Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In an office shrouded in the night, Sengoku stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the lights of the entire base.
His hands were clasped behind his back, his heavy cloak swaying slightly in the night breeze, a symbol of the responsibility he had borne for many years.
The distant sea was eerily calm, as if the flames of war had never been ignited, but Sengoku's heart was like that endless sea, with undercurrents surging.
He knew that war was unfolding silently. Saint Shepherd Ten Piert himself led the God's Knights and elite marines in a decisive battle against the Blackbeard Pirates, a war initiated by the Five Elders.
This decision brought a hint of joy to Sengoku—the World Government was finally aware of the threat posed by the great pirates and had decided to take the initiative.
This might be the beginning of an all-out war against these maritime villains, an opportunity for purification, paving the way for the victory of justice.
However, his inner joy was mixed with lingering sorrow.
His thoughts gradually became heavy, and countless familiar faces flashed through his mind—the young marine soldiers, those who had stepped onto the battlefield full of ideals and hope.
Too many of them had sworn before him to fight for justice, but now, how many of them would never return from this war?
He sighed softly, his brow furrowed slightly, his inner struggle surging like a tide.
"How many families will be torn apart because of this…" he murmured to himself, his hands clenched into fists, his veins faintly visible.
As Fleet Admiral, he understood the necessity of war, but as a former instructor and friend to countless soldiers, he could not ignore the blood and tears behind every battle.
He recalled his younger self, when he was also full of vigor, seeing all evil as the enemy, willing to defend justice with his life.
However, as time passed, the light of justice seemed to be obscured by the darkness of reality, and every victory was accompanied by inevitable sacrifices.
He was no longer the young man who only saw the side of justice, but a man who knew how heavy the price of justice was.
Sengoku slowly walked back to his desk, sat down, and his gaze fell on a report on the desk, a briefing on the current war.
He didn't rush to open it, but quietly looked at the paper, as if it was filled with unknown destinies.
His fingers gently stroked the surface of the paper, his fingertips could feel the coldness of the paper, but what made him feel even heavier was the fate of those marine soldiers.
"This is for the peace of the world," he said to himself in a low voice, as if comforting the burden in his heart, "but when can the price of peace be reduced?"
The lights outside the window were still flickering, but Sengoku's heart was silently shrouded in darkness.
He knew that this war would change the fate of many people, and he, as Fleet Admiral, could only pray that those soldiers he had sent out would return from the battlefield with their lives and honor.
However, he already knew in his heart how much irreparable pain this war would bring.
......
On the way back to Marine Headquarters from Fish-Man Island.
The sea was as calm as a mirror, and the sky was cloudless, dotted with stars.
However, Jin-An stood on the deck, sensing an unusual aura.
His Observation Haki instantly expanded, covering the entire sea area.
In the distance, a huge shadow was slowly approaching.
It was a figure he couldn't be more familiar with—Kaido.
Jin-An narrowed his eyes, his expression calm, but he had already begun to calculate in his mind.
Before long, Kaido's huge figure leaped onto the ship where Jin-An was.
The deck instantly fell into silence, all the marine soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their expressions tense, as if facing a great enemy.
Jin-An's expression remained normal, his arms crossed, and he chuckled: "Kaido, what are you guys doing here?"
Kaido grinned, his arms crossed, his eyes cold and playful.
With him were several familiar faces—Queen, King, these core members of the former Beasts Pirates still followed Kaido.
"Alert!!!"
The air on the ship seemed to freeze, everyone nervously staring at these ill-intentioned guys.
Jin-An's smile did not disappear, still calm and composed, seemingly not surprised by this, but his heart was full of doubts.
With Kaido's character, he should be busy rebuilding the glory of the Beasts Pirates, recruiting new subordinates, how could he appear here with a few people?
Moreover, the other party has always been violent and direct, this kind of interception behavior does not seem like his style.
Kaido took a few heavy steps closer, the floor making a low creaking sound, he looked directly at Jin-An, his tone with a bit of mockery: "Did you think I would still be busy recruiting troops like before? Hahaha, it's not that simple, Jin-An."
"Oh?" Jin-An raised an eyebrow, still with that calm and unhurried look, as if the other party's words had not disturbed his thoughts.
He glanced at the people behind Kaido, vaguely feeling some kind of tension—although they were trying to hide it.
Kaido's laughter did not stop, his gaze coldly swept over the surrounding marine soldiers: "The glory of the Beasts Pirates is not built up by numbers, those idiots will come to rely on me sooner or later, but today, I just want to see you, Jin-An."
As he spoke, a strange meaning flashed in his eyes.
Jin-An's heart moved, his gaze slightly restrained.
Looking at Kaido's ferocious smile, he felt an unusual emotion permeating from the other party, as if this encounter was not a pure provocation or attack, but a test, and perhaps had a deeper purpose.
He did not respond immediately, but was silent for a few seconds, then chuckled and said: "If you want to fight, I'm always ready."
"But if you have other plans—" his tone was relaxed, with a hint of banter, "I don't want to waste my time for nothing."
Kaido's laughter stopped abruptly, coldly looking at Jin-An, seemingly thinking about something.
And Queen and King standing behind Kaido also exchanged glances, seemingly not daring to act rashly.
The atmosphere gradually became strange and oppressive, the surrounding air seemed to become heavier and heavier.
Jin-An observed Kaido's every subtle movement, trying to capture a trace of clues from the other party's words and actions.
Kaido's appearance and words made him alert, this was not a simple provocation, but more like a part of a larger game.
"You know, your goal can't be achieved so easily." Kaido suddenly opened his mouth, his tone becoming low and suppressed, "The truth of this world is much more complicated than you think. Do you think you are strong enough?"
He grinned, revealing a森然smile, "When you truly stand at that step, you may understand what true power is."
Jin-An narrowed his eyes slightly, secretly shocked in his heart.
Kaido's words clearly contained a deep meaning, and this kind of meaningful conversation had never appeared in their past confrontations.
He knew that the "that step" Kaido was talking about was not just the peak of power, perhaps it was referring to a higher level of power struggle, even related to the dark forces behind the World Government.
However, Jin-An did not intend to be led by the nose by the other party.
He still maintained a calm smile, took a step, and faced Kaido face to face, his gaze firm: "No matter how complicated the world is, I have my own path to take. And what about your path, Kaido?"
His tone was calm, but with a strong sense of oppression.
Kaido stared at him, silent for a moment, suddenly turned around, and slowly retreated a few steps with his subordinates, laughter echoing in the air: "Then let's wait and see, Jin-An. I want to see how far you can go."
Looking at Kaido's different style of behavior from the past, Jin-An narrowed his eyes slightly, his heart full of doubts.
This meeting was far more complicated than it seemed on the surface, what exactly did that guy Kaido want to say, and what did the other party encounter during this time.
...
