"You… you want to run that by me again!?" Sengoku's voice trembled with disbelief.
"Vice Admiral Kai Mitarashi has just defeated 'Whitebeard'—Edward Newgate!!!" Johnson's voice rang out from the Den Den Mushi, brimming with conviction.
Sengoku was stunned. The Den Den Mushi slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor, but he didn't even notice.
"Kai-kun… defeated Whitebeard!?" Sengoku wasn't the only one left speechless. Kizaru's eyes went wide, his tone thick with incredulity.
"That brat Kai… actually beat Whitebeard!?" Garp echoed, his voice full of shock. Aokiji and Tsuru looked equally dumbstruck.
"What kind of joke is this?! There's no way that kid—!" Akainu's face twisted in a snarl. He strode forward, snatched the Den Den Mushi off the floor, and barked, "Put Mitarashi Kai on the line. Now."
There was a pause. Then Kai's voice came through, dripping with mockery: "Yo… isn't this Red Dog Admiral? What's up, you looking for me?"
Hearing Kai's casual address, Akainu's face darkened. His grip tightened on the receiver, nearly crushing it. Fighting down his rage, Akainu spoke in a low, icy tone:
"Vice Admiral Mitarashi Kai, report your battle status truthfully. No exaggeration, no lies." It was clear he didn't believe Kai could have actually defeated Whitebeard.
"Tch… and who exactly are you supposed to be? Am I obligated to tell you anything?" Kai replied, voice cool and dismissive.
"You! Mitarashi Kai, don't forget—I'm an Admiral, and you're just a Vice Admiral!" Akainu's eyes blazed, barely restraining himself from tearing Kai apart.
"Oh, sorry. I really did forget," Kai replied, so flatly it nearly made Akainu explode on the spot.
Sengoku quickly grabbed the Den Den Mushi from Akainu's hands, swallowing hard. "Kai… are you absolutely sure?"
Far away in the New World, Kai let out a sigh. He understood their doubts—after all, Whitebeard's reputation had dominated the seas for decades. To be taken down by a Vice Admiral? Even Kai himself wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't lived it. But he struggled to find the right words to explain.
Johnson, standing beside Kai, suddenly spoke up: "Vice Admiral, this Den Den Mushi can switch to visual mode."
"Oh? Why didn't you say so earlier? Switch it on."
Kai's eyes lit up. This was much easier—no amount of words would convince Sengoku and the others, but a live feed would.
"Yes, Vice Admiral." Johnson quickly stepped forward and activated the visual mode.
At Navy Headquarters—
The snail-shaped Den Den Mushi in Sengoku's hand blinked its big round eyes, and like a projector, cast a live image into the Fleet Admiral's office.
On the screen, a massive island was sinking into the sea, waves roiling violently. Overhead, the sky was still fractured—huge cracks spidered across the heavens, remnants of Whitebeard's legendary power.
The room fell utterly silent.
No one could argue now. Those cracks in the sky—there was only one man in the world who could do that, and he'd just been defeated.
After a long moment, Sengoku's face flushed with excitement, his body trembling. "Good… good… Kai, you did brilliantly this time!"
He paused, then barked, "Kai, return to Navy Headquarters immediately!"
After issuing the order, Sengoku chatted briefly with Kai, then hung up the Den Den Mushi. He glanced around at Garp and the three Admirals, then pulled several paper documents from his desk drawer, handing them out to everyone except Tsuru.
"What's this?" Garp asked, grabbing the papers with his usual casual air. Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu all looked confused, scanning the documents.
"The establishment of a fourth Admiral position at Headquarters… and a draft promotion report for Vice Admiral Mitarashi Kai!? What!? You want to promote Kai to Admiral!? I don't agree!" Akainu slammed his fist on the table, glaring at Sengoku in outrage.
Sengoku had been planning this for five years, but aside from Tsuru, not a soul knew.
Hearing Akainu's protest, Sengoku looked exasperated. He knew all too well about the feud between Kai and Akainu, and he'd tried to mediate—but nothing worked. He could only let it be.
With no other choice, Sengoku patiently explained, "Sakazuki, you know as well as anyone—the Navy's situation on the seas isn't optimistic. We even need the Seven Warlords to keep the pirates in check. If we don't adapt, things will only get worse!
And Kai—his achievements, combat power, contributions, and reputation—he's more than qualified for the Admiral position! From the Navy's standpoint, I hope you can put aside your personal grudge."
Akainu just snorted and fell silent.
Garp, unusually serious, spoke up: "For eight hundred years, the Navy has always had three Admirals. Adding a fourth—won't the World Government get suspicious?"
That was one reason why Garp, despite his strength, had never been promoted to Admiral—though his personality played a part too.
Sengoku nodded slowly. "For eight centuries, there's never been a Pirate King who reached Laugh Tale, and pirates have never been this rampant. I'll personally go to Mariejois to discuss this with the Five Elders."
"Mm, you handle it, Sengoku. I'm not one for politics," Garp replied, waving a hand.
"Yo, is Kai-kun getting promoted to Admiral? I'm all for it," Kizaru chimed in, the first to voice his support.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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