Jabra remained silent.
No one wants to be treated like a disposable piece on a chessboard.
But as CP9, they had no choice.
"Where do we go now?" Jabra asked, slightly lost.
Judicial Island was about to vanish from the map. CP9's headquarters would be gone too, leaving them seemingly homeless.
Blueno thought for a moment and said, "Let's head to Water 7 and regroup with Lucci and the others."
At this point, Blueno had to rely on the people he trusted most.
Jabra didn't object, and the ship changed course toward Water 7.
On Judicial Island, after Yamada Hanatarō had briefly treated Robin, the group headed to the port to find a ship for evacuation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Most of the stationed ships at the port had already departed. The ones left behind were being deliberately sunk by cannon fire.
Clearly, the order from the World Government was to trap Oguro and his group on Judicial Island. Once the Marine fleet arrived, they would be captured in one sweep.
"Damn! The World Government really doesn't hold back!" Oguro muttered.
This was Judicial Island, the symbol of the World Government's authority. To just abandon it…
World Government… the five elders… weren't they very concerned about prestige?
Yet now, they seemed to have thrown all caution aside.
Oguro didn't know that, in the eyes of the World Government, since Judicial Island had already been breached, its prestige was lost. Only an impregnable Judicial Island could represent the government's face.
Since the prestige was gone, the last value it could serve was to eliminate Oguro, the one who had humiliated the World Government. If Oguro left safely, both the government's face and reputation would be ruined.
That was also why the Straw Hat crew had all received enormous bounties.
At the port, Nami urged, "Lord Oguro, let's snatch a ship quickly! If the Marines arrive, we won't get out!"
Oguro nodded slightly and said softly, "Rukia."
Rukia Kuchiki stepped forward, drawing her Zanpakutō.
"Dance! Sode no Shirayuki!"
"Some no mai... Tsukishiro!"
Shunko surged across the ice, spreading rapidly toward the nearby ships. If they could trap even one, they could escape successfully.
Suddenly, a figure appeared above the sea. He slammed his hands onto the water and shouted, "Ice age!"
In an instant, the sea froze violently. Endless cold enveloped the port.
Within a few breaths, the entire port became a world of ice and snow. Even Rukia's Tsukishiro was frozen solid.
"So you have the same kind of ability as me! The World Government wasn't lying… you really are formidable!"
Half of the man's body had already turned to ice, and he moved with a flash directly to the port.
Seeing the familiar man, Robin's face reflected shock as she whispered, "Marine Admiral… Aokiji!"
During the Ohara Incident and the execution of the Buster Call, this man had been one of the enforcers. Even if she didn't understand why he had spared her life afterward, it didn't lessen her fear.
Aokiji's eyes also lingered on Robin, emotionless yet pensive. The Ohara Incident hadn't just affected Robin.
As a representative of the mid-generation of Marines at the time, Aokiji had begun with burning justice. But after witnessing the indiscriminate destruction of civilians in Buster Calls, his passion had faded, replaced by a more relaxed sense of justice.
"You've scared my comrades!" Oguro stepped forward, placing himself in front of Robin.
"Comrades?" Aokiji's gaze refocused. A small smirk appeared. "Looks like you've found a solid team, Nico Robin."
But the next second, he turned to Oguro. "I have to warn you… taking in Nico Robin isn't something the World Government will ignore. Any organization she joins is destroyed, and only she survives by betraying her comrades. Be careful."
Robin's hands clenched tightly. This was an undeniable stain: a traitor, never trustworthy. She bit her lip, worriedly glancing at Oguro's back. After so many years, this was the only team where she felt a sense of belonging. If abandoned at the end, she would truly collapse.
Oguro waved his hand impatiently, interrupting, "Aokiji! Don't bother with petty provocations! That doesn't suit an Admiral."
"Those organizations were weak, and those Robin betrayed had ill intentions from the start. Here, none of that matters. No need for you to worry."
Oguro's words were like a warm spring, giving Robin unprecedented reassurance.
Aokiji's eyes flickered with a complicated emotion. By conscience, he had spared Robin all these years and kept an eye on her like an old father, though his duty as a Marine prevented him from showing it.
Now someone truly accepted Robin despite her past, and Aokiji's feelings were unprecedentedly complex.
Next, he concealed all emotion, his gaze turning icy.
"Since you've decided to oppose the World Government, today I'll capture you all!"
"Congrats on finding a place you belong… let's see if you can live up to your claims!"
"Ice Ball!"
Aokiji struck suddenly, sending five massive ice pillars toward Oguro. A direct hit could encase a person in a giant ice sphere.
Oguro vanished instantly, using Shunpo to dodge. As a precaution, he grabbed Robin by the waist, retreating to a safe distance, handing her to Yamada Hanatarō.
Nami was also escorted away by Soifon.
Only Soifon and Rukia remained on the front lines.
Rukia plunged her Zanpakutō, Sode no Shirayuki, four times into the ground, channeling massive amounts of cold.
"Tsugi no mai: Hakuren!"
Sode no Shirayuki pointed at Aokiji, the terrifying chill cascading toward him like an avalanche. Her move Tsukishiro had been frozen solid.
As the vice-captain of the Gotei 13's 2nd Division, she had never faced such humiliation. She was determined to reclaim her dignity.
Aokiji noticed the increased power of the attack and chuckled lightly.
"You really want a direct duel? Brave… but it seems your attack isn't quite enough…"
***
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