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The time was two days ago.
The location: Mary Geoise.
Blazing flames erupted across the Holy Land, which was the highest point in the world. Screams of terror, cries of excitement, and furious curses intertwined and echoed everywhere.
A mysterious figure had stormed the place and suddenly freed thousands of slaves.
Amid the flames, the figure burst into loud laughter.
“This is a liberation of equality! How wonderful! From today onwards, you are no longer slaves. You belong only to yourselves; you are completely free! Remember this: no matter your race or who you compare yourself to, from this moment on, we are all equal!”
His laughter echoed throughout Mary Geoise. Countless slaves, confused and dazed, slowly opened their eyes. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and then a spark of light ignited in their eyes.
“A Fish-Man!”
“He’s a Fish-Man!”
Someone gasped.
Many found it unbelievable that it was a Fish-Man who had saved them.
“Fish-Man or human, Mink, dwarf, Longneck… whatever your race… In my eyes, you are all the same. We are all equal! I have freed your bodies, but you must liberate your minds!”
The tall, powerful fishman stood within the flames, laughing loudly.
“Freedom and equality! Those are the ideals we should pursue!”
His voice echoed through the flames, and many humans began to glow with excitement, their faces showing their fervor.
“Hey, Fish-Man, what’s your name?!” Someone shouted.
“Fisher Tiger!” He replied loudly, then burst into laughter again.
“But I don’t want you to remember my name. The person you should thank is a great man named Kojin! Without him, there would never have been such a liberation movement! Freedom and equality… those are the truths he taught me!” Fisher Tiger roared.
At that moment, he turned his head and saw the guards rushing in.
“Hahahaha!”
“Everyone, run!”
“From this moment on, taste freedom!”
Fisher Tiger burst out laughing and turned and sprinted away.
The freed slaves froze for a moment, then quickly came to their senses and fled in all directions. Among the crowd, one figure silently etched the image of the laughing man into his memory, along with the name Kojin.
“Fisher Tiger!… And Kojin!”
‘You are both my benefactors… Gild Tesoro!’
The grey-green-haired man, his body covered in scars, ran desperately, speaking with determination.
“One day, I will repay you!”
…
“Well done, Tiger!” Kojin slowly lowered the newspaper he was holding and looked out of the window with a faint smile.
Even though he wasn’t there, the newspaper article allowed him to sense the earth-shattering impact of the event and its heroic spirit. Those who liberate slaves and shatter the world’s dark, decayed traditions are always heroes.
Fisher Tiger’s courage had made a deep impression on him. That was precisely why he had saved him personally that day, to create a shockwave that would reverberate throughout the world.
“Will you still die in the future?” Kojin murmured softly, falling into silence.
The death of such a hero would undoubtedly be a tragedy for the world. However, the barrier in one’s heart is something that no one else can overcome for them; they must face it themselves.
Yet, once broken through, it can lead to even greater achievements.
“I hope my arrival, and what I said that day, can give you a different ending. After all, you are one of the seeds.”
His soft voice faded and silence returned to the office.
In the year 1509 of the Marine Era, not much happened.
Following the significant slave liberation movement, Fisher Tiger was issued a bounty by the World Government.
This incident did not implicate Kojin. He continued to live quietly at the West Blue headquarters, still troubled by his daily duties.
Soon afterwards, Fisher Tiger founded the Sun Pirates and became famous around the world. Certain factions within the World Government were frightened by the fact that he was actively spreading the ideology of freedom and equality.
Fisher Tiger’s actions were far more radical than the speech Kojin once gave to the world.
Under the banner of liberating slaves, he popularized the concepts of equality and freedom worldwide, even fighting battles against nobles on certain islands and freeing slaves.
For a time, he became a hero of the class struggle, a preacher of freedom and equality. He awakened the consciousness of countless oppressed people, earning widespread respect and admiration in the process.
His bounty surpassed its previous amount of 230 million, rising to 550 million.
This clearly showed that, in the eyes of the World Government, Fisher Tiger’s ideology was far more terrifying and dangerous than his strength.
Time passed, and soon it was the year 1510.
Kojin received good news, bringing a rare smile to his face that day. Vegapunk reported that the modification of Kozuki Oden had been completed successfully.
Moreover, Oden himself had awoken.
“Kozuki Oden! That’s a name written on my list.” Kojin chuckled softly.
That very day, he set out for Skypiea.
Within seconds, he was standing in front of Vegapunk.
Not far away, on an experimental bed, a tall man sat staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror with unfamiliar eyes.
“I am… Kozuki Oden?!” The man muttered in a daze.
“Amnesia?” Kojin asked, puzzled.
He was equally confused by the man before him. From his appearance alone, the figure bore little resemblance to the original Kozuki Oden.
He stood at almost two meters tall and had a massive build. There was a flame burning behind his head, his white hair draped over his shoulders, and his sharply defined face bore only a vague resemblance to Oden’s former self.
“No, he’s just excited about his new form.” Vegapunk replied with satisfaction.
Over the years, he had continuously modified Kozuki Oden’s Lineage Factor, most notably by incorporating the Lunarian bloodline.
After all, it was one of the few Lineage Factors he possessed. However, he still couldn’t extract any useful data from Kojin’s absurd ‘undying body’ bloodline, which left him deeply perplexed.
“I don’t see even a hint of excitement.” Kojin said, holding his forehead.
Visibly, the tall figure sitting on the bed began to tremble. His handsome, chiseled face twisted into a distorted, ferocious expression, as if about to erupt.
“You!!! What have you done to me?!” Suddenly, Kozuki Oden turned his head, his furious eyes locking onto them.
A terrifying aura surged forth instantly. Vegapunk calmly retreated behind PX–Golden Lion and Seraphim Zeus.
“We only modified you. After all, your original body was, in a sense, already dead.’ Vegapunk explained casually, nodding in satisfaction at his creation. “You are the most perfect cyborg I’ve created so far!”
Oden became even more enraged. He leapt off the bed, flames igniting behind him.
“You said cyborg?!”
“Of course! You should be grateful I saved your life, even if it was partly luck and coincidence. But the fact remains: you are alive.” Vegapunk replied calmly.
Hearing this, Oden froze for a moment, recalling what had happened.
Then, looking at his current body, he clutched his head and shouted,
“Ahhhhhh!!! If I’m like this, they won’t even recognise me!’
Kojin chuckled.
“Even if they could, you wouldn’t be able to see them right now.”
“Who are you?” Oden suddenly turned towards him.
Then, upon noticing the blade at his waist, his expression changed drastically.
“How do you have Gol D. Roger’s sword?!”
Kojin smiled lightly. “You mean Ace? Roger gave it to me.”
“That’s impossible!” Oden was stunned.
Then he frowned.
“What about Wano Country now?”
“And how long was I unconscious for?”
Kojin replied calmly. “Wano is now under Kaido’s control. As for you, you’ve been asleep for about six years.”
“Six years?!” Oden was shocked.
“As the scientist said, your survival is both an accident and a blessing. But it’s also your new life,” Kojin said with a smile.
“A new life…” Oden fell silent.
Memories surfaced of being deceived by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaido and ultimately dying.
“You’re already dead in the eyes of the world. So naturally, this is your new life.” Kojin said softly.
Oden looked up at the mirror and his unfamiliar body. After a long silence, he sighed.
“Indeed… it is a new life. That foolish Kozuki Oden is already dead.”
After a pause, he looked at Kojin again.
“To inherit Roger’s sword, you must have been someone he trusted implicitly. Tell me your name.”
“I’m Kojin.”
“Kojin?!”
“The Marine who captured Roger?!”
Oden was stunned, but he quickly seemed to understand something.
“What exactly did you do to this body?”
Kojin looked puzzled, and Vegapunk stepped forward to answer.
“To prevent any uncontrollable situations in the future, I left a “backdoor” in your modified body. In other words, both he and I have the authority to control you by force.”
After a brief pause, he added: “In a sense, you’re no longer human. But you still retain all human functions. That’s why you’re my most perfect cyborg yet.”
Vegapunk smiled proudly.
Oden’s face trembled as he suppressed his frustration and anger.
Kojin keenly sensed his mental state. After all, who would take it well if they were betrayed and killed, then awoke only to be controlled again?
“Ahem. Are you interested in overturning this world with us?”
“Oden!”
“Just as you once aided Roger, now assist me.”
Kojin said with a smile.
As his words fell, a surging wave of Haoshoku Haki burst forth, pressing down on Oden. Oden’s pupils shrank as he felt it, shock flashing across his face.
“It’s… no weaker than Roger’s!”
Then he sighed.
“Do I even have the right to refuse?”
Kojin smiled.
“It seems… You don’t.”
“…Then, I look forward to working together.”
A few moments later, their hands clasped tightly.
Kojin’s smile widened, while Kozuki Oden’s face was filled with reluctant frustration and helpless acceptance.
(End of Chapter)
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