"Are you kidding me?! I absolutely refuse to agree to this! We're the Marines, damn it! The Marines who protect civilians from harm! The Marines who uphold the safety and order of the seas! And now you're telling me we have to cooperate with the CP organization to go to Water 7, arrest the shipwright Tom, and deliver him to Enies Lobby for trial and execution!?"
A chilling gust of wind swept through Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.
The voice of Kuzan echoed from inside, accompanied by the sound of hands slamming against a desk.
Another voice, resolute yet merciless, rose in sharp opposition.
Undoubtedly, it belonged to Sakazuki.
"Kuzan! Snap out of it! He's the one who built Roger's pirate ship... In my eyes, he's undeniably an accomplice to the Pirate King! He should have been executed back then, but he got a suspended sentence because of that damned sea train... Now that the sea train is complete, all we need to do is replicate the tracks. He has no reason to live any longer!"
"Sakazuki! You're spouting nonsense! You think he's an accomplice? Then what about the weapons from Marine factories that end up in the hands of pirates? Should we execute everyone in the armory too!?"
Outside the door, the gathered vice admirals and rear admirals exchanged uneasy glances.
The two admirals, "Akainu" and "Aokiji," were at each other's throats, and there was nothing they could do but watch helplessly.
After all, Admiral "Kizaru," Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku inside the office hadn't said a word yet.
"Goodness, if this keeps up... Do you think the two admirals might actually come to blows in the Fleet Admiral's office?"
"...Don't even joke about it. With Admiral Akainu's temper, it's entirely possible."
"The timing couldn't be worse. Both admiral candidates are away from headquarters, and Vice Admiral Garp and Grand Inspector Michael aren't here either... It's all up to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru now."
Those outside could only sigh and pace anxiously, powerless to intervene.
Meanwhile, the tension inside the room had reached a boiling point.
Fortunately, the place where Sakazuki and Kuzan were arguing was Sengoku's office; otherwise, these two would have already started throwing punches.
But at this point, it was practically no different from a fight.
Aside from not using their Devil Fruit abilities, the intensity between them was already at battle-ready levels.
Their equally gritted teeth and furious expressions made it clear just how much they despised each other.
Yet they both knew—this was as far as it would go today.
If they dared to actually brawl inside Sengoku's office, what awaited them would undoubtedly be a court-martial.
"Ooooh, so scary~ The moment you two start arguing, I feel like running away..."
"Borsalino! Don't just stand there spouting nonsense!" Sakazuki snapped his head toward Borsalino.
"You're one of the Three Admirals too! And now you want to stay out of this?"
"Of course I won't stay out of it, but I also won't blindly agree with either of you… After all, neither of you is thinking clearly right now."
Borsalino lounged on the sofa, completely unbothered, crossing his legs and casually trimming his nails as he spoke.
Sengoku and Tsuru sat nearby and remained silent.
But their eyes were fixed on someone else—someone outside the Marine high command.
A man with purple hair, a face full of cunning deceit, the very picture of a classic villain.
And now, this man opened his mouth, his tone dripping with arrogance:
"What's the point of your squabbling? This is the World Government's order! All you Marines need to do is obey and act!"
"Shut your mouth, you CP trash!" Akainu whipped his head around, flecks of molten magma spraying from his bared teeth, his already stern face twisting into something terrifying.
"I remember you… Spandine's son, right? Did your father never teach you that if you don't want to die horribly, you'd better keep your damn mouth shut?!"
The sheer brutality in his expression instantly snapped Spandam back to reality.
With a servile grin, he shrank back into his seat and stayed quiet.
Spandam's cowardice only earned Sakazuki's contempt.
The World Government… was becoming more and more useless.
But inside Spandam's mind, a different voice echoed.
'Just endure it!'
As long as he could lead the Marines to Water 7, capture Tom, and obtain the blueprints for Pluton… he would surely rise through the ranks of the World Government!
By then, what did Marine Admirals or Fleet Admirals matter?
They'd all have to bow and scrape before him!
At the thought, he couldn't help but let out a smug, sleazy laugh in his mind.
Then he went back to listening to the fiery and icy Admirals' argument.
"This is non-negotiable! We must make an example to show everyone what happens when they associate with pirates!"
"Sakazuki, I'm done wasting words on you!" Kuzan sneered, shaking his head.
"Tell me—how is this any different from threatening civilians and ruling through terror?!"
Sakazuki gritted his teeth, then suddenly grabbed Kuzan by the collar, yanking him close.
"Pathetic mercy! Do I need to teach you again that desperate times call for ruthless measures?!"
"Ruthless and unyielding, seeing everything in black and white, killing without hesitation—this is your idea of an exemplary Marine, isn't it? Give it a rest, Sakazuki! Tom's Sea Train has completely connected Water 7, a city perpetually threatened by massive tidal waves, and even linked it to Enies Lobby, turning the entire judicial island into a true strategic stronghold! What? The great Admiral Akainu, are you going to ride the criminal's train to arrest him? You actually boarded this train! Seems you're an accomplice to the Pirate King as well!"
"Hmph! Don't equate these two matters!"
"Then... retract those fangs in your damn mouth!"
Kuzan, though surrounded by an aura of chilling cold, had eyes burning with fury.
The two were clearly on the verge of coming to blows.
Nearby, Borsalino silently put away his nail clippers, watching them warily, ready to intervene at any moment to stop them.
"R-r-report! News from Water 7!"
A trembling, stuttering messenger entered the room.
That he could even stand straight after barging into a standoff between two Admirals was impressive enough.
Finally, Sengoku spoke.
"What is it?"
"R-report, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! It's been confirmed that Chief Inspector Vice Admiral Michael and Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp have appeared at Tom's Workers Company in Water 7..."
"And now, they've taken Tom aboard the Sea Train, heading to..."
"Enies Lobby!"
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