him.
"Ouch!" Seeing this, Kyokotsu, though not as coquettish as Katen, still cried out in pain, abandoning his usual cold efficiency.
"I'm sorry," Rosen's eyes flashed with pity. Every Zanpakutō he created, after materializing, possessed an extremely tough body. Only sufficiently powerful Haki could wound a materialized Zanpakutō and leave an unhealable wound. Unfortunately, Ben Beckman relied on his powerful Haki to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Shanks. Therefore, since the end of the war, the wounds inflicted by Ben Beckman's Haki bullets on both Katen and Kyokotsu had shown no signs of healing.
"Double Heaven Return Shield," Rosen glanced at Katen and Kyokotsu's chest wounds, then activated the Shield-Shun Six Flowers' power, transforming it into an orange-yellow barrier that enveloped the two women. Since his Devil Fruit ability and Haki surpassed Ben Beckman's, and since Katen and Kyokotsu were only injured, not broken, repairs wouldn't be difficult.
Under the Double Heaven Return Shield's power, the gunshot wounds that had troubled Katen and Kyokotsu for so long were completely healed in an instant.
"Thank goodness. Not a trace left," Katen said, holding her enormous body that could burst her loose dress. Her smile was like a hundred flowers blooming, filling the air with fragrance. Those unaware of the truth would never imagine her as a Zanpakutō; they would only see her as a woman who loved beauty.
"Lord Rosen," just as the atmosphere became slightly ambiguous, a Zanpakutō transformed into a masked samurai. It was Senbonzakura.
He was about to say something when he noticed that Katen, nestled in Rosen's arms, had turned around, her dark eyes fixed on him. Senbonzakura, who valued honor and dignity above all else, was naturally fearless and immediately glared back. Then, he vanished. He returned to his form as a sword, the blade trembling slightly. Not only Senbonzakura, but the other Zanpakutō also failed to materialize, remaining only as blades, silent.
"Senbonzakura, that idiot!" Seeing Senbonzakura's lack of tact, the other Zanpakutō silently thought to themselves. Even the most discerning swords could see that Katen intended to monopolize Rosen, even wanting Rosen to be her wielder. Therefore, after Rosen entered, they not only didn't materialize, but also remained collectively silent. Only Senbonzakura was so reckless. They had no doubt that Katen, whose mood had been ruined by Senbonzakura, was already secretly plotting against him, planning to settle the score later.
"You fight for me, how could I not like it?" Sensing that Senbonzakura's future situation was precarious, Rosen spoke up to defuse the situation, drawing Katen's attention back to him.
"A simple 'I like it' isn't enough! As a Marine Admiral, you must be fair in rewards and punishments, and reward merit accordingly. Otherwise, how can you command respect?" Katen looked up at Rosen, extending her slender fingers to touch the corner of his lips.
"What do you want?" Rosen possessed top-tier Observation Haki. He had created every Zanpakutō and knew their individual personalities intimately, so he naturally sensed Katen's "ulterior motives." He had never been stingy with his tolerance and affection for these materialized Zanpakutō. Especially after reading Garp's memories and learning that Katen had led a group of materialized Zanpakutō to stabilize the battle, helping him guard the Judge's Forbidden Zone, and then, at the cost of her left heart being pierced, exchanged herself for Ben Beckman, performing a heroic feat of single-handedly turning the tide—he was deeply moved.
If Katen truly wanted him to wield the Zanpakutō, then why not let him be the wielder? Moreover, Rosen knew that Katen's desire for him to be the wielder ultimately stemmed from her wish for him to see her as a woman, not just a Zanpakutō. That's why he always viewed Katen as a woman, a woman yearning to be loved and cherished.
Not just Katen, but also Kyokotsu. For every materialized Zanpakutō, Rosen would try his best to fulfill their wishes and desires. Because in the cruel world of pirates, anyone can betray you. Whether it's justice, the Marines, or even an entire era, anything is possible. The only exception is a materialized Zanpakutō.
—-
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