On a Marine battleship, alarms blared.
"Quick! The lava below has burned through, get the fire extinguishers!"
"Coming, coming!"
Akainu, surrounded by panicking Marines, stared coldly at a pirate ship flying a flag in the distance.
…
The Den Den Mushi next to him rang, and Vice Admiral Doberman spoke urgently:
"Shirogai is on that ship! If we fire all our cannons, we can wipe them out at once!"
"Do not act on your own."
Akainu's voice cut sharply through the noise.
"But… this is a perfect opportunity, if we miss it—"
"Enough." Akainu's tone brooked no argument. "Let them leave."
Doberman gripped his sword, displeasure clear.
"Yes!" he muttered through clenched teeth, disbelief in his expression. Could Admiral Akainu really hesitate over a single failure?
"It's still too early to act! Later, I'll distract him, then you strike and annihilate everyone on that ship!"
Suddenly, a chilling, bone-deep intent radiated through the Den Den Mushi. Akainu's voice was colder than ice:
"You must eradicate every pirate on that ship. Leave none alive. Prepare for total carnage. That monster may lose his mind if his crew dies. Even if we suffer heavy losses—possibly death—we have an opportunity to destroy him. Anger exposes weaknesses. Madness leads to recklessness. When that pirate truly loses control, no one must hesitate. Death is nothing. The true horror is letting justice be defiled in our hands!"
Akainu touched the still-burning scar on his face, his roar carrying absolute resolve:
"Justice will prevail!"
The Vice Admirals blinked, stunned, then quickly snapped to attention.
"Yes! Admiral Akainu! Justice will prevail!"
They tightened their grips on weapons, eyes locked on the small pirate ship, ready to obliterate it the moment orders came.
…
"Hehehe, Going Merry!"
"Wuwuwu, Merry! Going Merry!"
"Impossible… there's no crew aboard, yet it moves on its own?"
"Focus on escaping first! Those battleships are still watching us!"
On the Going Merry, while the crew marveled at their ship's independence, Shirogai had already descended from the sky, landing gracefully on deck.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked, smiling.
Sanji grinned widely. "Of course!"
Chopper lay sprawled on deck, dazed. "I… I don't think I can move for a while…"
Luffy's eyes sparkled with wild joy. "Shirogai, that giant dragon you became was amazing!"
Chopper's eyes widened in disbelief. "Huh? That giant dragon was Shirogai? Wow!"
Usopp's admiration shone in his eyes. "Shirogai, can you take me flying in the sky sometime?"
"Hey, idiots," Zoro said coolly, leaning against the railing. "Battleships are closing in. Time for chatter is over. Move!"
Robin's gaze swept over the crew, noting their injuries and recalling the chaos at the Judicial Tower, where they had fought for her freedom.
"Thank you…" she said softly, smiling genuinely at everyone.
"Hahaha, you're welcome!"
"Hehe, Robin-chwaaan."
"Hey! No big deal!"
The gratitude in Robin's voice lifted the crew, their exhausted faces breaking into genuine smiles.
Shirogai returned Robin's smile silently. Around them, the Marine battleships radiated lethal intent. One thing was clear: the "mad dog" still sought to destroy them.
"Stubborn dog," Shirogai muttered, looking at the encircling battleships.
"Before the New World replaces this old era, the Marines must maintain strength to preserve order. But if you attack my friends again and again, don't blame me for breaking my principles and going on a killing spree."
…
A strange scene unfolded. Marine battleships hovered near the small pirate ship, encircling but not attacking. The crew, exhausted, watched tensely, expecting the cannons to fire at any moment.
Akainu's ship remained closest to the Going Merry.
"Hmph, now…" Akainu adjusted his coat, preparing to leap into action.
Swish!
A flash of reddish-yellow light appeared in the distance.
"Hmm?" Akainu frowned.
The light coalesced into a person. Admiral Kizaru had arrived.
"Oh my, Sakazuki, your expression is terrifying!" Kizaru said.
"You arrived at the right time," Akainu replied, his eyes fixed on the Merry Go.
"Come with me. Stop him," Akainu ordered.
Kizaru followed Akainu's gaze to the small ship and saw Shirogai on deck.
"…." Kizaru studied him carefully, then spoke with mild helplessness.
"Sigh. You should give up. Fleet Admiral Sengoku has ordered me to deliver the latest instructions: you must not continue conflict with the Navy Chief Instructor."
"Navy Chief Instructor?" Akainu's brow furrowed, voice cold.
"Shirogai is now affiliated with the Marines, responsible for training them as Navy Chief Instructor."
Kizaru patted Akainu's shoulder reassuringly.
"Simply put, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has officially recognized Shirogai as Marine personnel."
"What?" Akainu's glare could have burned through steel.
"You're telling me that pirate—who humiliated our Marines and caused countless deaths—is now officially a Marine under Sengoku? This… is an insult! This is desecration of justice!"
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