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"An organization?"
The sudden words caused Crocodile and Bullet to freeze for a moment as confusion appeared in their eyes.
But Kojin didn't explain much. Truthfully, this was an idea that had only recently formed in his mind. It would still take time to plan everything out properly.
The fixed base would naturally begin with the G-18 Fortress and then expand throughout the entire West Blue. Afterward, it would allow the organization's personnel to spread across the whole world.
"It's just a plan for now. I'll discuss it with you in detail later," Kojin said with a smile.
Bullet didn't care much, but Crocodile looked thoughtful.
It was clear that the Ohara incident had instilled a sense of urgency in his superior, perhaps a feeling Kojin himself hadn't fully recognized.
Without a doubt, the other party was eager to expand and strengthen his power.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared in Crocodile's eyes.
'This was undoubtedly a good thing.'
After losing and then regaining his memories, he no longer had the same desire to become a pirate, but he still had his ideals.
'If you truly want to do something, then let me, Crocodile, personally assist you.'
'Even if we become enemies with the whole world, so what?'
Building a beautiful, ideal country and witnessing the moment you stand at the very top should be wonderful!'
'That should be quite a sight!'
As he silently thought this, the smile in Crocodile's eyes deepened.
Soon after, under Eveya's guidance, Kojin and the others headed toward the area where Dr. Clover and the others were staying. Ohara's scholars' living area wasn't very large, so it looked crowded with so many people gathered together.
But everyone remained calm. Escaping alive from the cannon fire of a Buster Call was an incredible stroke of luck for them.
When Kojin arrived, the scene in front of him made him laugh.
Saul was playing with eight-year-old Robin, and the two of them were occasionally letting out strange laughter.
"Dereshishishi!"
"Dereshishishishi!"
The large man and the small girl laughed heartily together. Dr. Clover, Olivia, and the others watched nearby with faint smiles on their faces.
The atmosphere looked extremely harmonious.
"Saul, don't teach Robin such a stupid laugh!" Kojin walked over and teased.
"Kojin, you're awake!" Saul turned his head and said hurriedly with a grin.
"Yeah." Kojin nodded, then looked toward Dr. Clover.
"Doctor. Are you comfortable staying here? If you need anything, just say the word."
Dr. Clover smiled and shook his head.
"It's already very good. For this old man to still be alive is a blessing in itself. How could I dare ask for anything else?"
As he spoke, a solemn and serious expression suddenly appeared on his aged face. After exchanging glances with the scholars behind him, they all nodded gently.
Clearly, the scholars of Ohara had reached some kind of unspoken agreement at that moment.
The next second, Kojin's expression froze, and Crocodile, Bullet, and the others behind him felt their hearts tremble.
The scholars gathered ahead suddenly dropped to their knees in unison.
Led by Dr. Clover, the Ohara scholars knelt down, both knees on the ground and foreheads pressed tightly against the floor.
Immediately after, a loud, unified cry filled with sobbing rang out.
"Thank you for saving Ohara!"
Robin knelt down as well. Kojin remained silent for a long time. Only after a while did he let out a soft chuckle.
"The people of Ohara were willing to sacrifice their lives and give everything for the sake of civilization and the preservation of knowledge. So how could I, who wield some power, retreat?"
Then he looked at Eveya.
Eveya immediately led the soldiers forward to help the scholars up.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Clover and the others stood before Kojin with tears streaming down their faces. Sincere gratitude was clearly visible on every face and in every gaze.
"Please bear with us here for now. Soon, I will find a new place for you to live." Kojin said with a smile.
"We will follow all of your arrangements," Dr. Clover replied.
As an old man who had lived most of his life, he fully understood the immense burden this young man would carry for saving Ohara.
Without exaggeration, he had put the entire G-18 base in great danger!
Furthermore, he knew they were not completely safe yet; danger still remained.
Smiling and nodding at everyone, Kojin turned around to leave.
After taking five steps, he suddenly stopped.
"Saul!"
Saul immediately responded.
"Huh?"
"How long do you plan on wasting time playing with children like this?" Kojin asked.
Saul: "Hah?"
"Return to your post immediately! From now on, you are a member of the G-18 Fortress!" Kojin said with a smile as he stepped forward again.
Saul froze, then immediately understood and shouted, "Yes, Vice Admiral!"
He looked up excitedly and saw the figure ahead wave goodbye without turning around. After briefly thinking it over, Saul quickly said goodbye to Robin and Olivia, then hurried after the figure.
"Mom, where is Saul going?" Robin asked, confused.
"Don't worry about him. Saul is going to do what he believes is justice," Olivia pulled her daughter into her arms and said gently.
From that moment on, she would make up for everything she owed her daughter.
...
Half an hour later, inside the base commander's office:
"So, how do you plan to handle these Ohara scholars?" Crocodile asked in a low voice.
"They're like countless ticking time bombs on our heads." Bullet also spoke up.
Hearing this, Kojin frowned slightly. After pondering for a moment, he finally smiled and spoke.
"Ticking time bombs?"
"It seems you truly don't understand their value."
After a short pause, he continued.
"People in different fields, stages, and professions all have their own value, and they each have their time to step onto the stage. Bullet, Crocodile... do you know why the World Government was determined to erase these scholars?"
The two of them shook their heads, both wearing confused expressions.
"Because they can decipher the Poneglyphs!"
Seeing the shock slowly appear on their faces, Kojin nodded.
"That's right. Those mysterious stones scattered all over the world... they can understand it. This is also one of the means necessary to become the Pirate King."
With a faint smile, Kojin looked at the two of them and spoke softly.
"They... hold the key to unlocking the civilization of the great kingdom from eight hundred years ago. And they are connected to the origin of Devil Fruits."
These words made Crocodile and Bullet's hearts quake.
The key to becoming the Pirate King, the key to unlocking the Great Kingdom's civilization, and the origin of Devil Fruits.
No wonder the World Government wanted these people dead and no wonder Kojin was willing to pay any price to save them.
"What about those books?" Kojin asked again.
"Books?" Crocodile froze. "Shouldn't they still be in Ohara's lake?"
The moment he heard that, Kojin's expression changed instantly.
"What?"
"Don't worry. Our men stayed behind to monitor the area. It's just that, because of the Marine Headquarters, I didn't dare act rashly." Crocodile hurriedly explained.
"Salvage every single one of those books right now." Kojin said in a low voice.
"I'll go handle it at once!" Crocodile nodded immediately.
"What books?"
At that moment, Saul's voice came from outside, and his large frame appeared in the doorway.
"The books Dr. Clover and the others desperately threw into the lake. At the time, we didn't have enough time to take them away," Kojin said.
"Are they important?" Saul asked, confused.
Like many Marines, he didn't understand their importance.
Kojin nodded with a serious expression.
Suddenly, Eveya came running over again in a hurry.
"Vice Admiral, there's movement at Ohara!"
Kojin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"The squad we left behind discovered a battleship approaching. There are also World Government personnel on board." As she spoke, Eveya placed a photograph in front of Kojin.
"Is it him?" When Kojin saw the man in the center of the photo, someone with an enormous, unusually long head, he couldn't help but laugh.
Then he abruptly stood up.
"Saul. Bullet. Crocodile. We're going to Ohara now. Immediately."
A battleship soon sailed out from the G-18 fortress.
Kojin stood atop his golden staff with a faint smile on his face.
"I never expected the promise you and I made back then to be fulfilled at this moment.... Vegapunk!"
That's right, the person in the photograph was none other than Vegapunk, known as the man with the strongest intellect.
Kojin had crossed paths with Vegapunk due to a special mission back then, and the two had formed a connection and made an agreement with each other.
Now was the time to fulfill that promise.
...
A short while later, the ruins of Ohara appeared before them.
At the shore, a battleship was quietly docked.
"Sink them."
When Kojin realized Vegapunk wasn't on board, he spoke casually. The next second, cannon shells roared out, instantly striking the battleship and erupting into massive flames.
"It's people from G-18 Fortress!"
"Quick! Inform Vegapunk and find a way to escape!"
The Vice Admiral on the battleship immediately turned pale. He quickly leapt off the ship to avoid the cannon blast.
But he soon realized that he was surrounded by several figures.
"Crocodile."
"Bullet."
"Vice Admiral Saul!"
His heart sank, and a trace of despair appeared in the Vice Admiral's eyes.
...
Meanwhile, in the center of Ohara, the Marines salvaged books that filled the lake to the brim.
In a corner of the lake, Vegapunk, with his massive head and Einstein-like appearance, stood silently, gazing down at the Marines before him with a complex expression on his face.
"Is there something here that you need?" Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him.
Vegapunk's expression changed slightly as he spun around.
When he saw who it was, surprise and joy immediately filled his eyes.
"Kojin!"
(End of Chapter)