This time, Kuzan was unusually resolute. Even though Yahn weakly complained several times about feeling unwell and unable to get up, Kuzan refused to back down.
"Yahn, this is a direct order from Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Please don't make things harder for me," Kuzan said coldly. Compared to his usual demeanor, the difference was like night and day.
Yahn frowned slightly. He could sense that something was off—Kuzan was in a bad mood. His tone, posture... It was as if if Ian refused one more time, Kuzan might just resort to force.
Understanding that refusal was pointless, Ian sighed and slowly climbed out of bed.
"If... if that's the case, then I'll come on my own."
"Good. Let's go."
Kuzan nodded. He didn't seem particularly rushed, but calmly led Yahn toward the deck.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, you seem troubled," Yahn asked as they walked.
After a moment of silence, Kuzan replied, "I just found out that an old friend of mine has defected from the Navy. He betrayed everything we've stood for... everything we've protected under the name of justice."
Yahn had a vague idea who that friend might be.
Jaguar D. Saul.
A fellow Vice Admiral from Kuzan's generation, Saul was known throughout the Navy for his strong sense of justice and cheerful, optimistic nature. He was also a central figure in the soon-to-unfold Ohara Incident—a giant who chose to abandon the Navy out of pure empathy, all in a desperate attempt to save Ohara.
In every sense—body, spirit, and conviction—he was a giant.
Someone who willingly cast aside all he had ever believed in, even his life, just to protect others. That was Jaguar D. Saul.
"I see," Yahn responded, his voice dropping a notch. After a short pause, he added, "I may not know exactly who you're referring to, Vice Admiral, but if he was truly a friend of yours, then perhaps... he's someone much like you. Maybe he hasn't betrayed justice at all. Maybe... he's simply following his own version of justice."
Kuzan froze mid-step.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes narrowed sharply. He turned his head and stared directly at Yahn.
But Yahn remained pale and frail-looking, as if those weighty words had merely slipped out without intention.
Under Kuzan's heavy gaze, Yahn forced a big, strained smile.
"Am I wrong, Vice Admiral?"
"...Maybe not," Kuzan answered in a low, calm voice.
He said no more after that. In silence, he led Yahn onto the deck.
After being confined indoors for who knows how many years, Yahn squinted against the sunlight that stung his eyes.
Just then, alarms suddenly rang across the battleship. It was as if a critical command had just been issued. All the naval soldiers moved swiftly and with practiced precision—as though they'd been waiting for this.
"The Buster Call has begun," Kuzan said flatly.
In the next instant, a thunderous barrage of cannon fire erupted.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
As Yahn's eyes adjusted to the light, he looked up and saw the sky darkened by an overwhelming rain of cannonballs. They fell like a torrential storm toward the island ahead—a beautiful, peaceful place crowned by the ancient, five-thousand-year-old Tree of Knowledge.
RUMBLE. RUMBLE.
The shells exploded one after another across the island of Ohara, instantly engulfing the once-serene landscape in flames and smoke.
"Yahn, do you know what a Buster Call is?" Kuzan asked.
Yahn's eyes reflected the growing inferno on the island. His face showed no emotion as he replied, "Yes. I do."
Perhaps trying to explain himself, or maybe to justify something to himself, Kuzan spoke again, calm and composed:
"This island, known as Ohara, was once famous throughout the world—a sacred place of archaeology. It was respected by many. But unfortunately, the scholars here violated the World Government's forbidden laws by secretly researching ancient weapons capable of destroying the world."
"Because of this grave offense, to prevent the spread of such dangerous ideologies and avert chaos across the seas, the World Government had no choice but to invoke the Buster Call—to completely wipe out this evil at the root."
Yahn nodded silently, saying nothing.
In truth, thanks to memories from his past life, Yahn knew full well that the scholars of Ohara were merely seeking to uncover the truth of the Void Century. As for the accusation of researching ancient weapons—it was just a pretext. If Ohara had actually possessed such weapons, perhaps they might've avoided this fate. But since they didn't... this was the result.
Such a familiar déjà vu... Yahn thought bitterly.
The World Government's hegemony is exactly this—a so-called "World" Government made up of barely two hundred allied nations, yet it claims dominion over the entire world. That alone speaks volumes about its tyranny.
The scholars of Ohara, immersed in their academic pursuits, never realized how dangerous it was to provoke the World Government. They thought that even if they were caught, only the ringleaders might be executed.
But the Government will never allow any ideology or action that could threaten its rule. This is their warning to the world: a complete purge under the rain of cannon fire. Ohara will be annihilated.
As the flames from Ohara reflected in Yahn's eyes and he fell into deep thought, a massive figure suddenly burst forth from the raging inferno on the island.
"Saul?! What's he doing here?!" Kuzan exclaimed, shocked.
Though Saul now looked nothing like his former imposing self as a Vice Admiral—tattered clothes, wild hair, covered in dirt—Kuzan recognized him immediately.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM!
The moment Saul appeared, the Navy soldiers aboard the ships instinctively swung their cannons toward him, launching another barrage.
Yet even under the relentless onslaught, Saul did not stop. He moved forward, his massive hands shielding something—someone—as he charged through the explosions.
But even for a giant like Saul, the concentrated firepower of the Navy's battleships was overwhelming.
"Damn it… don't blame me for what I'm about to do."
With a twist of his massive body, Saul gently placed the small girl in his hands—Nico Robin—on the ground, shielding her with one arm. Then, in a flash, he dashed straight toward one of the nearby Navy battleships docked at sea.
A moment later, amid cries of disbelief from the Navy soldiers—
That colossal ship, weighing who knew how many tons, was lifted into the air by Saul.
---
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27