"Has the navy's situation in the North Sea become so dire?"
On the deck of the warship, a red light flashed in Rosen's eyes.
Before landing, his Observation Haki Seed had already picked up on the excitement of the many marines at the 1st Branch's dock. Their scattered thoughts passed directly into his heart.
This non-verbal communication—the ability to directly sense the voices of the heart—allowed Rosen to personally experience, through the marines of the 1st Branch, just how difficult it was for them to endure, and how completely the situation in the North Sea had collapsed.
Out of ten people who went out to sea, nine became pirates.
They waved the banner of dreams and freedom, then plundered without restraint.
That was the reality of the North Sea in the so-called Great Pirate Era.
Compared with the East Blue, where even a small crew like the Arlong Pirates could terrorize over twenty villages yet the sea was still considered the most peaceful of the Four Blues—the North Sea was already far beyond collapse.
If things were this bad in the North Sea, what could be said of the Grand Line?
"Is this the so-called Great Pirate Age?"
"Gol D. Roger…"
"You truly deserved to die."
Rosen closed his eyes.
Too many voices surged in his heart.
Too many wails echoed in his mind.
Just by listening to the voices of over 200 marines in the 1st Branch, Rosen could already see countless souls crying and countless bones being ground beneath the waves of the Great Pirate Era.
Especially T Bone.
Through his Observation Haki Seed, Rosen experienced everything the branch commander had witnessed in the North Sea as though he had lived it himself.
Pirates running rampant. Villages abandoned. Corpses littering the streets. Blood soaking the towns.
This was the North Sea's theme.
Every time T Bone led his troops, this was what he saw. The more righteous the man, the greater his misery, crushed by the weight of his own powerlessness. And Rosen, who felt all of this, was deeply shaken.
People could lie, but Observation Haki could not.
Words could not touch the soul, but the voice of the heart could.
That's why—
A thought surged into Rosen's mind uncontrollably.
"Let it be destroyed."
His murmur was cold.
Yes.
If this era was truly the Great Pirate Era, then he would obliterate it, leaving not a trace.
He did not care what the One Piece was, nor did he care what lay at Raftel.
His only regret was that he had crossed time too late.
If only he had awakened sooner. Then he would have personally defeated Roger before he ushered in this cursed era. He would have ground his bones to dust, scattered his ashes, and prevented this lawless age where pirates claimed everything as "freedom."
As Rosen's thoughts churned, the warship drew closer to the 1st Branch.
Before long, under the gaze of hundreds of marines, the ship docked.
More than two hundred pairs of eyes fixed on Rosen, who stood tall at the bow, immovable as a mountain.
"Everyone of the First Branch of the North Sea…"
"I am here."
His voice was calm.
No introductions, no rallying cries. Just the simplest words to tell them—he was here.
Yet that single line felt like a great canopy unfurling across the sky, shielding the North Sea marines from the storm winds of the Great Pirate Era.
At last, they felt peace.
"Branch Colonel T Bone!"
"Reporting with the entire 1st Branch of the North Sea to the Vice Admiral!"
"Salute!"
T Bone's voice boomed like steel. Despite the scars on his face, his righteousness and awe were undeniable. He stepped forward, saluted Rosen, and every marine followed suit.
This salute was not for Rosen's rank as Vice Admiral of the North Sea.
Nor for his higher position compared to their branch commander.
It was for his deeds.
After all, Rosen had not gone straight to their base upon arrival. He had gone directly to Donquixote's stronghold, subdued Doflamingo, collared the so-called King of the North Sea, and made him a watchdog of the navy.
That alone reversed the decline of the North Sea and breathed life into their broken morale.
The sailors had already read the headlines, they knew the truth. And so, their salutes carried weight. Their respect was not for strength—it was for achievements.
"Is this why Sengoku-sensei did not allow me to immediately accept a special appointment as Admiral of the Navy?"
"If one rises too quickly, without traveling across the seas and building a record of victories, even unmatched strength won't win the support of the army."
"If soldiers don't know their general, and a general doesn't know his soldiers, he can never be a true Marine Admiral."
Feeling the sincerity in their hearts, Rosen saluted back.
His gaze swept across them. Half of the marines were wrapped in bandages.
"Although this may be a bit presumptuous…"
"Please take off your uniforms."
"Yes!"
None questioned him. Out of respect for Rosen, and their duty to obey, they complied.
T Bone himself was the first.
He stripped off his coat, then his uniform, leaving only trousers. His scar-ridden torso was revealed in full.
The captain followed, baring a chest marked by wounds across his face and neck.
From officers to ordinary marines, within seconds, more than 200 men of the 1st Branch stripped their tops and stood with bared chests.
Gasps echoed across the warship.
The headquarters marines who came with Rosen stared in horror. Every body was covered with scars like centipedes, bullet wounds, slashes, burns. Some men had lost arms, eyes, ears, or noses.
"Is… this the North Sea's 1st Branch?"
Doll whispered, her pupils trembling.
Douglas Bullet said nothing.
But his crossed arms lowered. In his eyes was the recognition due to soldiers—not for their strength, but for the glory carved into their flesh.
Many had lost the ability to fight, yet they still did not retire. Because if they left, there would be no one to take their place.
"Sure enough… soldiers forged by T Bone/"
Rosen's face remained calm, but his eyes flickered with a trace of emotion.
A commander defines his men.
Though these marines could not rival the headquarters' elites, they were true role models of the navy.
Completely unlike the East Blue, where parasites like Captain Nezumi thrived.
"I understand your will."
Rosen's gaze swept over each scar, then his hand gripped his Zanpakutō.
"Bankai."
"Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame"