Chapter 278

The pirates were utterly awestruck and prostrated themselves in admiration.

Buggy laughed heartily, his figure growing even taller and more majestic.

In his heart, however, he chuckled with a cunning grin.

He had indeed fought Blackbeard for three days and three nights, but back then they were just eight- or nine-year-old brats.

Moreover,

Buggy had joined forces with Shanks to fight Blackbeard.

As for Whitebeard asking Buggy to spare Blackbeard, that was nothing more than a lie Buggy made up on the spot.

How terrifying was Whitebeard back then, able to match Captain Roger evenly.

How could he possibly have begged Buggy?

But none of those present had experienced that event.

Plus, with the majestic aura Buggy radiated, everyone believed Buggy's nonsense without reservation.

Only Mr. 3 saw through Buggy's lie.

Mr. 3's heart trembled; he turned around, tears streaming down his face.

"That bastard Buggy is getting more and more outrageous; he actually intends to become one of the Seven Warlords and dominate the first half of the Grand Line!"

"It's over, it's over! Now I can't even slip away!"

The Buggy Pirates were at the height of their power, their momentum growing ever more formidable.

They stood alongside the Blackbeard Pirates as the two newly risen powers of the Grand Line.

Mr. 3, Galdino, as the second-in-command of the Buggy Pirates,

now had a reputation on the seas several times greater than that of his former captain, the Sand Crocodile Crocodile, who had nearly killed him!

And the Mr. 3 who would one day become an Emperor's right-hand man,

even if Old Sand were resurrected and saw him, would have to respectfully address him as Third Brother!

While Buggy was basking in the glory of accepting the title of Warlord,

Fujitora, who had returned from the North Blue without success,

reported the matter of Kuzan to Akainu over the Den Den Mushi.

As expected, Akainu flew into a rage.

"That guy Kuzan has actually gotten involved with the Beasts Pirates; he has truly fallen!"

"If I had known this, I should have killed him that day!"

After breaking one of Kuzan's legs,

facing a long-time comrade who could no longer resist, even the ruthless and merciless Akainu felt a pang of compassion.

Before leaving, he told Kuzan not to fall,

otherwise, the next time they met,

he would show no mercy whatsoever.

Yet Kuzan ignored the warning and actually chose to walk to the opposite side of justice, getting mixed up with pirates, and the most detestable of all, the Beasts Pirates.

"Well, Sakazuki, you needn't blame yourself too much."

In the newly built Fleet Admiral's office, which was much larger than the one under Sengoku,

the veteran Admiral Huang Yuan, Borsalino, was crossing his legs and filing his nails.

He spoke slowly:

"Kuzan was never a firm executor of justice... His choice to join the Beasts Pirates is not something too unexpected."

Upon hearing these words, Akainu

silently glanced at Huang Yuan.

Saying that Kuzan was not a firm executor of justice, how does that not sound strange coming from your mouth?

Are you yourself a firm executor of justice?!

Don't think I've forgotten,

during the Marineford War, just like Kuzan, you were slacking off, leaving me alone to fight the Whitebeard Pirates to the death!

But the hot-tempered Akainu did not actually voice these accusations.

After all, Huang Yuan had similar seniority to him; both had been students of Zephyr and both had once been Admirals, so face had to be considered.

Combined with Huang Yuan's slippery personality, Akainu, just like Sengoku, was actually helpless.

Even when assigning tasks, he had to discuss them with Huang Yuan.

Akainu took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions in his heart.

Then he spoke to Fujitora on the other end of the Den Den Mushi:

"Fujitora, I have heard about the matter regarding Kuzan."

"But how do you explain your kneeling before the common people and apologizing?"

"By doing this, where do you put the Navy's honor!"

Although Fujitora had not reported it,

Akainu had already learned of Fujitora's kneeling from other Marines.

He was extremely angry.

How could an Admiral of the Navy do such a humble thing?

Even if you, Fujitora, do not care, my face as Akainu must still be respected!

Fujitora replied: 3.7

"The disaster that nation suffered was originally the Navy's responsibility. I was not wrong to apologize."

Akainu could no longer suppress his rage and roared:

"Fujitora, as a Navy Admiral, you made such a move without reporting to Headquarters first. You have severely damaged the Navy's credibility and lost all face!"

Fujitora was also truly angered and retorted without holding back:

"If you care so much about face, then just hide it in your chest and never show it!"

"Credibility that is lost by admitting mistakes is no different from never having existed at all!"

"Not only that nation, but the policy of hiring pirate captains as Warlords and letting them plague the people was formulated by our superiors, the World Government. This is a wicked policy Plaguing the World!"

"The moment I joined the Navy and accepted the Admiral position, my purpose was to uphold the justice of the common people and abolish the Warlord system!"

237. Vergo enters Mary Geoise to investigate, Whitebeard's hometown

Fujitora angrily rebukes Akainu.

Akainu flies into a rage.

But he could find no reason to refute.

Because what Fujitora said was the undeniable truth.

In the end.

Akainu could only scold Fujitora before angrily hanging up the Den Den Mushi.

Although Fujitora was a new recruit who had just joined the Navy, he held the high position of Admiral.

He possessed great autonomy.

Even though Akainu was the Fleet Admiral, he had no power to punish Fujitora too severely.

Furthermore.

The current situation did not allow Akainu to truly do anything to Fujitora.

Otherwise,

if Fujitora, like Aokiji, was forced to leave the Navy and even join the Beasts Pirates,

that would be no less than a bolt from the blue for the Navy.

Therefore.

Akainu could only verbally reprimand Fujitora and could not impose any substantive punishment.

New Navy Headquarters.

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Akainu slammed the Den Den Mushi down heavily.

Huang Yuan, who had been filing his nails, stood up at this moment and yawned:

"It's off-work time, Sakazuki. I'm going home to sleep."