'Boom!'
Law's body crashed through building after building, shattering walls before finally skidding to a halt under a mountain of rubble.
A massive cloud of dust rose into the sky.
"CAPTAIN!!"
Shachi and Penguin cried out in horror, their voices cracking.
"Law, you've managed to find yourself some decent companions," A calm voice noted from behind them.
The two spun around. The moment their eyes landed on the towering Marine Admiral, the blood drained from their faces. Uncontrollable trembling seized their bodies.
"'Cough! Cough!'"
Heavy coughing echoed from the debris ahead. Law staggered back onto his feet, blood trickling down his forehead. His clothes were shredded, and deep scrapes covered his skin. Several ribs felt cracked, and for a split second after the blow, his mind had gone entirely blank.
"Oh?" Kojin raised an eyebrow. "You can still stand?"
He took a single step forward.
'Crackle!'
Arcs of blue lightning surged off his body, shooting toward Law like striking snakes.
Law barely had time to plant his feet when frustration flashed across his eyes. Seeing the lightning close in, he snapped his right hand open.
"ROOM!"
A translucent dome began expanding from his palm.
In that exact microsecond, the lightning hit him. A massive hand burst through the glow and clamped down tightly over his face, fingers locking around his skull like a steel vise.
Agonizing pain shot through Law's entire body, sending shockwaves to his very core. The expanding Devil Fruit field instantly collapsed.
"Brat, you're still far too green…" Kojin chuckled softly, "…to be baring your fangs at me."
His arm slammed downward. Law's pupils contracted violently.
'Bang!'
Law's head was smashed mercilessly into the pavement. The ground within thirty meters shattered into a crater, throwing up a ring of stone and dust.
Trafalgar Law went completely limp, his consciousness cut off in an instant.
Heavy, rhythmic footsteps approached from behind. Marine reinforcements had finally arrived on the scene.
"I'll leave the rest to you," Kojin said, glancing at the Lieutenant Colonel in charge.
"Yes, sir!" the officer replied with rigid respect, standing at crisp attention.
A moment later, blinding arcs of blue lightning engulfed Kojin, shooting him straight into the sky before vanishing beyond the clouds.
...
Elsewhere on the archipelago, Kuina led a Marine unit down a main thoroughfare with a stern expression.
Enel and Wyper followed closely behind, while a row of emotionless Pacifistas brought up the rear. They had brought the cyborgs along specifically to evaluate their combat performance in a live environment.
"Any sign of the Straw Hats?" Kuina asked immediately upon meeting the local Marine command officers. No small talk, straight to business.
"The Straw Hats?" The local Marine Colonel paused before answering rapidly. "Our patrols are sweeping the sectors now, Vice Admiral. We should have a lock on their position shortly."
"Good," Kuina's tone hardened slightly. "The moment you spot them, report it to me directly."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Kuina!" The Colonel saluted smartly, though internally he couldn't help but marvel at her youth, and her rank. To reach Vice Admiral at her age, especially as a woman, meant she either possessed terrifying individual strength or was backed by an impossibly powerful mentor.
"Where is Admiral Kojin currently?" Kuina asked.
"Patrols reported seeing him near Grove 23 just a moment ago."
"Grove 23…" Kuina narrowed her eyes. Then, noticing something amiss, she glanced behind her. Bartholomew Kuma, who had been quietly trailing the group earlier, was gone.
What surprised her most was that she hadn't felt him slip away at all.
"Keep the pressure on and locate the Straw Hats," Kuina commanded.
"Understood, ma'am!"
The Colonel saluted again, secretly wondering why the young Vice Admiral was so intensely focused on the Straw Hat Pirates. Then again, given that they had just struck a World Noble, it made total sense.
...
Meanwhile, at Grove 62, the administrative hub for Marine and World Government facilities on Sabaody, Vice Admiral Joyce was practically drenched in cold sweat.
He swallowed his anger and humiliation as he bowed repeatedly before the aristocratic figures walking ahead of him.
"The Marines are nothing but a collection of incompetent fools!" an elderly Celestial Dragon wearing a glass bubble helmet screamed furiously. "Sabaody sits right on Headquarters' doorstep, yet a filthy pirate was allowed to lay a hand on Saint Charlos! You should be executed on the spot to atone for this failure, Joyce!"
The female World Noble beside him glared at the officer with equal venom.
Joyce's throat went dry. As a Marine officer, offending the World Nobles was a death sentence. If they demanded his head, Headquarters might very well hand him over to keep the peace.
'I'm finished,' Joyce thought bitterly. 'Completely finished.'
Despair flickered in his eyes, but it quickly turned into solemn resignation. 'My wife… my three children… hopefully Headquarters takes care of them. What terrible luck, running into a catastrophe like this.'
Grove 62 had been peaceful under his command for six years. Who could have anticipated a rogue crew doing something so insane?
"Joyce, you deserve to die!" the old Noble continued barking. "And so do all the worthless hounds under your command! If you can't even keep a few pirates in check, what good are you?!"
Joyce clenched his fists, keeping his head lowered as a dark gloom covered his face. The Marines standing around him did the same, suppressing the fierce anger burning in their chests.
"I said nothing wrong! You are dogs of the World Government!" the old man shrieked. "And you can't even protect your masters!"
The insults pelted Joyce like hail. Eventually, the anger gave way to numb silence. He wanted nothing more than to step forward and shatter the old bastard's teeth, but decades of naval discipline held his hand back.
Then, a blinding flash of lightning split the air between them.
A heavy, icy voice resonated through the clearing.
"Old man…"
"…who exactly are you calling a dog?"
The lightning snapped out of existence, leaving a towering, three-meter figure standing directly in front of the Celestial Dragons.
The old Noble's face twitched as he looked up into a pair of eyes that were cold, imposing, and utterly terrifying.
"I-Impudent!" the elderly World Noble stammered, backing away in a panic. "How dare you stand so close to me?! You're committing treason against a Saint!"
"I asked you a question," Kojin repeated, his voice dropping an octave as his aura weighed down on the surrounding air like lead. "Who did you call a dog?"
His gaze was that of an apex predator looking down at prey. One wrong word, and it felt as though the noble would be torn apart on the spot.
"A-Admiral Kojin?!" Joyce gasped, looking up in shock.
When the surrounding Marines recognized the towering figure, a surge of excitement and relief swept through them. Seeing Kojin completely dominate the World Nobles with sheer presence made their blood run hot.
"K-Kojin?!" The old Noble shuddered, the name alone sending a wave of absolute horror through him. He stumbled backward three steps before his knees buckled, sending him flopping onto the ground. His eyes were wide with primal fear.
In the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the name Nefertari Kojin was considered an absolute taboo among the higher nobility. A former World Noble who possessed unmatched, immortal martial strength, a man even the Five Elders handled with extreme caution.
"Old man, let me set something straight for you," Kojin said, bending down slightly to stare into the noble's terrified eyes. "The Marines have never been, and will never be, your domestic dogs."
His voice was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.
"And another thing… this battlefield is no place for pampered aristocrats to be taking a stroll. Get out of my sight before I decide you aren't worth the restraint."
The elderly Celestial Dragon trembled violently. With the help of his female companion, he scrambled back onto his feet and fled as fast as his trembling legs could carry him.
Only after the Nobles had vanished did Joyce finally exhale the breath he'd been holding, staring at Kojin with intense gratitude. "Thank you, Admiral Kojin!"
Kojin offered a brief nod. "There's no need to bow to people like that. If a Marine makes a mistake, Marine discipline handles it. The Government doesn't get to treat our men like dirt."
Joyce felt a sudden surge of pride swell in his chest. "Yes, sir!"
"Focus on securing the civilian sectors and keeping order," Kojin instructed calmly. "Sabaody is a powder keg full of scum and civilians alike. Don't let opportunistic pirates exploit the chaos."
"I'll handle it immediately!" Joyce responded loudly.
Watching Kojin's back, Joyce remained dazed for a long moment. Not even Admiral Akainu, with his fierce Absolute Justice, had ever confronted the Celestial Dragons with such uncompromising authority.
'I heard rumors that the Fleet Admiral position might open up soon…'
Joyce thought to himself, his heart beating fast.
'If Admiral Kojin ever takes the reins… maybe life for the average Marine really will change for the better.'
...
Meanwhile, over in Grove 24, the Civilian District…
'Crackle!'
A streak of blue lightning tore through the street, vanishing as Kojin materialized on the cobblestones. He began walking forward at a casual, unhurried pace.
His presence instantly drew the attention of several pirate crews gathered further down the road.
"That guy…!" X Drake's stoic expression shattered in an instant.
"A Marine?" Basil Hawkins murmured, his eyes narrowing. "His aura isn't ordinary."
Hawkins pulled out his tarot deck and calmly began a divination. But as the cards flipped over, a drop of cold sweat gathered on his temple and rolled down his cheek.
He stared down at the reading in disbelief.
"Probability of victory… zero percent."
He looked up, his voice barely a whisper.
"Total wipeout…?"
(End of Chapter)
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