In the Fleet Admiral's office at Marineford, Sengoku was buried in paperwork, approving document after document with a weary expression.
Vice Admiral Tsuru entered, carrying a heavy stack of files related to the Whitebeard Pirates. She placed them neatly on his desk.
Seeing the towering pile, Sengoku groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Once Ace's execution is done, I can finally retire with some honor," Sengoku muttered, his voice carrying fatigue.
He looked up suddenly. "Where's Garp? It's rare not to see him hanging around my office."
Tsuru frowned slightly.
"That old fool went to visit Ace in Impel Down."
Sengoku sighed again. The office sank into a heavy silence.
Buru buru… Buru buru…
The ringing of a Den Den Mushi broke the quiet.
Sengoku, already overwhelmed by the coming war, glanced at the line. The call was from a Marine stationed at Sabaody Archipelago. He picked it up quickly.
"The Celestial Dragon incident has been handled, right? Tell Akainu to return to Marineford immediately. There are still too many things waiting here," Sengoku said briskly.
But the voice on the other end was uneasy.
"Re… Report, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
The Rear Admiral's words trembled.
"Admiral Sakazuki… he… he…"
Sengoku felt a chill creep into his chest. A bad premonition stirred.
"Speak clearly! What happened to Sakazuki? Was he defeated?" Sengoku demanded.
Tsuru, Aokiji, and Kizaru turned to him sharply, shock flashing across their faces. Sakazuki defeated? Impossible—unless one of the Yonko themselves had intervened at Sabaody.
The Rear Admiral forced himself to steady his voice, swallowed hard, and finally said:
"Not just defeated. Admiral Sakazuki… was killed in action!"
"And not only him. The Celestial Dragon, Saint Charlos, is dead as well!"
"Marine Headquarters is investigating, but the report should be finished soon!"
Boom!
The words struck Sengoku like a thunderclap. His heart shook violently.
A white glare reflected from his glasses as he stood frozen, clutching the Den Den Mushi in silence.
Tsuru, Aokiji, and Kizaru exchanged confused and alarmed looks. Sengoku was known for his composure. For him to lose it now meant the news was catastrophic.
The Rear Admiral's voice wavered.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku? Are you still there?"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened.
"Who?! Who on earth could have done this?!" he roared.
The Rear Admiral stammered.
"Re… Report! It was the Whitebeard Pirates' Zero Division Captain, Thorne Ashveil!"
The words made Sengoku's blood run cold. His eyes hardened as he slammed the Den Den Mushi down.
With a crash, Sengoku brought his fists down on the desk. The heavy wood splintered, collapsing into shards and scattering papers across the floor.
His voice shook with fury.
"The Celestial Dragon incident failed! Akainu has been killed in action, and one of the Celestial Dragons is dead!"
"That brat Ashveil did it!"
The room fell silent.
The Admirals and Tsuru stared in disbelief. Akainu… dead? At the hands of a young man who had only recently stepped onto the world stage?
Aokiji and Kizaru swallowed hard. They knew Akainu's strength well. For them, defeating him was nearly impossible. In fact, Sakazuki was likely the strongest of the three Admirals.
Yet Ashveil had not only defeated him, but killed him outright.
Could this Zero Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates truly possess power on par with the Emperors?
If so, then the Whitebeard Pirates now had two Emperor-level figures within their ranks. Facing them in the coming war would be a nightmare.
Sengoku's face twisted with frustration. The death of an Admiral, before the war had even begun, was a disaster. Worse, Akainu had been dispatched by his order. How could he possibly explain this to the Gorosei?
Tsuru stepped forward, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Sengoku, you must hold yourself together. With Garp already shaken by the Ace incident, if you falter now, the Marines will truly collapse."
Sengoku exhaled heavily. "I know. Just… leave me. I need to think about how to report this to the Gorosei."
The others gave him a last, sympathetic look before leaving the office in heavy silence.
When they were gone, Sengoku buried his face in his hands, his mind a storm of worry.
Not long after, an intelligence officer entered with a fresh report.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the analysis on Ashveil's ability is complete."
Sengoku rubbed his temples and waved the officer off. "Wait." He poured a glass of water, downed it, then steadied himself. "Now, tell me. How exactly did Ashveil kill Sakazuki?"
The officer explained in detail.
By the end, Sengoku's face had gone pale.
"This… this Ashveil possesses the Magma ability as well?"
It sounded absurd, but the report was clear.
Not only did Ashveil wield terrifying fire powers, but somehow he now carried Sakazuki's Magma Devil Fruit ability too. And perhaps even more abilities no one yet knew of.
The weight of the revelation crushed Sengoku further into his chair.
"…Understood, you may leave. I must report to the Gorosei at once."
When the officer left, Sengoku slumped back, utterly exhausted. The series of devastating news left him drained to the core.
The storm of war had not yet begun, and already the Marines were bleeding.
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