The port city of Nanohana.
The Straw Hat Pirates had come ashore.
"Did you hear? Crocodile was actually a traitor trying to usurp the kingdom."
"I heard. Good thing he failed in the end."
"Who would've thought a great hero like that would want to seize power and steal the throne?"
"…"
Vivi frowned. What exactly had happened?
It sounded like Crocodile's plan had been exposed, but how was that possible? A person like him would never reveal his own flaws so easily.
"Vivi, this is the latest newspaper. Crocodile has been stripped of his Warlord status and is a wanted pirate again," Nami said.
Vivi hurriedly took it and carefully read through it. After finishing, her eyes were filled with disbelief.
It was actually true.
Alabasta's crisis had been resolved.
While she was happy, it also brought her an unreal feeling, as if none of it had truly happened.
"So that means you don't need our help anymore?" Luffy asked.
Although he felt a little regretful that he would not get to fight a Warlord, they were sincerely happy for Vivi too.
"I probably won't need you to help anymore. But please come with me to the royal palace. I'll entertain you properly," Vivi said.
The Straw Hat Pirates had escorted her all the way here. They had formed a deep friendship and become very close friends.
Luffy and the others had no objections. Since they had come to a new place, of course they had to look around.
…
At the Alabasta royal palace, Koji and the others had enjoyed the highest level of treatment over the past two days. Even Cobra and the others rarely enjoyed themselves like this in daily life.
"So you're the ones who solved Alabasta's crisis?"
"You're really young."
Aokiji looked at Koji's group and was slightly stunned.
He had guessed that someone had intervened, but he had not expected them to be this young.
Although Crocodile had neglected his training for many years, he had once been a strong fighter, and he also possessed a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
"Hm?"
When Aokiji tried to use Observation Haki to search for Nico Robin, he suddenly realized that his Observation Haki had been restricted to this room. It could not penetrate the walls.
Was it some special Devil Fruit ability?
After trying without success, Aokiji gave up on the idea. He could think about it later.
"As a Marine admiral, how do you feel after learning that a Warlord did something like this?" Koji asked, looking at Aokiji with interest.
Aokiji scratched his head and said, "I don't feel much. Pirates are pirates. Even if they're Warlords recognized by the World Government, they're still pirates. It's hard to change a pirate's nature."
If a Marine had done something like this, their thoughts would be different. But when a pirate did something like this, it was not surprising.
"Is late justice still justice?" Koji's question seemed to strike straight at the soul.
Aokiji fell silent.
He did not know how to answer that question.
Even if it could still be called justice, it was flawed justice.
"…The Alabasta incident was the Marines' responsibility," Aokiji said.
If Sakazuki had come here instead, he definitely would not have said such a thing.
"Do you have any thoughts about joining the Marines?"
Aokiji scratched his head. Although Koji's origins were mysterious, he was not wanted, so it was not impossible to invite him.
"Are you sure you want to invite us?" Koji asked.
Koji had no intention of becoming a Marine.
He would not be staying in this world for many years anyway. He was only going around and taking a look.
"All right. Looks like you don't have that intention," Aokiji said with a nod.
He had already understood Koji's meaning.
That was fine. He was not going to force it anyway.
Koji's group had resolved Alabasta's crisis, making them honored guests of Alabasta. Just based on their status as benefactors of a member nation, the Marines could not casually make a move against them.
"Aokiji, let's go outside."
Koji and the others left the reception room first. Aokiji picked up his coat and followed behind them.
Aokiji was much taller than all of them. The heights of people in the pirate world were truly ridiculous.
"No way…"
The Straw Hats had arrived here as well. Nami and the others had seen Aokiji's photo before, so they recognized this Marine admiral, and their faces instantly turned pale and solemn.
They were pirates, while Aokiji was one of the Marines' top fighting forces. If he made a move against them, they would have absolutely no way out.
Luffy did not know who he was. He usually did not read the newspaper either, so his expression did not change at all.
"Hey, hey, hey, why is such a big shot here?" Sanji lit a cigarette to calm himself down.
A Marine admiral could be said to be a powerhouse standing at the summit of the sea.
Aokiji scratched his head. This was really giving him a headache. He had actually run into Garp's grandson.
A pirate with a bounty of thirty million. Logically speaking, he should casually capture him and throw him into Impel Down.
But Aokiji still understood human relationships. Garp was practically like a teacher to him.
"Luffy, you idiot, do you never read the newspaper? This is one of the Marines' top fighting forces, one of the three admirals—Aokiji," Nami said, completely speechless. Her captain's common sense was far too lacking.
"A Marine admiral?!"
Luffy cried out in surprise, and his expression became serious.
He had not expected to run into a Marine admiral at a time like this. He knew he had absolutely no chance of beating someone this strong.
"What a long reaction delay. Like grandfather, like grandson," Aokiji could not help saying.
He was a little speechless. No matter what, he was still an admiral. His reputation should not be that poor, right?
"Aokiji-ojisan, you know my grandpa?"
"I do. I received quite a bit of care from your grandfather," Aokiji said with a nod.
Although the old man's training methods were not suitable for everyone, for geniuses, they were indeed very effective.
"Luffy, who's your grandpa?"
Nami was a little curious. Luffy had never mentioned his family before.
"My grandpa is a Marine. His punches really hurt," Luffy said. When he mentioned his grandfather, his face showed a rare complicated expression.
His childhood was unbearable to look back on.
Sometimes even he wondered whether he was really Garp's grandson. That training had truly been brutal.
"Garp. That's your captain's grandfather," Koji said.
"That name… You mean the Marine Hero, Garp?" Sanji said in surprise.
The legendary Marine's reputation was known to everyone. He could be called one of the Marines' spiritual pillars.
Their captain's family was actually that powerful?
"Really? I didn't know," Luffy said, shaking his head.
He only knew that his grandfather was a Marine and that he wanted him to become a Marine too. He did not know exactly what position he held.
"Luffy, if you have a grandfather like that, why did you become a pirate?!" Nami asked curiously.
Could the temptation of becoming Pirate King really make the family member of the Marine Hero go out to sea as a pirate?
Aokiji knew about Luffy's family and covered his face with a headache.
Dragon was also the most vicious criminal in the eyes of the World Government.
What a bizarre Monkey family.
As Dragon's son and Garp's grandson, as long as Luffy did not die young, his future achievements would very likely reach the level of the Four Emperors.
What exactly was this family trying to do?
(End of Chapter)
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