The elite training camp.
A Marine training class personally led by Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr!
And really… with an Admiral personally leading it, what Marine could possibly resist joining?
"No, that's not what I wanted to talk about."
"Hahaha, I knew no one could refuse. I'll write to old man Zephyr right—"
Only halfway through his sentence did Milenko realize what Mo Wu had actually said. A helpless look appeared on his face.
So he really doesn't want to train under an Admiral.
"Then what did you come to me for, Major Mo Wu?"
Lowering his head, Milenko resumed processing documents and let out a sigh. Surely Mo Wu hadn't just come here because he was bored and wanted to toy with him?
"I want to serve as Roger's executioner."
"What?!"
Milenko shot to his feet, his eyes full of shock.
And at the side, Drake couldn't help shouting out loud.
"It was you?"
Milenko stood up and stared not at Mo Wu, but at Drake. After glaring at him until Drake covered his mouth and started shaking his head frantically, Milenko finally turned back toward Mo Wu.
"Mo Wu, do you even understand what you're saying?" Milenko asked in a deep voice.
He had never expected Mo Wu to make such a request.
"Execute the Pirate King."
"Isn't that every Marine's dream?"
Hearing the calm way Mo Wu said it, Milenko almost exploded on the spot.
"You… what the hell do you know?!"
"You kill the Pirate King with your own hands, and what do you think Roger's crew will do to you afterward?!"
"And those pirates too! Do you believe they won't come swarming after you just to make a name for themselves?!"
Roger's death would undoubtedly stir up an enormous storm throughout the pirate world.
And as the executioner, Mo Wu would become the target of everyone's eyes.
That was why Milenko was so agitated right now.
Mo Wu fell silent for a moment.
He understood that Milenko's concerns were not without reason.
But…
He truly did not care.
The clearance mission "Lock onto three utterly heinous individuals and complete the kill" was still hanging there, clear as day, on his mission panel.
There was no way he could miss the chance to kill Roger!
"Milenko, I understand your concerns," Mo Wu said slowly, with not the slightest trace of fear in his voice. "But I'm a Marine now. My duty is to uphold justice. If I shrink back because I fear retaliation, then what right do I have to speak of justice?"
"You…"
Milenko was choked speechless by the very chain of justice-filled arguments he himself used every day.
After a moment of silence, he looked into Mo Wu's steady, determined eyes and continued speaking anyway.
"And what exactly can I do for you? I'm just a branch colonel. The choice of executioner isn't something I can decide…"
"You can."
Mo Wu's voice came down like a blade, resolute and unquestionable.
"You—!"
The memory of that one night came rushing back—when he had drunk too much and pulled Mo Wu aside to boast about his stories with Teacher Zephyr.
Milenko's head instantly started hurting.
So that's why he was smiling so knowingly that night!
"I won't ask why you're so obsessed with executing Roger. Everyone has their own past."
"I'll write a recommendation letter to Teacher Zephyr. But whether it succeeds or not… I can't guarantee anything."
With a sigh, Milenko thought about how much Mo Wu had contributed to the branch.
All the man was asking for was a chance.
What right did he have to deny him?
But…
He truly could not bear to watch this man, rising like a new star, fall from the sky.
"Have you really prepared yourself? When Roger is executed, something unexpected could happen. And even if the execution succeeds, the Marines might still hide you away and give you a completely new identity!"
Mo Wu shook his head.
There was no way he could tell Milenko that he already knew the future.
Once the Great Age of Pirates began, who would still have the time to keep staring at him?
"For justice."
After dropping those words, Mo Wu said nothing more. He gave Milenko a salute and turned to leave.
"This brat…"
Am I the old one who can't keep up with the times anymore?
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Milenko clenched his fist, then noticed the figure at the side quietly trying to slip away. A strange smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Drake… let's have a little talk about sending you to Marineford."
"Colonel! Please don't!"
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside a small conference room.
"This is now the third meeting to select the execution personnel!"
The man speaking had hair rising high like a mountain peak. Beneath his left eye was a stitched scar, and around his neck hung a pale yellow scarf.
He wore a sleeveless black shirt decorated with medals, his arm muscles bulging powerfully, with a dark green armband around one arm.
"What recommendations do you have?"
Silence.
A silence as heavy as death.
No one dared casually respond to a single word from the man known as Fleet Admiral Kong.
After all, this involved Roger—the man called Pirate King.
The man who had left countless legends upon the sea.
His death would undoubtedly cause enormous upheaval in the pirate world, and whoever carried out the execution would instantly become the perfect stepping stone for every pirate eager to make a name for themselves.
No one wanted to push themselves—or their own subordinates—into this mess.
"Can't we just grab a couple of ordinary Marines and send them up?"
A weak voice echoed through the conference room, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Yeah, yeah, Commander Kong."
"We can just pull two random Marines up there when the time comes."
An unnamed Vice Admiral wore a broad smile.
"I agree. They're only two Marines. Dying for justice is their honor."
The man in sunglasses with a cigar hanging from his mouth exhaled a ring of smoke, a cold smile on his lips, though he directed his words toward the man sleeping beside him.
Removing the green eye mask from his face, the man who had been pretending to sleep finally couldn't hold back anymore and cut in sharply.
"Sakazuki, you're too extreme!"
Anger flickered beneath the man's tone as he stared at the eyes hidden under Sakazuki's cap brim.
"Kuzan, couldn't hold it in after all, huh?"
Sakazuki let out a cold laugh. He took a deep drag on his cigar, blew the smoke upward, then closed his eyes and stopped speaking.
"Well, well. If nothing else, just let those two go up and do the execution."
Borsalino's eyes held a trace of amusement as he smiled and watched the two of them.
"That's enough!"
Rubbing at his swollen temples, the man known as Kong the Steel Bone cut off the three men before their sarcasm could escalate any further.
For the first time, he felt the faint beginnings of a headache.
"The World Government has sent word. This public execution must not fail."
"To prevent any accidents, the executioner cannot be weak. He must be strong enough to complete the task even if something unexpected happens!"
"And to preserve the secrecy of the execution, the World Government is already providing one person of their own. The Marines only need to provide one person!"
"But even with just one person—"
"We've held two meetings already and still haven't decided!"
Kong swept an angry gaze across the Marine commanders around him, most of whom were either occupied with their own matters or deliberately keeping their heads down.
"Sengoku, Zephyr, what do you think?"
Turning his eyes toward the two men beside him, both of whom had remained silent the entire time, Kong's voice carried a trace of expectation.
"Let me think about it."
The man known as Buddha Sengoku stroked his goat beard and gave his Fleet Admiral a perfunctory answer.
"You'd be better off asking where Garp went."
The man with short purple hair yawned and spoke in a distracted tone.
Only then did it seem to occur to everyone that one person was still missing.
"So…"
"Our Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp—the man who personally captured the Pirate King—where exactly has he gone?!"
Looking at the empty chair between Zephyr and Sengoku, Kong slammed both hands down on the conference table, his voice overflowing with suppressed fury.
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