Summit War Begins

Click.

Kizaru landed beside Akainu and glanced at him. "Such a high-profile return doesn't seem like your style."

"Heh. Fleet Admiral Sengoku must have told you to do it too, didn't he?"

"Ah, yes. What a hassle. I was planning to come in on a warship with that kid Sentomaru," Kizaru complained.

Akainu's tone remained indifferent. "But it was effective, wasn't it? Look, everyone's enthusiasm has been stirred up. We're admirals. We should set an example."

"That's you, Sakazuki." Kizaru shrugged and somehow produced an orange. "This old man can't compare to your loyalty to the Navy at all!"

"We are soldiers!" Akainu said coldly. What he hated most was Borsalino's lazy, lackadaisical attitude.

If this guy and Kuzan could both be a little more proactive, they could have pushed the Navy's power into the New World and eliminated even more pirates!

Instead of being stuck at the entrance to the New World like they were now, only able to send scattered small forces over and unable to protect many places at all.

"Look at you, getting worked up again." Kizaru spoke unhurriedly as he split the orange in half and held one half out to him. "Want some?"

"No!" Akainu snorted and quickened his pace toward the Fleet Admiral's office.

He still had to find out why he had been urgently called back yesterday, only to be told later that his return was no longer needed.

What had happened at Marine Headquarters?

Kizaru could only follow after him.

Very soon, the two learned of Zhu Mang's existence from Sengoku, and their expressions became rather interesting as well.

"He's a true monster. Terrifying," Kizaru commented.

Akainu, meanwhile, looked at Aokiji. Aside from Tsuru, he was the only one present who had personally experienced that man's strength.

And although Tsuru was highly respected, she was still somewhat lacking in terms of strength.

By comparison, he trusted Aokiji's judgment more.

Although he and Aokiji held different political views, he fully acknowledged the other man's strength.

Aokiji commented, "If his strength is as terrifying as his presence, then killing me would probably be no harder than dealing with an ordinary pirate."

Akainu and Kizaru's expressions grew even grimmer.

Those words were enough to explain everything.

When they killed an ordinary pirate, it was an instant kill.

So when this "Gebinz" killed them, it would also be an instant kill!

"What are his origins?" Akainu asked in a deep voice.

"No trace can be found," Sengoku said. "Commander-in-Chief Kong has already sent out every intelligence agent to analyze and track Doflamingo's movements. Perhaps we'll have results after some time."

"How does the Fleet Admiral intend to arrange him? He can't possibly join the Navy, can he?" Akainu asked.

"Sakazuki, are you afraid he'll take your position once he arrives?" Kizaru teased.

Sengoku was already seventy-seven years old and only a few years away from retirement.

So although nothing had been said openly yet, unrest had long begun stirring within the Navy.

And Akainu's intention to succeed him as Fleet Admiral was hardly a secret.

"Hmph!" Akainu glared at him and snorted. "If he truly joined the Navy, so what if I gave him my position? But do you know what stands above us? If he saw those things, could he accept them?"

Sengoku and the others all fell silent.

Those present were the Fleet Admiral, the Chief Staff Officer, and the admirals.

They could be said to be the people in the Navy who understood the Celestial Dragons' filth most clearly.

Yet for the Navy's funding, for the sake of maintaining the sea's basic stability, what could they do?

"He doesn't look like someone willing to join the Navy," Kizaru said after flipping through the documents on the table at the speed of light, then plopping down onto the sofa. "Just look at his spending. With the Navy's measly salary, why would he think it was worth his time?"

"What, think the pay's too low? Want a raise?"

"Hehehe, it would certainly be nice if we could get a little more," Kizaru chuckled.

"Borsalino!" Akainu growled. "Put away that lazy attitude! You're an admiral. Set an example for the entire force!"

"Yes, yes, Admiral 'Akainu,' Admiral 'Sakazuki'~~"

Akainu's face darkened like a furious volcano on the verge of erupting.

"Shut up, all of you!" Sengoku used the authority of the Fleet Admiral to suppress the tension between them.

He naturally appreciated Sakazuki's extreme self-discipline. That was how a soldier ought to be.

But every strong person had their own personality.

Borsalino and Kuzan were simply like that.

If Sakazuki interfered with them too much, it would only backfire.

Therefore, he was worried that if he stepped down and the Navy fell into the hands of the radical Sakazuki faction, it would crumble from within.

By comparison, he preferred the more mild-tempered Aokiji Kuzan to succeed as Fleet Admiral.

That way, he could temper Sakazuki's explosive temper while also tolerating Borsalino's lazy attitude—after all, he himself was lazy too.

Only through such a stable transition could the Navy rise to greater heights after this war, rather than enter a period of decline due to the struggle for Fleet Admiral and lose the excellent opportunity created by wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates.

Of course, all of that would have to wait until they had completely wiped out the Whitebeard Pirates and crushed the spirit of every pirate.

"Let's put Gebinz aside for now. I've already made a deal with him. He promised to help us once in tomorrow's battle. What we need to do now is discuss adjustments to the original plan and leave every pirate behind!" Sengoku said decisively.

A sharp glint flashed through Akainu's eyes at Sengoku's words.

Sengoku's words had struck right at his sweet spot.

Leave every pirate behind!

He loved doing that sort of thing!

Afterward, the group left the Fleet Admiral's office and headed to the Navy's conference room.

The conference room was already filled with vice admirals, all waiting for the arrival of their top combat forces.

"Meeting!" Sengoku's gaze fell upon an empty chair. After pausing for a moment, he raised his eyes and shouted.

The next day.

Early morning.

While the giant granite tiles of Marineford's plaza still gave off faint, salty moisture, one hundred thousand Navy soldiers were already standing there in full armor.

The white vapor they exhaled gathered together, vaguely forming clouds above Marineford.

At this moment, they converged like the moisture within those clouds.

United as one!

A rear admiral from the New World clenched his sword hilt, the sharkskin bindings darkened by spots of nervous sweat.

Sharpshooters transferred from the Four Seas repeatedly wiped down their flintlock rifles, adjusting the positions of the ammunition pouches they carried.

At the very center of the plaza, a towering Execution Platform had already been erected. In the shadows beneath it sat three tall figures draped in capes of justice, broad and imposing.

"Damn, they're really showing off!" Doflamingo, standing nearby like some lowly lackey, heard Lord Gebinz's assessment and could not help the corner of his mouth from twitching.