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The strong prey on the weak, and the strong are revered. This has always been the truth of the world. Occasionally, a small measure of morality was added to that truth.
With the Eight Treasures Navy’s submission, Kojin’s subordinates’ strength surged once again.
From that point on, he had reached the pinnacle of power in West Blue. His influence now extended to nearly every region.
“From this point on, Chinjao, your Eight Treasures Navy will be reorganized as the Kano Country Marine Branch under my direct command. At the same time, you will become a member of the organization with the codename Ryōhō.”
Kojin sat casually on the ground, and Chinjao sat across from him. The two faced each other, cups of sake on the table between them.
“Marines?”
“And an organization?”
Chinjao frowned slightly, still not fully understanding the situation.
“Any problem with that?” Kojin asked with a smile.
“No. To me, pirate or Marine makes little difference. Since I’ve given my word, I will not go back on it.” Chinjao answered immediately.
Setting aside Kojin’s overwhelming strength, Chinjao deeply admired his character and his approach to things. He was a man who dared to stand alone against the Marine Headquarters for the innocent scholars of Ohara.
When Chinjao first heard the news, he sat in silence for an entire afternoon. Even as a pirate, he felt genuine respect and awe toward such a Marine.
“Very good.” Kojin nodded with a smile.
After doing some calculations, he realized that the forces under his command were no longer weak:
He had Capone Bege’s mafia organization, the entire West Blue Marine branches with nearly two hundred thousand troops, and now the Eight Treasures Navy before him.
If he combined his own strength with theirs…
Overall, his power would likely not be inferior to that of one of the future Yonko.
His only shortcoming was the lack of top-tier fighters under him.
Crocodile and Bullet had not yet matured. Smoker and Buggy, for whom he had high expectations, were still teenagers.
Aroshu of the Lunarian Tribe had only just begun to learn sword techniques.
Nevertheless, he was reassured by the unified strength of West Blue and the current resources, which provided the foundation to cultivate powerful fighters and build Vegapunk’s laboratory.
Given enough time, his forces would inevitably grow stronger.
After chatting briefly, Kojin gained a better understanding of Kano Country’s situation.
The Eight Treasures Navy was powerful in both numbers and quality. Most members could not withstand even a single wave of his Conqueror’s Haki, but that was only because his Haoshoku had already reached its peak level.
Roughly speaking, ordinary members of the Eight Treasures Navy were as strong as fighters who could participate in the future Paramount War.
In other words, they were genuine elites.
“In the future, I will pass down the Marine Rokushiki. You and any of your subordinates with potential may learn it,” Kojin promised with a smile.
Since he had taken on new subordinates, he would naturally provide benefits as well.
Chinjao’s expression changed in shock.
“That’s an incredible gift! Thank you very much!”
The Marine Rokushiki was famously a secret technique within the Marines. Anyone who mastered it possessed superhuman abilities.
He hadn’t expected Kojin to be willing to teach it openly. The people behind him also showed excited expressions.
From that moment on, Chinjao and his men didn’t voice a single objection to joining Kojin’s forces.
Because of the promise of Rokushiki, both sides clinked several bowls of sake together in celebration.
That afternoon, Kojin prepared to leave, but Chinjao and the others stopped him, eager to continue the conversation.
Soon after, ten beautiful young women entered the room.
After a moment’s thought, Kojin understood their intentions immediately.
“Very well. I’ll stay a few more days and teach you Rokushiki. But how much you learn depends on you.”
Chinjao was so excited that he repeatedly expressed his thanks. Having fought both Garp and Kojin personally, he deeply coveted the Marine Rokushiki techniques.
Given his experience, he could clearly see that their unique Iron Fist style was inseparable from the secrets of Rokushiki.
If he could combine Rokushiki with Hasshōken (Eight Impacts Fist), his strength would reach an even higher level.
—
The next day, Kojin walked out of his room.
Seeing how refreshed and energetic he looked, Chinjao and the others couldn’t help but admire him.
“Incredible!”
“That was ten of them!”
“A true powerhouse is just different!”
They all praised him.
Kojin responded with a faint smile, with a hint of dominance visible in his eyes. He had already been exceptionally gifted in his previous life, but in this life, he was even more outstanding.
After a short period of interaction, everyone was noticeably more relaxed with one another by the second day. Kojin wasted no time and immediately began teaching the secrets of Rokushiki.
Although Chinjao was fifty-four years old, he studied earnestly.
His physical condition had long surpassed human limits, and his bounty exceeded 542 million Berries. After grasping the principles of Rokushiki, he quickly began mastering the techniques during training.
Ten days later, Chinjao had learned three techniques:
Soru, Rankyaku, and Geppo.
The others each mastered several of the remaining styles.
“Well then, it’s time for me to leave.” Kojin nodded with a smile.
He turned around, lightning surging across his body, and vanished instantly.
Chinjao and the others watched his departing figure, deep respect evident in their eyes.
“Ten women, ten days!”
“Vice Admiral Kojin is truly beyond human!”
They then turned to look at the ten young women standing nearby. They could clearly see the lingering sorrow and resentment in the girls’ eyes.
“Unaffected, untempted, turning away with elegance.”
“A real man!”
A man nearby sighed and said enviously.
Chinjao turned around and glared at him fiercely. That guy was a total hopeless simp.
When Kojin returned to the battleship, several people on the shore hurried forward.
“Vice Admiral, we’ve finished cleaning the ship!” They spoke eagerly.
Kojin smiled. “Thank you.”
“It seems you’ve adapted quickly to your new identities as Marines.”
The people surrounding the battleship immediately stood straight and gave somewhat clumsy military salutes.
“For justice!”
“Hahahaha!”
Kojin burst into laughter, finding it amusing. Then, his figure flashed, and he stepped onto the golden scepter at the bow.
Lightning flickered, and the battleship shot forward instantly.
—
Two hours later, Kojin returned to G-18 Fortress.
His perception field spread outward, and everything within a ten-thousand-meter radius appeared clearly in his mind.
“Aroshu is practicing sword techniques.”
“Crocodile isn’t here.”
“Bullet is training the newest batch of elite recruits.”
“Vegapunk is tinkering with his test tubes… Hmm? Is that Aroshu’s bloodline sample?”
Kojin raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn’t expected Vegapunk’s experiments to begin so quickly.
“Evans is comparing account books. His steady and cautious personality really suits logistics management.”
As Kojin’s forces and territory expanded, financial matters and administrative management naturally required capable personnel.
Evans handled these responsibilities perfectly, leaving Kojin with little to worry about.
Monthly dealings with Capone Bege, financial reconciliations, and tax reports from various branches were all managed with meticulous order.
“Evaya is organizing reports submitted by the branches.”
Kojin observed the elegant female officer wearing black-rimmed glasses. She frowned slightly as she bit her pen while approving documents.
This adjutant’s daily work consisted of helping him resolve large amounts of accumulated paperwork with remarkable efficiency.
“Looks like I’m the most idle one here. Having capable subordinates really is nice.” Kojin sighed in satisfaction.
Peaceful days passed one after another.
On the third day after returning to base, Smoker and Buggy suddenly burst into the office, crying dramatically with tears and snot streaming down their faces.
Eveya, who was working, nearly dropped her glasses in shock.
“What are you two doing?!”
The boys ignored her and wailed. “Vice Admiral Kojin, please teach us how to train!”
“Aroshu’s strength is improving too fast!”
“Even Smoker can’t beat him anymore!”
Kojin was stunned. After asking a few questions, he was surprised as well. In just half a month, Aroshu, who had been diligently studying sword techniques, had grown so much that he had surpassed Smoker and Buggy completely.
“All right, stop crying. Starting today, I’ll set aside time to personally guide your training, too.” Kojin said helplessly.
The two teenagers immediately burst into excited laughter.
—
From that day onward, West Blue entered a period of calm.
Civilians across various kingdoms noticed that the number of wicked mafias and pirates was decreasing.
Instead, shipyards and technical factories began appearing rapidly.
Life for Kojin, now the de facto King of West Blue, became peaceful and uneventful. He occasionally taught Aroshu sword techniques and trained Smoker and Buggy.
Before long, it was the year 1503 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
On this day, good news arrived from the shipyards.
“The various components from the electric-powered airship blueprints have successfully produced qualified samples,” said Capone Bege with a smile through the Den Den Mushi.
“Excellent.” Kojin nodded approvingly and asked, “How long will it take to assemble a complete ship?”
“One month. Our shipwrights are still just ordinary craftsmen, not as skilled as those in Water 7 on the Grand Line.” Capone Bege sighed.
“However, I’ve expanded the scale and number of shipyards. As more airships are built and experience accumulates, their skills will improve.” Kojin nodded again.
“How many shipyards in West Blue belong to us now?”
“Five. There were originally three. I acquired one more and reopened another,” Capone Bege replied.
“If funding allows, continue expanding. After producing enough airships, we’ll also need to build battleships.” Kojin said seriously.
“Yes, Leader!” Capone Bege responded.
The Den Den Mushi call then ended.
“Skypiea’s gold is truly a wonderful thing.”
Kojin murmured.
Once the electric airships were completed, all that gold would belong to him.
—
At the same time, aboard the Moby Dick in the New World…
A tall figure with long blond hair and an imposing aura slowly descended.
“How is the sea without Roger?”
“Whitebeard!”
A pair of blood-red eyes lifted as a deep voice rang out.
(End of Chapter)
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