Chapter 264: He Wants to Become a Second Rocks!

"No."

Sengoku's old face flushed red:

"I'm asking how severe your injuries are over there?!"

"Do you need a few days to recuperate?"

After a long silence from Akainu, his cold and stiff voice finally came through:

"Lord Sengoku."

"This kind of childish trickery has no meaning whatsoever, nor can it save the commoners of Seven Water City."

"Letting them survive will inevitably become a destabilizing factor."

Sengoku raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose; the words Kuzan had spoken earlier still pressed upon his chest like a massive boulder, leaving him unable to breathe.

"Then you should also know."

"Even if those pirates obtain the Pluton blueprints, it is impossible for them to construct that thing."

"Not even Vegapunk could accomplish it."

"This Buster Call is different from Ohara, different from every single one before it; it is merely a simple..."

"A simple..."

Sengoku clenched his teeth tightly, gazing out the window at the Marine flag, feeling the clothes on his body become incomparably heavy.

The justice those commoners, those people, were hoping for, absolutely should not be merely a...

"A massacre!"

"Sakazuki, consider this my request."

"Apologies, Mr. Sengoku."

Amidst the vast ocean, Akainu stood on the deck as he slowly put away the Den Den Mushi.

Only when he turned around did he realize that, at some point, his subordinates had already gathered behind him, filling the space.

The eyes of these men were filled with reluctance, confusion, hesitation, and an indescribable sense of lostness.

They knew they were about to become executioners, and they knew even more clearly that what they were doing was absolutely wrong, yet this was an order from justice.

Clearly, every single person in this fleet was undergoing immense torment within their hearts, especially upon realizing what they were about to do.

While only a minority would suffer a mental breakdown because of this, absolutely many among them would consequently begin to waver in their belief in justice.

That was shaking the very foundation of the Marines.

A Marine officer stepped forward, raised his hand to remove the hat from his head, then took off the cloak bearing the two characters for 'Justice,' folded it neatly, and placed it on the ground.

Yet at this moment, his spine straightened rigidly:

"Lord Sakazuki."

"This time, I cannot convince myself; the moment we put on these Marine uniforms, we already made the resolve to wager our lives."

"In the matter of Ohara back then, we could still convince ourselves with the reason of preventing the continuation of the greatest evil."

"But what about this time?!"

"I joined the Marines for the sake of justice, not for a fearless massacre!"

Akainu's brows knitted tightly together.

According to his past habits, he absolutely would not, and could not, compromise on such a matter.

But this Marine was different; he was an old hand by Akainu's side, having followed Akainu since before the Ohara incident twenty years ago.

It could almost be said that Akainu had personally promoted him; although his military rank was only Commodore, his combat strength was already no inferior to a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters.

He was one of Akainu's direct subordinate forces.

"Alubasta..."

"Have you forgotten what I told you?!"

The Marine named Alubasta lowered his head, his voice choking with emotion:

"No."

"But I also remember what Mr. T-Bone said to me."

"Under these circumstances, given that man's personality, what would he do?!"

As soon as the words landed, the warship fell silent for a moment.

Some reached out to pull Alubasta up, while others stepped forward to plead with Akainu on his behalf.

Yet the man standing on the deck, from beginning to end, showed not the slightest change; his expression remained as cold as a block of ice, just as it had been at the start.

It was no wonder that within the Marines, there had been such an evaluation regarding Akainu and Kuzan.

The person with the coldest heart possesses the most scorching ability, while the person with the most scorching heart possesses the coldest ability; this is also one of the reasons why Kuzan and Akainu have never gotten along.

Whether in their style of conduct or the principles they uphold, the two stand at two opposing extremes.

"Have you thought it through?!"

Akainu's expression was cold and stiff, his voice containing not a shred of emotion.

But those who understood him knew clearly.

When a volcano lies dormant, scalding magma churns underground; once the moment of eruption arrives, it is inevitably earth-shattering, possessing the power to burn everything to ashes.

Alubasta raised his head, looking straight into Akainu's eyes, then nodded heavily:

"I have thought it through."

"Very well."

"Then from today onward, you will start over as a recruit."

Having said this.

Akainu glanced around, an invisible pressure spreading, making everyone break out in cold sweat.

They were all veterans who had followed Akainu for many years, naturally well aware of just how terrifying Akainu's power had become.

Even among the three Admirals at that time, he was a peerless existence; indeed, in this era where Sengoku had stepped back from the front lines and Garp was semi-retired, Akainu could even be called the Navy's number one!

In a word, a non-human monster, a moving natural disaster!

"I told you long ago."

"If you travel with me, you must discard fearless compassion and, with Lei Ting methods, strangle all possible evils in the bud."

"If you are not prepared to face hell after death, do not board my ship!"

Arubana gritted his teeth and argued:

"But this time... our action is merely for slaughter!"

"Everyone knows that in this era, that blueprint is just a piece of waste paper; even Vegapunk was—!"

"Who can guarantee that no pirate will be able to create it!"

A thunderclap suddenly exploded from Akainu's mouth, leaving everyone present momentarily speechless.

"If Vegapunk's judgment contains an error, have you thought about how many people will die?!"

"That number would be a hundred or a thousand times greater than Water 7."

"Only by strangling all possibilities in the bud is the safest course of action."

"I do not consider myself a bloodthirsty person, but if necessary, I can step forward and kill anyone."

"There is no option in this world that achieves everything; every choice inevitably involves sacrifice. All I can do is protect the majority. Even if among those sacrificed are my... dearest friend."

Akainu's eyes turned red.

Was he not also venting the emotions he had long suppressed in his heart?

But he was simply that kind of person; in the face of the greater picture, he would make the most rational decision like a cold-blooded monster.

No matter who was sacrificed, it was something acceptable to him.

Akainu looked around, gazing at the pale-faced crowd, and said calmly:

"Now, full speed ahead straight to Water 7, is there any problem?!"

"No!"

"This is all... for justice!"

The group of Marines stood up, their bodies straight as arrows.

Sunlight projected from behind them, shadows completely obscuring Akainu's figure.

The fleet regrouped, the icebreaker leading the way, smashing through the glaciers and advancing toward Water 7 at a faster speed.

A mutiny triggered by the collapse of belief was erased into nothingness.

At the same time.

Sengoku sat in his office, looking at the hung-up phone in his hand, and couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Since he took over the Navy's great power from Kong, more than ten years had passed; never before had he felt as mentally exhausted as he did now, and an indescribable...

Confusion.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open.

Creak~!

Amidst the harsh noise, a tall figure stood at the door, looking at Sengoku with a smile on his lips.

"Saxi burida na~ Sengoku~"

"Zephyr? You've come at just the right time; I have something I want to say to you."

The Grand Line.

Outside Water 7.

Dark clouds gathered in the high sky, the world pitch black.

A storm was about to form, yet in the next instant it was torn apart by a power so vast it was unimaginable.

Boom!

Zzzzz—!

Two overwhelmingly powerful Haki clashed in the high sky; swords met, and the resulting explosion nearly tore the heavens and earth apart.

The dark clouds dispersed.

Shiki, looking down from above, steadily caught Big Mom's full-force slash.

"Lingling, even if you have anger in your heart, after fighting for days and nights, it should be about time to calm down, right?!"

"Shi Ji!"

Big Mom was furious beyond measure; the hair that had just grown back churned constantly due to the air currents around him, like an angry fierce god.

Clearly, Shiki's seemingly admonishing words only made the anger in Big Mom's heart rise even higher.

"What kind of joke are you making!"

"You stole my things, captured my most outstanding children, and now you tell me to calm down?!"

"Decades have passed, and you are still as shameless as when you first started!"

Shiki retorted:

"How much better can you be?!"

"Kaido's Little Boy's Azure Dragon Fruit, wasn't that given to him by you in private?!"

But now, to speak seriously, it's already meaningless.

Nn~

Lingling, let's team up, just like we did in the Valley of the Gods!

The Jin Shizi floated away, sat cross-legged in midair, propped his chin on one hand, and calmly regarded the old woman across from him, continuing:

I've already interrogated the man you captured—he's stubborn, but no matter how hard the bones, they can't withstand the Spirit-Crushing Drug.

The King Neptune blueprints are still in Water Seven.

And my people have received word: a fleet led by the current Fleet Admiral will arrive in Water Seven within four or five days at most.

With your current strength, you have no chance of getting a share.

But we can cooperate!

With our combined strength, Water Seven will have no rivals.

I can even return your son to you!

Saying this, the Jin Shizi turned his gaze to the old woman, clearly confident he had her cornered.

Long ago, he had spent time with her in the Rocks Pirates, and naturally understood her temperament and nature.

Now, all her fleets are destroyed; she stands alone, having lost all claim to the King Neptune blueprints.

Added to that, holding Kattegut as leverage, the Jin Shizi was certain she would eventually nod in agreement.

Indeed.

As the Jin Shizi's voice faded, the storm of rage swirling around the old woman gradually subsided.

She waved her hand and summoned Zeus the Thundercloud again, letting it carry her body as she sat facing the Jin Shizi.

In the past, nearly all affairs within the Grand Kingdom were handled by Kattegut and Perospero; she had lived like a hands-off ruler.

But now, that was impossible.

Kattegut had been captured by the Jin Shizi, and Perospero was useless in this situation.

The old woman could rely on nothing but herself and the knife in her hand.

She knew better than anyone: the Jin Shizi was right—without her fleet, she had no chance at the King Neptune blueprints; cooperating with him was her only option.

Long silence.

The old woman lifted her gaze to the Jin Shizi; the anger on her face vanished, replaced by a faint sneer:

You want to be Rocks?!

You saw with your own eyes how that man ended—don't end up dead in Water Seven.

This sea has never lacked powerful newcomers; among them, the best have already gained strength to challenge us.

My pirate ship was destroyed by the rising knight, Gao Wen. That man's power is not to be underestimated.

Recalling that night of Gao Wen's ambush, the old woman's face held not only rage but a deeply hidden dread.

The Jin Shizi, however, blinked slightly, then grinned wider, his expression arrogant and cruel:

Hahahahahaha—!

Just a stray dog! This time I let him slip through my fingers—perfect! Now he'll see what a real pirate truly is!

You've fought him before?!

Yeah.

The Jin Shizi scratched his scalp; several coin-sized scars stood out clearly on his head.

Last time, for certain reasons, he escaped death—this time, he won't be so lucky.

He's my prey!

The old woman refused to yield.

That night, the number of her children killed by Gao Wen exceeded the fingers of both hands.

Every time she thought of it, her heart bled; the hatred buried deep within her could only be cleansed with Gao Wen's blood.

No!

The Jin Shizi extended his hand:

Our prey!

Hmph.

The old woman's lips curled into a smile as she extended her own hand.

One large, one small.

The two palms touched lightly in midair.

Two pirate kings of the sea sealed their alliance in this childish manner.

In the distance.

Standing on the floating island, watching their battle, Law gripped his longsword, Ghost Wail, tightly.

At that moment, he understood why the Jin Shizi had never feared him.

How could a giant beast care about the threats of ants?!

The gap was too vast—beyond imagination!

Law's vision filled with the clumsy figure of Bepo; he murmured:

Xia Qi, Pei Jin, and Bepo—I'll avenge you. I'll send the Jin Shizi to hell!

…

…

…

Ah-choo!

Water Seven.

Bepo, who was assisting Chopper in treating the wounded, suddenly sneezed.

His height had surged to nearly two and a half meters, his build extremely burly, his exaggerated pectoral muscles nearly bursting his jacket, his entire body radiating an explosive sense of power.

Love it or hate it.

The physiques of people in the Pirate World are just this miraculous.

Even after reaching adulthood, one can undergo earth-shattering changes due to reasons like training and modification.

Bepo was exactly like this now; having followed Chopper in cultivation for barely a month, he had almost completely transformed.

Yet even so, when Bepo stood before Chopper, he still looked as thin as a malnourished twig.

Chopper placed a packet of formulated secret medicine into Bepo's hand and carefully instructed:

"This is a secret medicine specially crafted for the Mink Tribe based on the ideas you provided earlier; it allows transformation into the Sulong form even without seeing the moon."

"However."

"The duration is only ten minutes, and after the effects wear off, the body falls into a weakened state; furthermore, two pills cannot be consumed consecutively within a single day."

(End of Chapter)