After everything was settled, the navy led by Vice Admiral Garp and Major General Rocka finally arrived at the palace of the Neil Kingdom.
They were like the righteous partners in the movies who were always late. Although they had never been absent, they were always late.
The violent hurricane outside the hall dissipated, Aokiji's ability was released, and the ice wall in front of them collapsed.
Yoriichi and Aokiji walked out of the hall and happened to see Garp and Rocka leading a group of navy to surround the entire hall.
Yoriichi's sight only lingered on Garp and Rocka for a moment, and he couldn't help but look at the palace wall in the distance.
A massive hole had inexplicably appeared in the towering palace wall. Next to it lay the palace's main gate, which was also open.
Yoriichi was certain that Garp and his companions had already dealt with the user who had created the mud fort by the time they arrived. Even so, Garp remained unconventional.
Seeing Yoriichi and Aokiji exit the hall, Garp and Roka glanced inside, their gazes fixed on Yoriichi and Aokiji.
Garp smiled, patted Major General Roka on the back, and said with a hint of pride,
"Uncle Roka, those two brats of mine have already taken care of this."
"You don't have to thank me."
"I'll let you take the credit. If they run into trouble in the future, just take care of them."
Garp smiled brightly. With his observational Haki, he had a clear view of the scene inside. The headless body lying beside the throne was clearly the work of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. And the icy debris on the ground must have been Aokiji's ability.
Garp was familiar with these two men's fighting styles!
When Garp brought Yoriichi Tsugakuni from Ryugin Island, he personally wiped out a group of pirates, beheading every one with the same ruthless methods he used now.
As for Aokiji, his Devil Fruit abilities were no secret within the navy, and Garp had been in his care for some time, so he knew him well.
"Hmph!"
"How could I possibly thank you?"
"Not holding you accountable is already quite good."
"The pirates have already been taken care of by these two, and you're still destroying the palace walls?"
"You don't have to pay?!"
"I'll talk to Sora Cyborg and have it deducted from your salary!"
Rocka snorted, discontented. Garp, however, showed no remorse at all, his face indifferent, his pinky finger picking at his nose, completely unconcerned with Rocka's words.
Seeing Garp's dead look, Rocka couldn't help but sigh, called his adjutant, whispered a few words in the adjutant's ear, then came to Yoriichi and Aokiji, changed his attitude, and said with a smile:
"The young man is very good!"
"I received intelligence that it was the Newk Pirates who attacked the palace!"
"The leader is named Newk, a natural ability user who ate the Mud-Mud Fruit, and the bounty is as high as 200 million!"
"He committed many major crimes when he was in the North Sea. He is a tricky guy."
"He also has a lot of good men under him. It's great that you can wipe out the Newk Pirates!"
"You are so young and can do this. You are much better than I used to be!"
Rocka did not hide his admiration for Aokiji and Tsugakuni Yoriichi, and praised them with a smile.
At that moment, Rocka's lieutenant had returned to his side and reported, "Major General Rocka, there are no more enemies in the palace. The king's body has been found, and the queen and several maids have been successfully rescued." "
We also found the body of Captain Nyuk of the Nyuk Pirates and confirmed his beheading."
"As for the rest of the Nyuk Pirates..."
Before the lieutenant could finish, Rocka smiled and waved his hand, saying, "All records are destroyed, that's all."
"Young people these days are incredible!"
Rocka's gaze lingered on Aokiji for a moment before turning to Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Rocka was aware of Aokiji's abilities, but compared to Aokiji, it was Yoriichi, a teenager, who truly amazed him.
Rocka's observation Haki was extremely powerful, and he had a clear picture of the scene in the palace. The appearance of Nyuk's body showed that he had been beheaded with a single blow; there were no signs of battle at all.
Instant kill! Absolutely instant kill!
Roca knew that the person who did this was definitely not Aokiji.
Aokiji was still very famous in the navy, and his fighting style was not like this. Since it was not Aokiji, the person who killed Newk was obvious. It was the boy named Tsugikuni Yoriichi standing next to Aokiji.
A single strike instantly killed a pirate with a bounty of 200 million.
"If I remember correctly, Garp told me you were only twelve years old, right?!"
"Haha, you're a perfect match for Tsugikoku Yoriichi, right? It's a bit of a waste of your talent hanging around Garp. Hey, are you interested in following me, an old man?"
"I'll treat you as my successor and train you well."
Roca leaned down slightly and patted Yoriichi's shoulder. Major General Roca made no secret of his fondness for Tsugikoku Yoriichi and, right in front of Garp, he began poaching him.
Yoriichi was also slightly taken aback upon hearing this, having not expected the senior admiral to say such a sudden statement. He chuckled and shook his head.
"Thank you for your kindness, Major General Roca, but I'd rather sail with Vice Admiral Garp."
"I want to see the vast ocean,"
Yoriichi said without hesitation as he turned Roca down. While Roca was a kind, affable old man, and Yoriichi wasn't averse to him, Yoriichi preferred sailing with Garp to staying in the branch and following Major General Roca.
At least, Garp was the strongest man he knew in the navy, and with Roger still navigating the seas, Yoriichi would have the chance to witness the might of the Pirate King. Yoriichi yearned for these powerful men at the top of the sea.
Yoriichi was a pure man, unconcerned with wealth, popularity, or power.
He simply hoped that when he had the chance to travel this world, he wouldn't constantly see ruins and corpses strewn across the land.
He hoped his strength would constantly improve, allowing him to face and defeat all manner of powerful foes.
Cultivation was addictive, just like fitness.
Seeing his body gradually transform for the better, his strength growing stronger, was a thrill hard to describe.
Combat was also addictive; defeating powerful foes brought Yoriichi an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
"Really? That's a shame."
"I know you're not a marine yet, but neither Garp nor Zephyr will restrict your freedom."
"Yoriichi, if you're free, you can come visit me,"
Roca said with a smile, the disappointment on his face fleeting. He then stopped chatting with Yoriichi and began directing the branch's officers and soldiers to clean up the battlefield and comfort the victims.
What happened next had nothing to do with Yoriichi and Aokiji. The branch's lieutenant briefly questioned the two about what had happened and then let them leave.
Aokiji and Yoriichi returned to the same snack street they'd been on before, eating and strolling. However, due to the Newk Pirates, neither Yoriichi nor Aokiji was in high spirits. After a short stroll, they hurried back to the Marines' headquarters.
"Pirates are truly rampant!"
"These scum who wantonly harm innocent people in pursuit of wealth and power deserve to die!"
On a lawn somewhere within the Marines' headquarters, Yoriichi sat beneath a tree, meditating with his eyes closed.
Clearing one's mind through meditation is actually a great way to relax.
Aokiji lay beside Yoriichi, his hands folded behind his head, gazing at the azure sky, and suddenly spoke.
Hours had passed since the recent battle, and Aokiji was still preoccupied with these thoughts. This young Marine, at an age when he hated evil, held a grudge, and the rage within him refused to dissipate.
"Damn it, you joined the navy just to punish those people."
"You did it, why do you keep thinking about these unhappy things?"
Yunyi asked speechlessly. He sat here in meditation, and Aokiji, that bastard, kept muttering to himself beside him, venting his anger. He really didn't expect that the cold Aokiji in his impression was actually such a passionate young man when he was young.
"Ha!"
"Yeah, I joined the navy just to punish those people!"
"And, I did it!"
Aokiji nodded and whispered, and then fell silent.
"Those scum, damn it!"
Suddenly, Aokiji, who had been silent for a few minutes, blurted out a low curse again.
"."
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(End of this chapter)