"Since that is the case," Sengoku said, rising to his feet, "I suggest that Aokiji head north for an on-site investigation to assess the Whitebeard Pirates' movements and level of threat."
Akainu looked as though he wanted to object, but a single look from the fleet admiral stopped him.
After the meeting ended, Aokiji did not leave headquarters immediately. Instead, he carefully reviewed several old files in his private office. When night fell, he quietly took a small warship and departed from Marineford.
However, he was not heading for the northern seas. Instead, he sailed toward a small island in an entirely different direction—a little-known remote island hidden in a corner of the Grand Line. It was said that a former Marine Hero lived there in seclusion, a legendary figure from Roger's era.
During the voyage, Aokiji's expression remained unusually grim. He opened an encrypted folder containing several blurry photographs—battle scenes from Rabin Island, Sosa Island, and Marys Island; images of Lin Ye resonating with the Golden Blade; and several stele fragments discovered among the ruins.
"The D Clan..." Aokiji murmured. "Ancient Weapons... the Void Century... all these clues seem to point toward a truth that has been deliberately hidden from us."
In the night, the warship cut across the calm sea, and Aokiji's gaze became firm and resolute. He believed only that reclusive senior could tell him the truth—about the secret the World Government was desperately concealing, the mission of the D Clan, and the true meaning of the storm that was about to sweep across the world.
Meanwhile, at Freedom Fortress.
Lin Ye had mostly recovered and was studying the stele fragments brought back from the Central Front with Ace and Sabo.
"These words..." Lin Ye's fingertips gently traced the carvings on the stele's surface. "They're extremely