One Piece: Start as a mythical beast, practice to become stronger

Naval Headquarters, Marinevando.

In the office shrouded in night, Zhan Guo stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the lights of the entire base.

His hands were behind his back, and his heavy cloak swayed slightly in the night breeze, symbolizing the responsibilities he had carried for many years.

The sea in the distance was eerily calm, as if the flames of war had never been ignited, but Zhan Guo's heart was like that endless sea, with waves surging.

He knew that the war was going on quietly. Shepard ten Peter Saint personally led the Knights of God and the elite navy to fight against the Blackbeard Pirates. This was a war initiated by the Five Elders.

Such a decision made Sengoku feel a little happy - the World Government finally realized the threat posed by the great pirates and decided to take the initiative.

This may be the beginning of an all-out war against these sea villains, a chance to purge them and pave the way for the triumph of justice.

However, the joy in my heart is mixed with lingering sadness.

His thoughts gradually became heavy, and countless familiar faces flashed through his mind - those young naval soldiers, those who stepped onto the battlefield full of ideals and hopes.

Too many of them had sworn before him to fight for justice, but now, how many of them would never return from this war?

He sighed softly, frowned slightly, and the struggle in his heart surged like a tide.

"How many more families will be torn apart because of this..." He muttered to himself, his hands clenched into fists with veins faintly visible.

As a marshal, he understood the necessity of war, but as an instructor and friend of countless soldiers, he could not ignore that behind every battle were the blood and tears of countless people.

He recalled his younger self, when he was also full of vigor and vitality, regarded all evil as his enemy, and was willing to spend his whole life defending justice.

However, as time goes by, the glory of justice seems to be obscured by the darkness of reality, and every victory is accompanied by inevitable sacrifice.

He is no longer the young man who only sees one side of justice, but a man who knows how heavy the price of justice is.

Zhan Guo slowly walked back to his desk, sat down, and his eyes fell on a report on the table, which was a briefing on the war.

He did not rush to open it, but looked at the paper quietly, as if it was filled with an unknown fate.

His fingers lightly slid across the paper, and his fingertips could feel the coldness of the paper, but what made him feel even heavier was the fate that those naval officers and soldiers had to bear.

"This is for world peace," he whispered to himself, as if to comfort the burden in his heart, "but when will the price of peace be reduced?"

The lights outside the window were still flickering, but Zhan Guo's heart was silently shrouded in darkness.

He knew that this war would change the fate of many people, and as the Admiral of the Navy, all he could do was pray that the soldiers he sent out would return from the battlefield with life and honor.

However, he already knew how much irreparable pain this war would bring.

......

On the way back to the Navy Headquarters from Fishman Island.

The sea was as calm as a mirror, and the sky was cloudless and dotted with stars.

However, Jinan felt a strange breath when he stood on the deck.

His observation Haki was instantly deployed, covering the entire sea area.

In the distance, a huge black shadow was slowly approaching.

It was a figure that couldn't be more familiar—Kaido.

Jin An narrowed his eyes, his expression indifferent, but he had already started to think in his mind.

Soon, Kaido's huge figure jumped onto the ship where Jinan was.

The deck fell into silence in an instant. All the naval soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, with tense expressions as if they were facing a powerful enemy.

Jin An, however, looked calm, crossed his arms, and chuckled, "Kaido, what are you guys doing here?"

Kaido grinned, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes cold but with a hint of amusement.

Along with him came several familiar faces - Quinn and King. These former core members of the Beasts Pirates are still following Kaido.

"alert!!!"

The air on the boat seemed to freeze, and everyone stared nervously at these ill-intentioned guys.

Jin An's smile did not disappear, he remained calm and composed, and did not seem surprised by this, but he was full of doubts in his heart.

Given Kaido's personality, he should be busy rebuilding the glory of the Beasts Pirates and recruiting new subordinates. Why would he appear here with a few people?

Besides, the opponent has always been violent and direct, and this kind of blocking behavior is not his style.

Kaido took a few steps closer, and the floor creaked softly. He looked directly at Jin An, and said with a mocking tone: "Do you think I will be busy recruiting soldiers like before? Hahaha, it's not that simple, Jin An."

"Oh?" Jin An raised his eyebrows, still looking calm, as if the other party's words did not disrupt his train of thought.

He glanced at the people behind Kaido and vaguely felt a certain tension among them - although they tried to hide it.

Kaido continued laughing, his eyes swept over the surrounding navy soldiers with a cold look: "The glory of the Beasts Pirates is not accumulated by numbers. Those idiots will come to me sooner or later, but today, I just want to see you, Jin An."

As he spoke, an inexplicable deep meaning flashed in his eyes.

Jin'an's heart moved and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked at Kaido's hideous smile and felt an unusual emotion emanating from him, as if this encounter was not a pure provocation or attack, but a test, and might even have a deeper purpose.

He did not respond immediately, but remained silent for a few seconds, then chuckled and said, "If you want to fight, I'm always here to fight."

"But if you have other plans--" His tone was relaxed and slightly teasing, "I don't want to waste my time."

Kaido's laughter stopped abruptly, and he looked at Jinan coldly, as if he was thinking about something.

Quinn and Jin, who were standing behind Kaido, also exchanged glances, and seemed not to dare to act rashly.

The atmosphere gradually became weird and depressing, and the air around seemed to become heavier and heavier.

Jin An observed Kaido's every subtle movement, trying to catch a clue from his words and actions.

Kaido's appearance and words made him alert. This didn't seem like a simple provocation, but more like part of a bigger game.

"You know, your goal can't be achieved so easily." Kaido suddenly spoke, his tone became low and suppressed, "The truth of this world is much more complicated than you think. Do you think you are strong enough?"

He grinned, revealing a sinister smile, "When you really reach that point, perhaps you will understand what true power is."

Jin An narrowed his eyes slightly and was secretly shocked.

There was clearly a deeper meaning behind Kaido's words, and such meaningful conversations had never appeared in their past confrontations.

He knew that "that step" Kaido was talking about was not just the peak of power, but perhaps it was alluding to a higher-level power struggle, or even related to the dark forces behind the World Government.

However, Jin An did not intend to be led by the nose by the other party.

He still maintained a calm smile, took a step forward, and faced Kaido, his eyes firm: "No matter how complicated the world is, I have my own way to go. And what about your way, Kaido?"

His tone was calm, but it carried a strong sense of oppression.

Kaido stared at him in silence for a moment, then suddenly turned around and slowly took a few steps back with his men, his laughter echoing in the air: "Then let's wait and see, Jin An. I want to see how far you can go."

Seeing Kaido's different style of doing things from before, Jin An narrowed his eyes slightly, with doubts in his heart.

This meeting is far more complicated than just a seemingly chance encounter. What exactly does Kaido want to say, and what has the other party experienced during this period of time?

...

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