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[TIOP] Chapter : 61
🕑 Added 2025-03-06 17:48:01 +0000 UTCJust as the Straw Hat Pirates successfully rescued Robin and Luffy, who remained locked in battle with Lucci inside the First Pillar, the vice admirals summoned by the CP9 commander—along with ten warships—arrived at Judicial Island through the Gate of Justice.
Jack, watching the approaching fleet, seemed to abandon any thought of intervening. Instead, he turned to Aokiji and asked, "I heard the one leading the operation this time is that so-called ‘Dark Justice’ guy?"
Aokiji nodded. "That's right. It's Rob Lucci, the one hailed as a genius—just like you."
Jack scoffed. "Tch. He may be strong, but he’s nowhere near my level."
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Before Aokiji could respond, the warships opened fire, unleashing a relentless barrage of artillery. Explosions erupted across Judicial Island, engulfing it in smoke and flames.
Jack watched the destruction unfold, then glanced sideways at Aokiji. "Is this really a good idea? Launching a Buster Call on Judicial Island? Won't Sengoku-san have something to say about this later?"
Aokiji didn’t even lift his head. His voice was as cold as ever. "Haven't you always been dissatisfied with the Judicial Island?"
Jack shrugged. "True, I can’t stand Judicial Island, but wiping it out like this? It makes the Navy look bad."
Aokiji finally turned to him, his gaze sharp. "Which is exactly why the Straw Hat Pirates can’t be allowed to leave."
"Hey, are you really planning to pin everything on Luffy? Aren't you afraid that old man Garp will clobber you with his fists the size of a cooking pot?" Jack asked with a chuckle.
Aokiji smirked. "As long as we capture him alive and bring him back, there won't be a problem."
Jack nodded in understanding. If Luffy was taken into custody, Garp might even end up feeling grateful. With all of Luffy's crewmates eliminated on Judicial Island, the young pirate would likely lose his will to set sail again. At the same time, the Navy could rid itself of the filth hidden within Judicial Island. And as for who would take the fall? That had already been decided.
However, Jack had no intention of letting Aokiji's plan succeed. Beyond his personal connection with Luffy, the future hinged on the chaos this reckless troublemaker would inevitably bring.
BOOM!
As Jack and Aokiji spoke, a sudden explosion rocked the First Pillar of the Bridge of Hesitation. A massive arm, enlarged to the size of a giant's, sent the entire structure crumbling.
At that moment, Jack noticed Zoro and the others had already boarded an empty Marine ship behind the bridge.
"Is this the so-called genius you were talking about?" Jack asked with a grin, watching as Lucci was sent flying off the ship by Luffy's devastating attack.
Aokiji, however, didn’t respond. He simply observed the ongoing battle as the clash between the two shattered a warship.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Jack's expression darkened as another explosion erupted.
"Damn it! Who the hell gave the order to open fire when there are regular marines still present? Was it Onigumo or Doberman?" He glared at the sinking vessel, frustration evident in his voice.
"Sail over and start the rescue!" Jack ordered Lena without waiting for Aokiji to respond.
"Yes, sir!" Lena nodded and immediately directed the warship to approach the island.
From their current position, the Pearl had been visible to everyone except Luffy and his crew, yet no one had come forward to question its presence.
Aokiji, still lounging on the deck, cast a glance at Jack and said in a calm tone, "I’d advise against acting recklessly."
It was unclear whether he was concerned about Jack rescuing the marines—or using this as an opportunity to assist the Straw Hat Pirates.
Jack met Aokiji's gaze and replied, "I don’t know why you think that way, but any officer who disregards the lives of their own soldiers has no right to call themselves part of a just navy."
Aokiji was momentarily taken aback. It was the first time Jack had spoken to him so bluntly.
After a brief silence, Aokiji sighed, "I've heard about your ideals. And while I, too, wish for a navy like that, the world isn’t as simple as you imagine."
Jack chuckled. "Dreams aren't meant to be simple. If they were too easy to achieve, people would lose their drive to keep pushing forward."
Aokiji smirked slightly before closing his eyes. "Then I’ll wait and see."
Yet Jack knew better—despite his relaxed posture, Aokiji had already locked onto his every movement. If Jack made even the slightest wrong move, Aokiji would stop him in an instant.
This was precisely why Jack had never openly shared his true intentions with Aokiji. The gap in strength between them was too great—words alone wouldn’t change anything, and Aokiji wasn’t the type to give someone weaker a chance to sway him.
"Sir, the warships have razed Judicial Island. Only the Bridge of Hesitation and the First Pillar remain, and the warships have completely surrounded them!" Lena approached Jack, speaking in a hushed tone, her voice laced with urgency.
Even though she knew full well that Admiral Aokiji could hear her no matter how softly she spoke, she instinctively kept her voice low.
Jack, however, ignored the caution in her tone and asked directly, "Were all the soldiers rescued?"
"Some were saved, but... not all." Lena hesitated, but Jack understood immediately—those still unaccounted for likely had little chance of survival.
His expression darkened. "Damn it. Which vice admirals are leading this operation?"
Lena quickly listed them off. "Vice Admiral Momonga, Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Onigumo, Vice Admiral Strawberry, and Vice Admiral Yamakaji!"
Just as Jack was about to speak, Aokiji suddenly opened his eyes and fixed him with a sharp gaze.
Jack smirked. He knew Aokiji had caught on to his thoughts—but that didn't matter. In fact, it played right into his hands.
Someone had just ordered an attack on his warship. That alone gave him the perfect excuse to act. If he retaliated under the guise of anger, it would be seen as justified—even if he had to answer for it back at headquarters.
Aokiji, for his part, had already pieced together Jack's plan. That was why he had opened his eyes—he had been monitoring Jack all along, wary of his next move. And while he might be prepared to intervene, if Jack struck first, he could still buy the Straw Hat Pirates a crucial moment to escape.
"Sir, the warships have mobilized. They've deployed 200 elite soldiers, all ranked lieutenant or higher, from our headquarters to capture the Straw Hat's crew. As for him, he's still locked in battle with Lucci at the First Pillar," Lena reported swiftly.
Jack's expression remained unreadable. "The vice admirals haven’t moved yet?"
Lena shook her head. "No, not yet."
Jack let out a dry chuckle. "Tch. When will they finally set aside their arrogance?" His voice carried a note of sarcasm.
Aokiji, however, said nothing. He had already fought against the Straw Hat Pirates before. He knew that in their current situation, even one vice admiral would be enough to crush them. With five waiting in the wings—and an elite force of over 200 officers bearing down on them—their chances of escape seemed nonexistent.
Jack exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on Luffy’s ongoing battle. "As long as the vice admirals stay out of it, I won’t interfere either." His voice was quiet, spoken more to himself than to Aokiji, but the subtle pressure of his presence—his aura—began to dissipate.
Aokiji finally broke his silence. "Do you really think they still stand a chance… if the vice admirals don’t step in?"
Jack nodded confidently. "That's right. That kid isn’t someone who’ll go down so easily."
Aokiji frowned. "You're talking about Rob Lucci."
Jack smirked and echoed Aokiji’s own words back at him. "Then let’s wait and see."
Aokiji let out a helpless sigh and reclined back on the deck. A skirmish like this wasn’t worth his involvement—unless Jack made a move, there was no need for him to interfere.
Though he had been away from headquarters for some time, Aokiji was well aware of Jack’s relentless training. The Marine higher-ups had even begun promoting Jack’s fighting techniques, which piqued Aokiji’s curiosity. He had yet to see the Arhan Fist in action, but if the headquarters was endorsing it, that meant Jack had likely discovered a way to overcome its weaknesses—something he once dismissed as impossible.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two consecutive explosions snapped Aokiji out of his thoughts. He glanced up and saw that the passage connecting the Bridge of Hesitation and the First Pillar had been blown apart. Now, the Straw Hat Pirates were completely trapped—with Rob Lucci still standing in their way. Escape seemed impossible.
"Luffy! Hurry up and take that guy down so we can get out of here together!" Usopp’s desperate voice rang out from the Bridge of Hesitation, calling to an exhausted Luffy, who was on the verge of collapse.
Although Jack stood on the deck, his anxiety was palpable. Even though he was certain Luffy would defeat Lucci, witnessing the battle firsthand made him uneasy.
After all, Lucci’s reputation within the World Government was just as formidable as it was within the Navy. If not for Luffy’s so-called “protagonist’s halo,” there was no way he would be able to defeat Lucci at this stage.
Like Crocodile, Lucci’s downfall was dictated by the plot. Unlike the Enel from Skypiea, who at least had the disadvantage of elemental weakness, Lucci and Crocodile were simply casualties of narrative convenience.
Jack shifted his gaze from the fight and suddenly asked, “By the way, Nico Robin—do you still intend to capture her alive?”
Aokiji glanced at him, mildly surprised. “What are you getting at?”
Jack gestured toward a group of officers.“They seem to be moving to capture her. Did you give that order?”
Aokiji shook his head. “No, I didn’t issue any commands, and they’re unaware of my presence. But Nico Robin is dangerous. Capturing her alive is the best course of action—especially now that she’s aligned with the Straw Hat boy. Her threat level has increased significantly.” His expression grew serious.
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Because she can decipher ancient texts?”
Aokiji’s voice was calm but firm. “There are some things you’d be better off not knowing too much about.”
Jack smirked. “You’d be surprised how much I already know.”
Aokiji didn’t press further. Instead, he nodded toward the First Pillar and said, “Really? Well, it looks like the fight over there is reaching its conclusion.”
Jack quickly turned his attention back to the battle.
Luffy lay collapsed on the ground while Lucci exchanged words with Usopp. Jack was just about to make a move when he sensed Aokiji’s presence locking onto him once again. If he so much as twitched, Aokiji would undoubtedly intervene immediately.
“Damn it, that guy Lucci really went through with it,” Jack muttered, his irritation evident.
Aokiji smirked. “Did you really think a man who believes in ‘Dark Justice’ would show mercy?”
“Of course not,” Jack admitted, his expression shifting as he focused on Luffy. “But Luffy isn’t someone who goes down so easily.”
