"For now… don't administer the drug." After a brief pause, Akainu made the decision: "Vegapunk is already researching how to reduce the drug's side effects. We still have time."
The Universal Gene Solution, like the electric stimulation device, required the user to have a certain baseline level of resilience, otherwise, it became a lethal tool.
But unlike the electric device, which at least had an on/off switch, once the Universal Gene Solution was injected, its effects, powered by Rowen's self-regenerating cells, couldn't be stopped.
So Akainu's decision was more than justified.
Aokiji's body simply couldn't take any more punishment.
Rowen nodded. For now, the matter was set aside, just as Akainu said, they still had time. Then, Rowen pulled out a stack of documents and, under Akainu's surprised gaze, said: "Additionally, after relentless effort, we've successfully cracked the cipher Admiral Aokiji left behind."
"Oh? Really?!" Akainu stood up in excitement, joy written across his face.
To decode the number puzzle, teams from the Scientific Force, Assassination Force, and others collaborated closely. After extensive research, they determined… the numbers Aokiji left behind "3, 6, 7" had no logical pattern.
Thus, the only possibility, as Vice Admiral Momousagi once suggested, was that it really wasn't that complicated.
It wasn't about logic or formulas. It was about what the numbers referred to. "3" of what, "6" of what, "7" of what?
But that opened up a huge range of possibilities, from objects to places, nothing was off the table.
"What is it, then? How did you find it? Are you sure it's accurate?" Advisor Tsuru couldn't help but ask.
There were "discoveries" and then there were discoveries. They'd previously found several potential answers, all of which were quickly debunked. If Rowen was bringing it up in a formal meeting, that meant there had to be some decisive evidence.
Rowen nodded.
"We're fairly confident. The only issue is… the meaning is a little hard to interpret."
"Oh?" Akainu raised an eyebrow.
Faced with the questions, Rowen thought for a moment.
"It's a bit hard to explain outright, so I'll walk you through what we uncovered, then you can all draw your own conclusions."
"We were all stuck in a kind of mental trap. Not only the one Vice Admiral Momousagi pointed out, that it wasn't so complex, but another one as well."
"That is, why did we all assume that those three numbers were clues leading to the truth, rather than the truth itself?"
Tsuru's eyes lit up. "You mean…"
"I mean, I think the numbers themselves are the answer!"
"All three numbers, 3, 6, 7, are the answer. Admiral Aokiji embedded some kind of information into them. As long as we decipher any one of the numbers, the information can be conveyed."
"Knowing Aokiji's personality and the urgency of the situation at the time… It's definitely possible."
"But what exactly do they mean?"
Tsuru folded her arms and frowned in thought.
If a single number could convey the answer, Aokiji would naturally go with the simplest method. And if all three numbers represented the same thing, the certainty of the message would only increase.
It was a result born from the mix of laziness and duty.
He was lazy, so he used numbers. But the range was too large, so to increase accuracy, he used three numbers to represent the same idea.
Rowen then opened the folder beside him and spoke calmly:
"When you hear the number '3,' what comes to mind?"
"The three Admirals!"
There was no doubt about it. Combine the keywords "Marine" and "3" the only logical result was the Marines' Three Admirals.
"Exactly. And when we talk about the Three Admirals… what else do we associate with them?"
The Three Admirals?
Everyone furrowed their brows.
Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji?
Kizaru, Aokiji, Rowen?
So what?
"Wait, I got it!!" Suddenly, Chaton widened his eyes. "It's the colors!!"
Hssss---!!
As soon as he said that, realization dawned on everyone. Yes, when you talk about the Three Admirals, the obvious association is colors!
Akainu = Red (Akainu - "Red Dog")
Aokiji = Blue (Aokiji - "Blue Pheasant")
Kizaru = Yellow (Kizaru - "Yellow Monkey")
These were their designated codenames, based on their preferences and Devil Fruit abilities, each perfectly suited to them.
Including the younger generation, "Peach" Rabbit (Momousagi), "Tea" Pig (Chaton), and "Azure" Dragon (Rowen), the current Marine code-naming system is all based on colors.
"Exactly! That's it!" Rowen nodded with a smile. "And knowing Admiral Aokiji's character, we shouldn't overthink the colors. Just stick to the basics, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple. Forget about black, white, and the rest."
Because… he's Aokiji, after all! Everyone smiled knowingly, they understood why Rowen phrased it that way.
After all… it's that Aokiji.
"Well then…"
Advisor Tsuru's eyes gleamed with clarity as she continued: "3, 6, and 7 represent yellow, blue, and purple respectively."
"You said these numbers are the answer, so what exactly did you find?"
At that, Rowen's smile faded. He answered seriously: "Three books, found on Admiral Aokiji's bookshelf, with very distinct cover colors."
"They match perfectly: Yellow, Blue, and Purple."
Hssss--!!
Akainu sucked in a breath and leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples.
"It's really… that simple?"
Three colored books on a shelf… That's the answer?
"It's just like a magic trick. Before you understand it, it seems mysterious. After you know how it's done, it's laughably simple… The difficulty lies in cracking it."
Tsuru offered a gentle comment to ease his frustration, then asked: "Do the three books share the same content?"
"They're mostly different, but share thematic resonance," Rowen explained. "One is a fairy tale called 'Runaway', another is a semi-autobiographical novel titled 'The Masked Thief – Phantom Kid', and the last is a prose collection titled 'I Want to Own Myself'."
Book summaries:
"Runaway" tells the story of a boy who runs away from home after fighting with his parents. When he returns, he finds that someone who looks exactly like him has replaced him, and his parents believe he is the fake. In the end, he works hard to correct his flaws and finally drives the imposter out, reclaiming his place in the family.
"Phantom Kid" is a famous novel about a boy who works at a restaurant by day and becomes the masked thief Kid by night, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. If memory serves, the author wrote this while serving time in a Marine prison, it was over a decade ago.
"I Want to Own Myself" is a chilling piece. On the surface, it tells the story of a girl with a mental illness who falls in love with her reflection in the mirror. In the end, it has an open-ended conclusion, her reflection takes her hand and says it will bring her into the mirror world. Whether she goes or not… remains unknown.
Finishing his explanation, Rowen looked at the thoughtful group and sighed bitterly:
"That's why I said it's hard to understand. Was Aokiji… trying to tell us that someone has been impersonated during such a moment of crisis?"
There's no mention of Sea King powers. No direct clues. All that deciphering, and what it points to is… someone's an imposter?
But who is the fake? Surely it couldn't be the Sea King, right?
All remaining traces at the scene and the photos taken by the Aircraft Force made it clear: the person was Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess. Before they knew it, everyone was subtly eyeing one another, the colleagues who had worked beside them day and night...
"Someday we'll figure it out. But I don't believe it's any of you."
Just then, Akainu stood up, drawing everyone's attention.
"Let's be clear. If Aokiji suspected any of you, he would've left a clue pointing directly to the person. And let's not forget, the Clone-Clone Fruit has already been found. There can't be two of the same Devil Fruit in the sea…"
"Lastly, I don't believe Aokiji left us this clue just to make us paranoid."
When it mattered most, Akainu once again took command of the situation.
"Agreed, I was thinking the same thing," Rowen said.
"That's why our current working theory must be that the most suspicious individual, the one who saw Aokiji last and inflicted critical injuries on him, is a fake Shirahoshi, possibly a Sea King."
"To learn more, we'll have to wait for Admiral Aokiji to recover."
"Until then, I think it's time we adjust our stance toward Shirahoshi Princess."
If the current Shirahoshi is an imposter, then where is the real one?
And could she, or her double, impact the outcome of the war?
How should the Marines restructure their deployment in response?
All of this… must be carefully considered.
(End of Chapter)
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