The Marine Headquarters' Hidden Operatives

The sky over Marineford was not yet fully bright, and a thin mist hung over the sea.

There were twice as many patrol boats as usual in the outer harbor of the Marine Headquarters, and searchlights swept back and forth along the edge of the Port, the beams cutting white streaks in the fog.

A small vessel bearing the markings of a judicial ship is anchored at anchorage Number Three in the outer harbor.

Five people were standing on the deck of the ship.

They were all wearing white suits and masks.

The leader placed a Den Den Mushi in his palm; a small zero was engraved on the Den Den Mushi's shell.

"Alabasta's first group has failed."

The woman behind him spoke.

"The second group changes their mission route: three enter the old waterway of the capital, while two hold off the Royal Palace."

The leader looked towards the towering buildings of the Marine Headquarters.

Our mission here remains unchanged.

"Another man wearing a long-nosed mask asked."

"If the Navy doesn't take any action after the list is released."

"Wait."

"If Aokiji makes a public statement."

"Take away."

"If Akainu intervenes."

The leader put the Den Den Mushi back into his sleeve.

"According to the Five Elders' instructions, this is considered an unstable factor."

The air on the deck seemed to freeze for two seconds.

The woman said.

"Akainu is Admiral."

That's why we have to wait for the list to be released.

The leader looked up at the golden countdown in the sky.

Four hours and thirty-nine minutes.

"No one is allowed to move during these four hours."

Inside the Marine Headquarters, Aokiji's dormitory door was not closed.

The sleep mask was still hanging on the bedside table, and the navy coat was still in the closet.

Kuzan sat on the edge of the bed, holding an old newspaper in his hand.

The newspaper's edges were frayed and soft, and it contained the official announcement following the Ohara Incident.

The Island of Evil Scholars has been destroyed.

Dangerous ideas have been completely eradicated.

The navy maintains world peace.

Kuzan stared at the lines of text, his finger lingering on the word "peace" for a long time.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

He didn't look up.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open.

Kizaru stood at the door, holding a paper bag in his hand.

"Hey, Kuzan, wanna have breakfast?"

Kuzan placed the newspaper on his lap.

"You've come to deliver breakfast."

"On the way."

Kizaru walked into the dormitory and placed the paper bag on the table.

"The bread in the cafeteria was a bit hard today, but the coffee was alright."

Kuzan looked at him.

"It's not on your way from the headquarters office building."

Kizaru pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Then I'll just pretend I'm lost."

Kuzan did not laugh.

Kizaru pulled his sunglasses down a little and glanced at the navy coat on the bedside table.

"You haven't packed your things yet."

"Um."

"Are you going to wear it again, or save it for someone else to see?"

Kuzan folded the newspaper.

"I've been thinking about that too."

Kizaru picked up a piece of bread and broke it in half.

"What will you do after the list is released?"

Kuzan watched as the breadcrumbs in his hand fell onto the table.

Answer one question for me first.

"How scary, I only came to deliver breakfast."

"What would you have done if you had been next to the wreckage on that day in Ohara?"

Kizaru paused for a moment, his hand holding the bread still.

"That's a difficult question to answer."

That's why I asked you.

Kizaru put the bread back in the paper bag.

"I'll probably pretend I didn't see Akainu's cannon."

Kuzan looked at him.

Kizaru sighed.

"It might also cause the shell to miss a little."

Kuzan looked down at the newspaper on his knees.

"Shooting slightly off target won't save the whole ship."

"Yes."

Kizaru leaned back in his chair.

"So I'm never suited to be a very clean person in this lifetime."

Kuzan placed the newspaper beside the bed.

"I'm not clean either."

Kizaru did not respond.

Kuzan stood up, walked to the wardrobe, and took down the navy coat.

The word "Justice" on the overcoat faces outwards.

He stared at it for a long time.

Kizaru asked.

You need to put it on.

Kuzan said.

"Not decided yet."

Not much can be seen behind Kizaru's glasses.

"CP0 has arrived at Outer Harbour."

Kuzan's hand rested on the shoulder of his coat.

"Several."

Five.

"They're after me."

"It wasn't true before the list was published, but it's hard to say after it's published."

Kuzan placed his coat on the back of the chair.

Do you know about the Sengoku?

"You should know."

"Where's Akainu?"

"Akainu is not seeing anyone now."

Kuzan looked down at his coat.

He was thinking about his own sense of justice.

Kizaru picked up the other half of the bread and took a bite.

"You guys are all starting to think about these kinds of troublesome things. It puts a lot of pressure on someone like me who gets a salary."

Kuzan looked out the window.

Borsalino.

"Um."

"If the Navy continues to obey the Five Elders' orders to protect a regime built on a war of extermination, will you still stay here?"

Kizaru slowed down his chewing of the bread.

"That's not a good question to answer."

"Then don't answer with jokes."

Kizaru swallowed the bread.

"I'll see how the Sengoku chooses."

Kuzan looked at him.

What if the Sengoku also lacked an answer?

Kizaru reached out and rolled the opening of the paper bag twice.

"Then it's up to you to choose."

Kuzan's brow twitched.

"I."

"You're the first person to walk out of the Fleet Admiral's Office."

Kizaru stood up.

"There are some things that no one would believe if Akainu said them, that would be too heavy for Sengoku to say, and that would sound like I'm being lazy if I said them."

"It's good that you said it."

Kuzan looked down at the coat.

Kizaru walked to the door and placed his hand on the door frame.

"I can hold off those five guys in the outer harbor for a while."

Kuzan asked.

"Why."

Kizaru turns around.

"Because I don't want people in white suits arresting Marine Admirals at Marine Headquarters."

The door closed.

Kuzan stood there for a long time, then reached out and put his navy coat back over his shoulders.

The word "justice" lies behind.

He walked to the mirror and glanced at himself.

Then he took the sleep mask off the head of the bed and put it in his pocket.

Fleet Admiral's Office.

As Sengoku looked at the report on the outer port on the table, the veins on his forehead throbbed twice near his temples.

The crane stood by the window, holding a list in its hand.

"CP0 did not enter headquarters area."

The Sengoku Period.

"They're waiting."

"Wait for the Navy's reaction after the list is released."

He placed the list on the table.

"The five from the outer port, led by codename Zero Seven, are skilled in the Six Powers and Armament Haki, and have participated in the purge of the royal families of three rebellious Affiliated Nation."

Sengoku picked up the list and glanced at it.

They thought this was Holy Land.

"This is Marine Headquarters."

The crane looked at him.

What are you planning to do?

The Sengoku did not answer immediately.

There was a knock on the office door.

The communications soldier said from outside the door.

"Your Fleet Admiral, Akainu Admiral requests an emergency call."

The Sengoku began.

"Bring him in."

After the Den Den Mushi was connected, Akainu's face appeared on Den Den Mushi, his eyebrows and eyes with hard lines like volcanic rock.

"Sengoku"

"Explain."

"I understand about the CP0 in the outer harbor."

Sengoku looked at the crane.

Akainu continued.

"If they dare to arrest people at Marine Headquarters, I will personally send them back to the Holy Land."

"Sengoku Period," he said in a deep voice.

"Don't do anything reckless."

I didn't do anything reckless.

The sound of magma churning came from the Den Den Mushi.

"I won't make any moves until the list is released."

"And then what?"

Akainu paused for two seconds before replying.

"If the Navy is to be purged by a pack of masked dogs, then the Navy has no right to write the word 'justice.'"

The Den Den Mushi snippet) hangs up.

Sengoku looked at the table, and after a few seconds, pushed the outer port report to Tsuru.

"Notify Kizaru."

The crane asked.

What is the notification?

The Sengoku rose up and took up its cloak.

"Outer Harbour security level raised."

"What's the reason?"

Sengoku, people draped their cloaks over their shoulders.

"Unidentified armed personnel have appeared in the outer harbor of the Marine Headquarters."

The crane looked at him.

They would say it's an agency directly under the World Government.

Sengoku walked to the door and paused for a moment.

"Then tell them to produce the paperwork."