Jogo (Part 2)

Hina couldn't find Jogo.

"Have you seen Jogo?"

She asked a Marine soldier who was peeking from behind a crate.

"Ah~~~ Ensign Hina spoke to me!!"

The Marine soldier clutched his chest and twisted his body, looking as though his soul had left his body.

"Who's Jogo? What does Ensign Hina want with him?"

A group of cannon-fodder Marine soldiers popped out from behind the crates and rushed to ask.

"I'll help!"

"That's right, leave finding someone to us!"

Wails and howls erupted all around them.

Hina seemed long accustomed to such scenes. Smiling, she raised a finger. "Hina wants to celebrate this victory with him!"

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

No!!!!

The Marine soldiers dropped to their knees, the fawning smiles on their faces instantly twisting into anguished sobs.

"Which bastard is Jogo?!!"

They pounded the floor with their fists, howling at the sky with tears streaming down their faces.

"Why celebrate with him alone!!"

"Does that mean... I don't have a chance anymore?"

"Even the way Miss Hina likes someone is so beautiful!!"

No matter how devastated they were, after a while, they obediently set out to help Hina search all over Dark Harbor for a Marine soldier named Jogo.

"If we find him, we have to beat him to a pulp!" Quite a few Marine soldiers shouted this as they left.

However,

Ten minutes... twenty minutes... half an hour passed.

When the Marine soldiers gathered around Hina again, every one of them wore a confused expression.

—There was no Jogo.

No one even knew Jogo!

Hina's face was also full of surprise.

She had asked quite a few people. The moment she mentioned him, they all seemed familiar with the name, but when they thought carefully, none of them could say who he was.

Jogo was like a ghost, existing only in everyone's illusion.

But Hina knew it couldn't have been an illusion. It was Jogo's support at the crucial moment that had made this battle to attack Dark Harbor possible.

But why couldn't they find him anywhere?

"Could he be dea—"

A Marine soldier blurted it out instinctively, only for the companion beside him to clamp a hand tightly over his mouth.

Hina froze, then sat down on a wooden crate in a daze.

That was right. If they couldn't find him anywhere, then it seemed... the only possibility was that he had died in battle.

After all, neither side's bombardment had stopped during the battle between the Marines and the mafia.

Quite a few unlucky Marines and gang members had been directly hit by cannon fire, not even leaving whole corpses behind.

And beneath Dark Harbor's broad docks lay the deep sea.

Some fragments had sunk to the bottom, while the parts left on shore were now too mangled to identify.

"How could this be..."

Hina stared blankly at the tips of her shoes.

In the heart that had been washed over by the joy of victory, indescribable memories seemed to surge back.

She remembered the scene of the Marine soldier named Jogo pushing open the door, raising his gun, and telling her, "Count me in."

Out on that sea, when every Marine soldier had lowered his head, only Jogo had gone against the tide.

Those black eyes had been so calm, yet so burning.

There had not been the slightest hint of compromise.

Yet a life so young and vivid, just like hers, so eager to distinguish himself...

While she rejoiced over earning military merit, he had died quietly and unknown on this battlefield.

They couldn't even find his body...

For no reason, an indescribable feeling welled up in Hina's heart.

Those few brief minutes of memory were like a fishhook baited with bitterness, snagging her heart and pulling her into confusion and uncertainty.

This battle should never have happened.

It was precisely because of her insistence that it had happened.

If... if she had not been so eager to earn merit back then, and had instead listened to the major's advice, would it, would it...

"It's not your fault."

At some point, the major had come to her side and lit a cigarette.

"If this battle hadn't happened today, so many weapons would have fallen into circulation. I can't imagine how many people would have died because of that. You don't need to blame yourself."

"But..."

The major paused as he smoked, his gaze deep and heavy.

"This is what it means to fight as a Marine!"

"Remember how you feel right now, Hina."

"You're a far more outstanding Marine than I am. One day, you'll rise to heights high enough that I can only look up at you.

"Even then, please don't forget the Marine soldiers who fight beside you.

"When they are willing to give their lives for you, you must cherish their lives."

"This is the only thing I, an incompetent major, can teach you."

With that, he paused.

"I've already applied for a place for you at the G-2 Branch. This matter is over now. Once you return, go to the Grand Line."

"I'm not someone who's good at earning merit. Don't waste your future by staying at my side."

The major quietly left.

Hina remained sitting blankly at the entrance to Dark Harbor, looking up at the sky.

The sky, freshly washed by rain, was crystal clear, revealing the tail of a rainbow.

Only after a long while did she pull herself together and pat her face.

"Hina won't be defeated by such a small setback!"

"Jogo..."

"Don't worry. Hina will climb higher with your share as well!"

She clenched her fists to encourage herself, looked toward the direction Capone Bege and the others had fled, then glanced back.

Not far away, the major was reporting into a Den Den Mushi:

"...I have ordered everyone to defend Dark Harbor... It was an error in my judgment. About a third of the goods were transferred away by the Capone Family beforehand. I will submit a self-criticism..."

"It wasn't my fault... and it counts as merit?"

"What? The head of the Capone Family is dead?"

"...I killed him?"

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't there some kind of misunderstanding..."

Hina gave a soft hum, the corners of her mouth lifting.

"Who said this matter was over?"

"Hina has another great idea for earning merit!"

Rustle, rustle, rustle~

As news birds flew into the sky carrying newspapers, the news of the Capone Family head's death spread throughout the West Blue.

Ohara, Tree of Knowledge.

This was the twelfth day since Jogo had gone to sea.

A fierce argument was taking place inside the enormous wooden building.

"How about we run!"

Someone said in panic.

"Don't you know how terrifying the Capone Family is?"

"Why are we still staying here?"

A historian beside him sneered.

"Run? Where can we run to?"

"Where else in this world is there a place like Ohara in the West Blue, where historians can stay long-term and conduct research?"

Everyone looked at one another, unable to say anything.

That was true. Clow had not chosen to settle in Ohara merely because the Tree of Knowledge was ancient.

The West Blue was a place with complicated forces.

At sea was the Flower Country.

As if exploiting a bug, it was both a member nation of the World Government and openly recruited pirates as military forces.

It made the Marines hate them, yet unable to directly act against them.

Their long-term standoff had greatly weakened Marine law enforcement in the West Blue.

On land were the Five Great Mafia Families, capable of providing gray forces like historians with all kinds of conveniences unavailable through normal channels.

That was why the historians of Ohara had been able to live peacefully until now.

If they left this place,

These historians with bounties on their heads would either get a reserved seat in a Marine prison or become vassals of pirates, never to have freedom again.

It would be hard for them to meet a good end.

"Then what do we do?"

The person who had spoken grew anxious as well.

"Are we really going to fight the Capone Family?"

"That Capone Family head is said to be ruthless and vicious. He evaded several Marine sieges and even made the Marines suffer heavy losses."

"Falling into the hands of someone like that would be worse than death!"

The others were just about to refute him when the door was suddenly pushed open. Clow, who had worn a serious face these past few days, walked in from outside with a beaming smile.

"Stop arguing!"

He waved the West Blue Times in his hand. On the front page, a charred headless corpse could vaguely be seen.

"News just came in. The head of the Capone Family is dead!"

The room instantly erupted in uproar.

Everyone snatched the newspaper over to read it, and for a moment, they were utterly dumbfounded.

"Is this real?"

"Someone that terrifying actually died..."

"And his head is gone too. Hiss—whoever did it was ruthless!"

"Has some terrifying new figure appeared in the West Blue?"

"Could it have been the Marines? Or the Happo Navy? It feels like only those two could produce someone that powerful!"

"Maybe it was a pirate who fled from the Grand Line to the West Blue..."

Everyone talked over one another, their faces showing both joy and worry.

They were happy because their great enemy had died unexpectedly, allowing everyone to breathe easier.

They were worried because Jogo had just gone to sea. In the face of such a storm, he was as delicate as a wildflower, and everyone was concerned for him.

"No matter what, with someone so ruthless around, the West Blue might be turned upside down!"

"I hope nothing happens to Jogo!"

As they discussed it, hurried footsteps rang out in the corridor. Little Robin shoved open the door and said happily:

"Grandpa Clow, Jogo sent a letter!"

At those words, delight appeared on everyone's faces.

"Hmph, so he still knows to write back!"

"What does the letter say?"

"Haha, he must have heard about the Capone Family head's death and gotten scared! Is he saying he wants to come back?"

Robin stood at the doorway, pulled out a long sheet of letter paper, stepped through the sunlight streaming in from the window, skipped past the message he had left for her at the beginning, and began reading with a grin from the part marked "Start Reading Here."

"I discovered a very interesting antique in a treasure chest belonging to the Capone Family. I have therefore written this hypothesis for everyone's reference. The following is a summary of the paper..."

The expectant crowd immediately felt their vision go dark, as though someone had stuffed a mouthful of shit right into their faces. They all flew into a rage.

You brat, enough already!

Why are you still competing with us even after going to sea to become a pirate!

It had only been twelve damn days, right?

And you've already churned out a paper?!

But someone quickly noticed the key point.

"Wait, why was it a treasure chest belonging to the Capone Family?"

Everyone froze, confusion in their eyes.

"That's right, why was it the Capone Family?"

"Shouldn't that kid have stayed far away from the Capone Family?"

Gradually, everyone seemed to realize something. Disbelieving gazes turned toward the newspaper in Clow's hands, their mouths slowly falling open.

"Could it be...?"

"No way, right?"

"Hahaha, what are you guessing for... Jogo grew up right before our eyes. Something like that is impossible..."

The speculation was too outrageous. They looked at one another, then all burst out laughing.

Just then, Robin reached the end of the letter.

"...Oh, and I killed the head of the Capone Family."

Huh?!?!?! xN

The treehouse shook, sending a flock of birds flying from the canopy.

It was a long while before the historians recovered from their shock, their heads still buzzing.

They looked at one another, all feeling as though they were dreaming.

That ruthless figure from West Blue they had been discussing... was Jogo?

They had only just managed to close their mouths when they saw Robin still standing in the doorway, watching them expectantly. Suddenly realizing something, they hurriedly asked:

"What happened next? Jogo... how did he do it?"

"Yeah, tell us! Hurry!"

At once, everyone's faces filled with curiosity.

Come to think of it, once they accepted the premise, it was pretty thrilling!

Killing the head of the Capone Family... just how had he pulled off such an incredible feat?

Robin's smile grew even brighter as she continued reading from the part marked (wait for them to ask).

"As for the specific process... I figured everyone was focused on academic pursuits and probably wouldn't care about that, so I won't go into detail. Don't worry about me."

Damn it!!!!! xN

Tonight, the historians were destined to go sleepless.