__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
East Blue, Loguetown.
The Marine branch base on the island had been taken over by Sengoku and the others as a temporary headquarters.
As top-ranking officers of the Marines, they weren't just handling preparations for the upcoming public execution of the Pirate King. They also had to stay in constant contact with the World Government, coordinating and revising plans over and over again.
It could be said that in the days leading up to the execution, meetings had become endless.
Even Garp, who was usually laid-back and hard to pin down, was nowhere to be seen during this time. Kyle barely caught a glimpse of him over the next few days.
Roger was being held in a cage within the Marine base. The small island they were stationed on lay just beyond a wall behind that prison, in an ordinary residential area.
"I really don't see the point of this mission," Kuzan said lazily.
"Has there ever been a time in history when so many top-tier Marine officers were gathered in one place like this?"
"With a lineup like this, who would even dare cause trouble?"
Kyle only smiled faintly and didn't reply.
Through his domain sensing ability, he could clearly tell that in just two short days, the number of people arriving in Loguetown had increased dramatically.
Once the news of Roger's public execution spread, people from all over the world and from every walk of life wanted to come and witness it for themselves.
And when huge numbers of people flooded into a small town in such a short time, it inevitably meant more trouble and more conflict.
"On the surface, our job looks easy," Borsalino sighed, "but I'm already seeing bigger headaches coming."
That morning, he had gone out for a stroll, and the number of people in Loguetown was growing at an almost exponential rate. Reporters from different countries, traveling merchants, pirates hiding their identities, underworld figures. They were all pouring in.
At the same time, agents of the World Government had arrived quietly, without drawing attention.
And this was clearly only the beginning.
"This world never lacks people bold enough to take risks, people with crazy ideas," Kyle said with a faint smile.
"Otherwise, Shiki wouldn't have dared to storm Marineford."
"Shiki?" Kuzan froze for a moment.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
Over the next three days, everyone's duties remained light.
But Kyle could clearly see that the number of people arriving in Loguetown was exploding. In just three days, the harbor was already packed with ships.
People from every social class crammed into the town until it felt ready to burst. Hundreds of streets were filled wall to wall with people. Even with a domain that could cover the entire island, it was impossible to carefully identify every face and every identity.
There were simply too many people. Kyle's mind couldn't handle the sheer flood of information arriving all at once.
In the end, he had no choice but to shrink the range of his domain, focusing it on an area roughly one kilometer around Roger's prison.
"No wonder so many pirates showed up during Roger's execution," Kyle muttered.
"With the Marines' manpower, there's no way to keep everything under control. All they can do is maintain a rough sense of order."
"If no one causes serious trouble, that's already the best outcome."
That day passed quietly. Kyle and his squad didn't encounter anything unusual. Only on the outskirts of Loguetown did several fights break out, putting the Marines on edge, but they were eventually suppressed.
Kyle watched the entire process through his domain.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Just from these minor disturbances, he could already tell that Marine forces in Loguetown were seriously understaffed.
Even the troublemakers weren't arrested. They were merely warned and then allowed to leave.
The sixth day arrived, the day before the execution.
The entire squad visibly relaxed.
"Once the execution's over tomorrow, we can head back to headquarters," Kuzan said easily.
"It's already been six days. Nothing else should happen now."
Borsalino smiled faintly, holding a cup of hot tea.
Sakazuki remained expressionless, his thoughts unreadable.
"I completely disagree," Kyle said with a soft sigh.
"Today will be our busiest day."
At that very moment, his mind caught sight of a group of mysterious figures entering the one-kilometer perimeter. They were cloaked head to toe, faces hidden beneath hoods.
"As long as we kill him."
"As long as we kill Roger, we'll make a name for ourselves!"
"If the Pirate King dies by our hands, tomorrow's headlines will be all about us!"
"How high do you think the bounty will jump?"
"In a lifetime, even leaving your name in history for a single second is worth everything!"
Voices filled with madness, excitement, and barely contained frenzy echoed through a quiet alley.
"Captain Bellamy, I've checked the route," another voice said.
"The Marine presence along this street is way thinner than the others."
"If we get close to Roger, kill him, and escape cleanly…"
"We'll become the most famous pirate crew of the next era!"
"Zehahahaha!"
"You're right," the pirate known as Bellamy laughed viciously.
"Life is nothing but constant risk and gambling. If you want to reach the top, you have to bet your life."
"Pirates at the bottom like us don't have many ways to climb."
"Charge in, boys!"
"Fame, status, money. It's all waiting for us!"
The group broke into a run through the narrow alleyways.
Just as that pirate had said, this route truly had the weakest defenses. Along the way, they didn't see a single Marine.
Inside the squad's temporary base, Kyle slowly rose to his feet.
"Sakazuki."
Sakazuki looked up, his face cold beneath his Marine cap.
"Street 54," Kyle said.
Sakazuki paused for a fraction of a second, then immediately understood. He nodded and turned, striding out.
"Kuzan, Street 86."
"Borsalino, Street 43."
"Bullet, Street 52."
"Crocodile, Street 102."
"Evans, Rosinante, Street 93."
Six streets were assigned in rapid succession. Everyone froze for a moment, then comprehension dawned. Their expressions tightened, turning tense and serious.
"This world has never lacked people with guts and courage," Kyle said lightly.
"They held back for the first five days, forcing themselves to stay calm."
"But today, someone finally couldn't hold it in anymore."
Lightning began to crackle around his body.
"Someone's making a move?" Kuzan asked in surprise.
"Killing Roger is meant to cool the burning hearts of pirates everywhere," Kyle replied.
"It stabilizes the world's situation."
"But if you switch perspectives…"
He grinned.
"For pirates, anyone lucky enough to succeed would gain instant fame and status."
Everyone understood. Without another word, they turned and hurried toward their assigned streets.
Kyle stepped out of the room.
His gaze shifted. Slowly, he raised his right hand and aimed it toward Street 45.
A sharp buzzing filled the air as dense blue arcs of electricity burst into existence, firing outward in an instant.
"Two hundred million volts. Divine Judgment."
A blinding pillar of lightning flooded Street 45, illuminating the once-quiet, dark alley as it surged forward like a living thing.
In less than a heartbeat, it slammed into a six-man squad creeping ahead with crazed expressions.
Boom.
Lightning exploded, swallowing them whole.
The next moment, screams rang out, followed by the stench of scorched flesh.
At the same time, lightning flashed around Kyle's body, and his figure vanished from where he stood.
"..."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________