"That man? Who are you talking about?" Shanks' eyes narrowed, confusion flashing across his face.
The members of the Red Hair Pirates nearby also waited curiously for the answer. After all, there weren't many people in the world capable of leaving such a serious wound on the chest of the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Had Mihawk challenged Whitebeard? But after thinking about it, that didn't seem likely. Mihawk wasn't that reckless.
"Kojin," Mihawk slowly spoke the name.
Shanks froze. Then his pupils suddenly contracted, and even the wine cup in his hand trembled. "So it was him?!" he muttered, his gaze falling once more on the bandages across Mihawk's chest. "That wound must hurt quite a bit."
Mihawk snorted. "This matter was worth making the trip personally."
Shanks grew serious.
"You've brought news that will shake the entire world." His eyes shone with gravity, caution, and a faint trace of excitement and fighting spirit. "A man who disappeared from the world's sight for nearly twenty years has returned as a Marine Admiral. It's hard to imagine what kind of major actions the Marines will take next."
Mihawk spoke with a rare seriousness. There was no questioning Kojin's strength. The three Admirals alone were already terrifying enough, and now there was an additional monster like him. The Marines could honestly be called the strongest they had ever been in history.
"The balance of the seas is about to be broken," Shanks murmured.
Both men clearly understood the seriousness of the situation. Kojin's return alone was enough to hint at the storms and upheavals that would soon sweep across the world.
"There's something else. On my way here, I noticed Marine Headquarters gathering elite forces from various regions. It looks like they're preparing for a major war. As for the target, I still don't know," Mihawk added.
"A war?" A grave look appeared in Shanks' eyes. "But there aren't any signs of a war anywhere in the world."
The Four Seas were peaceful, and the Four Emperors of the New World were keeping to themselves, with no major conflicts breaking out. Shanks fell into thought.
Suddenly, a flash crossed his mind, and a rough, sinister, and ruthless face appeared in his memory. His body trembled. For some reason, he immediately thought of a certain freckled boy.
"Could it be...?!" In an instant, Shanks' expression turned ugly.
"You've realized something?" Mihawk asked curiously.
Yasopp, Beckman, and the others nearby all looked confused. They had no idea what the two were talking about, but one thing was obvious, Shanks looked deeply troubled.
"I can't be sure yet," Shanks slowly raised his head, his eyes dark and serious. "But I may need to visit Whitebeard's territory and have a proper talk with that old man."
Mihawk was slightly surprised. He didn't know what had made Shanks willing to take such a risk, but whatever it was, it was clearly no small matter.
At that moment, the wind suddenly grew stronger. The others remained completely confused, but from the expressions of the two men, they could tell that something massive was coming.
---
Aboard the 'Crocodile'.
"A meeting of the Seven Warlords?" Kojin's gaze rested on Doflamingo. After silently watching him for a moment, he suddenly grinned. "Since you have business to attend to, I won't keep you. After all, it's an important meeting."
Doflamingo's smile never faded.
"Then I'll head to Headquarters first. But as for the purpose of this meeting..." His eyes shifted toward Crocodile. "There's a good chance it's related to your defeat at the hands of a rookie pirate. They may be selecting a new Warlord."
Crocodile sneered. "I couldn't care less about the title of Warlord."
Doflamingo turned around and leaped from the ship, waving without looking back as he walked away. "I suppose that's true. Still, I'm curious who they'll choose to replace you."
Kojin calmly watched him leave and board another ship docked nearby. The 'Crocodile' had remained at Long Ring Long Land for some time now, and the reason was simple, they were waiting for Garp.
Kojin had always respected his teacher. First, Garp had saved his life during a crisis and given him the chance to grow. Second, over the years, Garp had helped him countless times.
And third... it had simply been many years since they had last met. The bond between master and student ran deep.
Three more days passed. Just as everyone's patience was running out, a familiar Marine warship with a giant dog-shaped figurehead slowly approached the shore.
"He's finally here!" Rosinante let out a long sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what the senior official's original destination had been, but it was obvious they had been delayed at Long Ring Long Land for quite some time because of this wait.
"Hahahahaha! Kojin, you brat still look as young and energetic as ever!" A figure jumped down from the dog-headed warship. He had a square face and a sturdy build, but the black hair he once had was now completely white.
Kojin leaped down from the bow and looked at the approaching Garp, a trace of emotion appearing in his eyes.
He's gotten old. He really has. Ten years ago, Garp still had a head full of black hair and looked as vigorous as ever.
But now, standing before him was a hero of the Marines who had clearly entered his twilight years. His body was still powerful and his spirit remained strong, yet time had left its mark. His vitality had begun to decline, and both his hair and beard had turned white.
"Garp-sensei!" Kojin quickly walked forward.
"Where's Luffy?! I'm going to give that unfilial brat a proper beating for becoming a pirate!" After taking one look at Kojin, Garp immediately began scanning around the 'Crocodile', shouting at the top of his lungs.
"If my guess is correct, your precious grandson should be in Water 7 by now," Kojin replied with a smile. He could see right through Garp's act. The old man kept talking about how troublesome his grandson was, but deep down he was worried sick about him.
"What? You didn't arrest him?" Garp's eyes widened in surprise.
"How could I arrest my teacher's own grandson?" Kojin paused before continuing with a faint smile. "Besides, from what I've seen, he's a pirate who spends his time helping people rather than hurting them. He hasn't committed any great evil against the world."
Garp glared at him. "You brat are too obsessed with justice! A pirate is still a pirate!" Though that was what he said, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at the disciple he had personally raised and couldn't help showing a satisfied smile. Stretching out an arm, he pulled Kojin into a hug.
"You little brat. You haven't changed at all over these years. Hm, actually, you've gotten even stronger! Unlike your old teacher here. I'm getting old," Garp laughed loudly.
"You'll always be young, Sensei," Kojin replied.
"You little brat," Garp suddenly sighed. "In my entire life, you're the only disciple I've truly managed to raise."
Kojin froze for a moment before understanding what he meant. His son had become a Revolutionary. His grandson had become a pirate.
Only Kojin had remained in the Marines from beginning to end. He might have his flaws, but he had never abandoned his principles. In a sense, he had always stood on the same side as Garp.
As for Kuzan... that lazy version of justice had never been something Garp fully approved of.
"Thank you," before Kojin could respond, Garp quietly added.
"It's what a disciple should do," Kojin smiled.
Garp smiled as well, patted him on the shoulder, and straightened up.
"Why did Sengoku make such a big deal out of inviting me to Headquarters?" he lowered his voice.
"Was it Fleet Admiral Sengoku who invited you?" Kojin asked in surprise.
"That's right. He seems to be preparing something important," Garp nodded.
Kojin looked at him. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku is preparing to move against Whitebeard."
"What?!" Garp's eyes widened instantly.
"I was the one who proposed it, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku has carefully considered and planned it," Kojin said calmly. "We both believe that the current strength of the Marines is enough to formulate a detailed strategy against the Whitebeard Pirates. If we can crush the Whitebeard Pirates, we can weaken the pirates' overall power and break the balance of the world."
"Whitebeard isn't someone who's easy to deal with," Garp's expression grew serious. The image of the old man with the crescent-shaped mustache flashed through his mind. Even he couldn't help feeling emotional when thinking about Whitebeard.
"That's true. He isn't easy to deal with, but the chances of success are very high," Kojin replied.
"So you're planning to fight the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World? That place is pirate territory. It could easily provoke reactions from the others," Garp frowned.
"Of course not. We've already found a breakthrough point, a weakness that will force the Whitebeard Pirates to walk straight into a trap prepared by the Marines," Kojin smiled.
"And where is this breakthrough point?" Garp asked curiously.
"It hasn't appeared yet, but it should happen very soon." As he spoke, Kojin looked toward the distant sea.
He knew what was coming. The Straw Hats would arrive at Water 7 and eventually cause chaos at Enies Lobby.
At the same time, Ace would be defeated by Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach. That single event would trigger a chain reaction across the entire world and begin one of the greatest incidents of the era.
"You've become just like Sengoku. Always speaking in riddles," Garp grumbled.
Kojin only smiled and said nothing. He knew that if Garp learned the breakthrough point was Ace, the old man would spend many sleepless nights worrying about it.
A short while later, two young men stepped forward and stood before them.
"Oh right, Kojin! I forgot to introduce them. This is Koby, and this is Helmeppo! My two newest disciples," Garp laughed.
Hearing that, Kojin shifted his gaze toward the two young Marines standing ramrod straight from nervousness. His eyes first landed on the pink-haired young man wearing glasses. He narrowed his eyes, simply staring at him for several long seconds before he slowly spoke.
"So you're Koby?"
'The tagalong? The burden? The saintly do-gooder? The Marine version of Oden?'
'(End of Chapter)'
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