After Shanks exposed Xie Wen's whereabouts, Marine Headquarters soon received word. As a hawk among the Marines, and someone who had lost a foot to Xie Wen, Akainu immediately volunteered to go after him.
And his reasoning was perfectly sound-
"Baldimore has a huge amount of research material left behind by Vegapunk. It would be disastrous if the Sapphire Star got his hands on it! He has a member of the Cat Mink Tribe under him who can build a 'Valstrax'!"
After learning the name "Valstrax" from Xie Wen, the Marines had given their knockoff airships the same name...
Although Sakazuki himself was not particularly keen on using a name that came from Xie Wen.
"It wouldn't be a big deal even if those materials were taken." Kuzan, who had already become Fleet Admiral, shook his head. "The World Government reviewed them long ago. They're all relatively unimportant cultural technologies, and most of them can't actually be realized. They're just ideas."
"Even so, we have to make our stance clear!" Sakazuki clenched his fists and growled, "Letting the Sapphire Star come and go freely in a place we guard disgraces the Marines!"
Although Sakazuki was bringing some personal resentment into it, his words still held some merit. Several equally hawkish Headquarters Vice Admirals voiced their agreement.
"I agree with Admiral Akainu. We can't let the Sapphire Star off so easily!"
"Exactly. Even if we can't capture him, we can't just do nothing! At the very least, we have to make him pay a price!"
"Quiet down, everyone."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the headquarters' chief of staff, gently tapped her teacup against the table and reminded them, "Don't forget, Red-Hair is there too. What happened before has already made it clear that the Marines as we are now simply cannot bear the