"Fleet Admiral, I suggest we execute him together with Ace!"
"..."
"Why?"
Sengoku asked in a low voice — he trusted that Hawke would not speak without purpose.
"Fleet Admiral, do you remember Mock Town?"
"The pirate haven I completely wiped out — during the post-war intelligence review..."
"I found, in some remaining secret files, someone searching for a Dark-Dark Fruit. The name attached to that search was Marshall·D·Teach."
"But... another name with a 'D' appeared in the files."
"Hmm...?"
"Rocks·D·Xebec."
"!!!"
Silence fell instantly on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku's hand tightened unconsciously around the receiver.
Rocks!
That name was like a poisoned barb, plunged deep into the hearts of their generation of Marines.
He was the prime cause of a Marine Admiral's death!
"I can't be one hundred percent sure."
Hawke continued, "But two people who both bear the 'D' appeared in the same secret file."
"I infer that the one searching for the fruit is very likely a surviving bloodline descended from Rocks!"
"Whoo—"
Sengoku's breathing grew a little heavy.
If Hawke's inference was true, the nature of this matter changed completely!
A bloodline of Roger, and a bloodline of Rocks!
The former represents the origin of the Great Pirate Era's sins.
The latter represents the overlord of the darker, more chaotic old era that came before Roger!
The younger generation of pirates fear Roger.
But those old men who survived from the old era truly tremble at Rocks!
Executing both bloodlines publicly would carry unprecedented deterrent power!
It would be equivalent to announcing to the whole world: no matter whose era it was, no matter whose bloodline — anyone who dares oppose Justice will have only one end!
Death!!!
"We'll confirm the authenticity as quickly as possible."
After a long moment, Sengoku said in a deep voice, with an edge of urgency.
They had to verify the identity as soon as possible — if this was true...
Kuzan really had done a great deed this time!
"Hawke, you are one of the key players in this war."
"Don't be late."
"Yes."
"Click—"
The Den Den Mushi clicked off.
Hawke understood perfectly: once he'd given the "Rocks" direction, with the Navy Headquarters' intelligence capabilities — especially with Vice Admiral Garp and other firsthand witnesses to the God Valley incident — tracing Teach's origins would only be a matter of time.
He turned, looking at the figure of Kuma behind him.
"Kuma, notify them to speed up the bloodletting."
"In five days, we leave Impel Down."
"Yes."
Kuma's silhouette flashed and he was gone.
"Thud—"
Hawke took a step, crossing the ice of the frozen hell, and walked toward the stair leading up.
Level 4, Blazing Hell.
The Warden's office for Impel Down was located here.
Magellan, who had temporarily set down his post as Warden, was sitting leisurely on the office sofa.
He had just experienced a thoroughly satisfying "evacuation" and was humming an off-key tune, in unusually good spirits.
Ever since Rear Admiral Hawke brought the iron army of the G-3 branch in, everything at Impel Down had changed.
The bloody purge had sharply reduced the workload.
His chosen successor — Hannyabal — had been completely transformed: not only had he lost his belly, but he now charged forward with the troops every day, more vigorous than Magellan himself, the official Warden.
Most importantly, the future of Impel Down had become crystal clear!
It would no longer merely be a prison for criminals.
It would become the execution ground where the Navy would display its iron fist to the world!
In the future, countless pirates with bounties over one hundred million Belly, countless scoundrels wreaking havoc in countries allied with the Navy — they'd be locked up here and their executions broadcast to the world on a regular schedule.
Of course, for those pirate crews unlucky enough to run into Admiral Sakazuki and Rear Admiral Hawke — these mobile execution platforms — they probably wouldn't get to eat a last meal; they'd be completely annihilated!
"Creak—"
At that moment, the office door was pushed open.
Magellan rose from the sofa.
"Rear Admiral Hawke!"
"Magellan..."
Hawke got straight to the point, his voice cold.
"I'm going to take action against the pirates!"
...
World Economic News Agency — mobile headquarters.
"Ad-... Admiral Kizaru..."
Morgans looked at Kizaru, his voice trembling.
"Thud—"
Kizaru strolled languidly to the desk, casually picked up a dossier on the G-3 branch, and said,
"Oh~"
"President Morgans, you really found a big story this time!"
He pushed up the gold sunglasses on his face.
"Listen to old me for a piece of advice — some news is better left unpublished."
"A smart person should know which side to pick, shouldn't they?"
"!!!"
Morgans's brain raced.
An Admiral from Navy Headquarters personally showing up just to suppress a single story!
What terrifying secret could be hidden behind that G-3 branch?
That crazy suspicion deep inside him was confirmed in that instant!
The Navy might... actually be rebelling!
This truly was...
This really was...
An unprecedented scoop!!!
Morgans' heart pounded wildly. He suppressed his inner glee and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! Admiral Kizaru, you're absolutely right!"
"I, Morgans, am the most pragmatic of men!"
"From today on, the World Economic News Agency will be the Navy's most faithful mouthpiece!"
"Oh~ really?"
"Well then, that's splendid. That saves old me a lot of trouble~"
"Since that's settled, I'll be taking my leave."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Kizaru's figure shimmered into specks of golden light and slowly dispersed.
The office returned to calm.
"Phew—"
Morgans let out a long breath.
The next second he bolted for the special broadcast Den Den Mushi in the corner of the office.
"Quick! Quick!!"
He shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "Everyone, listen! Change the front-page headline!"
"The headline — 'A Naval Rebellion! Dawn of a New Era or the End of Days?'"
"Subheading — 'Iron-Fisted Purge of CP0, Admiral Kizaru Personally Visits News Agency, Using Force to Suppress Freedom of Speech!'"
"Hurry! Spread this message around the world as fast as you can!"
"This is the real big news!!!"
He was so excited he gestured wildly, as if he could already see tomorrow's newspapers printing his article.
But that lazy voice rang in his ears again.
"Aiyo~"
"President Morgans..."
"This is not at all what we agreed on earlier~"
Morgans turned stiffly.
Kizaru — who should have already disappeared — had somehow reformed and now stood smiling in front of him.
"You..."
"The Navy doesn't like people who try to be clever with us!"
Kizaru raised a finger; light gathered at his fingertip, dazzling.
Countless light bullets poured from his fingertip like a torrential rain, instantly filling the entire office.
"Boom—!!!"
From the outside, the great vessel that symbolized world press freedom erupted into dazzling golden radiance from within.
Immediately after, a violent explosion thundered at ten thousand meters altitude.
The huge ship tore apart, breaking into innumerable burning fireballs that plunged toward the boundless sea below.
Kizaru's figure hovered serenely in midair.
"What a pity — from now on there will be no World Economic News to read~"
"But..."
He pulled another mission slip from his pocket. On it was written clearly: if Morgans refuses to cooperate, eliminate him, bounty unchanged.
New mission: The Navy will found the Navy Daily and provide protection for it. Reward — one billion Belly per month.
"If you don't die, how will I carry out the rest of my missions?!"