Apprehension, and Akainu's Growing Extremism
Overwhelmed with excitement, Akainu's entire body began to tremble.
Finally, I became Fleet Admiral!
From now on, there's no need to worry about those stubborn old fogies in the navy; we can exercise justice without restraint!
All of this is what Akainu has always dreamed of!
At this moment, Akainu was exceptionally spirited and high-spirited.
I feel like I've reached the pinnacle of my life.
What Akainu failed to notice was...
The Five Elders who awarded him the medal all wore mocking expressions on their faces.
That look didn't seem like it was directed at a Fleet Admiral.
It's more like... watching over a useful watchdog.
The appointment of someone like Akainu to the position of Fleet Admiral is exactly what the Five Elders wanted.
Obsessive, Absolute Justice.
It means there are no bottom lines!
It means there is no conscience!
As long as he carries the orders of the World Government in the name of justice, Akainu can trample on anything without hesitation!
There's no better watchdog than someone like this, isn't there?
Ah... what a good dog.
It's much more reassuring than the Warring Sengoku period.
The Five Elders all showed expressions of satisfaction, and one of Five Elders looked down at Akainu with a faint hint of mockery on his face.
"Sakazuki, come see us after the ceremony. We'd like to hear your ambitions as Fleet Admiral."
"Yes!"
Akainu readily agreed, his eyes filled with fanaticism.
The Five Elders left satisfied, leaving the rest of the matter to Akainu, while they returned to the conference room to wait patiently.
They didn't have to wait long before Akainu burst through the door with a fierce expression.
"Sakazuki, have a seat."
Perhaps he was genuinely very satisfied with Akainu.
When facing Akainu, the Five Elders no longer showed the same dissatisfaction and severity they displayed when facing Sengoku. Instead, they gently asked Akainu to sit down.
At least on the surface, that's the case.
Akainu found a seat with a look of delight, his face full of fervor.
"I don't know..."
"Sakazuki, the navy is now in your hands. We are very satisfied with your abilities and believe that the navy will achieve new heights under your leadership, but..."
One of the Five Elders spoke with a smile.
However, he suddenly changed the subject halfway through his sentence.
"After the Marineford War, the Navy declined. Of course, we're not blaming you; you were just Admiral back then, and there wasn't much you could do. But now, there's still a dangerous individual on the run, isn't there?"
The Five Elders' gazes toward Akainu turned icy.
Although Aokiji stepped down from his position Admiral through normal procedures, it is a fact that he is currently missing.
In the eyes of the Five Elders, this was already a betrayal!
You must know that Aokiji was once Admiral!
In his position, he naturally had access to many of the World Government's secrets. How could the Five Elders possibly let such a person disappear without a trace?
The current situation is also different from the original plot.
Originally, Akainu was the victor in the contest for Fleet Admiral, and Aokiji even lost a leg and his strength was greatly reduced as a result. But now Aokiji has won and is unharmed. As a result, the Five Elders ' wariness of Aokiji has increased significantly.
The reason Akainu was summoned here was to hear his opinion.
"..."
Instantly, Akainu's face darkened.
He lost an arm in the Marineford War and also lost to Aokiji in the battle for the position of Fleet Admiral.
Akainu has become even more extreme!
If none of this had happened, perhaps he would be in the same situation as in the original story, turning a blind eye to Aokiji's departure out of consideration for their comradeship.
As long as Aokiji doesn't voluntarily leak secrets or threaten his position Fleet Admiral.
But now...
"A traitor to the Navy must be killed by my own hands, Sakazuki!"
A hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, Akainu actually raised his head and said these words to the Five Elders.
"Excellent! This is the kind of leadership Fleet Admiral should have. The future will eventually belong to you young people!"
The Five Elders then showed satisfied smiles.
One of the Five Elders even waved his hand dramatically.
"Then go for it, Sakazuki, even if you have to use 'that'!"
"The justice we await needs your joint efforts to uphold!"
Akainu's expression brightened upon hearing this.
"'That's... I understand. I definitely won't let you down!"
"I, Sakazuki, will uphold justice!"
The New World, Saiken Island.
BOOM!
With a dull thud, the two combatants quickly retreated.
Watching Aokiji fly backward and take several steps back before regaining his balance, Lin Yan wore a faint smile.
"Still as difficult as ever."
Lin Yan shook her head with a chuckle as she swung her arms to remove the ice from her hands.
"... I'll return those words to you verbatim."
Aokiji was slightly out of breath, his eyes filled with apprehension as he looked at Lin Yan.
This monster is stronger than before!
Seeing the numerous cracks in the ice on his chest, even Aokiji couldn't help but feel a hint of horror flash across his face.
It's unbelievable that this effect was achieved using only physical techniques!
That's right, only physical techniques!
That's enough to break through the defenses created by his Ice-Ice Fruit ability!
Although the two have toned down their behavior considerably in order to avoid damaging the surrounding environment of Saiken Island.
Take Aokiji himself as an example.
The Ice-Ice Fruit's power is mostly used for simple defense or to attach to the hands and feet to become weapons to increase attack power.
It has not yet unleashed the full power of the Ice-Ice Fruit.
However.
Did Lin Yan go all out?
Seeing the man standing calmly opposite him, with no unusual energy fluctuations around him, Aokiji's expression gradually darkened.
This guy is at least 10% stronger than he was during the Marineford War!
He was able to defeat me simply by using physical skills and Haki.
What the hell is this freak?!
You have to understand that their strength is at that level.
Further progress would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
But if Aokiji remembers correctly...
It's only been a little over a month since I last saw Lin Yan, hasn't it?
In just over a month, their strength has increased by 10%?
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Aokiji, being a strong individual, still had decent self-control, he would have flipped the table and started cursing at this point!
Seeing the frustrated expression on Aokiji's face, Zephyr, who was watching from the other side, also spoke up with a smile.
That's enough!
"Kuzan, you should understand now, right? Lin's talent has completely surpassed that of us."
Zephyr chuckled softly, his face bearing an expression reminiscent of Rong Yan.
"Given time, this man before you..."
"It will surely become an existence we must look up to!"