The situation in the West Blue was becoming increasingly complicated, and while Kizaru began to sweat under the pressure, his old colleague in the New World was simply traveling.
Aokiji pedaled leisurely across the surface of the sea on his bicycle.
Ever since he announced his resignation from the Marines, he had been wandering around the New World.
In his own words, he wanted to truly understand this ocean.
For so long, he had only seen the world through the eyes of a Marine, unable to grasp its full picture.
Now, free from the constraints of his former identity, he could finally view the world with greater clarity.
But trouble soon followed.
He hadn't even traveled in the New World for long, nor had he truly seen much of it.
Before he knew it, Ian had unified the Beasts Pirates with lightning speed and directly seized control of the New World.
Because of that, Aokiji's presence suddenly became rather awkward.
Though he had left the Marines, the Beasts Pirates would never regard him as an ally.
If he kept wandering this sea and was discovered by them, it would certainly cause problems.
On the surface, the solution seemed simple—just leave the New World.
But Aokiji found himself hesitating.
His hesitation stemmed from the invitation Ian had extended to him back in Elbaf.
Yes, the strength of the Beasts Pirates weighed heavily on his mind.
But it wasn't a matter of wanting to cling to their power.
Rather, he wondered—faced with such a formidable force, should he not do something?
That was the professional duty of a former Marine admiral.
And yet, Aokiji could never bring himself to decide.
Even though he had cut ties with the Marines, he would always be a former admiral.
And so, with this conflict gnawing at him, his travels never ceased.
He carefully concealed his identity as he wandered the New World.
One day, he arrived in a certain country.
It had once been a member nation of the World Government, but after the Beasts Pirates conquered the New World, the Government swiftly abandoned it.
More than a dozen other member nations shared the same misfortune.
When the Government decided to discard them, the uproar it caused across the seas was enormous.
It was said that the other allied nations of the World Government were furious.
After all, this time it was these countries that had been abandoned, but who could guarantee that they would not be the next to be discarded?
In the end, the protests of those allied nations were quelled by the government. No one knew what kind of promises the World Government had made.
When Aokiji first set foot in this country, he was curious.
A nation that had once been a member state of the government, now ruled by pirates—what had it become?
The answer was simple: peaceful.
This country had neither prospered because the flag of the Beasts Pirates flew over its harbor, nor had it fallen into ruin because it was ruled by pirates.
As Aokiji strolled through the cities and villages, the only thing he felt was calm.
The Beasts Pirates were at the harbor, recruiting new soldiers.
From this country, laborers had been conscripted to build bases and airfields on the open plains outside the city.
In a newly designated area, construction had begun on factories.
It could be said that the arrival of the Beasts Pirates had indeed brought great change to this land. Yet the nation itself remained calm.
As if nothing had happened at all, the citizens simply lived their lives quietly.
Aokiji deliberately asked the people of this nation what they thought of the Beasts Pirates.
Their answers were:
"At first, of course we were terrified. After all, they're the most fearsome pirate crew in the world."
"But soon we realized they weren't really interested in us. They just focused on their own business."
There was no slaughter, no plundering.
Even the pirates of the Beasts crew had gradually begun to shed their savage ways. They became more disciplined, rarely interfering in the daily lives of the people.
"Ara ara…"
Aokiji sighed softly. "How remarkable."
It would be one thing if this happened in a poor, destitute non-member nation. But to see the same in a wealthy allied nation—it was truly surprising.
What an extraordinary man, Ian.
What else could one feel besides admiration?
Aokiji realized this.
At this point, the Beasts Pirates were no longer just a pirate crew.
They had become a miniature version of the World Government.
Ian's ambition was now glaringly obvious.
"If that's the case," Aokiji let out a somewhat melancholic sigh, "he couldn't have predicted everything all the way from back then, could he?"
In any case, it was time to make a decision.
The West Blue.
The raging wind still blew wildly, and Dragon's black hair whipped around as he maneuvered through the gale.
"Girl?"
Kizaru scratched the back of his head, still looking confused. "Really, Dragon, we're no longer those young fools from back then. We're nearly fifty now, and yet you're still asking me for 'girl'? It's embarrassing."
Dragon tugged at the corner of his mouth, too lazy to waste words on someone pretending to be oblivious.
The girl he was looking for had to be somewhere on this warship.
Without hesitation, Dragon pressed his right hand toward the deck below.
The spiraling wind drilled through the deck like a giant drill, tearing a massive hole and cutting through several layers, reaching the very bottom of the ship.
Kizaru's expression changed instantly. In a flash, he appeared before Dragon in a burst of light. "Long time no see. Starting off with destruction—aren't you going too far?"
A merciless, light-speed kick shot straight at Dragon.
Dragon's right arm transformed into a swirling gale. "Don't get in my way, Borsalino."
Boom!!
The collision of wind and blinding light created a massive explosion above the warship.
Amid the dazzling brilliance, Kizaru was sent flying.
"What incredible Haki!"
Kizaru stabilized himself midair, unable to hide his amazement.
An old friend who once stood alongside him had now far surpassed him in strength.
This must be what they call the passage of time.
As Kizaru sighed, Dragon had already transformed into a raging wind, heading straight through the hollow below toward the prison at the bottom of the warship.
Kizaru let out a slow, resigned sigh.
There was no other way.
It seemed impossible to take this girl back now.
Then, the only option left was to make sure Dragon couldn't take her either.
Just as Mr. Sengoku had said.
**********
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