One Piece, I'm just an adventurer.

"No need. You will only be urgently conscripted by the Navy when they encounter some powerful pirates. Otherwise, you can do whatever you need to do," said Saint-Lian.

This answer eased everyone's expressions a little; they could accept being helped a few times a year.

Seeing that no one raised any further objections, Saint Liyan said with satisfaction, "Then it's settled. I'll send you a document later, which will detail the duties and rights of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You can raise any opinions after reading it, and we will try our best to accommodate them."

"Next, let's talk about something else, which is also the reason for gathering you all here today."

"What is it?" Tezzolo asked, frowning.

"The World Government will be conducting an operation in two days, and we will need your cooperation," Saint-Lian said solemnly.

"Could you elaborate on what the operation was?" Jinbe asked, puzzled.

Saint Ryman's expression was somewhat solemn. He was struggling with whether or not to reveal that the Five Elders were personally leading the team to deal with Lin Yi. After all, this was quite important intelligence, and according to the information he possessed, Hawkeye, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, seemed to have some kind of connection with Lin Yi and the others.

Just as Saint-Lianan was hesitating, Tesoro's dissatisfied voice suddenly rang out: "You need our cooperation, but don't you need to explain things to us clearly?" His words revealed obvious dissatisfaction and doubt.

After a moment's thought, Shenglianan decided that since they needed these people's help, telling them the truth wouldn't hurt. This way, they could not only better understand the situation, but he might also be able to observe Hawkeye's attitude.

Having made up his mind, Saint Liyan took a deep breath and slowly said, "A few days ago, an extremely heinous incident occurred on the Sabaody Archipelago. A gang of thieves led by Lin Yi brutally murdered hundreds of naval soldiers and a large number of innocent civilians. Their actions were utterly depraved and unforgivable!"

At this point, Saint-Lian's tone grew increasingly heavy, as if the horrific scene were unfolding before his eyes. "Such vicious criminals cannot be ignored by the World Government. Therefore, we have decided to gather a powerful group to wipe out these thieves. However, given their considerable strength, our forces alone may encounter some difficulties, which is why we need your assistance."

Upon hearing the name Lin Yi, everyone present changed their expressions. This name was familiar to them, given Lin Yi's formidable record.

Killing a Celestial Dragon, killing a Marine Admiral, defeating the combined forces of the Three Emperors—none of these were things they dared not even imagine.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye, Jinbe, and Crocodile, who were familiar with Lin Yi, were worried. After all, the World Government's mobilization this time seemed very large, but they did not show anything on their faces. They just showed shock like the others.

As soon as Saint-Lianan finished speaking, he kept staring at Hawkeye. Seeing that Hawkeye's expression was normal, he was slightly relieved.

"Lord Saint Lean, I'm afraid Lin Yi's strength is beyond our ability to deal with," Moonlight Moria said somewhat hesitantly.

Seeing his cowardly appearance, the other six frowned and looked at him. This guy was simply embarrassing them. As fellow Shichibukai, the others naturally disliked him.

"Hehe, don't worry, Lin Yi will naturally have someone to deal with him." Saint Li Yanan didn't discriminate against Moonlight Moria, but instead said with a smile.

His confident demeanor aroused the curiosity of those present. After all, Lin Yi was someone even the combined forces of the Three Emperors couldn't defeat, so how could the World Government be so confident in dealing with him?

However, Saint Liyan did not explain to them, but instead told them the departure time and let them leave.

Crocodile was also troubled, after all, Lin Yi was now his boss, and if Lin Yi was killed, he would be in trouble. He hadn't even gotten a taste of the promises Lin Yi had made for him.

"Lin Yi, Lin Yi, you'd better hold on this time, or I'll have to bury you." Crocodile muttered to himself, puffing on his cigar. Although Lin Yi was powerful, the World Government's long-standing pressure made Crocodile not very confident in him, and he could only take it one step at a time.

Compared to Hawkeye and Crocodile's relatively calm attitude, Jinbe was much more worried. Lin Yi was a great benefactor to him. Without him, many of the fish-man brothers of the Sun Pirates would still be suffering in Mary Geoise. So when he heard that the World Government was going to deal with Lin Yi, he was extremely anxious and wanted to go find Lin Yi to inform him immediately. But how could he escape Marineford quietly by himself?

"Sigh, I hope Mr. Lin Yi will realize the danger soon." Jinbe could only pray, helpless in the face of the current situation. However, he was determined to cover Lin Yi and the others' escape, even at the cost of his own life.

After returning to her room, Empress Hancock sat blankly in her chair, which greatly frightened the Boa sisters.

Boa Marigold quickly bent down and said, "Sister, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Hancock still didn't react, Boa Marigold gently patted her shoulder.

Hancock snapped out of her daze after being patted on the shoulder. She looked at Boa Marigold with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "Why did you pat me?"

“Sister, what are you thinking about so intently?” Boa Marigold asked again.

When Boa Marigold asked her this, Hancock's face immediately turned ugly. She said angrily, "These bastards from the World Government actually want to besiege the brave Mr. Lin Yi. They are really asking for death."

Upon hearing this, Boa Marigold and Boa Sandersonia's expressions turned equally grim. They had been captured and enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, and although they later escaped, they were branded with the "Flying Dragon's Hoof" mark on their backs. Therefore, they hated the Celestial Dragons to the core, but due to the power of the World Government, they were unable to take revenge. Just then, they learned that Lin Yi had killed a Celestial Dragon, and from then on, they regarded Lin Yi as a hero. Now that their hero was in danger, how could they stand idly by?

“Sister, what should we do now?” Boa Sandasonia asked.

"I will not harm Lin Yi," Hancock said firmly.

"Won't the World Government blame us then?" Boa Marigold said with some worry.

"I am so beautiful, no matter what I do wrong, they will forgive me," Hancock said confidently, touching her pretty face.

The two Boa sisters nodded in deep agreement. This wasn't Hancock's narcissism, but rather a manifestation of her Love-Love Fruit power.

After returning to his room, Tesoro remained deep in thought. He had seen Lin Yi's photo before and felt that the man looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place where.

"Sigh, whatever, let's play it by ear. Ha, the World Government wants to use me as a pawn, you guys have a good plan, but it's still uncertain who's using whom." Tesoro chuckled and then stopped thinking about it.

After returning to his room, Gecko Moria was restless and anxious. Compared to the other Shichibukai, he was undoubtedly the weakest, so he was very worried that he would be instantly killed if he faced Lin Yi.

No wonder he thought that way, because Lin Yi's record was too fierce and too brutal. According to rumors, Lin Yi would exterminate pirates like him.

"Damn it, I should have just stayed hidden in the Devil's Triangle and never come out," Gecko Moria muttered to himself with some regret.

Instead of returning to his residence, Xiong went to find Kizaru, hoping to learn more about Lin Yi from him.

"Don't get involved this time. Lin Yi isn't a bad person, and he's very strong. The World Government probably won't fare well this time either." In response to Kuma's question, Kizaru simply said this.

That was enough. Kuma thanked Kizaru and left; he knew what to do.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi, who was still in the Sabaody Archipelago, was not worried at all about the upcoming battle. The Seven Warlords of the Sea? More than half of them are my men.

Chapter 84: Capture Failed

With a heavy heart, Aokiji led his subordinates to the East Sea. This time, his destination was Shimotsuki Village, where Lin Yi had stayed for a considerable period of time.

Lin Yi did not deliberately conceal his travels, so the World Government easily found out what Lin Yi did in Shimotsuki Village, including the fact that Lin Yi took Kuina as his apprentice.

Aokiji stood at the bow of the ship, his mind wandering. To be honest, he didn't want to take this mission because it went against his sense of justice. But he was also a soldier, so even though he knew it was wrong, he would still carry it out.

"Forget it, I'll just go easy on them then. As the heir of the Shimotsuki family, Shimotsuki Koushirou should have some strength, right? That way, it'll be understandable if I accidentally get injured and let them escape." Aokiji thought to himself. He had done this kind of thing many times before, so he was quite adept at it.

Having figured things out, Aokiji returned to his deckchair, pulled down the eye mask from his forehead, and went to sleep. His adjutant, unfazed, readily took over command of the ship.

A mysterious and special passage exists between Marineford and the four seas, a passage that resembles a time tunnel, allowing people to traverse the oceans at astonishing speeds. Because of this, Aokiji's voyage was greatly shortened; he arrived at the East Sea in less than two days.

However, Aokiji did not stop; he continued his journey at full speed without pause. After three days of arduous sailing, he finally arrived at his destination—Shimotsuki Village.

Aokiji did not disturb the villagers. He led a dozen or so well-trained naval soldiers straight toward Isshin Dojo, where Koushirou was located.

Despite Aokiji and his group's swift and discreet actions, they still attracted the attention of some villagers. These curious people followed them from a distance, eager to find out what these unfamiliar naval personnel were up to in Shimotsuki Village.

Among this group of curious people, there was a particularly striking figure—a green-haired man who had gone out to buy something but accidentally got lost. At this moment, he was staring wide-eyed at Aokiji and his group, secretly wondering about their intentions.

With a smile on his face, Aokiji politely and gently knocked on the door of the Isshin Dojo.

Not long after, the door slowly opened, and a boy in training clothes appeared in the doorway. The boy was not very old, probably only a teenager, but he was already quite tall and had well-defined muscles, clearly the result of long-term training.

As soon as the boy stepped outside, his gaze fell upon the group of Marines wielding long spears behind Aokiji. His eyes widened suddenly, a look of fear crossing his face. For a boy his age, the Marines existed only in the stories of the older generation. This was because, under Koushirou's protection, pirates invading Shimotsuki Village were easily dealt with. Without pirate attacks, Shimotsuki Village naturally didn't need the Marines' protection, so few of the young people had ever seen a real Marine.

Faced with this scene, the boy became somewhat nervous.

Seeing his nervousness, Aokiji smiled and said, "Young friend, I'm here to see Mr. Koushirou. Is he home right now?"

"Yes, the teacher is instructing us on cultivation. Please wait a moment while I inform the teacher." The boy replied quickly and hurriedly ran inside.

Not long after, a middle-aged man with squinty eyes followed the boy out. This man was none other than Koushirou.

"It is truly an honor for me that a dignified admiral has personally visited my humble abode." Koushirou's tone was not pleasant.

Aokiji was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Koushirou to recognize him at a glance, and he didn't seem very welcoming of his visit. Did Koushirou know the purpose of his visit? That seemed unlikely.

"Mr. Koushirou, are you not going to let us in?" Aokiji asked, his expression unchanged.

Koushirou shook his head, not answering Aokiji, but instead said to the boy following beside him, "Oda, go and tell your fellow disciples that today's training is over, and you can go home now."

When Xiao Tian heard that he didn't have to cultivate today, his face visibly lit up with joy. He responded and then strode happily toward his cultivation place.

"Sir..." a Marine behind Aokiji called out hurriedly.

Aokiji naturally understood what his subordinate meant, but he simply waved his hand and didn't say anything more.

After the students in the Isshin Dojo had all left, Koushirou said to Aokiji, "General Aokiji, although I know I am no match for you, I still want to fight you for my daughter's sake."

After saying that, he drew his long sword—Wado Ichimonji, a famous sword, one of the "21 Great Grade Swords," and also one of Zoro's later swords.

"So you really do know why I'm here." Aokiji's eyes were like torches, and an imposing aura burst forth. He then struck first, sending sharp ice spikes raining down on Koushirou.

"How did you find out about this?" Aokiji asked while attacking.

"Heh, you'll see once you defeat me." Koushirou swept away the incoming ice spikes with a flying slash, then engaged Aokiji in close combat with his long sword.

Despite Koushirou's superb swordsmanship, he gradually found himself struggling against Aokiji's overwhelming strength. Aokiji's freezing ability chilled the surrounding air to an extreme degree, requiring Koushirou to expend considerable effort with each swing of his sword.

Just as Aokiji was about to deliver the fatal blow, a figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd—it was Zoro with the green moss head. He wielded two long swords and shouted, "Don't you dare hurt Mr. Koushirou!" before slashing at Aokiji.

Aokiji paused slightly, then casually waved his hand, creating an ice wall that blocked the green-haired boy's attack. "Little guy, this isn't a place for you," Aokiji said.

Koushirou took the opportunity to catch his breath. He looked at the green-haired boy with a hint of relief in his eyes. "You brat, what are you doing here?"

The green-haired man stood firmly in front of Koushirou, saying, "I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman. How can I stand by and do nothing when you're injured?"

Aokiji felt a surge of admiration for the green-haired creature, but with his mission in mind, he launched another attack.

Although Zoro's strength has improved considerably under Lin Yi's tutelage, he is still like a child to a powerful figure like Aokiji, and was injured by Aokiji in just a few moves.

As for Koushirou, he was swaying unsteadily, barely able to stand. He had just taken a lot of damage for Zoro, that reckless guy.

Seeing that the two were already at their limit, Aokiji stopped attacking. At the same time, he was a little angry. He had given the two of them many chances to escape, but they were fighting like idiots and refused to retreat. What was the meaning of this?

Just as Aokiji was pondering how to subtly let the two go without making it too obvious, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar. Aokiji turned his head and saw a girl rushing towards him at lightning speed.

The girl was Kuina. She had gone to a relatively far place for training today and hadn't been able to return in time. When she saw the scene before her, her heart tightened—her father and Zoro were both seriously injured!

Kuina's anger flared instantly. Her eyes widened, and she glared at Aokiji across from her, her face contorted with rage. She demanded in a sharp voice, "Who are you? Why did you injure my father and Zoro?"

Looking at the furious girl before him, Aokiji couldn't help but pay more attention to her. He noticed that Kuina seemed to be emanating a faint sword intent, clearly indicating that she had considerable skill in swordsmanship.

"You're Kuina? Hmm, not bad. Lin Yi has certainly trained a good disciple." Aokiji's lips curled into a faint smile as he spoke slowly.

Upon hearing this, Kuina's vigilance intensified. She stared intently at Aokiji and demanded sharply, "Who exactly are you? How do you know my master?"

Aokiji chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned about Kuina's question. He casually replied, "Heh, Lin Yi is a wanted criminal in our navy. How do you think I know him?"

"Hmph, so you're my master's enemy now, then don't blame me for being impolite. Take this!" Kuina shouted as she charged towards Aokiji.

"Kuina, you're no match for him, come back quickly!" Koushirou shouted anxiously.

But by then, Kuina had already rushed out.

"Hehe, little kid, you'll get hurt if you don't use your full strength," Aokiji said, kicking at the charging Kuina with his ice-sculpted right leg.

In that instant, his right leg shot out with lightning speed, but he missed completely. Kuina's figure vanished from Aokiji's sight in the blink of an eye, like a ghost.

Aokiji was taken aback. At that moment, Kuina appeared behind him like a ghost, holding a gleaming long sword tightly in her hand, and slashed straight at his neck.

Seeing this, Aokiji secretly marveled at Kuina's remarkable talent; despite her young age, she could use the Naval Six Powers technique, Shave, with such skill. However, this only slightly surprised him.

Aokiji subtly dodged Kuina's attack. Then, with lightning speed, he grabbed Kuina's wrist and flung her away like a cannonball.