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Shiki strode after Rojen, his face beaming with amusement.
As befitting a world-class powerhouse, he moved with the grace of the wind despite wearing seastone shackles and handcuffs. He walked as easily as any ordinary man, showing no signs of injury.
"Meeting here by chance isn't exactly a stroke of luck," Rojen remarked with a faint smile.
"Hahaha! Makes no difference to me. They may have captured me now, but soon enough, I'll be back out there, free as the wind!" Golden Lion roared with laughter, his arrogance unwavering even in the presence of the Marines, brazenly declaring his escape plans.
"Enough talk! Take them away!" Garp barked impatiently, cutting off Golden Lion's boast. He ordered the Marines to drag the two prisoners forward at a brisk pace.
Fifteen minutes later, Rojen and Golden Lion were brought to the surface.
They were surrounded by five warships, one at each side, front, and rear. On the flagship in the center stood Garp and six Headquarters Vice Admirals.
The military force was airtight, like an iron barrel, leaving no possibility of rescue.
"Kid, if you want to break out, this is your best shot! Got the guts to gamble with me?"
Rojen, who had been resting on the deck, eyes closed to recover his magic power, was jolted awake by Golden Lion's booming shout.
This time, however, Rojen felt no irritation toward the latter. Instead, he began to seriously consider the possibility.
"Can you still move?" Rojen asked.
"Hahahaha, you're itching to try! Then let's go for it!" Golden Lion roared with laughter, seeing the ambition in Rojen's eyes.
"You think I'm not here?"
Just then, Garp's fist came crashing down, smashing Golden Lion's head into the deck with a thunderous crack.
Golden Lion's voice cut off abruptly, falling silent.
"Stay put, or you won't get any mercy from me!" Garp barked, glaring at Rojen.
"Golden Lion, turns out you were just bluffing," Rojen remarked, having clearly seen that the man had been knocked unconscious by Garp's merciless punch.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Rojen closed his eyes.
Yet inwardly, he hesitated, debating whether to activate the system's power now. As Golden Lion had said, this was undoubtedly the best opportunity to escape. The only top-tier combatant here was Garp; while the other Vice Admirals were still formidable, Rojen believed he could barely manage them.
If he were to throw caution to the wind and fight with his life on the line, his chances of success were actually quite high.
"I'll take the plunge!"
Rojen's eyes snapped open. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to summon the system.
But just then, another warship began closing in from the stern of their ship.
"Garp!"
A shout rang out. Garp glanced back and immediately ordered the warship to halt.
"Fleet Admiral Kong... what's he doing here?" he muttered under his breath.
Rojen heard him clearly. His gaze pierced the distance, recognizing Kong with his mushroom-like hairstyle standing at the bow of the rapidly approaching warship.
Regaining his composure, Rojen closed his eyes once more.
Garp alone was already a threat. With Kong here too, even if Golden Lion Shiki were to awaken, the two of them together wouldn't stand a chance.
This braggart may appear unscathed on the surface, but his body must already be hollowed out, riddled with severe injuries.
After Kong arrived, he exchanged a few brief words with Garp before settling in. The gist of his message was clear: he didn't trust Garp to handle this mission alone and had come to ensure its flawless execution.
About half a day later, Rojen spotted the immense whirlpool ahead.
Standing on the ship, amid towering waves that made the warship pitch and roll violently, the relentless gravitational pull of the Uzumaki|whirlpool ceaselessly tugged at the immense vessel.
"Judicial Island, Seabed Great Prison... is that the Marines Headquarters?"
To Rojen's astonishment, something unexpected happened. He had initially assumed the previous location was the Marines Headquarters, attributing its existence to the butterfly effect caused by his time-traveling. But now, upon seeing the colossal Gates of Justice in the distance, he began to doubt his earlier assumptions.
'Could it be that the Headquarters on the Red Line isn't the true Headquarters?'
'No, that doesn't make sense either. If the previous Headquarters wasn't genuine, why would the Marines' main forces be stationed there?'
'Has my arrival changed things so drastically?'
Just then, the voices of Kong and Garp carried on the wind.
"The Marines Headquarters was destroyed, and rebuilding would waste too much time. We might as well relocate it here."
"That area is where the Marines' families reside. With just a few modifications, it can become another Marine Headquarters. Its strategic location, backed by mountains and facing the sea, makes it easily defensible and difficult to attack, far more secure than the previous one!"
Rojen's lips twitched, a realization dawning on him.
"Did the Golden Lion and I destroy the Red Line Headquarters, forcing them to relocate?"
"And the new location... is exactly where it was in the original story?"
He never imagined that the chaos he'd caused would somehow bring things full circle, back to their original state.
"Fleet Admiral, what do you plan to name the new Headquarters?" Garp asked curiously, finding the proposal quite sound.
"We'll still call it Marineford!" Kong's voice boomed.
Waves surged relentlessly as the naval fleet navigated the immense Sea Whirlpool. In no time at all, they reached the shores of Seabed Great Prison.
Responsible for welcoming Garp and Sengoku was Robert, a cold, aloof man with an exaggerated physique. Standing at a staggering fifteen meters tall, his head resembled a colossal radish. He towered over the crowd, gazing down at them as if they were children.
"Kong, Garp, long time no see!" Robert's voice rasped like someone who hadn't spoken in ages, carrying a heavy, malevolent aura that made everyone uneasy.
"Robert, you've been here too long. You've become neither human nor ghost!" Garp retorted.
"Heh heh, I'll be retiring soon!" Robert offered a grotesque smile.
His gaze then shifted to Rojen and Golden Lion.
Golden Lion remained unconscious, but Rojen was awake. The instant the giant radish's eyes locked onto him, he felt as if he had been targeted by an evil spirit, a chill gripping his entire body.
"This radish-head is terrifying!"
Rojen's heart sank.
"He's probably on par with an Admiral Grade!"
Reassessing the situation, Rojen realized the Marines truly harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
"I'm leaving these two to you, Robert," Garp boomed. "Keep a close eye on them. Whatever happens, make sure they don't suffer any accidents!"
"Don't worry," Robert rumbled. "I'll personally escort them down and then go get some sleep."
"Then I can rest easy," Garp nodded with a grin.
Apparently, the greatest assurance came from Robert not sleeping.
"Which level?" Robert immediately asked, extending his massive hands.
"Sixth level, Eternal Hell!" Kong replied gravely.
"Understood. You can return now."
Robert nodded, casually scooping up Rojen and his companion with one hand each, as if they were toys.
With a deafening boom, his colossal figure turned and vanished from sight.
(End Of This Chapter)