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"Nefertari?!"
The sudden revelation about his background sent a jolt through Kojin's body. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Two years prior, he had traveled to Ohara himself to ask Dr. Clover about his background, ultimately discovering that he was not from Ohara but from Alabasta.
At the time, Kojin had dismissed the matter, assuming his previous incarnation's parents were commoners from Alabasta.
He never imagined that, two years later, his mentor Garp would deliver news that would shake him to his very core.
"Yes!" Garp confirmed.
"The new King of Alabasta, Nefertari Cobra, recently sent a letter to the World Government. The letter detailed the story of his younger brother. About fifteen years ago, his brother disappeared from the port of Nanohana, and no information about him has surfaced since. It wasn't until two years ago, when you publicly declared your stance and stepped into the public eye, that Cobra finally noticed you.
Garp cradled his steaming tea, took a sip, and continued, "Even after more than a decade, he could still recognize your features.
"After that, Cobra traveled far and wide, verifying countless pieces of information until he was certain of your true background."
"Two months ago, he reported everything to the World Government to clear your name."
A smile spread across Garp's face.
"No one would have imagined you had such a background, kid! It was a real shock!"
Kojin frowned slightly and remained silent for a long moment. His background was extraordinary, spanning from Ohara to Alabasta.
Originally, he hadn't cared much about his predecessor's history since it had little to do with him personally.
But when it involved a Celestial Dragon, that was a different matter entirely.
Moreover, he was fully aware of the Nefertari household's history.
"D..." Kojin murmured, lifting his cup of hot tea and taking a sip.
"What 'D'?" Garp asked, puzzled.
"Nothing," Kojin replied with a light smile. Then he continued, "So, what else? What about the battle at Ohara and how I handled it? Have they said anything more?"
Hearing this, Garp burst into laughter. "Of course they did! But since the Celestial Dragons are involved, the Five Elders clearly won't delve any deeper into the matter. Most importantly, your overwhelming combat strength has made them all wary of you!"
As he spoke, Garp's gaze sharpened, and his tone turned grave.
"The World Government may ignore the severe repercussions of that battle and suppress any negative fallout. They can pretend nothing happened, but they've made a few demands of you."
Kojin's expression turned curious. "Oh? What are the conditions?"
"First, they want you to relocate to Mary Geoise and inherit a Celestial Dragon seat," Garp said grimly.
Kojin scoffed but listened intently.
"Second, they want you to join the Knights of the Gods.
"Third, there can be no survivors of Ohara who reappear in this world.
"Fourth, you must never reveal any information about that battle to the outside world."
Only after finishing did Garp's stern demeanor relax and a hint of a smile cross his face.
"Without a doubt, these guys are backing down.
"This could be considered relatively good news for you."
Kojin, however, wore a thoughtful expression and did not rush to respond. These four demands made the World Government's intentions clear: to co-opt and weaken him.
By having him relocate to the Holy Land, they would place him under their control. Joining the Knights of God would force him to serve those same people.
The prohibition against Ohara survivors and the suppression of information about the battle were merely tactics to maintain the World Government's authority.
What a cunning plan!
"So, what's your decision?" Garp asked. "Kojin!"
Garp had come only to deliver a message. The Marines and the World Government had repeatedly requested his intervention because of his connection to Kojin.
"Relocate to the Holy Land and join the Knights of God." Kojin set down his teacup and spoke slowly. "I refuse! I have no interest in the Celestial Dragons... that kind of trashy race. I can comply with points three and four."
After a pause, he looked up and met Garp's gaze directly.
"Sensei," he said. "Please tell them this: I simply want to live peacefully as a Marine who can uphold justice!"
Hearing this, Garp froze, stunned.
Kojin sighed softly. "Having witnessed the evil in this world, I yearn even more to uphold the goodness in my heart!"
Garp, sitting across from Kojin, suddenly tensed, his eyes flickering slightly before he nodded. "I'll inform them!"
The Marine Hero, still in his prime, smiled warmly and said with a soft sigh, "Kojin, you're a good kid. The best thing I've ever done in my life was take you on as my disciple!"
Kojin grinned. "Thank you for the praise, Sensei."
"Hahahaha!"
A hearty laugh echoed through the manor.
Outside, Crocodile and Bullet stood silently.
"Sounds like the master and disciple are having a great time," Crocodile remarked.
"The atmosphere is good," Bullet added.
"Vice Admiral Garp actually came!" Saul boomed in his deep voice.
"He must be here representing Headquarters," he surmised.
A few moments later, the master and disciple emerged side by side.
Garp's face beamed with a smile. "Kid, I might be staying here for a while. After all, I'm acting as the liaison officer this time."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Kojin replied with a smile.
That day, Garp also met the civilians and scholars of Ohara. He said nothing, merely patting his beloved disciple on the shoulder.
But when he saw Vegapunk, his expression turned grim.
"You dare to kidnap him, you brat? If the World Government finds out, it will be even worse than the Ohara incident!"
Kojin smiled calmly. "The World Government will never know."
"I'll keep this secret for you," Garp said solemnly.
As he spoke, he was shocked by his disciple's audacity. At the same time, he began to sense the depths of Kojin's ambition. Kojin's message quickly reached Marine Headquarters and was then relayed to the World Government.
"A Marine, is he?"
"Hmph. What he aims for goes far beyond just being a Marine. For now, at least, this incident has been resolved."
"We must not act rashly until we are absolutely certain of eliminating him."
Maintaining a facade of peace is more crucial to the world right now!"
Indifferent voices echoed, and the World Government swiftly made its decision regarding the matter.
Three days later, Garp conveyed the decision to Kojin.
"They've agreed! You're still a Marine."
Hearing this, Kojin smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The Ohara incident had been resolved for the time being, but future developments were unlikely to be so easily resolved.
"How are Ace and the others?" he asked.
"They're doing well. I entrusted them to Dadan! That brat Ace keeps clamoring to see you, demanding that you teach him how to grow stronger. He's always bragging that his fists are as hard as steel," Garp said, shaking his head and chuckling.
Thinking of the freckled two-year-old, his face softened with affection.
"I'll make time to visit him in the future," Kojin said, smiling.
"You probably have a lot to handle here now. I won't keep you any longer!"
With that, Garp stood up.
He was a man of decisive action. Half an hour later, he boarded a battleship and swiftly vanished over the horizon.
After seeing Sensei off, Kojin's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Eveya!" He barked, turning to the adjutant beside him, a fair-skinned woman with a ponytail and delicate features.
"Vice Admiral!"
Kojin nodded. "Issue my orders. Effective immediately, select elite officers from G-18 Base with outstanding capabilities and promote them. Then order them to deploy immediately to various Marine garrisons in West Blue as command officers."
"As for the original branch officers..." He paused, then continued, "Have them report immediately to the G-18 fortress for advanced training."
Eveya froze, her expression bewildered. "But...?"
"What is it?" Kojin pressed.
"Such high-level directives typically require authorization from Headquarters," she said cautiously. "Moreover, the branch officers may not fully cooperate."
Kojin's gaze shifted, focusing intently on his adjutant.
"Therefore, I'm tasking you with selecting a group of officers. Their ability to assume their posts will depend entirely on their capabilities."
Eveya's heart jolted with understanding.
The senior official intended to rapidly expand his influence throughout West Blue and seize complete control of the sea.
The officers he appointed would undoubtedly be elite troops, formidable in strength, bold in temperament, and rigorously obedient to their superiors.
"I'll see to it immediately!" Eveya declared.
As he watched his adjutant dash off, Kojin summoned Crocodile and Bullet.
"You'll likely be quite busy these next few weeks," he said. "Coordinate with them to seize control of West Blue."
The two exchanged knowing glances and grinned. Such assignments were precisely what they relished.
"Also, keep a close eye on Capone Bege's movements," Kojin added.
The Mafia Family should contribute valuable resources to his forces.
...
Over the next month, Marines swarmed in and out of G-18 Fortress, and the entire West Blue Marine Branch buzzed with activity.
Large numbers of Marines were replaced with new recruits who were sent to the fortress for basic training. Those who disobeyed vanished by the next day.
Kojin's methods were swift and ruthless, executed with astonishing speed.
The following month, when Eveya brought him news, a cold smirk spread across his face.
"The Marine Headquarters has cut off our funding!" Kojin sighed softly and gazed at the fortress stretching before him.
"From now on, we'll have to develop on our own!"
Meanwhile, deep within Impel Down Prison... A pair of blood-red eyes snapped open, and a low, bestial growl echoed through the chamber.
"Just a prison?"
"You think this can hold me?"
(End Of This Chapter)