His furious roar echoed across the ice, then quickly faded into the cold wind.
Silence followed-an icy silence broken only by the howling wind.
A long time passed.
"Oh?"
"Then come and try, Sengoku!"
"It's been a long time since we last sparred."
Only then did River's cold voice ring out.
"Don't forget your position. You're still a Marine!"
Taking a deep breath, Sengoku realized his tone had been wrong. He calmed himself before speaking gravely.
"I wasn't the one who started this fight."
River's voice was indifferent.
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku froze at those words, then sighed.
"Consider it a request from me. Can you do that?"
"Now isn't the time for infighting among the Marines."
River fell silent. He raised his head and looked at Aokiji, who was also explaining something to his Den Den Mushi.
Sensing his gaze, Kuzan looked up as well. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Neither spoke. Instead, they both lowered their heads toward their Den Den Mushi again.
"Fine!"
"But there won't be a next time!"
Sengoku sighed, seemingly hearing another meaning in his words, then nodded. "Thank you!"
River hung up the Den Den Mushi and turned to leave.
He had little to say to Aokiji. The man might have been reasonably just, but they clearly walked different paths.
Faced with the request of his old friend Sengoku, he ultimately chose to stop.
The final stage would be the Summit War. That was where he could cast aside everything and unleash it all.
In the near future, during that war that would shake the world, he would rise to its summit!
He would make a clean break with his former self, his past, and the Marines.
There was no need to rush this