New World, Punk Hazard,
Two warships slowly arrived here, and then, for reasons unknown, hurriedly left this place,
Leaving only two figures on the island.
One red, one blue, standing face to face,
Wearing Marine cloaks, hands in their pockets, staring at each other.
"Although we are comrades in the same Marine force, when it comes to the position of Fleet Admiral, I will not yield in the slightest."
Slowly raising his head, Sakazuki's stern face showed not the slightest hesitation.
He looked toward the man opposite him, wreathed in cold air, with a head of curly hair.
The one competing with him for the position of Fleet Admiral, Kuzan, had an oddly strange expression at this moment,
Completely devoid of killing intent.
"What does that look mean? Don't think that just because I'll consider your feelings in battle, I'll go easy on you, Kuzan!"
Sakazuki's expression darkened, because he could see Kuzan's carelessness.
But what he didn't expect was—
After a moment of silence, Kuzan merely waved his hand, exhaling piercing cold air,
"You win, Sakazuki."
"Nani??!!"
He stared in disbelief, eyes wide open. The magma fist that had already begun billowing with thick smoke seemed to stop rolling altogether,
"What do you mean by that?!"
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Kuzan shook his head. After thinking in place for a moment, he walked toward the edge of Punk Hazard,
Then extended his hand into the sea.
"Ice Age!"
Crack crack crack crack…
Countless sheets of ice slowly took shape, spreading outward from where Kuzan's hand touched, continuously expanding and extending in all directions.
The two warships that hadn't yet gone very far were frozen solid in an instant, turning into ice sculptures, fixed upon the sea.
After freezing everything within a hundred miles into ice sculptures, Kuzan finally walked back with a gloomy expression.
Sakazuki had clearly noticed this action as well. His brows knit tightly as he stared at Kuzan,
"What are you doing?"
Kuzan removed the cloak from his back, folded it neatly, and placed it on the ground. Only then did he slowly speak,
"The ice will probably thaw in about ten days, Sakazuki. I need you to help me with something."
Hearing this, Sakazuki frowned, cold sweat beading on his face,
"I've frozen the only witnesses. You can announce to the outside world that you and I fought for ten days and ten nights, and then I was defeated. And that, disheartened and unwilling to submit under you, I left the Marines."
"Nani?!"
Sakazuki was utterly confused,
"So you didn't come here because you wanted to sit in the Fleet Admiral's chair, but instead to have me cooperate in acting out a farce like this?!"
"Yeah, that's right…"
Kuzan scratched his head and slowly lifted his gaze,
But there was none of his usual nonchalance or laziness in his eyes—only seriousness.
"I did originally have the intention of becoming Fleet Admiral, because I also have a justice I want to carry through. But…"
After a brief pause, Kuzan looked at his own hand, then clenched it into a fist,
"On the way here by warship, I gradually figured something out. Do you know what it was?"
"What?"
"That being a Marine makes it impossible to carry out the justice in one's heart, and impossible to save this rampaging era."
Hearing this, Sakazuki's eyes widened instantly.
Kuzan paid no attention to his reaction and continued,
"From a long time ago, the motivation for me to grow stronger was to defeat Orin. For that, I kept improving myself, until I became a Marine Admiral. But later I realized that even if I became Fleet Admiral, most of what I could do would still be extremely limited."
"Because of orders from the World Government, or because of concern for comrades' lives, for the stability of the overall situation and such, I couldn't oppose anything Orin did. I could only watch helplessly as that guy toyed with everything."
"So, I'm done being a Marine!!!"
"I'll use my own way to do my best to stop the impact caused by Orin's reckless actions!!!"
Sakazuki stood frozen in place.
Kuzan left, leaving behind the Marine cloak, riding away on a bicycle.
Sakazuki did not stop him,
Because he felt that what Kuzan said was indeed correct.
This was a different path of justice.
"I've long heard that Kuzan has a blood-deep hatred with Black Gun…"
"To think he'd even leave the Marines just to stop Orin's reckless behavior?"
Akainu picked up the Admiral's cloak. Then, scorching magma rolled in his hand,
A vast amount of magma instantly turned half of Punk Hazard into a sea of fire, blazing red light flaring everywhere,
"Since that's the case, then I'll play along with you in this act."
According to Sakazuki's own testimony, along with the evidence of Punk Hazard's extreme ice-and-fire environment, the world soon reported this news,
"Former Marine Admiral Aokiji leaves the Marines after losing the battle for Fleet Admiral."
...
And it was precisely during this period, when the Marines' top combat power was not stationed at Marineford,
That an unexpected ship approached Marineford.
"Enemy attack!!!"
"That is… Straw Hat Luffy!!!"
"The pirate rookie who shone brilliantly in the Summit War!!!"
"Why is he coming to Marineford again at a time like this?!"
"SINK THEM!!!"
Some Marines shouted, wanting to sink these audacious pirates,
But soon, officers stopped them.
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"Wait!!!"
"All units, do not act rashly!!!"
The officer held binoculars in his hand, his face drenched in cold sweat as he shouted orders to the soldiers.
"Why?!"
"What happened?!"
But the officer didn't answer their questions. His pupils trembled constantly, his teeth clenched tight,
"I won't be mistaken. That elderly man standing at the bow…"
"He's the one mentioned in the Marine's secret meetings… King Dotor Keek!!!"
"You absolutely must not make a move!!!"
He was a veteran who had participated in the Summit War. Although his strength wasn't enough to let him clearly witness the Conqueror's Haki that tore apart the entire sea,
From the performance during the first half of the war, and from what a Vice Admiral had told him afterward, he knew exactly what the name Orin represented.
Thus, under the follow of countless newspaper reporters holding cameras, old Keek squinted his eyes, hands behind his back, and hopped down from the warship.
By his side followed Haki masters in black suits,
As he strolled leisurely toward the interior of Marineford, with Luffy walking beside him.
Camera shutters kept clicking. Keek remained calm and unhurried,
Displaying what it truly meant to have the bearing of a king.
"Go on, kid."
"Oh!!! Thank you, old man!!!"
As the bells rang, Luffy raised one arm toward the cameras,
"3D2Y"
The news spread across the seas,
The news of King Keek and Straw Hat Luffy spread throughout the entire world.
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