Sakazuki didn't immediately follow Akira out of the Headquarters Building after leaving the conference hall.
First, he went to his office and glanced at the plaque hanging on the wall behind his desk. His gaze lingered on the words "Absolute Justice."
After a brief silence, he suddenly let out a breath, as if he'd finally set down the last of his burdens. A smile—one that hadn't appeared on his face in decades—spread across his lips.
Then he didn't linger. He turned and strode out of his office.
As he passed Borsalino's office, the two soldiers standing guard outside straightened and shouted in unison, "Loyalty!"
Sakazuki returned their salute and asked, "Is Admiral Kizaru inside?"
One of the soldiers nodded. "Yes, Admiral Sakazuki!"
Sakazuki didn't hesitate. "Open the door!"
The two soldiers had clearly learned of Sakazuki's new position, and immediately opened the office door.
Inside, Borsalino sat at his desk. Perhaps it was because he wore Seastone Handcuffs, or perhaps he was simply like that, but he looked utterly listless.
"Oh?"
When Borsalino saw Sakazuki enter, surprise flickered in his eyes. He straightened up, then drawled, "How scary. I never thought Akira would manage to convince you too!"
"Didn't you choose to stand by and do nothing?" Sakazuki stopped in front of the desk and looked down at Borsalino. "Tell me what you really think, deep down."
"What could I possibly think?" Borsalino raised his cuffed hands, looking helpless.
Since they were both Devil Fruit users, they couldn't handle the Seastone Handcuffs normally. Sakazuki didn't hesitate. He turned to the two soldiers standing guard beside Borsalino and ordered, "Take off the handcuffs. Your duty is over. Report to the plaza at once!"
"Yes, sir!"
The two soldiers saluted in unison, then quickly unlocked Borsalino's handcuffs.
Once they had left the office, Sakazuki looked at Borsalino with a serious expression. "You know very well that you're my only brother at Marine Headquarters. If you accept the choice I've made, will you stand by my side again?"
Borsalino didn't answer at once. He casually rolled his wrists, then slowly rose and walked to the window. Looking down, he gazed at Marineford's brightly lit plaza.
At least fifty thousand people had gathered in the plaza by now. Strangely, not a single person made a sound. They stood in orderly ranks, waiting with bated breath.
"I want to know what Akira did to make you choose this."
After a brief silence, Borsalino didn't turn around. His gaze followed the figure leaving the Headquarters Building and heading straight for the plaza. "Don't tell me he found out about some crime you—"
"He found my mother!"
Before Borsalino could finish, Sakazuki cut in. "And he took good care of her for three years."
"Hmm?"
Borsalino turned around, incredulous. "You mean the old woman Akira rescued three years ago? I met her once. She seemed to have severe dementia. She'd forgotten everyone around her and wandered away from home, searching all over the family housing compound for her grandson. I didn't know who her grandson was at the time, so I had two soldiers stay with her."
At that point, Borsalino seemed to get a bout of amnesia himself. He changed the subject and asked, "By the way, what did you say just now?"
A question mark appeared over Sakazuki's head. "Will you stand by my side again?"
Borsalino shook his head. "The line before that."
Sakazuki thought for a moment, then ventured, "Brother?"
"Come on. Let's go see Mom."
The moment he finished speaking, a flash of light shot out of the office and landed in front of Akira's home in the family housing compound.
Akira and his party had also reached the entrance to Marineford's plaza after leaving the Headquarters Building.
As soon as Akira reached the entrance, the soldiers lined up on either side raised their hands in salute.
The tens of thousands of soldiers standing in orderly ranks across the plaza, along with officers of every rank from Marine Headquarters, turned to look.
Among them, the women in Hina's unit watched Akira with nervous anticipation.
Akira didn't stop. Accompanied by Gion, Momonga, Bastille, Strawberry, Hound, and a host of other Vice Admirals, he entered the plaza and headed toward the raised platform.
As Akira's group crossed in front of the first formation, every soldier and officer at the head of the ranks immediately stepped forward, stood tall, and shouted in unison, "Loyalty!"
Akira returned their salute.
When he passed the second formation, its soldiers also stepped forward and shouted "Loyalty!" with fervor and excitement.
Akira still didn't respond with words. He simply returned their salute with a warm smile.
Just as Akira passed the third formation, before its soldiers could step forward and shout their slogan, a towering figure suddenly charged out of the fourth formation. Then came a deafening shout that left many people's ears ringing.
"Akira!"
The furious shout faded, and the towering figure came to a stop in front of Akira. Like a moving hill, he radiated an oppressive presence.
"John Giant?"
Before Akira could react, Strawberry, who never left his side, changed expression. But without hesitation, he and Gion, standing to Akira's left, stepped forward into fighting stances.
Momonga, Hound, and Bastille didn't immediately move in front of Akira, but they watched the imposing figure who had suddenly charged out as if facing a formidable enemy.
They weren't overreacting. The man blocking their path was John Giant, a Headquarters Vice Admiral and a powerful warrior of the Giant race.
More importantly, John Giant was several times stronger and more enduring than an ordinary person. As a Marine, he also had the authority to command all lower-ranking personnel at Headquarters.
Faced with a fellow Vice Admiral—and a powerful warrior from the Giant race—they naturally had to give it their all. If John Giant made even the slightest move, they would charge him without hesitation and give him no opening.
"What a reckless thing to do, Akira!"
Facing five Vice Admirals who could attack at any moment, John Giant didn't dare advance rashly. He stood his ground, using his height to look down at Akira. "But I'm staking the Navy's name of Absolute Justice on this. I have to stand up and stop you!"
Before he'd even finished speaking, John Giant swiftly drew the massive sword from his back. A boundless fighting spirit burst forth, sending his enormous Vice Admiral's coat whipping wildly. An invisible pressure surged outward like a tsunami, instantly bearing down on Akira.
"John Giant!"
Akira raised a hand to stop Strawberry and the others from charging forward. His expression was calm as he said, "You should've stood up for justice sooner. If you act now... you'll be branded a rebel."
As he spoke, Akira took a step forward.
"Boom—"
The instant his foot touched the ground, the earth trembled.
Then a terrifying shock wave erupted from beneath him. In the blink of an eye, it formed a cloud of red-and-black flames. An invisible, overwhelming pressure silently made the air tremble with a low rumble.
The next second, John Giant, who had just drawn his sword, felt as if his body had been bound. He couldn't move. An invisible mountain seemed to have settled on his head, and he couldn't resist it. With a thud, he fell to his knees facing Akira.
"Th-this is—"
John Giant braced himself against the ground with his massive sword. Then, mustering all his strength, he lifted his head to look at Akira, his face aghast. "Conqueror's Haki! You actually... awakened Conqueror's Haki!"
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