"Wait, who did you say you captured?" A shocked voice came through the Den Den Mushi held by T. Penn.
"The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!" T. Penn replied seriously.
"My friend, jokes like that aren't funny. Please report your unit number and who is your superior." The Marine on the other end of the Den Den Mushi clearly didn't believe him.
"My superior is Rear Admiral Kojin. I am Lieutenant T. Penn, one of his subordinates." T. Penn answered.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sea wind while the others were still reeling from Roger's words.
"ONE PIECE, huh?" Kojin smiled faintly, a trace of melancholy flashing in his eyes.
Countless people had thrown away their lives for that elusive legend, making it their dream. It was said that whoever reached Laugh Tale could become the Pirate King.
And yet, at that very moment, the truth lay right in front of him.
In many ways, this was the closest he had ever been to becoming the Pirate King.
Unfortunately...
"I'm not interested," Kojin said with a calm smile.
Roger froze for a moment, then replied seriously, "Is that so?"
"Yeah, a single treasure can't save a world that's already gone mad." Kojin said casually.
Hearing this, Roger fell silent.
At that moment, the voice from the Den Den Mushi came through again.
"Ko… Rear Admiral Kojin?"
"Y-you really captured Roger?"
T. Penn nodded towards the Den Den Mushi before speaking.
"We are currently at the port of the Sabaody Archipelago, preparing to set off for Headquarters."
A tense, shocked voice came from the Den Den Mushi. "Good! Good! I'll report this to my superior immediately!"
The battleship set sail once more, bound for the not-so-distant Marineford.
At that moment, everyone on board fell into an eerie silence. Kojin extinguished the cigar in his mouth, flicking it into the sea and punching a deep hole in the surface.
Rosinante was even more restless; his heart was filled with excitement and tension, with a faint trace of fear.
Everyone knew what it meant to capture the Pirate King, Roger:
The world, thrown into chaos by the Pirate King, would return to peace because of this; at least, that was what everyone believed at that moment.
At the same time, their superior, the highest commanding officer responsible for Roger's capture, would gain unimaginable glory.
Kojin's name would spread across the world in an instant.
He couldn't help but look towards the figure standing at the bow of the ship.
There was no joy on that person's face... if anything, he looked burdened and heavy.
...
At the same time...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"What did you say?!" Kong, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, sprang to his feet, his eyes wide as he roared at the officer in front of him.
"Rear Admiral Kojin has captured the Pirate King, Roger. He is currently sailing from the Sabaody Archipelago towards Marine Headquarters at Marineford." The young officer replied loudly in a tense voice.
After taking a deep breath, he continued.
"This information was personally transmitted two minutes ago by Lieutenant T. Penn, a subordinate of Rear Admiral Kojin!"
"We have confirmed the Den Den Mushi frequency and verified the authenticity of the message."
"We have also contacted Rear Admiral Kojin directly and confirmed that the Pirate King, Roger, is aboard his battleship!"
Hearing this, Kong felt as though he were dreaming.
'Kojin captured Roger?'
It sounded like pure fantasy! Even if it were Garp, it wouldn't be this hard to believe.
But Kong quickly recovered and issued his orders.
"Immediately place all Headquarters officers on high alert!"
"From this moment on, Marineford is to enter full battle readiness. There must not be the slightest lapse!"
The officer snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Almost within two or three seconds, shrill alarm sirens echoed throughout the entirety of Marineford.
Then, squad after squad of Marines moved into alert and combat-ready positions. An air of solemnity instantly enveloped the world's largest fortress.
Footsteps echoed everywhere. Around the inner bay harbor, large numbers of troops assembled in neat, orderly ranks.
Officers of all ranks received the news almost simultaneously and quickly gathered together.
"What? Rear Admiral Kojin has captured Roger?"
"Roger was captured?"
"How is that even possible?!"
Initially, all officers at Vice Admiral level and above were stunned and shocked. Immediately afterwards, their expressions changed sharply as intense tension filled their hearts.
Almost everyone realized at once that a massive storm was about to sweep across the entire world.
Figures hurried forward one after another in front of the Marine Headquarters building.
"Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp!" The Marines standing on both sides saluted him loudly and respectfully.
Garp, walking at the very front, wore a grave and shocked expression on his face.
"That kid! Is it really true?"
But when he saw Kong standing in front of the building with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face, which matched the tense atmosphere permeating Headquarters, he couldn't help but believe it.
"Roger actually got caught by that kid, Kojin!" Garp froze in place.
Even as Roger's former rival, he was taken aback at that moment.
Marineford had entered a wartime state. Pitch-black coastal artillery batteries rapidly adjusted their firing angles. Rows of elite Marines took up their most intense combat stances while countless battleships spread out into formation, aiming beyond the Gate of Justice.
Outside the Gate of Justice, battleships stood guard one after another. On every single one of them stood officers of Vice Admiral rank.
If a world-class powerhouse like him were to run wild at Marine Headquarters, he would be extremely difficult to stop.
About fifteen minutes later, on a battleship patrolling outside the Gate of Justice, a Vice Admiral with binoculars spotted a black dot suddenly appear on the horizon.
"Target spotted!"
"Based on the battleship number, it's Rear Admiral Kojin's ship!"
"Report immediately! Rear Admiral Kojin's battleship has entered visual range!"
The news was instantly transmitted back to Marineford. Kong and the others heard it at once, their gazes turning razor-sharp.
The wind howled, tugging at their coats, as they stood fully prepared.
Moments later, Kojin's battleship came clearly into view.
"Confirmed! The Pirate King, Roger, is aboard Rear Admiral Kojin's ship. His hands are shackled!"
"Roger is confirmed to be captured!"
"All personnel under Rear Admiral Kojin are present. There are no casualties!"
This report sent back to Headquarters caused countless hearts to tremble. At that moment, Garp appeared increasingly restless, muttering under his breath, "Too slow!'
At the same time, Kojin and the others sailing towards the Gate of Justice also saw the fleet formation ahead, spread out yet perfectly ordered.
Even with the naked eye, it was clear that the commanding officers at the front were battle-hardened elites.
When their battleship passed the first ship, the officer aboard saluted him from afar.
Kojin returned the salute, then watched as the battleship shifted into an escort formation and fell in behind them.
Then came the second ship, then the third...
By the time they reached the Gate of Justice, more than forty battleships were following them on both sides. This overwhelming display left everyone on board utterly stunned.
Kojin even found himself glancing at Roger, who sat cross-legged on the deck, completely motionless.
From this alone, one could see that the Marines' emphasis on Roger was far beyond ordinary.
(End of Chapter)
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