West Blue, Loguetown Port.
It was true that Logia-type Devil Fruit users held an invincible advantage in the four weak seas, where people with Haki were scarce.
The only ways to restrain them were Seastone and seawater.
But Haki, a power that originated from the heart and was controlled through the body, could capture Logia-type entities when properly applied.
Similarly, Logia-type users who had mastered Observation Haki could also disperse the part of their body about to be hit just before an attack arrived, resulting in strikes passing through empty air.
Obviously, this guy, who didn't even know about Haki and thought the Logia-type could ignore all attacks, didn't know anything about Observation Haki at all.
In this case, Kano was already able to catch him.
"Ahhh… You Navy lapdog!"
The pirate, who turned into a swamp, spun around and attacked Kano, but was punched directly in the face.
His physical body was hit.
Four teeth mixed with blood spattered out, and he fell flat on his back.
While unconscious, he tried his best to raise his head to look at his fleeing comrades. "Help... save me! You bastards..."
Kano walked past him and kicked his head sideways, breaking his neck and absorbing his soul.
His group of companions, who had run away, looked at each other at that moment, but showed no intention of stopping.
People who gathered for plunder were never partners from the beginning.
They would always just be scattered sand.
Kano continued his pursuit.
As they approached the port, a man with eagle-like eyes stood on the bow of a ship and pulled out a blade toward the port.
"Who the hell are you? How did you get on our ship?"
Behind Hawkeye, several men who were adjusting the sails shouted angrily.
However, Hawkeye didn't even look back and said directly, "If we take this boat, our escape will be smoother."
After those words fell, the cross-shaped sword in his hand suddenly swung.
In an instant, a huge slash suddenly struck toward the port. Even the sea surface was lifted up by the slash, as if it would split the island itself.
The Navy soldiers, who had been aiming their guns just moments before, were now stunned on the spot.
Could such power really be possessed by humans?
"Boom!"
Golden light struck straight from a distance, and the impact pushed back all the incoming waves.
Blue light exploded, and Hawkeye's slash was shattered.
The figure of Admiral Sengoku appeared at the port, and the Navy's momentum rose once again.
When he'd been on the execution platform, there had been not only pirates in the crowd below, but also many civilians from Loguetown.
He'd had no way to take action then.
But now, the weaklings who couldn't bear it had been killed or arrested, and those who'd left had no choice but to come to the port.
However, Sengoku didn't actually care about the pirates escaping from Loguetown.
What he cared about was the changes to the world's pirates that would occur after today.
The great treasure, One Piece, would become the target of ambitious people all over the world after today, and this sea was about to be swept by huge waves.
And all of this was just because of one man's words before his death.
All the original plans had been shattered because of those words.
"You're here, Kano?" Sengoku spotted Kano coming rapidly.
"Admiral Sengoku…"
"Do you think the One Piece, the great treasure that Roger mentioned, really exists?"
'Exists? Like hell it does!' Kano wanted to scream.
How could a broke pirate crew that mainly focused on adventure and lived in poverty have any treasures left on Laugh Tale?
Besides, if the Roger Pirates really had countless treasures, why would they be placed on the so-called final island? Could they reproduce there?
The final island of Laugh Tale might contain many secrets of this world, such as the hidden history, the details in regard the giant straw hat in Pangaea Castle, and the true origin and will of the D...
And the experiences of the former losers who'd tried to overthrow the world.
But the possibility of treasures in terms of monetary value was low.
"Whether it exists or not, Admiral Sengoku, when the whole world thinks that the great treasure is there, the number of pirates will multiply every year."
Kano exhaled.
"The real Great Pirate Era was started because of that man's words."
Sengoku frowned and said nothing.
He also knew the result.
The reason he'd asked Kano was just because he wanted to hear the conclusion he least wanted to hear from this young man.
Three days later, Loguetown, which had been noisy because of Roger's execution, became calm once more.
The pirates who'd originally been interested in Kano's head because of his identity as an executioner gave up their interest early after Roger's words.
For all pirates now, nothing was more attractive than the One Piece.
Then currently...
Kuzan's expression was somewhat complicated.
"So he said no?"
The major from the Headquarters beside him was also surprised at this moment.
"Logically speaking, no Navy soldier should be able to refuse the opportunity to go to the Headquarters for further training, but that guy was very straightforward about it."
Kuzan put a hand on the eye mask resting on his forehead.
"Then what does he plan on doing? Continue as an executioner at the Loguetown branch?"
The major must have thought of something that made his eyelids twitch.
"He wants to return to Ridgemouth Town in the West Blue and continue to guard the entrance to Reverse Mountain there..."
The scene from that time reappeared in his mind.
Kano obviously didn't want to make progress, but he was able to speak so persuasively that even Admiral Sengoku was pleased.
This was truly a skill. This was what he had said:
"The era of raging, crazed pirates is coming. The Grand Line needs marines that uphold justice, but the world also needs the protection of justice."
"Even Roger, the Pirate King, was just a boy in Loguetown who'd never gone to sea. Staying in Ridgemouth Town in the name of justice is as important as going to the Headquarters to become a naval elite."
This kind of awareness of justice was not something that an ordinary private from a West Blue branch should possess.
Moreover, Admiral Sengoku had also been present at the time, and because of Kano's pursuit of the pirates in the square during the execution, his combat prowess had already attracted the admiral's attention.
Coupled with such words, Admiral Sengoku had personally spoken and agreed to Private Kano's request to return to the West Blue and continue guarding Ridgemouth Town.
After the major finished speaking, Kuzan rubbed his forehead.
So Admiral Sengoku wanted to see what this young man was really thinking?
Playing tricks or truly adhering to justice? He was only fifteen years old, and there was still a long time for him to grow.
The Great Pirate Era had been started by Roger.
Ten or twenty years from now would be the time when the Navy would truly be tested.
And Kano was just one of the Navy's future prospects being watched.
"In that case, let's go. We'll return to the Headquarters."
Kuzan turned around and boarded the warship that had been prepared. Lomi's figure flashed through his mind.
So this kid hadn't inherited Lomi's justice after all?