As the sun dipped low, the blood-red twilight painted the bay of Marineford in a magnificent crimson hue. A warship, its hull visibly scarred and bearing the cruel marks of a fierce battle, slowly approached the harbor. It sailed in silently, the vessel itself an unstated testament to the brutal conflict that had just concluded.
The moment a tall, commanding figure appeared on the ship's deck, the entire harbor seemed to fall into a sudden, collective silence. He strode down the gangway with a steady, immense weight to each step. The sunset's afterglow sharply outlined his upright figure, making him look like a volcano on the verge of eruption, radiating a suffocating, scorching aura.
A crimson suit perfectly contained his robust physique, the Vice-Admiral insignia on his epaulets gleaming with a cold metallic light in the dimming sky. His broad chest seemed big enough to hold the sea itself, and the tight, rippling muscles beneath his uniform were a clear hint of the terrifying power he possessed.
"It's Vice-Admiral Akainu! Vice-Admiral Akainu is back!"
The soldiers in the harbor immediately burst into excited chatter, their young faces alight with profound reverence. They unconsciously straightened their backs, snapping to a salute for this legendary figure of the Marine organization.
"That must've been a tough one, wiping out the 'Mad Lion' Pirate Crew this time, huh?"
"With Vice-Admiral Akainu's track record, a promotion to Admiral is just around the corner!"
The soldiers' whispers were clear enough for Sakazuki's ears, but his resolute face remained utterly devoid of emotion. His sharp gaze swept across the harbor, a stare as intensely scorching as lava. In his view, eradicating pirates was nothing more than the sacred, expected duty of the Marine, not an action worthy of pride or boasting.
Just then, a somewhat immature, childish voice broke the quiet: "Vice-Admiral Akainu, could you please sign my notebook?"
A young soldier, his face bright with adoration, plucked up the courage to hand over his small book. Sakazuki's steps paused momentarily, and to the surprise of many, he took the notebook and signed his name with a powerful, dramatic flourish.
"Remember," he stated in a deep, gravelly voice, "the honor of the Marine must be defended by the blood and sweat of every single one of us".
The young soldier's face flushed a deep red with excitement, and he clutched the signed notebook as if it were a priceless treasure. Seeing this moment, the reverence of the surrounding soldiers deepened even further.
Walking quickly into the Marineford headquarters building, Sakazuki instantly sensed an unusual shift in the atmosphere. All the Marine officers he passed had solemn expressions, and even the clerks, who were usually chatty and jovial, wore unsmiling faces today. This strange atmosphere caused his brows to furrow involuntarily.
Outside the Fleet Admiral's office, he encountered an orderly who had clearly been waiting for him.
"Vice-Admiral Sakazuki! Fleet Admiral Sengoku ordered you to report to his office immediately upon your return".
"Understood," Sakazuki replied briefly, his powerful stride carrying him toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
He pushed open the heavy, solid wood door, but the scene inside the office made him pause for a moment. Not only was Fleet Admiral Sengoku present, but even respected veteran figures like Vice-Admiral Tsuru, Zephyr, and Vice-Admiral Garp were all gathered there. What surprised him even more was the presence of Kuzan and Borsalino, the two men known as "Admiral candidates".
'What kind of major incident has happened?' A silent warning bell rang in Sakazuki's mind. For all of the Marine's highest-ranking officials to be assembled and so serious, could it be that the great pirates, the Yonko, of the New World were making a massive move?
"Sakazuki! You're finally back!" When Sengoku caught sight of him, his previously worried expression immediately eased, and a look of relief washed over his face. "Come on, sit down and let's talk!"
However, Sakazuki did not take a seat. He stood ramrod straight in the center of the office, his gaze sharp and demanding: "What is going on?"
Sengoku and Vice-Admiral Tsuru exchanged a glance, then Sengoku let out a tired, helpless sigh. "There's a critical mission, but… no one here is willing to take it".
"No one dares to take it?" Sakazuki's tone rose involuntarily, and his scrutinizing gaze swept right over Kuzan and Borsalino. "Aren't those two right here?"
The two officers he had called out simultaneously avoided his stare. Kuzan looked down, casually fiddling with the eye patch over one eye, while Borsalino pretended to be deeply engrossed in studying the map hanging on the wall.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, looking profoundly exhausted. "This mission isn't exactly difficult, but it's not simple either. It requires one of you to go to the Sabaody Archipelago to… 'monitor' a guy called 'Strange Tail' Takuro".
Sengoku then proceeded to detail the strange series of events that had recently taken place on the Sabaody Archipelago : how Takuro had single-handedly and thoroughly eliminated all the known evildoers on the island , and how he had then brazenly walked into the Marine base there just to collect the bounties ... Sakazuki's brow furrowed even tighter with every word.
He was, of course, familiar with the name "Takuro" ; rumors about him had been circulating in various internal Marine reports for years. But he had never expected that even top combatants like Kuzan and Borsalino would actually shy away from facing this person.
A feeling of intense, unnamable rage began to surge within Sakazuki's chest. He glared at his two disheartened colleagues, his voice as cold and unforgiving as ice : "Just because you were defeated by that 'Strange Tail' Takuro one time? Now you don't even have the courage to face him again? Do you still have any backbone left as Marine officers?"
Kuzan finally looked up from his fiddling, letting out a long, lazy yawn. "Sakazuki, you know that some problems can't be fixed just by having backbone".
Borsalino chimed in from the side with a sarcastic, drawn-out reply: "Ooh, that Takuro is just so scary, isn't he? It's terrifying".
This flippant and perfunctory attitude only managed to further enrage Sakazuki. He turned sharply to Sengoku, his voice firm and resonating throughout the office: "Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Give this mission to me! I guarantee you that I will capture that arrogant 'Strange Tail' Takuro and bring him to justice immediately!"
For the last few years, he had been fighting and dealing with the most vicious and dangerous pirate crews in the New World. His knowledge of Takuro was therefore limited to only a few scattered internal reports. However, in his firm opinion, Kuzan was always muddle-headed and unmotivated, and Borsalino was perpetually lazy, just waiting for the clock to strike quitting time. They must have simply not put in any real effort to have lost to a mere newcomer, an outcome that completely shamed the entire Marine organization.
How could the Marine possibly improve with such companions? he thought. But he, Sakazuki, was fundamentally different! He always fought right on the front lines, steadfastly upholding his ideal of "Absolute Justice". Over the years, his strength had not only been maintained but had actually grown even more refined through countless brutal battles. He had developed the power of his Magma-Magma Logia Devil Fruit to its absolute peak, and when combined with his honed martial arts and Armament Haki, he felt completely confident he could face any challenge placed before him.
'He's just a young man; how truly strong could he possibly be?' Sakazuki sneered inwardly to himself.
Kuzan and Borsalino exchanged a quick, knowing glance. In their eyes, there was both a deep sense of sympathy for what was coming and a clear hint of anticipation for the spectacle they were about to witness.
"Good!!!" Sengoku slammed his hand down on the table with an excited force. "With an officer like you in the Marine, there's no way we won't eventually eradicate all evil!"
But Sengoku quickly calmed himself down and then added a caution: "However, your main objective in Sabaody this time is to monitor him and figure out Takuro's true intentions. Try your best to avoid any direct confrontation, if possible".
"No need to say another word, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Sakazuki interrupted without a moment of hesitation. "I know exactly what I am doing".
A brief, heavy silence fell over the office. Vice-Admiral Tsuru thoughtfully caressed the teacup in her hands, Zephyr looked like he wanted to interject but ultimately held his tongue, and Garp continued to focus intently on eating his senbei rice crackers, acting as if everything happening around him had nothing at all to do with him.
Finally, Sengoku took a deep, resolving breath and made his final decision: "In that case… I'll have 'Momousagi' Vice-Admiral Gion go with you this time! With her there, you'll at least have someone to watch your back".
As he spoke, another graceful figure walked into the Fleet Admiral's office.
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