"...After the Marineford War, that old guy Sengoku resigned from the position of Fleet Admiral, and Akainu and Aokiji indeed fought for ten days and ten nights on Punk Hazard to contend for the position of Fleet Admiral..." Kaido's voice echoed in the office. "In the end, Aokiji lost with a broken leg...Ugh Cluck, cluck, cluck..."
The air instantly dropped to freezing point.
The Admirals' gazes uncontrollably darted between Akainu and Aokiji.
Tokikake's teacup hung in mid-air, and Momousagi's fingers unconsciously tightened her cloak.
Kizaru's sunglasses slipped slightly, revealing a rare serious expression.
Fleet Admiral Akainu's face was terrifyingly grim, his fists clenched, cracking, and a few wisps of magma seeped from between his fingers.
Although Aokiji still maintained his lazy sitting posture, the office temperature clearly dropped by several degrees, and his right leg moved unnaturally.
"Hmph!" Akainu suddenly slammed his hand on the table, making the documents on it scatter. "Nonsense!" His roar made the windows hum. "Since when did a Pirate's gibberish warrant such attention from Marine Admirals?!"
Scorching magma dripped onto the floor, burning black holes.
Akainu's sharp gaze swept over everyone present: "This clumsy scheme is just to sow suspicion within the Marine!"
"Exactly, exactly!" Tokikake quickly echoed, cold sweat seeping from his forehead. "Pirates are best at such tricks!"
Momousagi also quickly adjusted her expression: "That's right, how can we be led by the nose by Pirates."
Kizaru slowly pushed up his sunglasses: "Well~ it's all just stuff from a novel anyway~ can't be taken seriously."
Aokiji slowly stood up, hands in his pockets, and walked to the window: "Oh my... the sun is really strong today..." He had his back to everyone, making his expression unreadable. "However... some things really don't need to be taken too seriously..."
Akainu's eyes flickered slightly, but soon returned to their authoritative gaze: "Instead of listening to Pirates spout nonsense here, we should be thinking about how to annihilate them!"
...
The live stream continued,
Kaido took a big gulp of strong liquor, and as his Adam's apple bobbed, the liquor dripped down his dragon whiskers, splashing dark red foam on the skull throne.
He bared his fanged mouth, revealing a malicious smile:
"That old stubborn Whitebeard... Ugh Cluck, cluck, cluck..." His rough laughter made the live stream screen tremble. "Back then on the Moby Dick, Red Hair personally went to talk to him, and what was the result?"
Kaido deliberately paused, watching the furiously refreshing bullet comments, and continued:
"Not only did that old guy not give Red Hair Face, he even said, 'The new era has no ship that can carry me!'" Kaido imitated Whitebeard's deep voice, then burst into maniacal laughter. "And what was the result? He died so miserably in the Marineford War! That's what happens when you don't give Face!"
"And look at Sengoku—" Kaido's voice suddenly turned playful, "How sensible he was in the final moments of the Marineford War! Red Hair just said 'Give me some Face,' and he immediately ordered a ceasefire."
Kaido in the picture shook his head, his green hat askew, looking like an old storyteller: "Because Sengoku gave Red Hair Face, after the Marineford War, he collected his pension and lived a truly comfortable life! Feeding pigeons and teasing goats every day, much happier than being Fleet Admiral!"
"You Marines—" Kaido suddenly leaned closer to the camera, his alcoholic breath seemingly spraying through the screen onto everyone's faces, "You should learn from old man Sengoku's wisdom! You have to give Face when it's due! Ugh Cluck, cluck, cluck..."
Akainu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the office temperature suddenly soared.
Kizaru's sunglasses reflected an eerie light: "Oh~ how scary~ even his retirement life is investigated so thoroughly~"
In his heart, he was wondering when he would retire, and if he would also have to give Red Hair Face to retire?
Although it was just a novel, what if it was true...!
Aokiji silently stood up: "Oh dear... I suddenly feel like having some ice cream..."
Just as Aokiji was about to get up and leave the Marine meeting room, Sengoku's aide suddenly pushed the door open, holding an ice cream cone emitting wisps of cold air.
"Admiral Kuzan, your strawberry chocolate swirl ice cream." The aide respectfully offered it.
Aokiji froze in place, his ice-blue pupils slightly contracted. He slowly lowered his head to look at the sudden ice cream, then looked up at the aide whose expression was normal, and finally turned his gaze to Sengoku, who was watching the live stream.
....
Didn't he realize he was about to leave...? Awkward.
The meeting room was silent. Aokiji was silent for two seconds, finally taking the ice cream under everyone's gaze, silently returning to his seat, and began to eat it with his head down.
The "crunching" sound of chewing was exceptionally clear in the quiet meeting room.
Sengoku's face suddenly became unusually grave. He stared intently at the live stream, listening to Kaido describe the plot of "Akainu and Aokiji fighting for the position of Fleet Admiral for ten days and ten nights," his temples throbbing.
If the Marineford War really happened... if I recommended Aokiji to succeed as Fleet Admiral... given Sakazuki's personality...
Sengoku's fingers unconsciously tapped the table, his mind rapidly calculating:
1. He indeed preferred the moderate Aokiji to take over
2. But Akainu would definitely consider this a betrayal of "Absolute Justice"
3. The conflict of ideals between the two Admirals...
4. The terrain of Punk Hazard...
5. A ten-day and ten-night death match...
"Bang!"
Sengoku suddenly slapped the table, startling Aokiji, who was licking his ice cream.
"This is too terrifying..." Sengoku's goatee trembled slightly. "The development in the novel... perfectly matches each of our personality logics!"
He quickly took out his phone and opened the novel "One Piece."
Who wrote this book?
Why can it predict the future so accurately?
Can the author glimpse destiny?
What chilled Sengoku to the bone was—
If the first half of the novel was all "history" that had already happened...
Then the second half...
It could very well be the "future" that has not yet happened!
...
In the Marine Headquarters meeting room, the projection screen flickered on and off, Kaido's rough laughter echoed in the room, but it no longer held any interest for Sengoku.
The former Fleet Admiral, known as the "Strategist," crossed his hands under his chin, his glasses reflecting a cold light that obscured his eyes.
Kaido holds key information about the second half...
But he deliberately uses these irrelevant revelations to pique people's interest...
What Face-Face Fruit user, it's all a smokescreen!
Sengoku slightly narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping through the meeting room like a knife. Vice Admiral Tsuru was thoughtfully caressing her teacup, Garp was heartlessly munching on rice crackers, Aokiji was staring blankly at his melting ice cream, and Akainu...
Sakazuki's fist is clenched so tightly...
It seems he has also realized the seriousness of the problem.
....
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