As Gojo's ship started leaving, one of the G5 marines suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Vice Admiral Smoker! We should fire multiple cannons at his ship!"
The marine pointed toward the departing vessel.
"That will definitely overwhelm him! No matter how strong he is, his ship can't survive a barrage of cannon fire. We can destroy it before he gets away!"
Gojo stood on the deck of his ship as it slowly sailed past the marine vessel. The sea breeze fluttered his clothes while his gaze remained fixed on Smoker.
"Vice Admiral Smoker," Gojo said calmly, "I suggest that you do not even try that."
The marine who had suggested firing the cannons frowned.
Gojo continued without the slightest change in expression.
"Because if you do, then I am sure that I will destroy your entire marine crew right here and right now."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
The G5 marines who had been eager just moments ago felt their bodies stiffen.
Gojo's voice remained casual, almost as if he were discussing the weather.
"But as I promised you before, I will not kill you."
His eyes met Smoker's.
"That would be the biggest torture for you, and I don't want to put you through that."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So don't even think about it."
Silence fell between the two ships.
Smoker understood exactly what Gojo meant.
After all, there were many fates worse than death.
If Gojo slaughtered everyone under his command and left only him alive, then Smoker would have to carry that burden for the rest of his life. Every death would become his responsibility. Every face would remain in his memory.
That was not a wound that would heal.
That was a scar that would follow him to the grave.
Smoker clenched his fist but remained silent.
He knew very well that Gojo was not bluffing.
If he said he would do it, then he would.
The sea remained quiet as Gojo's ship continued moving farther away.
And in the end, Smoker gave no order to fire the cannons.
The G5 marines watched in confusion.
To many of them, it looked like they had simply allowed a dangerous pirate to leave.
One of the marines who had suggested the attack could no longer hold himself back.
"Why didn't you attack, Vice Admiral?" he asked. "We had a good chance!"
Smoker slowly turned his head toward him.
The marine immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
"Shut up, you scum," Smoker said coldly.
The marine instantly closed his mouth.
"What do you know?" Smoker continued. "Do you think he was joking? Or do you think that you are stronger than him?"
The marine remained silent.
Smoker looked toward the distant ship.
"He will definitely do exactly what he said."
His voice grew lower.
"And I really don't want to suffer through that torture."
The marines looked at him in confusion.
Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"To lose all of you."
The marines froze.
Smoker looked away and added in an annoyed tone, "Although you all are scum, you still work under me."
For a brief moment, the deck became completely silent.
Then—
"Vice Admiral Smoker!"
One of the marines suddenly burst into tears.
Another immediately started crying as well.
"Vice Admiral, you actually care about us!"
"You are such a good person!"
"We misunderstood you!"
"You really are the best superior!"
Several of the thug-like G5 marines started wiping tears from their eyes.
A few even looked as if they were about to throw themselves at Smoker in gratitude.
The scene was so ridiculous that even some nearby marines looked embarrassed.
Smoker's face darkened.
Instead of feeling touched, he felt disgusted.
"Get away from me, you idiots!"
The emotional atmosphere immediately shattered.
The marines hurriedly stepped back.
A few days passed.
The damaged marine vessel now mostly repaired continued its journey through the unpredictable waters of the New World.
Pururururu! Pururururu!
A Black Den Den Mushi suddenly began ringing.
Smoker's expression immediately became serious.
The Black Den Den Mushi was used for intercepting communications.
He quickly picked it up.
As the intercepted conversation played, Smoker's eyes narrowed.
It was a distress signal.
And more importantly—
Smoker guessed that Luffy must be involved.
The information pointed directly toward Punk Hazard.
A dangerous smile appeared on Smoker's face.
"So that's where you are."
The frustration he had accumulated from failing to capture Gojo shifted toward a different target.
"Although I can't do anything about Gojo right now..."
Smoke slowly escaped from his mouth.
"But Luffy, I will not let you escape."
He immediately turned toward the crew.
"Change course!"
The marines instantly became serious.
"Destination: Punk Hazard!"
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
The damaged marine vessel began turning toward its new destination.
At that very moment, a News Coo flew overhead.
Flap! Flap! Flap!
Bundles of newspapers were dropped from the sky.
One newspaper drifted through the air before landing directly on the deck.
A nearby marine picked it up.
Then his eyes widened.
"Vice Admiral!"
Smoker glanced toward him.
The marine quickly showed him the front page.
The entire front page was occupied by a single headline.
The God Slayer Has Returned!
Alongside the massive headline was an updated image of Gojo.
The marines immediately gathered around.
Many of them swallowed nervously as they looked at the face in the newspaper. Only now did they fully realize that the monster they had wanted to capture a few days ago was someone whose return was important enough to become front-page news throughout the entire world.
…
Gojo continued sailing from one island to another, following the directions indicated by the New World Log Pose. The climate of the New World constantly shifted around him. One day the sea was calm and peaceful, while the next it was filled with violent storms, towering waves, and strange weather phenomena that would have been impossible anywhere else.
Yet none of it slowed him down.
His destination remained the same.
Dressrosa.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, the Straw Hats had entered Punk Hazard. After all the events that unfolded there, they formed an alliance with Trafalgar Law and decided to head toward Dressrosa as well.
The currents of fate were slowly pulling multiple powerful individuals toward the same kingdom.
Days passed one after another.
The sea journey continued.
Finally, on the same day that the Straw Hats reached Dressrosa, Gojo sat leisurely on the deck of his ship.
A cup of tea rested beside him.
In his hands was a freshly delivered newspaper.
The largest headline occupied nearly the entire front page.
Warlord of the Sea Donquixote Doflamingo Resigns!
Many people throughout the world would have been shocked by such news.
Some would celebrate.
Some would question it.
Others would simply accept it.
Gojo, however, merely glanced at it and took another sip of tea.
He wasn't surprised in the slightest.
After all, he had watched the One Piece series.
He knew exactly what was happening.
"This is fake."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The World Government and Doflamingo were simply manipulating information.
The resignation announcement was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated deception.
Soon enough, the story would change again, and the government would claim that the previous report had been incorrect.
The entire situation was merely a political game.
A game designed to fool the masses.
Unfortunately for them, Gojo already knew how the story unfolded.
He folded the newspaper and placed it beside him.
The sea breeze gently fluttered its pages.
At this point, Dressrosa was no longer far away.
He could almost feel that he was nearing his destination.
Just then, something appeared on the horizon.
Gojo slowly raised his eyes.
A large ship.
As the distance gradually closed, the flag became visible.
It was a World Government vessel.
Gojo remained seated calmly.
Meanwhile, aboard the World Government ship, several individuals were observing the surrounding sea.
They were none other than members of CP0 and World Government agents.
The same CP0 agents who had just finished handling the Doflamingo situation and confirming to the world that, yes, Donquixote Doflamingo had supposedly resigned from his position as a Warlord.
Now that their task was complete, they were returning.
One of the masked agents suddenly narrowed his eyes.
His gaze locked onto the approaching ship.
A moment later, he spotted the figure sitting casually on the deck.
White hair.
Black Sunglasses.
Relaxed posture.
Even from a distance, there was no mistaking him.
"Gojo Satoru."
----
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