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The losses at G-18 Fortress were catastrophic; one could even say they were close to total annihilation.
Looking back at the few Battleships faintly visible behind him, Kojin felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Ever since Roger died, he had been stationed here. It was impossible for him not to have developed feelings for the place.
The battle against the Golden Lion…
The moment their Smash crushed G-18 Fortress…
The impact when the island slammed down…
The devouring tidal wave…
All of it had made escape impossible for most of the soldiers in the fortress.
And this was exactly what made the top powerhouses of this world so terrifying. If they fought without restraint, they could overturn an entire island in an instant and slaughter countless civilians.
A short while later, the remaining dozen or so Battleships docked one after another.
The soldiers quickly disembarked. Standing upon the massive island, they looked around with dazed and confused expressions. It was hard to imagine that just moments ago, Shiki had actually used such a gigantic island as a weapon.
"G-18 Fortress is destroyed."
"Then we'll rebuild a new base on this island!"
As the breeze swept through the island, making the flowers, grass, and trees sway gently, Kojin's voice quietly carried through the air.
Afterward, he began strolling through the cluster of islands.
It had to be said that the Golden Lion had excellent taste in choosing islands. This archipelago consisted of five islands in total. In the center was a massive main island, surrounded by four smaller ones of varying sizes.
When the five islands settled upon the sea, the spaces between them formed several natural inner bays.
"The arrival of the Golden Lion Shiki nearly wiped out all the troops stationed at G-18 Fortress," Bullet said in a deep voice as he followed behind.
"If Crocodile had been here this time, maybe we wouldn't have been so passive."
As he spoke, he clenched his fists.
Hearing this, Kojin stopped walking.
"Everyone has something they must do. Crocodile has his own mission to complete."
Bullet sighed, but still couldn't accept it.
"Damn it!"
The military fortress they had painstakingly built over the years, most of its soldiers were elite troops personally trained by him. Yet they hadn't died on the battlefield. Instead, they died in such an unexpected disaster. The frustration was suffocating.
"When the new base is completed, we'll issue a recruitment order across West Blue." After a pause, Kojin sighed softly. "We're still too weak."
Bullet fell silent, his fists clenched tightly.
His Fusion Fruit ability had been nearly useless against someone like Golden Lion Shiki, who could directly manipulate islands and smash them down. Against a doomsday-like natural disaster of that scale, the destructive power was simply overwhelming.
"I will definitely become stronger!! One day I'll catch up to you monsters standing at the top of the world!" Bullet swore ruthlessly while gritting his teeth.
Kojin looked ahead.
Lush forests, flowing rivers, and small animals hopping around the island.
This truly was an even better island, perfect for building a base. Turning his head, Kojin looked toward Eveya and the others.
T. Penn walked among the soldiers one by one, bending down to ask about their injuries. Buggy and Smoker both had tears on their faces. For the two young men, such a tragic experience was probably their first.
Especially Buggy, who had personally witnessed one of his subordinates being split in half by Shiki's blade.
"Awakening!! I will definitely awaken my Devil Fruit!!" Buggy shouted loudly.
"I swear it too! From today onward, I will never again watch my friends and comrades die in front of me! I'll grow stronger! I'll become stronger than anyone! I'll become someone who surpasses Golden Lion Shiki!!" Smoker roared as well.
Kojin looked over each face.
Every one of them had clenched teeth, their expressions filled with anger and sorrow. He knew clearly that from this moment on, a seed of strength had been deeply planted in their hearts.
After enduring hardship, survivors only become stronger.
"Life was never meant to be smooth sailing…" Kojin sighed softly, yet his heart remained calm.
War had never existed without sacrifice.
The world itself was cruel. Peace was merely the surface that concealed war, a brief coincidence within the long river of time.
"Battleships!!"
"Our people have come to support us!"
Suddenly, cries of surprise erupted from the shore.
Kojin looked over and quickly saw the figure at the front, wearing a Marine uniform, with the rank of Rear Admiral on his shoulder.
Chinjao.
"It's the Marine branch from Kano Country!"
"They must have been affected by the shockwaves from Vice Admiral Kojin's battle with the Golden Lion!"
The Marines discussed among themselves.
A moment later, Chinjao's Battleship docked, and he quickly walked up to Kojin.
"What happened?"
"Where is G-18 Fortress?"
Shock and tension were written all over his face.
Along the way, the sea was littered with the wreckage of Battleships, drifting soldiers, and fragments of the destroyed base.
The sight caused Chinjao's heart to tremble violently. It was easy to imagine that G-18 Fortress must have gone through a terrifying battle.
"Golden Lion Shiki arrived not long ago and destroyed the fortress," Kojin said in a deep voice.
Seeing the shock on the other man's face, he sighed again.
"We'll rebuild a brand-new base on this island. You'll be responsible for helping collect the soldiers' bodies from the sea."
Chinjao took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
"Understood. Where is the Golden Lion Shiki?"
A sharp glint flashed in Kojin's eyes as he slowly raised his right hand. Then, under Chinjao's puzzled gaze, his five fingers suddenly curled inward.
Crack!
A cone-shaped mountain hundreds of meters tall suddenly rose into the air, floating silently in the void ahead.
"What…?!"
Chinjao's eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath. He stared fixedly at Kojin, the shock in his heart beyond imagination.
"I defeated him and obtained the power of this Devil Fruit." Kojin spoke calmly.
With a slight motion of his hand, the mountain slowly descended, sending ripples across the ground as it settled.
"I… I remember you were originally the user of the Goro Goro no Mi…" Chinjao said in a trembling voice.
Looking at the man before him, a bold guess suddenly formed in his mind. In the next moment, blue arcs of lightning crackled across Kojin's body.
"You guessed right. I now possess the powers of two Devil Fruits." Kojin smiled faintly.
"That's actually possible?!!" Chinjao's mind shook violently.
Such a thing had likely never happened anywhere in the world. Many people could already stand among the ranks of the strong with just one Devil Fruit ability.
'But the man before him… possessed two.'
'Just how powerful had he become?'
Kojin glanced at him, naturally seeing through his thoughts.
"During the reconstruction of the base, I'll have to trouble the Kano Country branch to assist as well."
Chinjao inhaled deeply.
"Of course."
Soon after, Marine branches across West Blue received the news. Officers from various regions arrived at the island with solemn expressions. An incident of this magnitude in West Blue meant no one could remain seated.
When they saw that Vice Admiral Kojin was safe and sound, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. It could be said that nearly all Marine operations in West Blue now revolved around Kojin. If something happened to such a senior officer, the pressure they would face in the future would be unimaginable.
This sudden West Blue Marine branch meeting was held in a forest.
Dense ranks of Marines stood among the trees. Every single one wore the rank of Major or above, their presence imposing and solemn.
Chinjao stood among them as well, positioned near the front. After roughly calculating the numbers, he couldn't help but feel surprised.
"Vice Admiral Kojin's management over the years has already made West Blue this powerful. There are nearly two thousand officers of Major rank and above alone. I remember the number was nowhere near this high before."
Two thousand officers stood silently in the forest in perfect order, not a single sound coming from them, clear proof of their elite status.
Kojin swept his gaze across the crowd and suddenly chuckled.
"What's this?"
"Why have all of you come running here?"
"Don't you have work to do in the areas you're responsible for?"
Salok, the officer in charge of Troia Island, spoke anxiously. "We were worried about headquarters… worried about you, Vice Admiral. That's why we came."
The other officers nodded in agreement.
Most of them had originally been elite soldiers selected from the first batch of recruits at G-18 Fortress, later assigned to serve across various regions.
In a sense, G-18 Fortress was their hometown.
So when they heard the fortress had been destroyed, their hearts shook. They immediately gathered their subordinates and rushed over.
"A mere Shiki isn't enough to take me down," Kojin said firmly.
Then he sighed softly.
"However, this time the reconstruction of the base will indeed require help from every branch. Gather as many craftsmen as possible and send them here to build the new base. Additionally, every branch must increase both the scale and range of recruitment."
His voice echoed through the forest.
The entire area remained silent until Kojin finished speaking. Only then did a unified shout ring out.
"Yes, sir!!"
The reconstruction of the base began immediately that very day.
By the afternoon of the next day, Capone Bege arrived.
"I've already ordered the shipbuilding yards to work overtime producing Battleships. The thirty Battleships that were previously completed, I've had ten of them sail here first. They're currently docked at the shore. I've also transferred twenty flying ships."
After a pause, Capone Bege continued.
"For now, our numbers of Battleships and flying ships are sufficient. As for cannon shells and firearms, I can handle those. However, after this battle, your troop strength has become somewhat insufficient, Leader."
Hearing this, Kojin frowned slightly.
"Continue producing Battleships and flying ships. Especially the flying ships, build as many as possible."
Capone Bege's eyes lit up.
"Yes, sir!"
"And the matter I asked you about, collecting Devil Fruits." Kojin spoke softly.
"Sir, Devil Fruits aren't cabbages. They're not that easy to find! Across the entire West Blue, you might not even see one appear at an auction in a whole year. You're more likely to find them on the Grand Line. But most powerful Devil Fruits are probably already controlled by the Marines or the World Government." Capone Bege said helplessly.
"That's true." Kojin paused briefly, then smiled.
"Just keep an eye out for them when you can. I'm not forcing you."
Capone Bege finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then he spoke carefully.
"Leader, the missions I carry out are usually quite dangerous. Could I possibly be equipped with a fleet of five flying ships?"
Hearing this, Kojin turned his head and looked at him.
Capone Bege's heart immediately skipped a beat, silently cursing himself for being so reckless.
"Heh. I'll give you ten. But the crew and guards aboard them, you'll have to train them yourself. However, you can send your people to the base to receive Bullet's personal training. And if any of them show exceptional talent, they can even learn Rokushiki." After a moment of silence, Kojin finally spoke.
Capone Bege trembled with excitement before he hurriedly bowed.
"Thank you, Leader!!"
Personally commanding a fleet of flying ships had been his greatest dream lately.
Not long afterward, Capone Bege left in great satisfaction.
Soon after, massive construction teams entered the island. After discussions and designs by professionals, the plan for the new base was quickly finalized.
"The four surrounding islands can be built as defensive satellite bases. The main island will serve as the central base, containing residential districts, entertainment areas, training fields, and streets. The island's vegetation will remain untouched. The wild beasts in the wilderness can serve as training targets for recruits."
"I heard Vice Admiral Kojin intends to turn this island into a floating Skypiea."
"In that case, we can designate an area to construct a flying ship harbor."
"…"
After intense discussion, construction work quickly began.
In the blink of an eye, five days had passed since the battle with the Golden Lion.
On this day, Kojin was sitting inside the newly built office when a Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
Eveya picked it up.
"Hello, West Blue Headquarters."
But two or three seconds later, her expression suddenly changed. She quickly turned to look at the senior officer beside her.
"What is it?"
"Another major incident?"
Kojin asked calmly.
"It's from the Marine Headquarters," Eveya replied.
Hearing this, Kojin's expression froze slightly before he took the Den Den Mushi from her hand.
"Kojin!"
The voice was familiar, yet also felt somewhat distant, causing Kojin to pause for a moment.
"Admiral Sengoku!" He quickly reacted and replied with a smile.
"I heard that the Golden Lion attacked your G-18 Fortress?" Sengoku asked in a deep voice.
"That's correct." Kojin nodded, his eyes flickering slightly.
He was already considering the meaning behind this call from Headquarters.
"How is the situation?" Sengoku asked.
"G-18 Fortress no longer exists. We're currently constructing a new base." Kojin sighed.
"Do you need help from Headquarters?" Sengoku also sighed.
"For the moment, no. Thank you for the offer." Kojin replied with a polite smile.
"Ah… Kojin, there's no need for such formality between us." Sengoku shook his head while speaking. "Even though the Ohara incident happened before, our identities remain the same. We are still Marines."
"Isn't that right?"
Kojin fell silent for a moment. After a while, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"You're right… Even if our definitions of Justice are somewhat different… We are still Marines."
Sitting behind his desk, Sengoku's expression became slightly serious. He had naturally heard the deeper meaning in Kojin's words.
"There's something else."
Tapping his finger lightly on the desk, Sengoku spoke in a heavy tone.
"Please go ahead, Admiral Sengoku." Kojin said.
"Our people on the Grand Line recently brought back some information." Sengoku seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
After a brief pause, his tone became heavier.
"One of your subordinates… Apparently appeared on a pirate ship, and he was acting as its captain."
Kojin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who?"
"Crocodile." Sengoku answered.
"Oh?" Kojin grinned. "Did that guy betray us?"
(End of Chapter)