Chapter 395: Admiral Aokiji Has Defected!

Seeming to have guessed Aokiji's doubts,

Fujitora shook his head and said, "Back then, Sengoku could tolerate the Celestial Dragon's Buster Call. Now, facing shady business that doesn't implicate the Navy Alliance, and being able to reap benefits from it to strengthen the Navy, do you think he would turn a blind eye?"

The commanders of the Navy Alliance did not directly intervene in the affairs of the Noble Group; they merely pretended not to know.

Think back to Crocodile's plan to steal the country, or Doflamingo's toy empire—they all treated commoners like blades of grass, to be humiliated at will.

As long as the truth isn't made public, aren't they still Seven Warlords of the Sea? Aokiji took a deep breath, his emotions complex, and said, "I don't believe you."

During this time,

As the highest combat power, the Marine Admirals spent most of their time immersed in the game, with no time to concern themselves with the Pirate World.

He wanted to see for himself the darkness that the other party claimed was being covered up by the Navy Alliance.

Whoosh...

The snowmobile 【Silver Wing】 hummed, its ice mist flapping like wings, and in the blink of an eye, it carried Aokiji away and out of sight.

Shanks watched him leave without stopping him.

The Adventurer Guild is a habitat for Free Will and will not bind anyone. Once Aokiji sees things clearly, he will make his own decision.

"Shanks!"

Having recovered slightly from his injuries, Luffy ran over excitedly, looking at Shanks, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

It was because of Shanks' guidance and the promise of the straw hat that young Luffy eventually set sail with the goal of becoming the Pirate King.

The two were not just friends; they were a guide and a successor.

However,

Shanks looked at the excited Luffy, his mouth lifting with difficulty as he smiled and said, "Luffy, I'm sorry, I'm no longer a Pirate!"

He, who was supposed to be the guide, had been the first to abandon the identity of a Pirate.

This left him feeling guilty toward Luffy.

"Shanks?"

Looking at Shanks, who was apologizing to him, Luffy scratched his head in confusion and said, "Why apologize? Adventurers are also very cool!"

Shanks was stunned.

Luffy reached out, pressed the straw hat Shanks had given him, and laughed loudly, "No matter what, I will become the Pirate King!"

To him,

The Pirate King was not a promise made to anyone, nor was it an achievement for circling the Red Line.

It was a dream of absolute freedom.

Before, it was a longing for the sea, then it was the exploration of the 【Arad Continent】, and then the adventure in the Zombie World.

The Straw Hat Crew could head anywhere; endless adventures—as long as they kept exploring, that was what Luffy wanted most.

"Luffy..."

Shanks was in a trance for a moment. The figure before him blurred slightly, reflecting the image of Captain Roger. He smiled and said, "You are already the Pirate King, Luffy!"

The freest person in the world.

Isn't that what it is?

Luffy lowered the brim of his hat slightly, his mouth curling up as he said excitedly, "You too, Shanks, a super cool Adventure King!"

"Is that so?"

Shanks also started to laugh, then his expression turned serious as he said, "However, even if you flatter me, I won't let the Dark Gold-level Ghost General go to the Straw Hat Crew!"

Adventure and growth are destined to be fraught with danger. He helped the Straw Hat Crew block Aokiji only because he didn't want the Straw Hat Crew to perish before they had grown up.

But he would never be like a nagging nanny, taking care of them.

"The future will be magnificent!"

"Aokiji, do it!"

The scarred earth was covered in charred burn marks and forbidden zones soaked in demonic energy.

The Seventh Flame Demon merged with Akainu, as if draping a Flame Demon Armor over him. The Elite Navy joined forces, and even someone as strong as Mihawk began to show signs of fatigue; the demonic energy dancing across the sky became sluggish.

At this moment,

Akainu saw Aokiji riding the snowmobile, sliding through the layers of shattered earth like a skier, and was immediately overjoyed.

Although Mihawk was exhausted,

He was, after all, a near-top-tier player. If he wanted to escape, the Navy Alliance would have to pay a very high price to keep him.

Fortunately, Aokiji had arrived in time.

Two Marine Admirals and thousands of Elite Navy—with this overwhelming advantage, they could kill Mihawk without any effort.

"It's Admiral Aokiji!"

"Mihawk, die!"

The Elite Navy revealed excited expressions one after another, watching the snowmobile get closer and closer.

"Damn it..."

Mihawk craved battles with the strong, but he was not insane.

Although he was slightly stronger than Akainu, being surrounded by thousands of elite players meant that not only had he failed to defeat Akainu, but the battle had reached a stalemate.

In his current state, if Aokiji made a move, he might not even be able to escape.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Mihawk's brow furrowed slightly, feeling that something was wrong.

The Elite Navy also hadn't reacted; Aokiji acted as if he hadn't heard, as if he hadn't heard Akainu's voice, and hadn't seen the stalemated battle.

He did not make a move.

The snowmobile did not slow down in the slightest, driving straight through the battlefield toward the distant Jiang Family Town.

"Aokiji?!"

Akainu was stunned, unable to imagine that Aokiji would simply leave.

"I am not joking; this is no time to be lazy. Aokiji, what exactly are you trying to do?"

The living Flame Demon Armor continuously thrust out massive magma claws, tearing apart the blade shadows slashed down by Hawkeye, while Akainu inside wore a look of fury and confusion, letting out a roar.

Merging with the Flame Demon caused his voice to become rough and deep, like a demon.

Aokiji did not even turn his head; he wanted to return to Qin Family Town now, exit the combat state, and see the truth Fujitora spoke of with his own eyes.

"Aokiji, ignoring military orders, do you want to be dismissed?"

Scorching magma flowed, corroding the earth.

Akainu was angry and anxious, not wanting to miss the golden opportunity to kill Hawkeye.

The second-greatest combat power in the Adventurer Guild besides Shanks,

killing the opponent was equivalent to cutting off one of the Adventurer Guild's arms.

The scene of Shanks breaking through the Navy Jiazu Chenqiang had not yet been forgotten by Akainu; this was a battle to wash away the shame and gain glory for the Navy Alliance.

"I'm sorry, I need to leave the Navy temporarily to figure some things out..."

Aokiji's voice, as if suppressing some kind of emotion, spread across the battlefield.

Silence.

Following that was the shock of the Elite Navy, and the mockery and curiosity of the Pirate players and otherworldly players.

Leave the Navy temporarily?

The Navy Alliance is a military organization, not a temp job at a grocery store; how could one just leave whenever they wanted...

Defection! This word surfaced in everyone's mind.

The Navy Alliance's highest combat power, Admiral Aokiji, was actually going to defect? Everyone's first reaction was disbelief, thinking that a Genjutsu-type player was causing trouble, trying to shake the morale of the army.

After they realized it,

the high fighting spirit of the Navy Alliance collapsed like a mountain, extinguishing rapidly.

"Seven Stars Demon Step!"

Taking advantage of the Elite Navy's momentary daze, Hawkeye erupted with monstrous demonic energy, and a narrow, river-like blade shadow split open the Elite Navy's encirclement.

He took the opportunity to flee into the distance.

"Hawkeye... Aokiji!"

Watching Hawkeye's retreating back, Akainu's eyes widened, waves of scorching fire surged, and the living Flame Demon Armor rose from the ground like a tornado, pursuing Hawkeye.

"Akainu, without the maneuvering of the Elite Navy, you are no match for me!"

Hawkeye tilted his head slightly,

the Black Blade exploded, and countless fine blade shadows instantly enveloped Akainu, shredding the Flame Demon Armor at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Pfft.

Akainu still would not give up, the giant claws of the Flame Demon Armor reaching out, but they were dodged by Hawkeye,

and a phantom of a Short Blade condensed from pure demonic energy pierced through the magma giant claws, piercing Akainu's abdomen with unstoppable force and pinning him firmly to the ground.

"Aokiji, traitor!"

Severely wounded, Akainu was unable to fight again, continuously pounding the ground.

The ground, scorched by the hot magma, was pounded into pieces once more, trembling with a rustling sound.

The Elite Navy looked at each other,

none daring to walk over easily, letting Akainu vent the anger in his heart.

A portion of the Navy had already reported the battlefield news upward.

Unsurprisingly, a massive earthquake occurred at the Navy Alliance headquarters.

Aokiji has defected! (End of chapter)