Brook had always held a deep reverence for the Admirals.
In his mories, an Admiral was the pinnacle of strength on the seas—a force unmatched, an icon of absolute authority. Yet after decades trapped in the Devil's Triangle, the first thing he saw upon stepping back into the world was an Admiral being defeated by Arakawa Zenkichi.
The absurdity of the scene shook his belief. Were the Admirals truly as powerful as the legends claid?
"Think the Admiral's not all he's cracked up to be?" Zenkichi said with a smirk, catching Brooke's expression.
"If you do, I suggest you take it up with him. He's right over there—go ahead, give it a try."
"How strong is an Admiral, really? There's one surefire way to find out: face him."
Brooke laughed nervously, waving his skeletal hands in protest. "No, no, I'll pass! I didn't have to fight him to know I'd lose. Just the pressure from that Yasakani No Magatama attack nearly shattered my spine—and I don't even have one!"
When Kizaru unleashed that blinding storm of golden light bullets, Brook had been sure that even his bones would be reduced to dust. He knew his limits.
Once the ship sailed a safe distance, Zenkichi gave the command to halt. With a single motion, he launched himself into the air and landed effortlessly on a massive pirate vessel in the distance—where Katakuri was waiting.
"You've been watching for a while now," Zenkichi said, smiling as he walked up. "Seen enough?"
Katakuri remained calm under Zenkichi's piercing gaze. "I ant no offense. I'm here on my mother's behalf—to deliver an invitation to her tea party."
He held out a decorated envelope, offering it respectfully.
Zenkichi took it with a raised brow. "Big Mom's tea party, huh? Interesting."
He turned it over in his hand, then grinned. "Alright, I've received it. You can tell her I'll consider it."
Katakuri gave a small nod and left without another word. He had no intention of provoking soone whose strength had surpassed even his mother's. If anything, he silently prayed that Big Mom wouldn't do anything foolish to anger Zenkichi.
As soon as Katakuri was gone, Zenkichi tossed the invitation into the wind, uncaring, and returned to his ship. They resud sailing, and soon arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Brook, however, wasn't given a warm welco. After experiencing his music once, Zenkichi gave him a look and kicked him off the ship.
Their brief journey together was over. Zenkichi had no plans to take him on as a crewmate.
(Bruh's brutal lmao)
anwhile, back at Navy Headquarters, the tension was growing.
"Arakawa Zenkichi has landed at the Sabaody Archipelago. Should we make a move while we have the chance?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked, his tone heavy.
Around the conference table, the highest-ranking officers of the Navy gathered, turning their eyes to Admiral Kizaru.
"Don't look at like that," Kizaru said, shrugging. "I didn't want to fight him in the first place."
"I'm telling the truth—I really couldn't beat him."
"He knocked into the sea with a single punch. A lot of people saw it."
Akainu scowled. "Tch. Everyone knows you like to ss around."
Justice burned in Akainu's eyes. He despised Kizaru's laziness and lack of seriousness.
"How terrifying," Kizaru muttered with an exaggerated shiver. "Sure, I slack off sotis, but I don't lie about this stuff. He beat , plain and simple."
Sengoku wasn't convinced. "You were defeated, yes. But did you give it your all? I suspect you let him win. You didn't even get back up after being rescued."
Kizaru blinked. "Oh! You're right—I could've kept going. But honestly, I panicked. His strength was terrifying."
"Even if I had thought of it, I wouldn't have fought again. I like being alive."
"Besides, Marshal, your orders weren't to risk my life. You wanted a test—I gave you your result."
Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose.
"We'll deal with you later," he muttered. "Right now, we need to decide what to do about Zenkichi."
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke up, her tone sharp. "I'd hoped we could use him against Whitebeard—pit one beast against another. But Whitebeard isn't taking the bait."
"That plan's dead. The longer we wait, the more allies Zenkichi will gain. If he enters the New World, pirates will flock to him. It'll be much harder to deal with him then."
"It's now or never."
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