"Golden Lion Shiki?!"
The sudden scream plunged the entire Inner Bay harbor into an eerie silence.
Countless heads turned at once. The moment everyone saw the figure standing at the bow of the ship, their pupils shrank.
"That face!"
"There's no mistake! It's him, the legendary pirate!"
"You've got to be kidding! Didn't Golden Lion Shiki disappear years ago?"
"More accurately, he was defeated in the West Blue!"
"…"
Shock spread across face after face.
If this really was that legendary pirate, then Marine Headquarters had every reason to be on high alert. Everyone knew exactly how terrifyingly destructive a pirate of Shiki's caliber could be.
But before they could recover, a second Golden Lion stepped forward.
The Marines froze.
"Another Golden Lion?"
"What the hell is going on?"
"My brain can't keep up with this!" One Marine grabbed at his hair in frustration.
Then the battleship shifted again.
A third.
A fourth.
A fifth.
Five Golden Lions stood in a row before everyone. Each wore the same expressionless face, completely devoid of emotion. Looking closer, faint blue arcs of electricity flickered in their eyes, and a tremendous amount of energy seemed to pulse within their bodies.
"Those aren't Golden Lion Shiki."
"They're products of the Research Force, they're called Pacifistas."
"They aren't human. They're machines." Enel took a bite of an apple and explained with a grin.
"Machines?!"
The Marines at Headquarters exchanged bewildered looks, their minds filled with questions.
The Research Force from the West Blue offered no further explanation. They simply led the five robots identical to Golden Lion Shiki toward the plaza. Before long, they disappeared from sight.
...
Marineford Plaza.
Kojin stood quietly with the ever-silent Kuma behind him.
During this period, Kuma had truly acted like the most dedicated bodyguard imaginable, faithfully staying by Kojin's side at all times. Kojin liked partners like him, few words, no nonsense, and completely reliable when it came time to act.
The only potential issue was that Kuma might secretly be a member of the Revolutionary Army. But Kojin didn't particularly care. Personally, he appreciated someone like Kuma and had every intention of keeping him alive if possible. Kuma's fate in the original story had always left him with a sense of regret.
That thought passed through Kojin's mind for only a moment before he raised his eyes and looked ahead.
Zephyr and the others were approaching. At the same time, five Pacifistas briefly flashed past the Inner Bay harbor in the distance.
"The PX models are only Vegapunk's attempt at developing cyborgs."
"The true essence, and ultimate goal, of this project is artificial humans."
"In other words, the Seraphim."
"Of course, there's no way we'd reveal a scientific secret that important at this stage."
Kojin's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
For the coming battle at Marineford, they only intended to deploy the PX units, the Research Force. What surprised him was that Vegapunk had actually recruited both Enel and Wyper into the scientific army he had assembled on Skypiea. The man had genuinely integrated himself among Skypiea's people and recruited his forces locally.
"Kojin!"
In the blink of an eye, Zephyr and his group arrived before him.
"Zephyr-sensei, it's been a long time. You look as energetic as ever." Kojin smiled and gave him a slight bow.
Even though he was now an Admiral, Kojin had never forgotten those who had helped him in the past. And Zephyr was undoubtedly someone worthy of his respect.
"You brat. You've really made something of yourself!"
"Your teacher is proud of you!"
Seeing Kojin still treat him with such respect, the stern coldness on Zephyr's face immediately vanished, replaced by a smile.
Then Kojin's gaze shifted. "Your arm…"
His eyes fell on Zephyr's right arm, now replaced by a massive mechanical prosthetic, and his expression turned cold.
"Just an accident. It's nothing to worry about now." Zephyr walked over and patted Kojin on the shoulder. "You know, sometimes you really don't act much like a Marine. You care more about loyalty and the people around you than you do about duty."
"Avenging my teacher is something a student should do." Kojin's voice became serious. "If I ever run into that pirate, I won't let him off."
"No need. This is my own matter." Zephyr shook his head, though the smile on his face grew even wider.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't even Kojin's true teacher in the same way Garp was, yet Kojin still showed him this much respect. For a moment, Zephyr couldn't help thinking about all the students he had taught. Perhaps Kojin was the only one who truly valued bonds and loyalty this deeply.
Then he thought of Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
All Zephyr could do was sigh and shake his head. Comparisons between people were always cruel. The moment you compared them, the differences became painfully obvious.
"Since you're here, I'll leave these subordinates of yours to you." Zephyr smiled.
"Go take care of your work, Sensei." Kojin nodded with a smile.
Zephyr quickly departed and soon disappeared from sight.
Only then did Kojin turn his attention to the people standing ahead.
The fierce aura surrounding Bullet seemed to weaken almost imperceptibly. His expression was strangely stiff, as though he wanted to smile but was deliberately forcing himself to remain cold and composed.
Behind him stood Eveya. Her face was filled with emotion, and her eyes were already red. She was middle-aged now, yet neither her figure nor her skin showed much sign of aging. Compared to the woman Kojin remembered, she had simply gained a more mature air.
Behind her stood Kozuki Oden, wearing a Marine cap. After being fused with the Lunarian Tribe's Lineage Factor, his appearance had changed drastically.
Beside him was Aroshu, now going by the codename Shu. With white hair, brown skin, and a blade in hand, he had already risen to the rank of flag officer and possessed considerable strength.
Further back stood Evans, Kaien Jūbei, and the others, all looking at Kojin with excitement.
"Long time no see, everyone!" Kojin smiled. "It really is good to see you all again."
"Sir!!" Eveya finally couldn't hold back anymore. Tears spilled from her eyes as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Kojin's waist.
"You're still as beautiful as ever, Eveya. Looks like the years haven't left much of a mark on you." Kojin bent down slightly and gently wiped away her tears with a smile.
"Really?" Eveya's face lit up.
"Of course. My adjutant Eveya will always be young and beautiful in my eyes."
Eveya broke into a delighted smile.
"Hey, I didn't come all this way to watch some sappy romance between a superior and his subordinate." Bullet's cold voice suddenly cut in.
He stepped forward, and his aura exploded.
Buzz!
The air seemed to freeze as the sky itself took on a dark, purplish hue.
"Catching up with old friends after all these years doesn't interest me nearly as much as one thing…" Bullet's muscular body tensed as he leaned slightly forward. "Kojin!"
His grin turned savage and crazed. "I want to know whether you're still strong enough to deserve my loyalty!"
The others were startled for a moment, but soon their expressions turned helpless. They all knew exactly how insane Bullet could be.
"Oh?" Kojin smiled. "Still that impatient, Bullet?"
"But…" The moment the word left his mouth, the smile on his face vanished. His expression turned cold. "I'm not Roger. Every single day since then, I've only gotten stronger."
Black and crimson energy erupted from Kojin in the next instant, surging into the sky before crashing violently against Bullet's presence.
The collision of their Conqueror's Haki swept across the skies above Marineford, instantly changing the expressions of countless Marines.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku suddenly looked up in shock. He immediately rose from his chair, walked to the window, and looked down toward the plaza.
When he saw Kojin and Bullet standing face-to-face with their Conqueror's Haki colliding, Sengoku paused for a moment before shaking his head.
"Those two lunatics… Are they really planning to fight here?"
The office door was suddenly pushed open.
"Sengoku. Kojin's West Blue forces have arrived at Headquarters. Bullet brought a large number of elites with him. And there's also some kind of mysterious force made up of research robots."
Sengoku didn't even turn around. "I've already seen them, Zephyr."
His eyes remained fixed on the plaza below. "Those two are about to start fighting."
Zephyr froze, then quickly walked to the window. The moment he spotted Bullet below, he frowned. "That guy really is insane."
Sengoku nodded, though a faint smile appeared on his face. "But as long as Kojin is around, even Bullet has to keep that madness under control. And in return, he'll become one of that brat's most loyal and powerful right-hand men."
Zephyr narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the two figures below, then slowly nodded.
...
"Kojin, before we start, there's something I need to tell you." Bullet grinned. "You might not like it."
"Oh?" Kojin looked at him.
"If you lose this fight…" Bullet's grin widened. "From now on, you'll have to call me Boss!"
He burst out laughing.
Kojin shook his head, smiling as well. "That's never going to happen."
"Is that so? Then let's find out!" Bullet roared.
The muscles in his thick legs suddenly bulged as he bent his knees.
Bang!
The ground beneath his feet shattered, two craters forming under the force of his launch.
In the next instant, Bullet shot forward. A violent gust tore through the plaza as his massive body crossed the distance at unbelievable speed, appearing in front of Kojin almost instantly.
His thick arm bent, five fingers clenching into a fist. A crazed smile split Bullet's face.
"Let's see whether you've gotten stronger over the years… or weaker! KOJIN!!"
The wind slammed against Kojin's face as Bullet's enormous fist appeared directly in front of his forehead. At that distance, the terrifying force behind the punch was impossible to ignore.
"Then take a good look." Kojin smiled.
He raised his arm, extended his hand, clenched his fist, and punched.
Bang!
Though he moved second, Kojin's fist arrived first.
Their fists collided. A circular shockwave exploded outward, and the ground beneath them collapsed with a deafening crash, leaving behind a massive crater.
Bullet's pupils contracted. His airborne body abruptly stopped, suspended right there in midair, all because of what looked like a casual punch from Kojin.
"I'm going to put a little strength into it now, Bullet." Kojin's voice came a moment later.
Bullet's body stiffened, shock flashing through his eyes.
"What? He wasn't even using his real strength yet?!"
Almost the instant Kojin finished speaking, Bullet's expression changed completely.
An overwhelming force erupted through Kojin's fist. It was like a mountain flood bursting through a dam, like a tsunami crashing onto shore. The sheer power was terrifying.
Bullet didn't even have time to resist before his body was blasted backward like a cannonball.
BOOM!
Several kilometers away, a massive cloud of dust erupted into the air.
Kojin remained slightly bent forward, still holding the posture of his punch. Thin wisps of smoke curled from his fist, as though the heat generated by the collision had scorched the air around it.
The entire area fell silent. Not a single person spoke.
(End of Chapter)
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