Late at night, at Marine Headquarters, in the Fleet Admiral's Office.
"What?!"
Akainu shot to his feet, forgetting all composure as he stared straight ahead.
A moment later, he came to his senses and nodded. "I understand. I'll tell them."
With that, Akainu quickly hung up and grabbed his cloak.
"Tsuru, I'll leave the rest to you. I need to go out."
"What happened?"
Tsuru, who had been handling official business with him in the Fleet Admiral's Office, frowned at his words.
The Fleet Admiral had authority, but that did not mean he could handle everything himself. Aside from certain sensitive matters he had to deal with personally, he relied on his Chief of Staff's advice for most routine business.
Though the Chief of Staff could not make unilateral decisions on truly major matters, the position of "Chief of Staff of Marine Headquarters" was practically half a Fleet Admiral. There was nothing improper about Akainu leaving these documents to her.
That was why Tsuru held such a special position in the Marines. Even if Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and the other veterans close to her were removed from the equation, and the former Three Admirals were replaced with anyone else, it would make no difference.
When the time came to fight Imu, Tsuru might even be needed to hold the rear together.
With that thought, Akainu slowed at the door and looked back. "Oric's Fruit Ability has disappeared. From what we've observed, his body is aging rapidly."
Then he pulled open the door and left.
Tsuru stared after him in a daze. Then her pupils contracted.
"Oric's Fruit Ability... disappeared?!!"
The second half of his statement alone would not have been especially alarming.
There were plenty of Fruit Abilities in the world that could make someone age rapidly. What many people