Inside Kizaru's now-orderly office, the smoke from Mike's cigar intertwined with the golden afternoon sun streaming through the window, painting a scene of dappled light and shadow as the conversation continued.
"Sakazuki?" Kuzan's brow furrowed slightly, his calm voice laced with skepticism.
"He's not an easy man to persuade, Borsalino."
He knew Sakazuki all too well.
That man was like a rock in a latrine—stubborn, foul-tempered, and utterly unyielding.
His fanatical belief in "Absolute Justice" was as scorching and relentless as the magma he commanded, a force of nature that sought to incinerate anything he deemed "evil."
Trying to bribe him with money? To Sakazuki, that would be a profound insult to his very soul!
"True," Mike nodded, taking a thoughtful puff.
In his original, grander plans, he hadn't even factored Admiral Akainu into the equation.
It was too much of a long shot.
After all, who in the entire Marine organization didn't know about Akainu's temper? Trying to win him over seemed like a fool's errand.
Mike's initial strategy had been to build a solid foundation with Kuzan and Kizaru, then slowly and carefully infiltrate the rest of the Marine's high command.
But he never would have guessed that Kizaru, once properly motivated by money, would become such a force of nature himself.
First Zephyr, and now Akainu… Kizaru was swinging for the fences.
"Is this what you look like when you're actually paid to do a job?" Mike murmured to himself, watching the highly motivated admiral with a mixture of amusement and awe.
"Absolutely terrifying."
The sheer confidence radiating from Kizaru suggested he wasn't just saying nonsense; he had a real plan.
'Damn', Mike thought,' if he actually pulls this off… if he gets Akainu on board…'
With the three strongest Admirals and the Chief Instructor all aligned…
'Sorry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. It looks like the Marine leadership is about to have a major shake-up.'
"Old man," Mike said, a hint of anticipation in his voice, "since you're saying this, you must already have a plan, right?"
"Mmm," Kizaru nodded smugly.
Of course he had a plan.
He had to justify that sweet, sweet bonus, didn't he?
"Over the years, Sakazuki has complained to me quite a bit," Kizaru began, pacing the office with his hands in his pockets.
"Things like military funds being allocated too slowly, warship repairs being inadequate, weapons and equipment not being updated on time… In short," he summarized, "it all boils down to one thing: a lack of money!"
"That guy Sakazuki is always screaming about wiping out every last pirate," Kizaru continued.
"But even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice. Without sufficient military funding, it doesn't matter how capable he is; his hands are tied." He stopped pacing.
"Our New Marine has ample military funds. That fact alone is enough to make Sakazuki seriously consider our offer."
Kizaru walked to the window, gazing out at the vast blue sea.
"Of course, just offering him a blank check isn't enough to fully pull him into the New Marine."
"So what's your idea, old man?" Mike prompted.
Kizaru suddenly turned around, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, insightful light from behind his yellow lenses.
"I think we should promise Sakazuki control over his own sea." He let that sink in for a moment.
"We give him all the support he could ever dream of. Enough funds, enough fleets, enough weapons, enough soldiers. We remove his shackles and let him go all out against the pirates! For a man like him, that would be an absolutely irresistible temptation!"
"..." Kuzan still seemed unsure, not fully grasping the implication.
'Remove his shackles? Full support? What does that even mean?'
"Old man…" Mike said, a thoughtful expression on his face as he pieced the idea together.
"Are you suggesting we give Admiral Akainu absolute freedom in the New World?"
In the original timeline, Akainu had moved the Marine Headquarters itself to the New World to show his commitment to crushing the Four Emperors.
The untamed, chaotic sea was the ultimate challenge for a man like him.
"Exactly!" Kizaru clapped his hands together.
"The New World! We hand the entire territory over to Sakazuki and let him run wild! We allocate the funds to build him an impregnable military fortress! Let him guard the gates of the New World—allowing pirates in, but never out! Then he can trap them all inside and wipe them out!" Kizaru grew more excited as he spoke, his voice rising.
"Isn't that guy always talking about eradicating pirates completely? Then let's send him to the New World to have a proper, all-out war with the Four Emperors!"
"Interesting," Mike mused, a playful smile curling at the corners of his lips.
The New World was, without a doubt, the most chaotic and dangerous sea in the world, ruled entirely by the Four Emperors.
The Marines had almost no influence there.
Sending the "Red Dog" Akainu into that pirate-infested den… it wasn't a bad idea at all.
Let them all witness what "Absolute Justice" really looked like.
"Good!" Mike made the decision instantly.
"If Admiral Akainu agrees to serve as an admiral for the New Marine, I agree to allocate the funds to establish at least two Marine Headquarters-level bases in the New World!"
"What?" Kizaru's jaw dropped. "At least two?! Kid, did you empty the Celestial Dragons' treasury or something?!"
A single Marine Headquarters was an astronomical expense.
The idea of building two more, especially in the hostile territory of the New World, was insane.
For a military fanatic like Sakazuki, the temptation would be explosive.
Those fortresses would be like two giant, unmovable nails hammered deep into the heart of the Emperors' territory.
"Hmm," Kuzan, on the other hand, remained calm, having already been briefed on their funding.
"I approve." Although he and Sakazuki clashed on almost every philosophical level, he couldn't deny the man's effectiveness.
"Sending Sakazuki to garrison the New World is a good choice. Those pirates are all restless troublemakers. For the sake of global stability, sending them to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish is for the best."
"Good," Mike nodded, taking charge of the conversation.
"As long as Admiral Akainu agrees, the two military fortresses can begin preparations immediately. One will be at the entrance to the New World, a direct expansion of the G-1 base. The other will be placed in Dressrosa, which is already our territory. All military operations of the New Marine in the New World will be under Admiral Akainu's full command!"
He then looked at Kuzan.
"Kuzan-san, you'll be responsible for the first half of the Grand Line, 'Paradise,' and the affairs of the Four Seas."
This way, the hawk and dove factions of the New Marine would be clearly defined.
Kuzan would handle the relatively peaceful waters, while Akainu would be unleashed upon the chaos of the New World, free to exercise his "Absolute Justice" to its fullest extent.
'You love to fight, don't you, Sakazuki? Here you go.'
'Troops, money, warships—whatever you need.'
'Your only mission: pin the Four Emperors down and don't let them leave.'
"As for you, old man…" Mike turned to Kizaru.
"Heh~" Kizaru grinned, spreading his hands innocently.
"This old man will naturally coordinate from headquarters, ready to provide support at any time."
"Hmph—" Mike just chuckled, lighting another cigar.
He wouldn't call Kizaru out on his blatant attempt to secure the cushiest, most hands-off job.
If the admiral could actually deliver Zephyr and Akainu, he deserved to slack off a little.
The three of them continued to hash out the details, finalizing their audacious plan.
Just as they were about to set things in motion—
Knock knock knock!
A rapid, urgent series of knocks interrupted them.
"Admirals Kizaru and Aokiji—" A messenger soldier burst through the door, snapping a crisp salute.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku has ordered an emergency high-level Marine meeting!"
"Oh?"