Faced with this nominal junior brother, Kojin made no effort to hide his dislike. In truth, he didn't have a particularly good impression of Koby. Whether as a Marine or a pirate, excessive kindness and blind compassion were, in his view, signs of immaturity, if not outright foolishness.
Especially because this wasn't an anime. This was a real, living world.
Since arriving in this world, Kojin had witnessed genuine darkness and evil. At Marineford, Koby's shout had indeed bought the crucial few seconds needed to stop both sides from descending completely into madness, preventing even greater bloodshed.
But two years later, his weakness and naïve idealism would allow him to be captured by the Blackbeard Pirates on Hachinosu. And that same foolish compassion would drag his mentor into a desperate situation.
There was something fundamentally flawed in the way he viewed the world. Blind innocence and thoughtless kindness could easily plunge the world into even deeper darkness.
Being stared at by his senior brother, Koby felt his heart trembling. The man's towering figure, powerful physique, and overwhelming presence made him seem impossibly formidable.
"He doesn't look like much. How did you end up taking someone like this as your disciple, Sensei?" Kojin said casually.
The single sentence made Koby's heart sink, and he lowered his head.
"Hahahaha! You brat, at least give your junior brother some face!" Garp laughed and scolded him. But when he glanced at Koby, even he couldn't come up with a rebuttal.
Compared to his eldest disciple, Koby was indeed lacking. Then again, Kojin's talent and unique bloodline were things that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world. Koby, on the other hand, was an ordinary commoner, the most typical and average kind.
Kojin shook his head. He didn't bother paying much attention to Koby. As for the sweating, nervous Helmeppo standing nearby, he didn't even spare him a glance. He simply wasn't interested in either of them.
It wasn't hatred. Based on what he knew of their future actions, he just didn't think highly of them.
The master and disciple sat down and chatted.
Most of the time, Garp was the one talking, telling stories about raising Luffy and Ace, while frequently complaining that Kojin had handed Ace over to him and then practically disappeared. Kojin smiled and played along, occasionally sharing some stories of his own.
"Was Crocodile a spy you planted?" When Kojin mentioned Crocodile, Garp suddenly frowned and muttered the question.
That genuinely surprised Kojin. "Sensei, that's quite a bold thing to say."
Garp laughed. "Just joking." Then he looked around and sighed. "But you really are something. You've built quite a force for yourself in the West Blue."
His expression gradually became serious. Years ago, he hadn't paid much attention. But now, looking at the officers gathered nearby, from field-grade officers to vice admirals, he couldn't ignore the pressure they gave off.
The younger generation had already matured, becoming the backbone of Kojin's faction. And with Garp's experience, he could easily tell that many of them were already outstanding by Marine standards.
"Them?" Kojin smiled. "They're still far from good enough."
Garp shook his head. Even without seeing them fight, he could tell from their presence alone that this force had already taken shape. Then he turned toward Koby, who had been silent the entire time.
"How about giving your junior brother a few pointers? Just like you once did, Koby started from nothing."
Kojin looked up. Koby visibly tensed when their eyes met. Kojin frowned slightly, but in the end, he didn't reject his teacher's request.
Slowly, he stood up. "Then let me see how much you've learned under Garp-sensei."
His calm voice immediately pushed Koby's nervousness to its limit.
The two stood facing each other in an open area, their eyes meeting. To see Kojin's face, Koby practically had to tilt his head upward at a forty-five-degree angle. The man's height and massive build were unlike anything he had ever seen.
'He's huge. And his presence is terrifying. So this is Admiral Kojin, the disciple Garp-sensei always talks about?'
Koby's heart trembled. The fight hadn't even begun, yet fear had already taken root inside him.
Kojin frowned as he looked down at the young Marine. Koby only reached around his waist. The difference in size was absurd.
"If your will and courage aren't up to the task," Kojin said calmly, "then I'd advise you to take off that uniform and go back to being an ordinary civilian." He could see Koby's fear clearly.
"Senior Brother!" Koby raised his head and gritted his teeth. A trace of shame flashed across his eyes; he was afraid before the battle had even started.
"Attack, Koby," Kojin spoke indifferently.
"Yes!" Koby nodded heavily and took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto the man before him. Then he bent his body slightly.
The next instant,
'Whoosh!'
His figure disappeared. Almost simultaneously, he appeared in midair on Kojin's right side.
'Rokushiki: Soru!'
Seeing that Kojin hadn't moved at all, as though he hadn't even noticed him, Koby clenched his teeth. His right leg rose high and came crashing down. "Rankyaku!"
'Bang!'
A ripple of force spread outward. Kojin casually raised his right hand and blocked the attack with ease.
"Put some strength into it. Otherwise, you won't even be able to move me."
The words in his ear made Koby's heart tremble, and panic flashed across his face. That attack had already been close to his full strength.
But soon, Koby stomped the air again. 'Geppo.' In an instant, he had moved behind Kojin and raised his leg for another attack.
"...Sigh."
A sigh escaped Kojin's lips as he suddenly turned around. Looking at the airborne youth, who had only managed to rise to roughly his height, he slowly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.
"Your will is weak. Your physical strength is lacking. And your combat experience is practically nonexistent."
As he spoke, Kojin sighed again.
"Have you ever been on a battlefield? Have you ever watched a blade pierce through the neck of the comrade standing beside you? Have you ever experienced the despair of death? Have you ever been drenched in blood? Have you ever used your own sword to cut off an enemy's head? Do you understand the difference between Marines and pirates? Do you understand what justice is?"
His fist slowly rose. It looked slow, but arrived incredibly fast, appearing before Koby in the blink of an eye.
'Whoosh!'
The seemingly casual punch generated a powerful gust of wind, blowing Koby's pink hair backward.
"Being a Marine isn't some childish game, Koby!" As the words reached his ears, the punch crashed mercilessly into Koby's face.
Instantly, his mind went blank. Stars exploded before his eyes, and the entire world became hazy and distorted. Then he was sent flying upside down.
'Bang!'
He slammed heavily into the ground.
"Koby!!" Helmeppo cried out and rushed over.
For what felt like more than ten seconds, Koby's world was swallowed by darkness. Only then did his vision slowly return. When he saw the man walking toward him, he gritted his teeth.
"Kid, you still don't have the resolve to be a Marine. Ask yourself honestly: justice, courage, strength, what do you actually possess? Having goals and enthusiasm alone isn't enough to succeed."
Kojin stood with his arms folded, looking down at him.
"If you truly want to become a Marine... then listen carefully. Leave your teacher's side. Go experience this world's cruelty and darkness with your own eyes. Only when your hands have been stained with blood will you understand what justice truly means. Being a Marine isn't a game."
After leaving those final words behind, Kojin turned and walked away. Koby remained seated on the ground, lost in thought.
In the distance, Garp silently watched his younger disciple. After witnessing the exchange between his two disciples and hearing Kojin's words, he finally realized something. Perhaps... he really was getting old.
Age didn't only weaken the body; it softened the heart as well. Since joining him, Koby had rarely experienced truly brutal battles.
The fear and weakness inside him still remained. For a Marine, that was one of the worst flaws possible, making him less prepared in some ways than veteran soldiers whose raw strength was inferior to his.
And the biggest reason for that was Garp himself. He hadn't wanted Koby to get hurt. He had always wanted to shield him from the storm.
"Sensei." Kojin's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"Kojin" Garp looked at him, his expression somewhat complicated.
"You don't need to worry so much. The things that concern you... I'll deal with them one by one," Kojin smiled.
Garp froze for a moment before understanding what he meant. Then he immediately cursed with a laugh.
"You little brat! I don't need your concern! Just because you're an Admiral now, do you think your teacher has become old and weak? Want a taste of my Iron Fist?"
Kojin immediately took a step back and pretended to be terrified. "Please don't. Sensei's Iron Fist is invincible."
"Hahahahahaha!" Garp burst into laughter. The slight gloom and disappointment in his heart quietly vanished.
At that moment, he suddenly felt fortunate. Fortunately, years ago, at Sabaody Archipelago, curiosity had led him to take a look at the young boy before him. From that day onward, the gears of fate had quietly begun turning in a different direction.
For a brief moment, Garp almost felt as though he heard a click, the sound of fate itself slipping free from its original course.
---
Soon afterward, the two warships departed Long Ring Long Land. Five days later, shocking news spread throughout the world.
'The Straw Hat Pirates had invaded Enies Lobby.'
"The Enies Lobby Incident?!" Both warships immediately became lively with discussion.
Garp was so angry he nearly jumped into the air. "Kojin! Where are you heading?" he shouted.
"Marineford. I need to prepare for what's coming and discuss a few things with Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Kojin replied with a smile.
"I'm going to Water 7!" Garp declared.
Kojin nodded, and the two parted ways there.
Two days later, Daz Bonez spotted a small boat drifting across the sea while standing watch.
"Those people... aren't they the group currently being hunted by the World Government?" he muttered. He immediately reported the sighting to Kojin.
Seated in his chair, Kojin looked toward the lonely boat rising and falling with the waves. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"CP9, huh?"
'(End of Chapter)'
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