For someone who held the title of right-hand man to an Emperor, being openly looked down on was no small insult.
Truth be told, King was furious—but he remained calm. He knew all too well that when compared to the likes of Ghidorah and Rodan, his own strength simply wasn't enough.
He quickly buried the frustration in his eyes.
"Heh. It's fine."
Seeing this, Ghidorah's satisfaction with his only descendant grew even more.
"To me, even an ordinary person with no power can be forged into a force that stands above all others."
"Lack of strength is no sin—as long as you have the heart of a true warrior."
Rodan, hearing those words, glanced at King with a hint of envy in his eyes.
He recalled the moment he'd been on the brink of death… and remembered that Ghidorah had once developed a Titan-type Devil Fruit, one he'd kept in reserve, unused.
He wondered: would that fruit end up in this kid's hands?
The volcano was now destroying what remained of Prehistoric Island, and Rodan had already found what he needed—there was no reason to linger.
Before leaving, he glanced at the two unconscious giants lying in the scorched forest. Perhaps reminded of the giants from the long-lost Kingdom of Joy, he casually grabbed both of them and hurled them into the ocean—saving them from being burned alive by the lava.
Ghidorah didn't comment—he simply led the others back to the top of the Red Line, to Pangaea Castle.
Because Rodan himself radiated immense heat, he was stationed outside the city.
King, on the other hand, joined the rebuilding efforts led by Musend.
Pangaea Castle and Mary Geoise were being reconstructed, and everything appeared to be moving in a positive direction.
Even the residents of Mary Geoise, long traumatized by recent disasters, had begun to smile again.
They'd discovered a comforting pattern: as long as they didn't cause trouble—or venture near the scorched area outside the city—that terrifying creature (Ghidorah) barely moved from Pangaea Castle.
Over time, Mary Geoise began to feel… normal again.
A new organization soon emerged, quietly taking root:
The Enforcement Division of the 'Kingdom of Joy.'
Most civilians didn't care what this "Kingdom of Joy" actually was.
All they cared about was their livelihoods—and this so-called "Enforcement Division" hadn't disrupted their lives.
In fact, it earned surprising support from many.
Crime had surged in the wake of the catastrophe, and many feared anarchy—but ever since the appearance of this division, Mary Geoise's crime rate had plummeted.
The most notorious figure in the division was a woman named Belo Betty—an exhibitionist officer.
Though her speech was crude and her behavior wild—she never hesitated to punish criminals with ruthless efficiency.
Because of this, the locals whispered that she was a "cold-faced, warm-hearted" girl. No one knew what trauma had made her reject clothing, but somehow… that just added to her mythos.
Crime was down—but, ironically, the number of perverts on the streets went up.
Still, everything seemed to be moving in a better direction.
While Red Line, now renamed the "Kingdom of Joy," enjoyed a period of relative peace, the New World was experiencing something else entirely.
At the newly constructed Marine Headquarters, a historic draft was underway.
Even the famously lazy Kizaru, now Fleet Admiral, was so busy he seemed to be tripping over his own feet.
Watching the passionate new recruits flooding in from various secret channels, even he felt a surge of motivation…
…which lasted all of two minutes.
Because he spotted someone in the crowd—and his heart sank again.
At the front of the group stood a girl in a sundress, wearing a small cap and goggles.
Kizaru covered his face with a hand in resignation.
"Koala…"
He had personally embedded a Revolutionary Army spy in his own forces.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
His eyes then shifted to the two men leading the recruits—and his headache worsened.
There's a saying: "True masters live among the common folk."
He used to scoff at that.
But after meeting these two men, he would never laugh at it again.
The new Marine Admirals—
Ryokugyu and Fujitora.
Both were already giving him migraines.
And yet… what gave him the most unease was neither of them.
Standing just off to the side, cold-eyed and aloof, was Mihawk—the former Warlord of the Sea, and the world's greatest swordsman—now appointed an Admiral by the Five Elders.
"He's not a pirate. He's not really a Marine either… What exactly does that old lot plan to do with him?"
Kizaru had no idea.
The induction ceremony wrapped up quickly.
Back in the Fleet Admiral's office, Kizaru barely sat down before someone entered and silently took a seat opposite him.
It was Fujitora.
Kizaru frowned, unsure what this was about.
What's he up to now…?
The tension hung for a moment, until the blind swordsman spoke.
"Fleet Admiral… I have a question for you."
"Eh? Admiral Fujitora, what seems to be troubling you?"
Kizaru tilted his head, playing it cool.
"What… does justice truly mean to you?"
"What is the justice of the Marines?"
"Since joining, what I've seen and heard… it's nothing like what I imagined."
Fujitora didn't hesitate.
He had blinded himself to avoid seeing the darkness of the world.
And yet—even without his sight—he could feel that darkness more than ever.
"Justice, huh…"
Kizaru was briefly stunned.
It was a sensitive topic.
Were it not for this very idea of "justice," the Navy would never have sunk to this state. He wouldn't be Fleet Admiral if it hadn't all gone so wrong.
It was a paradox—an unanswerable dilemma.
Everyone had their own version of justice. No one could represent it universally.
"Geez… just became an Admiral and already throwing riddles at me."
He sighed, spread his hands, and said plainly:
"To be honest—I don't know either."
"To me, as long as people have food to eat, clothes to wear, and their lives are safe—that's enough."
"Oh?"
Fujitora lifted his head slightly. His blank, lifeless eyes focused on Kizaru.
"I don't fully understand what you mean… but I think I agree with you."
"In that case, I'll stay with the Marines."
"If anything needs doing, Fleet Admiral—don't hold back."
With that, he picked up his blade and left the office.
Kizaru watched his back as he walked away and sighed.
Another one of those "justice-obsessed" types…
With the massive Navy draft complete, a new wave of Marines spread across the seas.
The world, still reeling from the "Summit War," slowly returned to a deceptive calm.
The ocean, though still churning beneath the surface, seemed peaceful once again.
And with that peace… the entire world seemed to fall into a quiet slumber.
But among the great powers, no one was fooled.
They all knew:
This calm was just the silence before the storm.
No one doubted it.
A war like nothing seen before was drawing closer.
Some factions were already scrambling to stay out of it—hoping to protect themselves, stay neutral.
But those hopes were in vain.
Even the mighty Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors, were now facing a historical decision…
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