Chapter 149: Fujitora

Knowing that the visitor was Fujitora, Luo Ning also requested he be brought directly. Anyone else might have been denied, but Fujitora was different. After all, in the original story, Fujitora's character was quite endearing.

Fujitora possesses his own unique sense of justice. The most significant distinction between him and the previous three Admirals is his willingness to act according to his own moral compass.

Fujitora blocked Doflamingo's Birdcage and even attempted to destroy it with meteors. However, Doflamingo's Birdcage proved incredibly powerful, severing the meteorite in two.

In fact, Fujitora never unleashed his full strength, whether it was against Sabo or others.

He placed his faith in Luffy. To be honest, if Luffy had utterly failed, Fujitora would have undoubtedly intervened without hesitation and defeated Doflamingo directly. He wouldn't have stood by and watched countless people perish.

Afterwards, he led the Marines to kneel. Why did he do this? Naturally, it stemmed from his belief that his actions as a Marine Admiral didn't align with his own concept of justice.

He felt some guilt for not acting sooner, and the entire situation was indeed a consequence of the indulgence of the Marines and the World Government. Therefore, he led them to kneel. However, this act of kneeling stemmed more from his own discord with his sense of justice, given his position as a Marine Admiral. Akainu reprimanded him for a while following this.

As for Luffy and the others, this man also deliberately let them go in the end. If he truly wanted to target them, he could have easily wiped out their ships. "Why bother?" He simply fabricated an excuse, and the citizens of Dressrosa at that time served as his justification.

Throughout the story, Fujitora stands out within the Marines as the one with the strongest sense of justice and the courage to act on it.

Soon, under the guidance, Fujitora arrived at Luo Ning's residence.

"This is our first meeting. How should I address you?"

Luo Ning knew Fujitora's alias, Issho, but not his real name. "Fujitora" was the title he adopted after becoming a Marine Admiral. Given Fujitora's situation, the name wasn't necessarily accurate.

Of course, there's also a translation that refers to him, but they all essentially mean the same thing.

"Just call me Issho. As for my actual surname, I've long forgotten it," Fujitora replied.

"Alright, Mr. Issho. I'm curious, what brings you here today?"

Luo Ning didn't dwell on the issue of names. A codename is just a codename, regardless of what people call it.

"I wish to join your ranks, Mr. Luo Ning!"

Fujitora was very direct and stated his purpose immediately.

"Directly under me? Mr. Issho, you have the option of Impel Down. Why would you want to join me?"

Luo Ning inquired with a smile. He had a strong hunch about the reason, but he wanted to hear it from Fujitora himself.

"Impel Down is a long way off. Though I considered going there before, logistical challenges caused delays. This time, encountering Your Excellency Luo Ning here presented a perfect opportunity, so I decided to join directly."

"As for why I want to join," Fujitora said, "perhaps it's because our ideologies align. I blinded myself because I refused to witness the world's filth."

"Although it didn't have the intended effect, on the contrary, I ended up seeing even more ugliness I wished I hadn't. However, your actions embody the justice I strive for. That's why I want to serve under you."

Luo Ning found Fujitora's situation somewhat humorous. Fujitora blinded himself to avoid seeing the world's ugliness, but this act only intensified the situation.

When one sense is lost, the others often heighten. People who lose their sight, for instance, will rely more heavily on their other senses to perceive the world.

Luo Ning recalled reading about someone who, before he crossed over, deliberately sacrificed his eyesight to enhance his hearing, ultimately leading to severe vision loss. It was a peculiar choice, but the man went through with it.

Losing his sight led to a terrifying increase in Fujitora's knowledge. Ultimately, his advanced Observation Haki granted him the ability to read minds. This ability exposed him to even more ugliness.

After all, many with malicious intent choose to hide and disguise themselves. But to Fujitora, these disguises were transparent. This amplified exposure to ugliness rendered his self-inflicted blindness somewhat redundant.

However, there was no way to regain his sight. Typically, Fujitora avoided using his knowledge for fear of being bombarded by negativity.

"...Since you wish to join, Mr. Issho, then join us. Your strength is undeniable. Among all my subordinates, you would likely be the strongest."

Excluding the franchise countries, Luo Ning's entire Impel Down force lacked Admiral-level combat power. Fujitora's addition perfectly addressed this gap.

Regarding Zephyr, even if he heals his body, his strength wouldn't reach the Admiral level again. His decline is the most significant.

"Thank you, Your Excellency... No, I should call you Lord Ning. I've often heard people discuss your actions. Unfortunately, I can no longer see with my eyes. Otherwise, I would truly love to see what you look like, Lord Ning!"

Fujitora explained that before arriving in Wano Country, he had witnessed far too much injustice and evil.

"However, since Lord Ning's arrival, everything has begun to improve. Your presence has injected hope into the country, which fills me with optimism. This is why I, with unwavering determination, decided to seek refuge directly under you."

"Actually, it's not that complicated," Luo Ning replied. He then left his seat, approached Fujitora, and used his healing ability to directly heals Fujitora's eyes.

Regaining his sight left Fujitora bewildered.

"This is..."

Fujitora himself was understandably surprised. Honestly, he had mixed feelings about blinding himself. On one hand, he regretted it because his heightened Observation Haki had reached such a level that seeing the world again would have been beneficial.

On the other hand, he didn't regret the act itself. He remained resolute in his reasons for blinding himself.

Now that his vision was restored, Fujitora was naturally surprised.

"Consider this a welcome gift from me. With your level of knowledge and mastery of Observation Haki, having eyes or not makes little difference," Luo Ning said with a smile. While eyes are crucial organs for most humans, that might not be the case for him.