How to Bring Peace to the World?

The West Blue, commonly known as the strongest of the world's four seas, is a place of tangled, deep-rooted powers and a breeding ground for the strong. Among these, the rulers of the underworld are the five great Mafia families.

The fervent morale of the marines in the arena quieted down rapidly upon hearing the name of their enemy, accompanied by a sudden, sharp drop in temperature.

Aokiji's words were akin to saying that to pass the qualifying tournament, one would have to risk their life to fight against vicious, depraved, and violent criminals.

That's right—the Mafia kills.

In an era where most pirates choose to flee or retreat upon encountering marines, the five great Mafia families keep a massive stable of assassins who kill without leaving a trace or via suicide attacks, causing even law enforcers to shy away.

In the eyes of the world, they are like a shadow force that the World Government tolerates, allowing them to operate underground and coexist with society.

The ice binding Prince shattered, and a flicker of cowardice appeared in his eyes before he quickly suppressed it, gritting his teeth to summon his resolve.

He hailed from the West Blue, born into a wealthy merchant family that could not avoid dealing with the five great Mafia families; the impression the Mafia left on him was deep-rooted, and he had long since grown accustomed to their existence.

To Prince, it was as if the authorities had suddenly announced they were going to purge a group of people he had heard about since childhood—people whose influence reached the heavens, who were whispered about in every street, and whom even the courts could not touch.

How could he not be stunned?

Aokiji unbuttoned his white vest, straightened his tie, and exhaled a massive cloud of icy white mist.

"It's not too late to quit now. After all, being a marine is just a job. 'Justice' and all that is just talk—how many people actually join the Navy for that goal?"

"Many of you are surely like me, holding the mindset of working to get promoted and earn Beli. There's no need to risk your lives."

As an examiner, Aokiji's words were undoubtedly highly unprofessional, but paired with his lazy demeanor, they clearly struck a chord with many of the marines.

After all, most people were here to live a better life, not to die for justice in some random battle.

Aokiji pulled his eye mask back down. "I'll sleep for ten minutes. Those who want to leave, go ahead. I won't remember who you are, and when it's over, I'll just report the results of the elimination."

Footsteps shuffled sporadically.

A clear, resonant voice rang out, carrying distinctly through the frozen, snowy expanse.

"That is precisely why we need the power to complete our work without having to throw our lives away."

"That is precisely why justice must consolidate and master the power to easily humiliate evil."

"It is because it is dangerous that we must be absolutely strong. Otherwise, how can we bring peace to the world? How can we make all nations bow before us!"

Aokiji lifted his eye mask, his expression dull. His dead-fish eyes scanned across the chaotic, ice-covered training ground, settling on Conrad, who stood as straight as a ramrod.

He did not speak. He could express his own "Lazy Justice," but he could not negate the convictions of others.

Not many people left, but those who did surely had their reasons, just as those who stayed had theirs. That was no longer his concern; what he had to do was begin the examination.

"Are you finished?"

Conrad raised his hand, pointing straight at the sky. "Sooner or later, I will force these snakes, scorpions, and rats to hide in the sewers, to bury their filthy thoughts, and to never dare show their faces in the light of day—or before me!"

Just then, a gust of wind swept across the rolling white clouds, casting a vast shadow over the earth. A scorching sun reflected in the center of the bright, icy ground, and Conrad stood at the very heart of the sun, one finger pointing to the heavens.

Dazzling, impossible to look at directly, impossible to ignore, impossible to obscure—one could only stare.

Kujaku stood to Conrad's left, her eyes narrowed into downward-curving crescents as she gazed straight at the boy of the same height beside her. Though they were less than five meters apart, she could not clearly see the features on his face, so she simply kept watching.

Drake smiled with honest simplicity, remembering the cold winter on Minion Island and the clear, dark eyes he had seen outside the threshold in the wind and snow.

Prince's four gold rings clutched the thick gold chain around his neck as he tilted his head to look at the sky. Why isn't it shining on me? Why am I not the one standing in that spot?

If it were shining on him, he would surely be even more dazzling.

On the instructor's platform, Aokiji pulled his eye mask back up. "How blinding. The examination begins."

He raised both hands toward the air, and ice crystals surged violently upward. In the blink of an eye, ten ice peaks rose from the training ground, their summits flat and smooth as mirrors.

"There are two hundred spots in total for this Elite Intern Ship, so each peak can only hold twenty people."

"No matter how you fight or what methods you use, I will continue to lower the temperature until only two hundred people remain on the summits."

Aokiji pressed his palms to the ground, giving the marines no time to respond or formulate tactics.

The moment his voice fell, frost surged, covering the entire training ground. The temperature plummeted to ten degrees below zero and continued to drop.

The over one thousand marines in the arena were caught off guard. In the past, qualifying tournaments were always held on stages, but this examination was decided on the spot by the examiner.

Furthermore, the race against time had begun immediately, and all the colleagues around them had become enemies in an instant.

"Brothers from Headquarters!" Fullbody called out to his companions, gesturing toward the three ice peaks on the right. "Let's charge those ones together!"

Most of them had known each other since they were young, playing and brawling together. They quickly formed a group and surrounded the three peaks on the right.

They formulated a strategy, not rushing to climb the peaks just yet.

Because those who went up first would inevitably face the challenges of those who followed. Resting and conserving strength below, then making a single, decisive push at the end, was the correct choice.

Boom!

Prince punched two marines to the ground, a look of excitement on his face. These rules were simply perfect for him.

His arms sprayed clay, and five seven-to-eight-meter-tall Clay Giants guarded his perimeter. He charged straight toward an ice peak, raining blows down in every direction.

Drake and Bling Bling quickly ran behind Conrad, the three of them forming a triangle in their dormitory formation.

"I won't hold you back! If I can't keep up with your pace, just abandon me." Bling Bling gripped his blade, well aware that his strength was only a notch above the bottom of the barrel here.

Drake shook his head.

"We move together." Conrad punched toward the first ice peak on the left.

Crack!

"Conrad!" Kujaku's Combat Whip snapped against the ground, a flush of excitement rising on her face. "You adorable little brat! It's finally time for me to train you!"

Without a shred of regard for their past friendship, she spun twice to build momentum and lashed out directly at Conrad's face.

"Damn it, you crazy woman! Can't you tell the difference between a joke and a real fight?" Conrad kicked back, retreating to dodge the whip.

"Be a good boy~ let me whip you twice, and I can still help you pass after I'm done training you~"

Kujaku's whip struck the ice, causing the surface to crack and split; the shards rose and shifted as if alive, forming an icy wall to block their path.

"What do we do?" Drake asked, looking a bit lost.

"We fight, what else! She wants to whip me, and I want to whip her back!" Conrad rolled up his sleeves, spread his palms, and decisively moved to engage.

Drake let out a furious roar, transforming into his half-dragon, half-human form. He lunged forward, overtaking Conrad within seconds, and leaped to swipe at Kujaku with his claws.

Crack!

With a nimble and swift long-range strike, the tip of the whip lashed against the X-shaped scar on Drake's Allosaurus chin.

Kujaku put her hands on her hips and pointed. "Go! Catch him and bring him to me!"

"Roar~" Drake skidded to a halt, turned around, and charged toward Conrad.

"You motherf—!" Conrad's eyes widened.