"A price?"
Kaku narrowed his eyes, staring at the man before him.
The stranger was tall with short black hair, but the first thing anyone would notice was his powerful physique. His body radiated the kind of strength that was obvious at a single glance.
He was, without a doubt, dangerous.
Yet no matter how hard Kaku searched his memory, he couldn't match the man's face to any Marine intelligence he knew. There shouldn't be anyone like this in the Marines.
"What price?" Jabra shouted impatiently from where he lay.
Their situation could only be described as hopeless. Their injuries, exhaustion, and hunger alone were enough to kill them. If someone were truly willing to offer a way out, it would be hard to refuse.
"Tell us the price," Kaku said, his voice calmer.
"The World Government decided your mission was a failure and wants to eliminate you to tie up loose ends."
Kojin said with a faint smile, looking over the group.
"But I happen to admire your abilities. So... would any of you be interested in becoming Marines under my command?"
The CP9 agents froze. Then, a flash of surprise appeared in their eyes, quickly followed by Jabra letting out a mocking laugh.
"Become Marines? You just said we're wanted by the World Government! A Marine who dares openly oppose the World Government?"
Kaku and the others remained silent, waiting for an answer.
Given their current status as wanted criminals, aside from a few powerful pirates, almost no one in the world would dare take them in, least of all the Marines, who were supposed to be direct subordinates to the World Government.
"I have my ways," Kojin replied smoothly.
The CP9 agents clearly didn't buy it, and several of them sneered.
Then, unexpectedly, Rob Lucci's motionless body stirred. His abdomen twitched slightly, and a voice emerged from it.
"We can join you and follow your orders. But can you really ignore our identities?"
The sudden words made everyone turn around in shock.
"Lucci!" Kalifa cried out.
Kaku narrowed his eyes. From Lucci's reaction, it was obvious he recognized this man. Just who was this Marine that Lucci trusted enough to agree without hesitation?
"Anyone who serves under me has only one identity," Kojin said, his smile widening slightly as his gaze fell upon Rob Lucci. "They are soldiers of Kojin."
With a single glance, he could tell how severe Lucci's injuries were. The man couldn't even speak normally anymore and was communicating through ventriloquism.
"Kojin..." Lucci's eyes narrowed as he stared deeply at him.
So it really was him.
Over the past decade, the World Government had deliberately erased this man's history.
His once world-famous name had faded into obscurity, known only to a handful of people, and his detailed records had been classified as top secret. Lucci had never expected to encounter him here, nor had he expected Kojin to take an interest in his team.
Although he had only briefly regained consciousness, Lucci's mind was working at full speed.
He quickly analyzed the situation and reached a simple conclusion: neither he nor the rest of CP9 had any choice left. Joining Kojin was their only path forward. It was their only chance to survive.
And having read Kojin's classified file, Lucci knew one thing for certain: if there was anyone in the world who could shelter them without fearing the World Government, it was this man.
"We'll join you and follow your orders," Lucci said through ventriloquism, his voice growing colder. "But you must guarantee our safety. We don't want to experience what happened before ever again."
Kojin burst into laughter and swept his gaze across the group. "What kind of man do you think I am? One of those useless fools in the World Government? A bunch of incompetent idiots?"
The CP9 agents immediately felt their opinion of him shift. It was obvious that Kojin held the World Government in just as much contempt as they did.
Hearing someone call the higher-ups useless fools and incompetent idiots was something they wholeheartedly agreed with. For the first time, the group felt a sense of acceptance toward this Marine.
"Whatever your true purpose may be," Lucci's voice sounded once more from his abdomen, "thank you for helping us."
Then his eyes closed, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
The battle at Enies Lobby had left him gravely wounded, and he had continued fighting both Marines and Government forces while escaping. He had already reached his absolute limit.
His brief awakening had only been triggered by the commotion and the realization of who Kojin was.
"Now then," Kojin looked at the others with a faint smile. "What's your choice? Refuse me, get captured, and be handed over to the World Government? Or become Marines under my command starting today?"
The CP9 agents fell silent. Only after a long while did Kaku let out a heavy sigh.
"It seems we don't have much of a choice. Before that, though, I'd like to know who you are."
Kojin laughed. "My name is Kojin. I currently serve as a Marine Headquarters Admiral."
The entire CP9 team froze, their pupils contracting violently.
"A Marine Headquarters Admiral?!" Kalifa cried out in shock.
"You've got to be kidding!" Jabra said, his voice trembling. "Aren't there only three Admirals in the Marines?" He stared at Kojin, disbelief written all over his face.
But soon, sweat began to form on Kaku's forehead as he spoke in a grave tone.
"No... the Marines do seem to have four Admirals. It's just that after Fleet Admiral Sengoku took office, the fourth Admiral disappeared from the public eye. And to be precise, he wasn't the fourth Admiral at all. He was the first. The strongest among all the Admirals. There were even rumors back then that he was the strongest Marine in history."
The more Kaku spoke, the clearer the old stories became in his mind. Information about the man before him resurfaced rapidly. He never imagined that it would be 'that' person, the legendary figure whose records had been erased from public view after becoming an Admiral.
A man whose existence had been hidden by the World Government, known only to a select few. No one knew why, and that mystery had earned him a specific title among those who knew of him: the most mysterious Marine.
"Oh?" Kojin raised an eyebrow, looking at Kaku with interest. "So you've heard the stories about me."
"Heard them?" Kaku muttered through gritted teeth, fear and respect flashing in his eyes.
When Kojin's name had shaken the world, Kaku had been nothing more than an insignificant rookie.
The gap between them was like heaven and earth. In other words, the man before him was a genuine world-class powerhouse, a legendary figure from the previous generation.
At that moment, the battleship 'Crocodile' slowly approached from behind. The golden staff at its bow gleamed beneath the sunlight, while mysterious patterns along the hull crackled with arcs of blue electricity.
"Bring Lucci aboard," Kojin smiled faintly. "You clearly need help."
As soon as he finished speaking, lightning flashed around his body. In an instant, he had already returned to his battleship, and the massive vessel quietly came to a halt beside the tiny boat.
By now, Kaku and the others had recovered enough to move. Supporting themselves with their hands, they slowly stood up and looked at the figures standing on the deck. Their eyes widened once more.
"Sir Crocodile?!"
"Marine Captain Smoker!"
"And the others... I don't know who they are, but none of them look ordinary."
They couldn't understand why a pirate was standing aboard a Marine ship. What's more, the former Warlord Crocodile was even wearing a Marine officer's coat.
But considering that the ship belonged to an Admiral, they decided not to think too deeply about it. Soon, Kaku and the others helped one another aboard the 'Crocodile'.
"Tashigi," Kojin said, sitting back in his chair and smiling lightly. "Get them some food and fresh water. And there's a seriously injured patient who needs treatment."
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi immediately responded.
Buggy, Rosinante, Smoker, Kuina, and the others quietly observed the newly arrived group.
"They're in excellent physical condition," Smoker said softly. "Especially the unconscious one. You can tell just by looking at him that he's been through brutal training. The others aren't bad either. They're all monsters by ordinary standards."
Buggy and Rosinante nodded in agreement. Whether they knew Haki or not was another matter, but physical strength was always the foundation.
"I heard they're the former CP9 team. The World Government put bounties on them."
"The World Government's bounties? Heh. As if Admiral Kojin cares about something like that."
"..."
The conversations weren't particularly quiet, and naturally, the CP9 members heard every word.
Their eyes flickered, and for the first time in a long while, they felt a wave of relief. Even Kojin's subordinates didn't seem concerned about the World Government. At least for now, their safety appeared guaranteed.
Meanwhile, Kojin watched with a faint smile as Tashigi and the others brought food and water to the exhausted CP9 agents before carrying Rob Lucci into a cabin for treatment.
He was in an excellent mood. In the middle of the vast sea, he had unexpectedly come across a battle-tested team with enormous potential, cornered and with nowhere left to go. If that wasn't a gift from heaven, what was?
In Kojin's eyes, Rob Lucci possessed many admirable qualities. He believed in his own brand of Dark Justice, and his strength and talent were exceptional. If Luffy hadn't been protected by protagonist-level luck, there was no way he should have been able to overcome Lucci.
And the CP9 team under Lucci's leadership was practically a textbook example of a rise from the bottom.
After the Enies Lobby incident, they had escaped in disgrace, yet two years later, they would rise all the way to CP0, becoming top government agents. This group had ability, courage, and ambition in equal measure.
Then, Kojin turned his gaze toward the horizon. Garp had gone to Water Seven, undoubtedly to visit his grandson. As for Kojin, his destination was Marineford.
"It's about time to properly discuss the event that's going to shake the entire world." After a brief pause, a deep look appeared in his eyes.
"The gears of fate..."
"Have already begun turning in silence."
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395