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Navy Headquarters, Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
When Kojin reached the top floor, the atmosphere was frantic. A constant stream of aides and officers scurried in and out of the central office, clutching folders and barking orders. It felt less like a military base and more like a hive poked with a stick.
Inside the office, Fleet Admiral Kong sat behind a massive wooden desk, his brow furrowed as he flipped through towering stacks of documents. The piles on either side of him were high enough to make anyone wonder where the desk itself even ended.
"Rear Admiral Kojin." At that moment, a young field officer nearby noticed him and called out in surprise.
"Hello!" Kojin nodded in greeting.
He didn't recognize the other person, but from the excited and fervent look in his eyes, he could sense his deep admiration and longing.
Who would have thought that right outside the Fleet Admiral's office, he would unexpectedly run into a personal fan?
"It's Rear Admiral Kojin!"
"My God! Is it really the Kojin Rear Admiral, known as the Monster of Monsters and said to surpass the Three Monsters of the Marines?"
"Is it really him?"
"The Rear Admiral Kojin who went toe-to-toe with 'Dark King' Rayleigh and then pulverized a Supernova crew without breaking a sweat. He is practically the Navy's golden boy"
Almost all the officers around turned to look, which made Kojin freeze for a moment.
He quickly realized that he had already become a star among the Headquarters officers, one of the most eye-catching young officers of this era, without even noticing it himself.
The eyes of many young officers around him were filled with excitement, shining with the light people show when meeting their idol.
"He's got that same aura as Vice Admiral Garp," one whispered loudly. "Just standing there, he makes the whole building feel safer."
"I wonder if he's single," A female lieutenant murmured to her friend. "Think of how strong our kids would be."
"Rear Admiral Kojin!"
In the blink of an eye, the area outside Kong's office became lively.
Even the doors of the other offices along the corridor began to open, with heads poking out one after another.
Clearly, Kojin had underestimated just how popular he was at Headquarters.
After Gol D. Roger claimed the title of Pirate King, those who had fought against him were elevated almost overnight. Legends like Garp and Sengoku were already untouchable icons… But among the younger generation, Kojin stood brightest of all.
Kojin felt a cold sweat prickle his neck. In two lifetimes, he had faced down sea kings and master swordsmen, but he had never learned how to parry a crowd of adoring fans.
"Kojin!"
At that moment, a deep, commanding voice cut through the noise.
"Get in here. The rest of you... go back to your work! This isn't a circus."
Kong's stern voice instantly quietened the feverish scene. The officers withdrew one by one, clearing a path for Kojin.
"Close the door!"
After Kojin had entered the room, Kong finally let out a sigh of relief and closed the door behind him, blocking out the eager onlookers.
"Heh. You haven't experienced a scene like that before, have you?" Kong's serious expression suddenly broke into a smile as he teased him.
"It's terrifying," Kojin admitted, wiping his brow. "I'd honestly rather take another round with Rayleigh."
"Headquarters hasn't officially pushed your propaganda yet, but the word is out," Kong said, leaning back. "In an era where the pirates have a 'King,' the Navy needs a hero. You've become the benchmark for every young recruit, the goal they're all chasing."
He paused, his voice turning serious. "The world is changing, Kojin. We need people like you to lead the charge."
Kojin shrugged, his eyes wandering to the stacks of documents flanking Kong's head. It looked like a prison made of paper.
Being a Fleet Admiral really wasn't easy. He remembered Sakazuki in the future, how that man never seemed to leave his desk once he took the top spot, and his range of activity was limited to such a tiny area. It was a high price to pay for power.
"Did the mission go as planned?" Kong asked, his eyes already dropping back to a report.
As Fleet Admiral, he had far too much on his plate, especially after the incident of Roger becoming the Pirate King erupted. Pressure from the World Government, along with countless civilian matters, had been giving him a constant headache.
"Smoothly enough." Kojin reached into his coat and produced a sealed waterproof bag containing the blueprints.
After Kong received them, he casually glanced through a few pages before setting them aside.
"The Seastone Battleship technology would be immensely helpful for us. If our ships can pass through the Calm Belt, the barrier between the Grand Line and the Four Seas will be broken, and the Marines will reach the Four Seas much more quickly."
After taking a breath, Kong seemed to notice something in the documents, his brows tightening.
"This technology will greatly enhance the Marines' and the government's control over the Four Seas. It will also provide a massive boost to our Marines' upcoming operations."
Hearing this, Kojin became curious. "What operation?"
"A large-scale extermination campaign targeting pirates."
Kong raised his head and flung the document he had just finished reviewing to one side.
"The primary target will be the East Blue, currently the strongest sea! And it's also the sea where the Pirate King Roger was born!"
As he spoke, he let out another breath.
"Naturally, this will take a long time to complete. In addition, there is the operation to search for Roger and his crew on a worldwide scale."
Kong pulled a pained expression as he spoke.
"If these people can't be captured and brought to justice, the entire world will never settle down!"
The Fleet Admiral's words made Kojin thoughtful.
He guessed this was due to immense pressure from the World Government, as well as recent unrest among pirates and civilians alike.
As long as Roger was alive, he was a tremendous symbol and a magnet for restless individuals, continuously throwing the entire world into chaos, much like Kojin among the younger generation of Marines.
Therefore, capturing Roger and his crew was of the utmost importance to both the Marines and the World Government.
If they succeeded, the whole world would remain in turmoil under the combined influence of both sides.
"Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock in the Headquarters conference room. All officers must attend. Remember to be on time."
Kojin nodded. Seeing how busy Kong was, he didn't have the heart to disturb him further, so he turned to leave.
The walk out of the building was an ordeal. He was accosted by no fewer than six female officers handing him folded notes, and one particularly brave Captain actually managed to plant a kiss on his cheek before vanishing into the crowd.
Clearly, it wasn't just the young male officers who admired him; the female officers were even willing to offer themselves to him.
"Too much," Kojin muttered, finally breaking out into the open air of the residential district. "Way too much."
It was only after leaving the headquarters building that Kojin finally let out a long breath.
He then shook his head and headed towards the residential area.
When he saw Crocodile, Bullet, Rosinante, and the others again, they were sitting on the chairs in front of his courtyard, chatting to each other.
"The Marines have a more complete and richer training system than pirates! If we're talking purely about training talent, this place is undoubtedly stronger!" Bullet said in a deep voice.
Having gone deep into Marine Headquarters and seen the neatly standardized and clearly allocated areas, he couldn't help but be amazed.
From basic training to advanced stages and fully developed combat systems of all kinds, the Marines had perfected everything.
"After all, this world belongs to them." Crocodile smiled faintly as he spoke.
"What? Do you want to seize the world from their hands?" Bullet laughed.
"I only want to build the world I dream of." Crocodile replied.
At that moment, Kojin walked over and waved his hand to interrupt them.
"Stop talking about the world! Getting into politics isn't our job!"
(End of Chapter)