Hearing Souta Kiryuu's words, Aokiji's expression didn't change.
He was not the type to be shaken so easily by provocation.
If nothing unexpected happened, the next Fleet Admiral would indeed be chosen between him and Akainu.
Kizaru, even lazier than Aokiji himself, had shown no ambition for the position—something well known throughout Marine Headquarters. Naturally, if the Souta Kiryuu Pirates wanted to find out, it wouldn't be difficult.
Under the influence of Sengoku, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru—the so-called "dove" faction—Aokiji was determined to claim the title of Fleet Admiral for himself, and carry out his vision of justice.
If Akainu's "absolute justice" led the Marines, it would drag the organization down a merciless path, one where civilian lives no longer mattered. That ruthless philosophy was too dangerous. That was why Sengoku and Tsuru both opposed Sakazuki's rise.
Even a laid-back Aokiji was preferable to an iron-blooded Akainu.
But now, Aokiji was far more concerned about the source of Souta Kiryuu's so-called "inside information."
Not even he, nor Fleet Admiral Sengoku, had caught wind of the Five Elders' intentions. How could a wanted pirate like Souta know?
Had the Souta Kiryuu Pirates planted spies inside Mariejois itself?
If that were true, it would be a far more catastrophic revelation than Crocodile's defeat.
Aokiji would rather believe Souta was bluffing—trying to distract him, to cloud his thoughts.
"Ara ara, Souta Kiryuu," Aokiji muttered, raising his hands in a lazy gesture. "This doesn't concern a criminal like you. And besides, the election for Fleet Admiral is still a long way off. Sengoku is strong and capable—he can lead the Marines for another ten years, maybe more."
His eyes flicked to Nico Robin again. It seemed certain the archaeologist would leave with the Souta Kiryuu Pirates.
The Oharan survivor who could read the Poneglyphs, joining such a dangerous crew… that would only amplify their threat.
"Ehhahaha!" Souta grinned, lightning flashing across his face in stark halves of light and shadow, making him look like a demon. "Then let me make a prophecy. Sengoku will step down within the next year or two. Akainu will take the post, and you, Aokiji, will leave the Marines in disgrace. Do you believe me?"
The outrageous prediction made Kuma and Lafitte both raise their brows. Their captain… could he actually see glimpses of the future?
Could it really be that an Admiral—one of the Navy's strongest—would one day resign?
If so, things were about to get very interesting.
"Hmph. The affairs of the Navy are none of your concern, criminal."
Cold mist poured from Aokiji's body, his glare sharp with killing intent. Leave the Marines in disgrace? Impossible.
"Kuzan," Souta's tone suddenly shifted, his smile vanishing. His eyes burned with intensity as he spoke firmly, "If one day you truly leave the Marines, lost in confusion… come find me. I'll guide you onto the right path."
Aokiji's brows furrowed tighter. The man's words were infuriating—he wanted nothing more than to freeze that mouth shut.
Such nonsense wouldn't shake him. It couldn't.
"Watch closely, Aokiji," Souta's dragon-like pupils gleamed. "Time will prove everything. But for now… fight with us!"
With Souta's signal, Enel grinned viciously. Without hesitation, he struck first—hurling a massive thunder dragon toward Aokiji as his body dissolved into lightning, rushing in for the kill.
"Kishishishi! An Admiral… this is my chance!"
Gecko Moria shrieked with laughter, his hands wrapped in shadowy flames. A black spear of darkness burst from the ground, stabbing toward Aokiji.
"Ursus Shock."
Kuma moved calmly, compressing an entire mountain's worth of air into a small, pink, transparent paw. With a push, the devastating blast hurtled toward the Admiral.
"Let's see if you can withstand this, Marine Admiral."
"ROOM—Shambles!"
Trafalgar Law expanded his translucent sphere, engulfing Aokiji in its range. Drawing his cursed blade, Kikoku, he slashed cleanly across the Admiral's body.
"Hohoho… tempting as it is, I'd rather not get close to a full-power Admiral."
Lafitte beat his white wings, hovering above, making no move to attack. He knew well he couldn't harm a Logia user like Aokiji from range.
"Outta my way! I'm gonna smash that Admiral into the ground!"
Jewelry Bonney clenched her fists and charged—only for Souta to grab her by the collar.
"You're not ready. Watch and learn."
Bonney puffed her cheeks and huffed in annoyance, but obeyed. Kuma quietly sighed in relief. He would never allow the young girl to recklessly throw herself against a foe of this caliber.
Aokiji was not Crocodile—his Ice-Ice Fruit made him far deadlier. Bonney wouldn't last a second.
"My turn."
"Negative Hollows!"
Perona waved her hands, releasing four ghostly white specters toward the enemy. Would her powers even work on an Admiral?
"Without Haki, none of you can harm a Logia user of this level."
Capone Bege bit down on his cigar, choosing not to fire. His ordinary shells couldn't kill an Admiral. Only in a decisive moment might his seastone rounds prove useful.
BOOOOOM!
Enel's thunder dragon struck first, exploding in a blinding storm of lightning. Moria's shadow spear pierced straight through Aokiji's chest.
A flash of Law's blade—Aokiji's body split in two.
Then came Kuma's paw, bursting into a massive explosion that shook the desert for hundreds of meters. The blast winds scattered Perona's ghosts like dust.
"Wooah! Kuma's shockwave is insane! Did we get him?"
Bonney's eyes sparkled as she watched the devastation. Such overwhelming force—surely even an Admiral couldn't withstand it.
A Vice Admiral, even a pirate worth 500 million, would've been annihilated on the spot.
"If Admirals were that easy to kill, the seas would have belonged to pirates long ago."
Souta's dragon-like gaze scanned the swirling sandstorm, searching for Aokiji. According to the "smoke but no wound" principle, the Admiral was almost certainly unharmed.
Even in this arid desert, the Ice-Ice Fruit's power would not falter.
Before the dust could clear, a killing cold swept forth.
The sand underfoot froze solid, the desert itself transforming into a glacial wasteland.
Aokiji was far from finished.