"That bastard Sakazuki! How can he be so heartless?! Those were our comrades… the future of the Navy… and he just sacrificed them all!"
Garp cursed furiously.
"Sigh… Garp, I understand how you feel. But you also know… there was no other way. Besides this, there was simply no method to quell the Vampire Factory incident. If we kept fighting, the casualties would've been unimaginable – far more than just tens of thousands."
Sengoku spoke helplessly.
He also felt that Akainu's methods were problematic.
But looking at the bigger picture… he had no choice but to agree.
"Then what about the future?! Are we going to keep sacrificing tens of thousands each time?! At this rate, humanity will go extinct!"
Garp shouted in frustration.
"I don't think that will be necessary. Remember the footage on the screen? In the SCP universe, the villages near the Vampire Factory regularly offered sacrifices to appease its monsters."
"How many people could a few villages have? That means… if we sacrifice just a few every so often, it should be enough."
"The video even mentioned the largest sacrifices only involved a few hundred people. We have so many pirates in this world – using them as sacrifices won't be an issue."
Sengoku analyzed calmly.
"The reason it was so intense this time, with so many casualties, was probably because there hadn't been a sacrifice in ages… plus you injured Entity 3…"
"What, are you trying to say this is my fault?!"
Garp glared at Sengoku in displeasure.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that!"
Sengoku frantically shook his head to avoid angering Garp further.
"Fleet Admiral! Garp-san!"
At that moment, a Marine ran up in a panic.
"The Five Elders are contacting you!"
He said anxiously, trembling as he handed over the Den Den Mushi.
"Damn it… why does it have to be now?!"
Sengoku cursed in irritation.
He took the Den Den Mushi.
"Sengoku! Don't you think you owe us an explanation?!"
The angry roar of the Five Elders came from the other end.
"Come to Mariejois immediately! We want a full explanation of what happened here!"
Without waiting for Sengoku to reply, the Five Elders ended the call.
"Click… these bastards… I've been fighting here risking my life and this is how they talk to me?!"
Sengoku cursed in frustration.
As if fighting a war wasn't exhausting enough, now he had to be scolded by his superiors too. Anyone would feel miserable.
"Ahaha~ enjoy facing their wrath. If they piss you off, make sure to teach them a lesson."
Garp spoke with a hint of playful sarcasm.
He seemed to enjoy seeing Sengoku like this.
Then, standing up, he looked over the battered Marine Headquarters.
"We need to think about rebuilding… The island itself has split apart. Can we even establish HQ here anymore? We might need to move."
"And worst of all… if pirates find out about this, they'll become even more unruly."
As Garp spoke, his expression grew serious.
"If pirates want to act up, let them! It's perfect – I've been worried about not having enough sacrifices!"
Sengoku shouted angrily.
[Congratulations to the One Piece universe for successfully containing the Vampire Factory.]
At that moment, the screen's voice rang out.
"How is this considered a successful containment?"
Garp muttered bitterly.
"It probably counts because we stopped the Vampire Factory from rampaging and found a way to appease it with sacrifices."
Sengoku analyzed calmly.
[All participants of this containment, and those who fought the Vampire Factory's monsters, will have their limiters expanded.]
[Among them, Akainu contributed the most, so he will be rewarded with the Crimson Gem.]
As soon as the voice finished—
A crimson, polygonal gem appeared out of thin air in Akainu's hand.
It looked incredibly beautiful.
[The Crimson Gem contains the power of Cyttorak, the Crimson God of Marvel's universe. By holding it, one gains endless, overwhelming magical power, becoming Cyttorak's avatar: the Juggernaut.]
[Enhancements granted include:]
[Super Strength – Limitless terrifying strength. The amount of power unleashed is determined by the user's will.]
[Super Stamina – The body never fatigues and can act indefinitely.]
[Super Speed – Extreme speed proportionate to strength.]
[Invulnerability – Nearly immune to all damage. Skin cannot be broken. Possesses incredible pain tolerance and is immune to toxins and diseases.]
[Regeneration – Juggernaut possesses incredible healing. Even fatal injuries heal instantly.]
[Self-Sustainment – Juggernaut has no need to breathe, eat, or sleep. He generates his own magic energy for sustenance, oxygen, and rest.]
[Immortality – Juggernaut is immortal. His physical condition remains in peak state, immune to aging.]
[Force Field – Juggernaut can project a personal force field roughly one foot beyond his body.]
[Unstoppable Force – Once Juggernaut moves in a direction, he is virtually impossible to stop. Only powerful magical or physical interventions can halt him.]
After hearing the explanation, everyone was stunned by the gem's power – it was literally a god's treasure.
"He got such a terrifying reward!"
Kizaru exclaimed in shock as he looked at Akainu.
"Hahahahaha! What an interesting reward! I can already feel the incredible power within this gem!"
Akainu's eyes burned with fanaticism as he stared at the Crimson Gem.
"An avatar of a demon god, huh… Interesting. As long as it gives me power, I don't care about being someone's avatar!"
As he spoke, he clenched the gem tightly.
The Crimson Gem immediately emitted a dazzling red light, as vast magical power poured out of it, flooding into Akainu's body.
"UWAAAAHHHH!!!"
The next second, Akainu let out a pained scream.
His entire body began to transform.
It was as if he was being inflated, his muscles swelling massively.
Every part of his body became incredibly solid, filled with explosive power, tearing apart his Marine uniform.
Revealing a body glowing crimson, brimming with overwhelming might!
"AAAAHHHH!!"
He roared again, his voice radiating terrifying force that cracked the deck beneath him and sent seawater exploding into the air!
Many Marines around him collapsed under the oppressive aura!
(End of Chapter)
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