Certainly, for natural-type Devil Fruit users, controlling Haki in the scarce West Blue naturally gives them an invincible advantage.
The only way to counter them is with Sea-Prism Stone containing P-matter and seawater.
But Haki—a power originating from within the heart, controlled by the body, and emitted as a technique—can actually grasp the physical form of natural-type abilities.
However, similarly, natural-type users who master Observation Haki can, at the very moment an attack is about to land, disrupt the spot where their body would be hit, causing the attack to miss empty air.
Obviously, this guy who thinks natural types can ignore all attacks doesn't even know about Observation Haki.
In this situation, Kevin, barely able to use Armament Haki, was already able to seize him.
"Ah!! You Marine dog!"
The pirate, whose whole body had turned into a swamp-like form, turned and rushed at Kevin, only to be punched directly in the face.
His body was hit solidly; four teeth mixed with blood flew out, and he fell backward onto the ground.
On the verge of unconsciousness, he struggled to raise his head and looked at his retreating comrades: "Help... save me! You bunch of trash..."
Kevin walked past him and kicked his head away, breaking his neck and absorbing his soul.
Meanwhile, the group of comrades who had already run far away glanced at each other but had no intention of stopping.
People gathered for the sole purpose of plunder were never truly comrades—they were just a loose bunch of individuals.
Kevin continued the chase.
Approaching the harbor, a figure standing at the ship's bow with eagle-like pupils drew his sword toward the port.
"Who the hell are you? How did you get on our ship?"
Behind the eagle-eyed man, several crew members pulling the sails shouted angrily.
But Eagle Eye didn't even turn his head; he simply said, "Taking a free ride will make your escape smoother."
As soon as he finished speaking, the huge cross-shaped blade in his hand swung violently.
In an instant, the massive slash rushed fiercely toward the harbor, even lifting the sea's surface as if trying to cleave the island in two.
The Marine, who were just aiming guns, froze in place.
Is this really a power a human can have?
"Boom!"
Golden light shot from a distance straight into the slash, and the impact pushed back the incoming waves.
The blue light exploded, shattering Eagle Eye's slash.
The figure of Admiral Sengoku appeared at the harbor, and the Marine's morale soared once again.
At the execution platform, the crowd gathering below included not only pirates but also many civilians from Loguetown, so he couldn't intervene.
Now, the useless scum had either been killed or arrested, and those who fled could no longer all come down safely.
But Kevin didn't care about the pirates who escaped Loguetown—what he cared about was the change that would come to the world's pirates after today.
The great treasure One Piece would, from now on, become the pursuit goal of all ambitious people worldwide. This ocean was about to stir up a huge storm!
And all of this was because of one sentence that man uttered before he died.
The original plan was completely broken because of that sentence.
"Kevin, right?"
"Admiral, sir."
"Do you think the great treasure One Piece that Roger spoke of really exists?"
Exists? Exists my foot!
What treasure could a noisy pirate crew mainly focused on adventure have to leave at Raftel?
Besides, if Roger's crew really had an endless treasure, why leave it on the so-called final island? Can babies be born there?
The final island Raftel might hold many secrets of this world, such as the hidden history, the giant straw hat in Pangaea Castle, or the true origin and will of the D...
And the experience of those former losers who tried to overthrow this world.
But definitely no treasure!
"Whether it exists or not, Admiral, when the whole world believes the great treasure is there, the number of pirates will multiply year by year."
Kevin exhaled, "The true era of great pirates has been opened by that man's words."
Sengoku frowned deeply, silent; he also understood this outcome.
And the reason he asked Kevin was just to hear the conclusion he least wanted to hear from this young man's mouth.
...
Three days later, the uproar in Loguetown caused by Roger's execution began to calm.
Pirates who might have been interested in Kevin's identity as executioner had already abandoned that interest after Roger's final words.
Now, nothing was more attractive to pirates than the One Piece.
So...
Loguetown harbor.
Kuzan's expression was complicated.
"So he refused?"
The Marine major beside him was surprised too: "An opportunity to study at Headquarters—logically no Marine would refuse, but that guy was very straightforward."
Kuzan put one hand on his eye patch, "So what does he plan to do? Stay as executioner at the Loguetown branch?"
Apparently thinking of something, Stroberi's eyelid twitched: "He's going back to Rasugap Town in the West Blue, to continue guarding the entrance to the Upside-Down Mountain, and also..."
That scene replayed in Stroberi's mind—though he seemed unambitious, he spoke in a way that even Admiral Sengoku found reassuring, which was quite a skill.
"The era of pirates' madness and rampage is about to arrive. The Grand Line needs Marines who uphold justice, but the four seas also need the protection of justice."
"Even Pirate King Roger was just a boy who never left Loguetown at first. Upholding justice in Rasugap under that name is as important as becoming an elite Marine at Headquarters."
Such an awareness of justice was hardly something a low-ranking soldier in the West Blue branch could have.
And since Sengoku was there too, Kevin's combat strength, shown when he chased down pirates during the execution, had already caught his attention.
Along with this statement, Sengoku personally agreed to the request of Private Kevin to return to West Blue and continue guarding Rasugap Town.
After Stroberi finished, Kuzan rubbed his forehead—so Sengoku wanted to see what this young man was really thinking?
Whether it was cleverness or true dedication to justice, at just fifteen years old, he had a long time to grow.
The Great Pirate Era had been opened by Roger; ten or twenty years later would be the real test for the Marines.
And Kevin was just one of the Marines watched closely for the future.
"Since that's the case, let's go back to Headquarters."
Kuzan turned and boarded the already-prepared warship, the image of Lomi flashing through his mind.
So this kid, did he inherit Lomi's justice?