The atmosphere on the deck suddenly became oppressive.
Garp's unexpected words had undoubtedly shattered everyone's hopes and expectations.
After all, Uchiha Qin Yu, one of the Emperors of the Sea, had just willingly handed over the Devil Fruits that Whitebeard and the other two Four Emperors had relinquished.
Such a bold gesture truly left people with much to ponder.
"Hmph, Garp, aren't you giving a pirate too much credit? Don't forget that on this sea, where the strong devour the weak, no one wants to see their enemy grow stronger," Akainu said in a deep voice.
"That guy is notoriously cunning. Using nothing but a few words to make us hesitate would only weaken the Marines' prestige."
"He did say those Devil Fruits were poisoned and even offered them to us, but I think he was merely afraid that taking them for himself would make him a target for everyone. No matter how strong he is, facing the combined assault of all the major forces would still be a dead end."
"If it were up to me, these Devil Fruits would be distributed right now. As for whether they're poisoned, I'll have my adjutant taste one."
Akainu grabbed a Devil Fruit from the pile on the deck and casually tossed it to the burly Marine officer standing behind him.
"Dorami, this is the fruit you've always dreamed of. Eat it now. Don't disgrace me," Akainu said gravely.
Akainu had indeed advocated distributing these Devil Fruits ahead of time.
However, he was not doing so for any lofty cause.
Rather, it was because of something Imu had said when he met him that day.
"Dorami, don't act rashly," Garp hurriedly said.
"Dorami, this is a crucial military order concerning whether Marine Headquarters can win. Don't forget, you applied for three years