Chapter 11: Red Justice
Year 1516 - Iron Haven Island, Three Days After the Lucci Battle
The celebration at Iron Haven was subdued but genuine.
Word of their victory over CP0 had spread through the recruits like wildfire, and morale was at an all-time high. Aiko stood on a newly constructed platform overlooking the training grounds where seventy-three people—the number had grown again—were drilling under Kiara's watchful eye.
Seventy-three souls who believed in what they were building.
Seventy-three targets if the World Government decided to eliminate them.
"You're brooding again," Isra observed, appearing beside him with two cups of coffee—a morning ritual they'd developed. "That's never a good sign."
"We beat Lucci three days ago," Aiko said quietly. "The World Government will have received our message by now. They'll respond. Soon."
"Let them. We're ready." But Isra's confidence was tempered with realism. "Or as ready as we can be. The prison's secure, the defensive positions are established, and Doc's finished the medical facility. If they come, we can either fight or evacuate."
"Evacuate seventy-three people through reef-filled waters while under attack?" Aiko shook his head. "That's not a plan, that's a prayer."
Before Isra could respond, Akira came running from the communications hut, his face pale.
"Sir! Emergency transmission from our intelligence network!" The network—a loose collection of informants, sympathetic merchants, and people they'd helped who owed them favors—had been Aiko's idea to avoid being caught blind like at Gecko Islands. "There's a Marine fleet approaching Paradise. Three battleships, two support vessels, and..." Akira swallowed hard. "Admiral colors on the lead ship."
The training ground went silent. Everyone had heard.
"Which Admiral?" Aiko asked, his voice deadly calm.
"Red and black colors. The informant says..." Akira checked his notes with shaking hands. "Admiral Akainu. Sakazuki. He left Marine Headquarters two days ago, destination unknown. But based on his trajectory and our last known position..."
"He's coming here," Isra finished. "The World Government sent their most ruthless Admiral to eliminate us."
Aiko's mind raced. Akainu. The Marine who believed in Absolute Justice—the philosophy that any sacrifice was acceptable if it eliminated evil. The man who'd personally killed his own subordinates for suggesting retreat. Who'd executed civilians for potentially harboring criminals.
If Lucci was a scalpel, Akainu was a volcanic eruption—overwhelming, merciless, and absolutely devastating.
"How long do we have?" Aiko asked.
"Based on speed and distance... maybe four days. Five at most."
Four days to prepare for an Admiral. Four days to fortify an island that was barely established. Four days to decide whether to stand and fight or abandon everything they'd built.
"Assemble everyone," Aiko ordered. "Marines and recruits both. Meeting in the central clearing in thirty minutes. And Akira—send messages to the Hakusetsu's patrol. Recall everyone immediately. If we're facing an Admiral, I want my entire crew here."
Thirty minutes later, every person on Iron Haven stood assembled. The seventy-three recruits looked nervous but determined. Aiko's Marine crew—the core nine who'd followed him from the beginning—stood at attention, ready for orders.
Aiko looked at them all—these people who'd chosen to follow him, to believe in his vision of justice. People who'd entrusted their lives, their futures, their hope to his leadership.
And he was about to ask them to risk it all.
"By now, most of you have heard the news," he began, his voice carrying clearly across the clearing. "Admiral Akainu is en route to our location. He'll arrive within five days. For those who don't know, Akainu is not like the other threats we've faced. He's not a Vice Admiral who can be reasoned with. He's not a CP0 agent acting on orders. He's a force of nature who believes that exterminating evil justifies any cost—including civilian casualties."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"I won't lie to you. Facing him means facing someone with the power to destroy islands. Someone who won't hesitate to kill every person here if he believes it serves justice." Aiko paused, letting that sink in. "Which is why I'm giving everyone a choice. Right now. No judgment, no consequences."
He gestured to the harbor. "We have enough ships to evacuate everyone. Those who want to leave—who want to return to normal lives, who don't want to face an Admiral—you can go. We'll provide supplies, money, and coordinates to safe islands. You owe us nothing."
Silence. No one moved.
"For those who stay," Aiko continued, "understand what you're choosing. We might win. With preparation, strategy, and our awakened powers, we might actually survive this. But we might also die. All of us. And if we die, the World Government will erase our names from history. We'll become cautionary tales, warnings about what happens when you defy the established order."
Still, no one moved toward the ships.
Kiara stepped forward from the recruit formation. "Sir, with respect, if we wanted safe lives, we wouldn't have joined the Wandering Marines. We're here because you showed us that justice doesn't require institutional approval. Because you proved that standing against corruption—even when it costs everything—is worth it."
"She's right," called out one of the former pirates—a man named Hendricks who'd been part of the Red Axe crew but had chosen reformation over imprisonment. "You gave us second chances when the world said we deserved none. The least we can do is stand with you when the world comes calling."
A chorus of agreement rippled through the crowd.
Aiko felt something tight in his chest loosen slightly. "Then we fight. But we fight smart. We use every advantage this island gives us—the reefs, the jungle, the defensive positions we've built. We make Akainu pay for every inch of ground. And most importantly..." He looked at his core crew. "We protect each other. No heroic sacrifices. No one left behind. We all survive, or none of us do."
"Agreed," Isra said immediately, and the rest of the crew echoed her.
"Then here's what we're going to do." Aiko pulled out maps of Iron Haven that Akira had drawn. "We have four days to turn this island into a fortress. Commander Vex, you're in charge of defensive preparations. I want traps, fallback positions, and evacuation routes. If we can't win, we need to be able to escape."
"Aye, sir."
"Lieutenant Sato, you're on intelligence and long-range interdiction. Find the best sniper positions, map Akainu's approach routes, and prepare to hit them before they reach the island."
"Understood, sir."
"Doc, medical facilities need to handle mass casualties. Assume the worst and prepare for it."
"Already on it."
Aiko turned to the recruits. "Those of you who've awakened Haki, you're combat support. Those who haven't, you're on logistics—moving supplies, maintaining equipment, evacuating wounded. Kiara, coordinate them."
"Yes, sir."
"And me?" Aria asked. "What's my role?"
Aiko looked at her—the former Marine who'd killed seventeen of her own to protect innocents, who'd been hunted for doing what she believed was right. "You're going to help me develop a strategy to fight someone with a Logia fruit that's superior to mine in direct combat. Magma beats snow in raw power. So we need to get creative."
Four Days Later - Dawn
The preparations had transformed Iron Haven.
The harbor approach was now filled with submerged obstacles marked only on Akira's charts. The beach had concealed pit traps covered with canvas and snow. The jungle paths were rigged with tripwires and alarms. Every cave had supplies for long-term siege. The mountain peak had Koji's sniper nest with clear sightlines across the entire approach.
And in the central clearing, Aiko stood with his crew, waiting.
His Observation Haki detected them first—five ships approaching through the morning fog, moving with the confidence of those who'd never feared opposition.
"They're here," he announced quietly.
The warning spread through Iron Haven like ripples on water. Everyone moved to their assigned positions—Marines to defensive points, recruits to supporting roles, Doc to the medical facility.
Within five minutes, the island was ready.
The Marine fleet emerged from the fog like harbingers of judgment. The lead ship—massive, imposing, flying Admiral colors—bore the unmistakable mark of absolute authority.
On its deck stood a figure in a Marine coat draped over his shoulders. Even from this distance, Aiko could feel the heat radiating from him—not literal heat, but the presence of someone whose conviction burned like the sun itself.
Admiral Akainu. Sakazuki. The man who embodied Absolute Justice.
The fleet stopped just outside the reef line—Akainu wasn't fool enough to try navigating unknown waters. Instead, a single boat was lowered, carrying the Admiral and five Marine officers.
They approached the beach carefully, and as they landed, Aiko walked forward to meet them. Alone, as he'd planned. This first meeting would set the tone for everything that followed.
Akainu stepped onto Iron Haven's beach, and up close, he was even more imposing. Tall, powerfully built, his face set in an expression of permanent displeasure. His Marine coat bore the kanji for "Absolute Justice" on the back.
"Commodore Danzo Aiko," Akainu's voice was deep and hard. "Or should I say, the Snow Traitor. You've caused considerable trouble for the Marines and the World Government."
"Admiral Sakazuki," Aiko replied, keeping his voice neutral. "I'm honored that they sent someone of your caliber. Though I have to question the logic—using an Admiral to hunt down a single rogue Commodore seems like overkill."
"You're not a single rogue Commodore. You're a symbol. A message that says defying the World Government is acceptable. That corruption within our ranks justifies betrayal." Akainu's eyes were cold. "That message must be corrected. Permanently."
"And how do you plan to correct it? Execute me and my crew? Burn this island? Kill everyone who believed in what we're trying to build?"
"If necessary." No hesitation. No doubt. "Justice requires sacrifice, Commodore. Sometimes innocent people die so that order can be maintained. That's the burden of those who truly understand what justice means."
"That's not justice," Aiko said quietly. "That's tyranny with better marketing."
Akainu's expression darkened. "You're young. Idealistic. You think you can change a system that's maintained peace for eight hundred years through force of will and pretty speeches. But reality doesn't care about your ideals. Power is what matters. Authority. Order."
"Then why are you here?" Aiko challenged. "If power and authority are all that matter, why send an Admiral to deal with me? Why not just send another CP0 agent, or a Vice Admiral? Why does my existence bother the World Government so much?"
For the first time, something flickered in Akainu's eyes. Not doubt, but... recognition.
"Because you're dangerous in ways that go beyond your Logia fruit or your Conqueror's Haki," the Admiral said. "You make people question. You make Marines wonder if there's another way. You plant seeds of doubt in a system that requires absolute obedience to function." His fist began to glow red, heat shimmer rising around it. "And those seeds, if allowed to grow, could destroy everything we've built."
"Maybe that system deserves to be destroyed."
"And maybe," Akainu replied, his entire arm transforming into magma, "you deserve to die for suggesting it."
The temperature spiked dramatically. The sand beneath Akainu's feet began to melt into glass.
"I'll give you one chance, Commodore. Surrender yourself and your crew. Face trial at Marine Headquarters. If you're truly innocent of wrongdoing, justice will prevail."
"We both know that's a lie," Aiko said. "There won't be a trial. There'll be an execution, probably in secret, and a fabricated story about how we died resisting arrest."
"Perhaps. But that's still better than what happens if you refuse." Akainu's magma arm pulsed with heat. "I've been authorized to use any means necessary to eliminate this threat. That includes destroying this entire island and everyone on it. So choose carefully, Snow Traitor. Your pride, or their lives."
Aiko's hand moved to Yukikaze's hilt. Around him, snow began to fall despite the clear sky—his awakened powers responding to his emotional state.
"You're right about one thing, Admiral. I am a symbol. But not of defiance for its own sake." Snow swirled faster, the temperature dropping to counter Akainu's heat. "I'm a symbol that justice can exist outside your corrupt system. That Marines can choose conscience over convenience. That people can stand up to tyranny, even when that tyranny wears a Marine coat."
"Pretty words. Let's see if they keep you warm when I turn this island into a volcanic wasteland." Akainu's entire body began transforming—the Magu Magu no Mi, the Magma-Magma Fruit, awakening to its full power. "All Marines, fall back to the ships. I'm declaring this a battlefield."
The five officers with him immediately retreated, fear evident in their movements.
Aiko activated his Den Den Mushi. "All units, combat positions. This is not a drill. The Admiral has declared hostile intent."
Across Iron Haven, seventy-three recruits and nine Marines moved into position. They couldn't see the beach from most angles, but they could feel the temperature fluctuations—the battle between winter and volcanic fury about to begin.
Akainu looked past Aiko, toward the jungle where he could sense people hiding. "All those civilians. All those recruits you've trained. They're accomplices to treason. When I'm done with you, I'll hunt them down. Every single one. That's what Absolute Justice demands."
"Then you'll have to go through me first." Aiko drew Yukikaze, and his awakened snow powers exploded outward, creating a blizzard that covered the entire beach. "I'm Danzo Aiko, Snow Admiral of the Wandering Marines. And I refuse to let you harm my people."
"Snow Admiral," Akainu scoffed. "Pretentious title for a traitor. But titles mean nothing against absolute power." His magma form fully manifested now, making him look like a demon risen from the earth's core. "I am Admiral Akainu. And I am justice incarnate."
"Then let's see whose justice is stronger."
They attacked simultaneously.
The clash of absolute zero and volcanic magma created a shockwave that sent a wall of steam exploding outward. The beach itself became a battlefield of extremes—ice forming and immediately melting, magma cooling and cracking, the very ground unable to decide whether to freeze or burn.
This wasn't like fighting Lucci. This wasn't a battle of techniques and tactics.
This was elemental warfare. Two Logia users at the peak of their powers, two philosophies of justice in direct opposition, two wills that refused to bend.
And somewhere in the distance, on Marine ships and in jungle hideouts, people watched in awe and terror as snow and magma painted the dawn sky in white and red.
The real battle for Iron Haven had begun.
Mary Geoise - Im's Chamber
Im-sama sat upon the throne that didn't exist, watching events unfold through means beyond normal perception.
"He faces Sakazuki without hesitation," Im murmured. "Either remarkably brave or remarkably foolish. Perhaps both."
One of the Five Elders—Saint Saturn—stood in the shadows, reporting. "Admiral Akainu has engaged the target. Initial analysis suggests the battle will be... prolonged. The boy's awakened Yuki Yuki no Mi provides surprising resistance to the Magu Magu no Mi."
"Interesting. Magma should dominate snow in direct conflict. Yet the boy finds ways to resist." Im's ancient fingers tapped the throne's armrest. "Tell me, Saturn, what do you see when you look at this Danzo Aiko?"
"A threat that must be eliminated, Im-sama."
"No. Look deeper. What do you truly see?"
Saturn hesitated, then spoke carefully. "I see... a man who believes so strongly in his principles that he'll die for them. Who inspires others through example rather than authority. Who grows stronger with each challenge because his conviction never wavers."
"Yes." Im's voice carried a note of something that might have been approval. "He reminds me of them. The D. clan warriors. Joy Boy. Others throughout history who burned so brightly that their light threatened to expose truths better left hidden."
"Should we intervene, Im-sama? If Sakazuki fails—"
"Sakazuki will not fail. He is Absolute Justice given form. He will destroy the boy, the island, everyone connected to this foolish rebellion." Im stood, walking to a window that overlooked the entire world. "But observe carefully, Saturn. Watch how the boy fights. Learn the techniques he uses. Study his awakened powers."
"Why, Im-sama?"
"Because," Im said softly, "if by some miracle he survives Sakazuki, when I personally end him, I want it to be perfect. Complete. So thorough that not even legends remain."
Im turned from the window, and in the shadows, their eyes gleamed with something ancient and terrible.
"This Danzo Aiko will serve one final purpose: reminding the world that hope is the cruelest illusion of all."
END OF CHAPTER 11
Next Chapter: "Winter vs. Inferno - The Admiral's War"