Ten Days Later, Flameheart Island.
In the office of Branch 177's base, Kuzan was bent over the desk, reviewing a series of documents related to the Prince Kingdom incident.
His hair was disheveled, resembling dry grass left on a beach.
His face was filled with fatigue, and he couldn't stop yawning.
Such tedious desk work was something Kuzan hadn't done himself in many years.
These busy days had kept him occupied for nearly a week.
He had no choice; he was now the supreme commander of the navy in the entire North Blue.
The coup in the Prince Kingdom had ended, but it left behind numerous problems.
It wasn't just about dozens of pirates, big and small, but also involved some neutral maritime trade forces and dealing with thousands of affected citizens.
Moreover, the crimes of Prince Elia, which included sending pirates to slaughter villages in neighboring countries, were revealed.
This event caused an uproar and outrage in the neighboring countries.
Complaints and condemnations against the Prince royal family soon poured into the World Government.
With the absence of a king in the Prince Kingdom, the situation in the country was chaotic, and disorder reigned among the people.
To mitigate the negative impact of the events, it was necessary to restore order in this allied country quickly.
For this reason, the World Government continued to pressure Branch 177 to expedite the process of having Prince Gross, the rightful heir to the throne, assume power to calm the people.
But this was what bothered Kuzan the most.
The prince who had awakened from a coma after being seriously injured, Prince Gross, did not want to be the king of the Prince Kingdom!
The legitimate heir of the allied state had abandoned his duties!
Not only that, but Gross was requesting to join the navy.
When Kuzan remembered the report he had submitted to Marshal Sengoku regarding Gross's request, he felt his headache worsen.
Sengoku had sternly reprimanded him, saying, "Don't joke around, Kuzan! Gross is the rightful heir appointed by the Seventh Prince. If he doesn't become the king, the only person entitled to become king is Prince Elia! Do you want to put the criminal who slaughtered tens of thousands back at the top of power and plunge that country into hell again?"
This was followed by phrases like, "If you can't finish this mission, don't return to headquarters," and "How can an admiral with such power not accomplish such a small task? This is unacceptable."
The more Kuzan thought about Prince Elia, the more he felt depressed and angry.
That noble-looking young man had led his country into a bloody hell, killing tens of thousands of innocent people for what he called "the answer."
On that day, Kuzan was close to killing Elia.
"He's truly scum in every sense of the word. If Sakazuki were here..."
But on the other hand, Kuzan couldn't deny that Prince Elia was indeed an extremely intelligent person with deep ambition, to the point that he was considered an extraordinary genius.
Had he taken the right path and joined the navy, he would at least have been a senior advisor at headquarters.
He alone managed to bring many forces greater than him into his game.
Rookie pirates with bounties exceeding hundreds of millions, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea long known, the navy that upholds justice, and even the Revolutionary Army, which sent a rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit in exchange for food.
Yes, Kuzan now knew the origin and name of the fruit that Rorschach consumed.
"The Mythical Zoan Horse Fruit, Model Kirin, said to grant control over wind and thunder. It's a fruit with immense potential, no less than the Azure Dragon form that Kaido possesses. With the great power and strong belief in justice that he holds, when he grows, a great force will be added to the navy."
Whenever Kuzan recalled the words Rorschach had spoken, severely wounded, in a manner almost like a scream, he felt his long-frozen heart beat again with passion.
When did Kuzan become lazy in holding onto his principles?
Did it start with the Ohara massacre?
No, maybe before that.
As that annoying Doflamingo had said:
There is so much darkness and filth in this world.
How many people who have delved into that darkness have survived?
Unconsciously, Kuzan fell into deep contemplation, holding his head.
Knock knock knock.
Suddenly, a knock on the office door pulled Kuzan out of his reverie.
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his face vigorously, then said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Come in."
Lieutenant Richard from Branch 177 opened the door, saluted smartly, and then said loudly, "Admiral Kuzan, Lieutenant Rorschach's ship has returned!"
"He's finally back, that boy..." Kuzan shook his head slightly.
"Shall I tell Lieutenant Rorschach to come see you?" Richard asked.
"No, I'll go see him. Stay here and monitor the situation, and if anyone calls, just respond to them."
Kuzan waved his hand, turned, and left the office while Richard watched him in surprise.
"Rorschach is really highly respected by the admiral. But... that man definitely deserves such a place. It's an honor to be from the same region and live in the same era as such a man."
When Richard remembered the scenes they witnessed when they stormed Prince's castle, he felt a great shock.
Especially when he saw the horrific wounds on Rorschach's body, no one in Branch 177 was envious of his talent anymore.
Instead, they felt respect, admiration, and fear.
At the sea port.
A warship with broken masts and full of holes was slowly approaching.
Immediately, a group of soldiers and naval officers rushed forward to begin the receiving process.
"Inform Lieutenant Bill, Lieutenant Rorschach has returned."
A soldier ran quickly towards them, sweat dripping from his forehead.
His face was pale.
"I understand, go and bring more soldiers; we have a lot of work to do here."
Bill nodded, as if he had already expected this.
But when Bill climbed back onto the warship and saw what was on the deck, he couldn't stop himself from taking a deep breath, and his face turned as pale as the rookie soldier.
On the deck, there were no money or food, no weapons or ammunition, not even refugees brought for shelter.
Instead, there were heads.
Heads stacked like a mountain.
Heads marked with terror, despair, and blood.
These stacked heads filled the entire large deck.
Frozen blood covered the deck in a thick layer like black and red paint.
The stench of blood was so strong that it attracted hungry vultures circling the sky.
And in this hellish scene, Bill saw a young man with silver hair wearing a blue and white navy uniform, sitting coldly atop a mountain of heads.
Suddenly, a sigh was heard from behind him.
"Ah, Rorschach, if you continue like this, you'll become just like Sakazuki."
(End of Chapter)
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