The Marines kept their promises to Rojen one by one. With Garp acting as intermediary supervisor, Jason and the others avoided being placed under bounty. Instead, after his imprisonment, Rojen was burdened with a mountain of fabricated charges.
Breaking into Marines Headquarters, destroying the Celestial Dragons' palace, killing and injuring countless individuals, every heinous crime imaginable was pinned on Rojen, instantly transforming him into a peerless demon in the eyes of the world.
This time, Marines Headquarters openly revealed Rojen's true identity, using it to suppress other pirates wreaking havoc across the globe.
These announcements had been made four months prior.
When news of these developments reached the far corners of the world, people reacted in diverse ways.
"Pirate King Roger had a younger brother? My heavens, how terrifying! Thank goodness he was captured!"
"Someone actually dared to storm the Marines Headquarters and slaughter Celestial Dragons? That's fucking awesome! I've decided, from now on, Rojen is my idol, the guiding light illuminating my path for life!"
"If the Marines could capture someone this ferocious, their power must be immense."
Some were filled with lingering fear, others with admiration, and still others with apprehension. Emotions varied wildly, but one thing was certain: Rojen's name had resounded across the globe, becoming a legend that could make even three-year-olds cry in terror. His bounty had skyrocketed to a staggering 800 million berries, leaving many in utter shock.
[Rojen, Captain of the Nether Soul Pirates, younger brother of Pirate King Roger, bounty: 880 million. Note: currently apprehended by the Marines."]
The blood-red announcement, shocking and alarming, made many pirates think twice, causing them to adopt more cautious behavior.
In Loguetown, the little girl Jinx cried incessantly while Ize stood beside her, helpless and unsure how to comfort her.
Gazing at the crimson headlines in the newspaper, he felt a sense of unreality. How could that guy, the one who couldn't even beat up street thugs, have become such a terrifying figure with a bounty of 880 million in such a short time? But tragically, he had been captured by the Marines.
'Can he ever get out?'
The thought suddenly flashed through his mind, but he quickly suppressed it.
'What a joke. That's Impel Down, the prison that surpasses all other Marine prisons. How could anyone possibly escape from there?'
Yet, inexplicably, a voice deep within him kept whispering that they would meet again.
"Ize, I've made up my mind! I'm setting sail immediately! One day, I'll grow to Rojen's level and personally go to Impel Down to see him."
Just as he was lost in thought, the little loli Jinx's voice cut through his reverie, startling him. A moment later, he sighed in resignation.
"Do you even understand what that means?"
"I know! But some guy told me that if I sailed with him, I'd have a great chance," Jinx said.
"Who?" Ize asked, puzzled.
'Who could possibly trick a little loli like that? What a shameless jerk.'
"Him!" Jinx turned and pointed to a grinning young man beside her.
Ize stared intently at the man before him. He wasn't particularly muscular, rather lean, with red hair pressed down by a straw hat. An optimistic, confident smile lit up his face, and he grinned back when he saw Ize looking at him.
"Hey, Ize! Nice to meet you."
"Who are you?" Ize asked, annoyed by the man's overfamiliarity.
"You can call me Shanks. Wanna join my pirate crew? You've got a unique physique, real potential to become a great pirate!" Shanks said with a laugh.
"Pull the other one," Ize retorted, rolling his eyes and ignoring the man.
After a moment of silence, he asked again, "How many people are in your pirate crew right now?"
"Right now, it's just Jinx and you, ha ha ha!" Shanks replied, unabashed, bursting into hearty laughter.
"You're completely unreliable," Ize thought wearily, losing the will to speak.
'Where did this charlatan come from, trying to deceive innocent little loli Jinx?'
"Heh heh, trust me," Shanks said, his confidence unwavering, his smile ever-present. "One day, we'll be the most famous great pirates in the world."
Perhaps it was that pure, open-hearted, and optimistic smile that swayed Ize, silencing his sarcastic remarks.
Destiny's coincidences and encounters, its twists and turns, always weave tangled threads. Rojen's arrival in this world had changed much, but his departure had also set the wheels of destiny turning.
With a deep, ancient creak, this historical wheel, forged from unknown materials, slowly ground forward, crushing everything in its path.
Meanwhile, deep within the Grand Line, aboard an enormous warship, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate, with his immense crescent-shaped white mustache, tilted his head back and fiercely drained a bottle of liquor.
"Young man, what a pity."
"Will you ever be able to escape?"
After swallowing the entire jug of sake in one gulp, Whitebeard's gaze turned profound as he sighed.
No one could be certain of such things. Though he currently sat atop the world's powerhouse throne, even he couldn't be sure.
Various scenes unfolded across the globe after Rojen's crimes and identity were revealed.
On a small, unnamed island, Yilu stared blankly at the bustling figures moving back and forth around her.
"Where... where am I?"
"This is Ohara, big elder sister!" A cheerful, immaculately clean black-haired girl replied with a giggle.
"Ohara? Where's that?" Yilu asked, bewildered.
"It's a really magical place! I'll tell you all about it later." The little girl tugged Yilu aside and hesitated before saying, "But... but I'm a little scared. You seem to be from outside. I don't know... can we be friends?"
"Friends?"
Yilu pushed aside her swirling emotions and turned to look at the little girl before her.
"What's your name?"
"Elder Sister can just call me Robin, hee hee!" Little Robin replied happily.
"Robin... what a lovely name."
Yilu sighed, watching the little girl's pure, joyful smile. Her own mood lightened inexplicably.
On an uninhabited island some distance from Ohara, Jason suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with ferocity.
"This time, I'll definitely defeat that guy! I'm getting out of here! I have to get out!"
"Even if you're a real dragon, I'll crush you!"
Deep within the island's open terrain, a low, thunderous roar echoed in response, shaking the entire island.
Meanwhile, in the latter half of the Grand Line...
Crocodile stood at the bow of a mid-sized pirate ship, his expression cold and impassive.
"Whitebeard, I'll be seeing you soon. Let me gauge the distance between myself and the World's Strongest!"
"Let me see this world clearly!"
On another unnamed island, row upon row of black-uniformed soldiers, armed to the teeth, bowed respectfully before a young man, their faces radiating reverence and fervor.
"Thank you for your guidance, big brother Trens! We'll be relying on your continued guidance from now on!"
Before them, Trens, also clad in a black military uniform, nodded curtly, his expression icy.
(End Of This Chapter)
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