What is a Navy Admiral!?

Ring ring--

The Grand Line, a certain sea area.

A curly-haired handsome young man cycling on the sea suddenly received a Den Den Mushi call.

Aokiji slowly took the Den Den Mushi from his pocket and then slowly placed it on the handlebars of his bicycle.

During this time, the Den Den Mushi's ringing did not stop.

Aokiji pursed his lips before answering the call.

"Moshi--"

Just as Aokiji was about to speak.

A very polite, enthusiastic, and friendly greeting came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"You bastard, Aokiji!!!"

"Ara ara..."

Aokiji dug in his ear and replied lazily.

"Oh, it's Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Is there something you need?"

"Of course, something big has happened!"

Sengoku's angry expression was vividly portrayed by the Den Den Mushi.

"You bastard! Why did you recommend that guy, Penggeli Storm, to the Sword Unit?"

"Penggeli Storm?"

Aokiji raised an eyebrow.

"He's a very interesting Marine. I did invite him to join the Sword Unit back then.

"What happened to him?"

"Penggeli Storm massacred Impel Down!!!"

"Actually, Teacher Zephyr recommended him to the Sword Unit!"

Aokiji very shrewdly changed his tune.

"I don't know Penggeli Storm at all, and I've only met him a few times.

"If you have any problems, Marshal, you can go directly to Teacher Zephyr."

"You bastard! Don't try to shift the blame!"

Sengoku said furiously.

"You are the highest-ranking official of the Sword Unit!

"Now that a member of the Sword Unit has caused a huge mess, don't think about washing your hands of it!"

"Ara ara, this sounds like a lot of trouble..."

Aokiji scratched his messy afro.

"What exactly did Storm do?

"'Massacred Impel Down' or something, isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"

"That was indeed my exaggeration."

Sengoku's tone finally softened.

"However, although Penggeli Storm didn't massacre Impel Down, he almost turned the entire Impel Down upside down!

"He executed over ninety percent of the prisoners in Infinite Hell."

"...He really is a formidable Marine."

Aokiji grunted for a long time before finally managing to utter a response.

"Sakazuki will definitely be happy when he hears this news."

"Now is not the time for your bad jokes!"

Sengoku reprimanded coldly.

"You still consider Penggeli Storm a Marine? He caused irreparable and significant damage to Impel Down!"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have a question."

Aokiji said seriously.

"Apart from the prisoners held in Impel Down, did Penggeli Storm harm the lives of any other innocent people?"

At this question, Sengoku fell silent.

"Regarding this matter, I just confirmed the information with Impel Down."

Sengoku paused, then continued.

"Apart from the criminals, Penggeli Storm did not kill any of Impel Down's Jailer staff."

"Isn't that enough?"

Hearing this, Aokiji's heart quietly relaxed.

"It's unavoidable that the Marines kill pirates.

"Although what Storm did this time was a little bit too much...

"But if the Fleet Admiral wants to convict a Marine on the grounds of 'killing too many pirates.'

"I think you should send that bloodthirsty bastard Sakazuki into Impel Down first!"

Sengoku was not fooled by Aokiji's little trick of changing the subject.

"Killing pirates in battle, versus wantonly slaughtering convicted criminals in prison."

Sengoku asked pointedly.

"Are these two the same thing?"

"The scum locked up in Infinite Hell should have been executed long ago!"

Aokiji responded forcefully.

"What I don't understand is why the government deliberately spared their lives!"

Within the Marine ranks.

There were indeed divisions like "hawks," "doves," and "moderates."

Generally speaking.

Aokiji belonged to the "dove" faction.

But even dove Marines weren't all as kind-hearted as Zephyr.

Black Arm Zephyr, the "no-kill" Admiral.

He had apprehended countless pirates in his life, yet never killed a single enemy.

Aokiji greatly admired Teacher Zephyr's character.

But he didn't think "killing pirates" was inherently wrong.

There were indeed some irredeemable trash on the seas.

And the criminals imprisoned in Infinite Hell were even more so, "trash among trash."

Aokiji felt that Storm's actions were indeed a bit excessive.

But, it wasn't a big problem.

Honestly.

If the Admiral commanding the Sword Unit wasn't Aokiji, but Akainu.

That guy might have even greatly commended Storm's actions!

"Kuzan, you..."

Sengoku sighed.

"Sometimes, I really can't tell.

"Are you still adhering to 'Burning Justice.'

"Or have you completely transformed into 'Lax Justice'?"

"Ara ara..."

Aokiji chuckled, not answering the question directly.

"It's hard for people to truly understand themselves."

"Let's not talk about this!"

Sengoku also chose to skip the topic.

He too was a Marine who had undergone ideological changes.

The taste of that was known only to the individual.

Sengoku continued.

"If no unexpected circumstances occur, Vongola Storm will definitely be bountied!"

"Bountied? Why?"

Aokiji asked, confused.

"Doesn't Impel Down have Magellan, and then there's, um, Shiryu?

"Storm should have been suppressed by Magellan, right? The [Doku Doku no Mi] is still quite powerful."

Earlier, Sengoku had made the situation sound so serious.

Aokiji had thought Storm had died before even achieving anything.

That this "blade" had been imprisoned in Impel Down before becoming an undercover pirate...

Aokiji had even prepared himself mentally to go to Impel Down to retrieve the person.

But now it seemed he had misunderstood?

"You underestimated the Vongola's Storm, and I underestimated him too!"

Sengoku said with a strangely complex tone.

"According to Magellan's testimony, the Vongola's Storm has already developed the [Clay Fruit] to the awakened level!

"After nearly slaughtering the entire Infinite Hell, the Vongola's Storm transformed into a White Dragon and flew directly away from Impel Down!"

"This... you're kidding, right?"

Aokiji's eyes widened in shock, and he asked in disbelief.

"How long has Storm only had the [Clay Fruit], and he's already awakened it? And he can fly?"

"That's the situation. Maybe Storm... he really is a genius."

Sengoku explained.

"I just went to the Staff Department and discussed Storm's bounty with Tsuru.

"Based on his actions and strength, his initial bounty might be terrifyingly high!

"Regardless, the 'Pirate' identity, the Vongola's Storm has certainly— wait.

"A call is coming in..."

Sengoku's voice quickly faded.

But with Aokiji's hearing, he still clearly heard the conversation on the Den Den Mushi.

'What do you mean by concealing the news?'

'Such a major incident happened at Impel Down! The government and the Marines are actually going to keep it secret?!'

'Affecting the government's credibility... What a joke!'

'I am the Fleet Admiral!'

Aokiji heard Sengoku's angry roar.

But what shook him even more were several other fainter, ancient voices.

'What is a Fleet Admiral worth!?'

'You Marines are merely the government's outward facade!'

'The matter of Impel Down and Infinite Hell does not need the Marines to handle!'

Immediately after, the Den Den Mushi was hung up.

Aokiji waited silently for a moment.

Sengoku's tired voice sounded again.

"Sorry, Kuzan, for letting you witness this joke... Let's pretend nothing happened regarding the Vongola's Storm!"

Aokiji heard Sengoku's intention to hang up and suddenly asked.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, were you speaking with the Gorosei just now?"

"You could tell."

Sengoku did not hide it and answered directly.

"It was indeed the Gorosei. They demanded that the matter of Infinite Hell be concealed.

"Therefore, Storm's bounty will be canceled..."

Aokiji didn't care about bounties or anything else. He asked directly.

"In the eyes of the government, what are we Marines?"

"What are we? Haha."

Sengoku chuckled.

"Kuzan, this question, when you become Fleet Admiral someday, then go ask the Gorosei..."

Click--

The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's end hung up.

Aokiji stood alone in the middle of the vast sea, his heart filled with indescribable emotions.

After a long while.

Aokiji dialed a number again.

"Moshi moshi, this is Kuzan."

"Admiral Kuzan! It's been a while since I heard from you, I thought you had left the Marines too!"

"Stop joking, Storm."

Aokiji held the Den Den Mushi and said very solemnly.

"I just got word from Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

'You've done quite something, haven't you!'

'I was only following your orders.'

Storm's aggrieved voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

'Didn't you tell me to become a Pirate?'

Is this how you become a Pirate?!

Aokiji rolled his eyes dramatically.

Storm retorted without holding back.

'Hey, hey, hey! Den Den Mushi can mimic the owner's expression, I saw your eye-roll!'

'Ara ara...'

Aokiji chuckled and got down to business.

'So, you still want to continue being a Pirate?'

'Of course! I am the blade in the darkness! Remember my mission, never forget my original intention!'

Storm replied cheerfully.

'I want to become a Great Pirate! Go deep into the New World! Infiltrate the Yonko!'

Aokiji pressed further.

'So, you plan to enter the New World right now?'

'Of course—not!'

Storm denied.

'To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Yonko Pirate crews with my own strength? I can't do that yet.

'To successfully infiltrate the Yonko, I need to find some suitable helpers!'

Aokiji: From [Burning Justice] to [Lax Justice]. Once I leave the Marines, who knows if it's still justice...

Sengoku: From [Justice That Reigns Supreme] to [Absolute Justice].

Someone will always confuse Sengoku's philosophy with Akainu's.

Akainu is [Utter Justice].

--

Wednesday, still asking for your continued reading!