Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the Admiral’s office, the seat once occupied by Sengoku is now claid by Akainu, Sakazuki. Draped in his admiral’s uniform, he sat back with his trademark crossed legs, quietly smoking a cigar.
Beside him, Borsalino was carefully reading a dispatch order. After a mont, he set down the docunt and, in his usual humorous tone, said, “Hey, hey, what’s the deal with this order? The newly appointed Admiral Arest hasn’t even reported to Marineford, and the Five Elders have already reassigned him. Didn’t they even bother consulting with you, the Fleet Admiral? Are they not taking you seriously?”
“Hmph!” Akainu snorted, pressing the end of his cigar into his gloved hand to extinguish it. He then responded to Kizaru, “Your sarcasm seems to be improving lately!”
“Oh ho ho, isn’t it true, though?” Kizaru chuckled, spreading his hands. “They’ve already reassigned him and only now sent a post-factum notice to the Navy. Isn’t that overstepping their bounds a bit?”
Akainu glanced at him and said, “The Navy, after all, is the outward face of the World Governnt. If the Celestial Dragons encounter danger in the Golden City, it’s inevitable that an admiral must respond. This is an agreent long established between them and the World Governnt…”
While he outwardly defended the World Governnt’s actions, deep down, Akainu couldn’t help but feel a bit disgruntled.
The competition with Aokiji for the position of Fleet Admiral had indeed led Akainu to rely on the influence of the Five Elders. This reliance had caused his relationship with the World Governnt to beco sowhat delicate after assuming the role of Fleet Admiral.
This ti, the Five Elders bypassed him and directly issued orders to the newly recruited Admiral White Wolf, Arest, commanding him to divert to the Golden City mid-journey, without notifying Akainu first.
The fact that orders were issued to one of his subordinates without his involvent highlighted the World Governnt’s stance.
They seed to be acting as if Akainu owed them sothing, as if they could treat him as a puppet just because they helped him ascend to power.
To make matters worse, Kizaru had subtly pointed this out, reminding Akainu of the underlying tension. Kizaru had always been soone who quietly sowed discord between Akainu and Aokiji, never overtly, but Akainu was fully aware of it.
Although Kizaru hadn’t vied for the Fleet Admiral position this ti, who knew what his true intentions were?
The role of Fleet Admiral was indeed difficult, and Akainu had no intention of being like Sengoku, who had unparalleled prestige within the Navy. In fact, his battle with Aokiji for the Fleet Admiral position had significantly damaged his previously accumulated prestige. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been instances of Navy officers leaving to follow Aokiji.
However, anyone who reached Akainu’s level was soone of unwavering conviction. Just as Aokiji would “never” beco a pirate, Akainu would never waver in his beliefs either.
Even though many see his adherence to “absolute justice” as problematic, Akainu is firmly convinced that he is right.
He has his own ambitions. He didn’t fight for the position of Fleet Admiral to beco a puppet of the World Governnt but to enforce his beliefs.
The World Governnt’s recent actions, bypassing him, have stirred a rebellious impulse in Akainu. While he is aligned with the World Governnt, it doesn’t an he won’t resist when necessary.
He thought to himself, I am the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, and the authority that cos with it cannot be stripped away!
So, even as he spoke, Akainu had already made up his mind to have a serious “discussion” with the Five Elders.
“Ho ho ho!” Kizaru’s face once again took on the genial smile of an easygoing uncle as he heard Akainu’s response. He continued, “The problem is, what if the World Governnt gives orders that end up being ineffective? I don’t know exactly where Admiral Arest is, but he’s likely quite far from Golden City. By the ti he gets there, the place might already be cleaned out…”
As he said this, Kizaru crossed his legs and looked aningfully at Akainu. “Don’t forget, that kid Ian is also in the Golden City. Given his distaste for the Celestial Dragons, if that noble happens to run into him and sothing unfortunate occurs, who do you think the Celestial Dragons will bla?”
The mont Kizaru ntioned Ian’s na, Akainu’s facial muscles couldn’t help but twitch, and a faint pain began to throb in his wrists.
If there was anyone in this world that Akainu hated the most, it had to be Ian. Ever since Ian severed his wrists, Akainu, despite receiving chanical prosthetics through Dr. Vegapunk’s cyborg technology, found that these new wrists, while allowing him to move normally, provided no aid to his combat abilities.
Akainu’s situation was entirely different from Zephyr’s. Being a Devil Fruit user himself, Akainu couldn’t simply attach a pair of Sea-Prism Stone wrists. Moreover, given that Akainu possessed the Magma-Magma Fruit, any fragile steel wrists would lt during combat due to his own magma.
Magma, by nature, is fluid, so through his recent training, Akainu could still simulate his original fists while in elental form. But as soon as he returned to his physical body, he remained a cripple…
As ti passed, Akainu deeply felt the inconvenience of losing both arms, which naturally fueled his growing hatred for Ian.
Though Kizaru’s words stirred the anger within him, Akainu understood that Kizaru was right. Even though Arest had been dispatched by the World Governnt, it was likely driven by a desperate hope. They were probably praying that Ian wouldn’t encounter the Celestial Dragons, so that when Arest arrived, he might still be able to safely escort the world nobles back.
But no one knew just how likely that scenario was! In Akainu’s view, it was far more probable that those arrogant, hate-mongering Celestial Dragons would be discovered by Ian, and Arest’s trip would have been in vain.
Ever since Ian first killed a Celestial Dragon in Mary Geoise, and then Blackbeard Teach followed suit by slaughtering three more, the entire World Noble faction has been seething with anger. If they were to lose another family mber at this critical mont, they would undoubtedly take out their frustration on the Navy!
They wouldn’t confront the World Governnt directly, but they would definitely target him, the newly appointed Fleet Admiral.
Akainu certainly didn’t want to take the fall for this, but dealing with the Celestial Dragons has always been a hurdle that the Navy couldn’t overco. This was sothing that not only the forr Fleet Admiral Sengoku had experienced, but now Akainu was facing it as well.
After so thought, Akainu made a decision. He tapped on his desk and said, “In that case, send a ssage to Arest. Tell him that if the Celestial Dragons et an unfortunate end, he is to pursue Ian relentlessly. He’s not to return until I give the order.”
“Do you think that’ll work?” Kizaru asked with so doubt.
“It has to work!” Akainu replied firmly. “The Celestial Dragons want accountability? I’ll give them accountability. Sending a newly appointed Admiral on a mission without even allowing him to report to headquarters first, and having him chase down the culprit—this is the biggest concession the Navy can make. If they’re still not satisfied, let them increase the Navy’s budget. If that happens, I’ll imdiately expand our forces in the New World!”
“That’s actually a good plan,” Kizaru chuckled. “But does Arest have what it takes to capture Ian? Don’t forget, Ian’s ‘currency Fruit’ ability is quite strange. Now that he’s fallen into the treasure trove that is Gold City, when he cos out, he might officially step into the ranks of the Emperors… Tsk tsk, an Emperor younger than Shanks, just the thought of it is a headache! Even taking down an old guy like Whitebeard required all three Admirals. Can Arest really handle Ian on his own?”
“Don’t underestimate Arest!” Akainu lit another cigar and leaned back in the Fleet Admiral’s chair. “That man may be a devout believer most of the ti, but once he enters battle, he’s an opponent many would prefer not to face. The nickna ‘White Wolf’ isn’t just for show. When Arest fights, he’s like a wolf—a dangerous lone wolf. Unlike you and , he’s an assassin. His battles are rarely straightforward. To put it bluntly, Borsalino, when it cos to killing, he’s better than you! He might not be able to take down Ian, but he can definitely cause him a lot of trouble!”
“Oh, really?!” Kizaru feigned surprise. “But a wolf-like believer—doesn’t that sound like a huge contradiction? Could he be so kind of split personality? Why would the World Governnt recruit soone like that as an Admiral?”
“Who knows…” Akainu exhaled a puff of smoke. “I don’t care what kind of person he is, as long as he fills the gap in the Admiral ranks. While Momousagi and Chaton have been promoted to Admirals, their strength is still sowhat lacking. Arest’s presence will help make up for that.”
“Ah, that puts my mind at ease!” Kizaru relaxed even further into his chair, taking on a leisurely pose. “Then I can comfortably ride out my ti as an Admiral until retirent!”
However, Akainu couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at Kizaru’s remark.
“Hmph, retire peacefully? You’d have to be crazy to believe that!”
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