Kizaru led a squad of Marine soldiers as they slowly set foot on the land of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows, and the sea breeze carried a salty tang.
This archipelago was no longer unfamiliar to him.
In fact, this was already the unknown number of times he had come here this year, as if fate always tightly connected him to this chaotic place.
Every time Kizaru stepped onto Sabaody, he felt an unspeakable sense of weariness, especially when he thought about the past few times he had been here, which were almost always related to that troublesome fellow, Jin.
He thought he couldn't escape the fate of meeting him this time either, but what made him feel slightly relieved was that this mission seemed to have nothing to do with Jin.
However, since the Five Elders had already issued the order, he knew he couldn't slack off any longer and had to put in some effort.
Kizaru stood on a high ground, his eyes sweeping over the busy streets and bustling crowds below, but his heart was calm.
"What a pain," he muttered to himself, his tone revealing a hint of weariness, "Since I'm already here, I might as well catch some pirates to deal with."
As soon as he finished speaking, a hint of faint helplessness flashed across his lazy expression.
As a member of the Marines, he should have struck like lightning in every corner of the world, but in reality, he preferred to handle everything slowly, as if it were all just routine.
Not long after Kizaru issued the order, certain areas of the Sabaody Archipelago suddenly fell into chaos.
The pirates' activities had long attracted the attention of the Marines, and at this moment, when Kizaru's team began to move, the pirates hidden in the shadows were finally exposed.
The Marine soldiers moved swiftly, as precise and ruthless as falcons catching their prey.
With a burst of rapid footsteps, the noise on the streets instantly turned into panic and chaos.
Kizaru's figure flashed like lightning, and although his lazy movements seemed unhurried, to the pirates, it was an inescapable disaster.
His speed was so fast that it was difficult to capture, and every time he appeared, he would take away a chorus of pirates' screams.
"Ah—"
As the first cry of pain rang out, more pirates let out desperate wails one after another.
An invisible sense of oppression filled the air of the Sabaody Archipelago, and the pirates who had once dominated this area now seemed to have become lambs to the slaughter.
They tried to escape, tried to resist, but in the face of Kizaru's ghostly figure, all resistance was futile.
Kizaru wasn't in a hurry to end it all; he leisurely shuttled through the various areas, as if he were inspecting his own territory.
His nonchalant attitude made the chase even more terrifying, because the pirates knew that the more casual his actions were, the more it showed that Kizaru didn't take them seriously at all.
As time passed, the pirates' screams gradually became sparse, eventually disappearing into the wind.
The Sabaody Archipelago returned to a brief period of peace, as if nothing had happened.
Kizaru stood on a high ground, overlooking the entire island, and sighed slightly.
"What a pain…"
He murmured, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of imperceptible weariness and fatigue.
However, he knew in his heart that this was only a temporary peace.
The Sabaody Archipelago had never been a true paradise; it was always full of conspiracies, betrayals, and bloodshed, and he was just a pawn in this endless game.
He turned around and slowly walked in the direction of his return, as if everything just now was just a routine patrol.
With Kizaru's departure, the Sabaody Archipelago once again returned to its hustle and bustle.
People continued their lives as if the chaos just now was just a brief disturbance of the waves.
And Kizaru's lazy figure gradually disappeared into the sea breeze, leaving behind only the screams of those once arrogant pirates, echoing in this land favored by fate.
Jin's figure loomed in the air, and with a subtle "click", a spatial gate quietly opened on the edge of the Sabaody Archipelago.
His steps were light, and like a breeze, he passed through the crack in the door and appeared on this land full of chaos and sin.
The sun hung high, and the warm sunlight shone on the ground, reflecting the remaining bloodstains, which had not yet completely dried and shimmered with a dark red luster.
Jin frowned slightly and lowered his head to stare at the scene beneath his feet.
The bloodstains on the ground crisscrossed, as if they were a newly completed and cruel painting. A strong smell of iron rust filled the air, making people unable to help but hold their breath.
"Hoh, it seems like there's just been a major cleanup here."
He muttered to himself, his tone carrying a hint of playful indifference.
He raised his head and scanned his surroundings, finding the streets deserted. The usually noisy shops were now tightly closed, and only the whispers of the wind remained in the streets and alleys.
His Observation Haki covered the entire island and continued to expand outward until he saw a warship leaving the Sabaody Archipelago.
Jin knew that this place was once a paradise for criminals and fugitives.
But now, Kizaru's visit had obviously turned this paradise into hell.
"I just wanted to buy some things," Jin continued forward, his eyes wandering between the closed shops, "But now it seems, will the shops still be open under these circumstances?"
His tone revealed a trace of helplessness, but behind that helplessness, he also knew that some of the merchants here would not stop doing business because of this.
Jin's footsteps echoed in the empty street, each step particularly clear.
He walked past one closed shop after another, his eyes carrying a hint of disappointment and curiosity.
For him, the Sabaody Archipelago had always been a very attractive place, not only did it have all kinds of supplies he needed, but it was also full of information and transactions, but today's atmosphere was completely different from usual.
"Sure enough, that guy Kizaru always makes a mess of things every time he comes here."
Jin sighed softly, his gaze turning to the distance. His eyes lingered briefly on a certain spot, then he continued forward.
He knew that the order of Sabaody would soon be restored, but the silence at the moment made him feel a little uncomfortable.
His hand gently swiped at his side, and a slender crack appeared in the air, which was the door to another space.
Jin knew that if the shops here didn't open, he could also obtain the items he needed through other means, but he preferred to find his target in this familiar land of Sabaody.
"It seems like I have to change places today."
Jin finally stopped and turned to walk towards the spatial gate.
But just as he was about to step into the door, the door of a shop at the corner of the street suddenly made a sound, breaking the silence of the street.
Jin smiled slightly, turned around, and a playful light flashed in his eyes.
He said softly, "It seems that some people haven't been scared away by Kizaru."
His voice echoed in the empty street, and as he took a step, the spatial gate slowly closed, and Jin's figure walked towards that slowly opening door.
He was right, the Sabaody Archipelago had never lacked brave people, or rather, people who had to be brave in order to survive.
And he was here to find these people.
...
