On the sea routes of the New World, a bloody purge came to an end in an unexpectedly quiet manner.
The remnants of the Blackbeard Pirates, those villains who once roared wildly during the Marineford War, had now been completely erased from the oceans.
The news, like lightning sprouting wings, flew across the Grand Line and reached Marineford.
Marine Headquarters, Marshal's Office.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, wearing his reading glasses, was rubbing his aching temples as he stared at a mountain of reports piled on his desk.
Among them was a particularly sloppy "Daily Report of Admiral Haiiroyo from G-5."
The handwriting was atrocious, and the content made one's blood pressure skyrocket:
"Today's work: Morning, nap. Afternoon, nap. Evening, supervised Mr. Sanji in developing new dessert flavors. During this period: Monet sorted 53 files; Potts handled 78 tasks. All is well."
At the end of the report, someone had even doodled a crooked strawberry mochi with a pencil.
"This little brat!!"
Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk, making the coffee cup tremble.
"What kind of work report is this?! This is clearly 'My Lazy Daily Life'!"
At that moment, an intelligence officer burst through the door, nearly tripping over his own feet, clutching an encrypted urgent message, his face full of shock and disbelief.
"Fleet Admiral! Urgent intel! The Blackbeard Pirates in the New World… they, they're all wiped out!"
"What?!"
Sengoku shot up from his chair, eyes wide in shock.
Even though Marshall D. Teach was gone, the core commanders of the Blackbeard Pirates were still a formidable military force.
Especially in the New World, their methods were always brutal and cunning, how could they possibly be "wiped out"?
The officer took a deep breath and continued, voice trembling:
"The intel states… it was Admiral Haiiroyo and… Admiral Kizaru."
"They carried out the joint purge!"
"Renzo? Kizaru?!"
Sengoku's brain stalled. He repeated the names several times, his expression twisting between absurdity and confusion.
'Renzo, that lazy bum, wasn't he supposed to be snoring away at G-5, enjoying Sanji's desserts?'
'How could he be out purging Blackbeard remnants?
'And Kizaru-'
'That laid-back old fox who walked around saying "how scary~" all day… and Renzo, together, actually managed to pull off something world-shaking?!'
Sengoku snatched the encrypted intel and skimmed it rapidly.
Every line of the report hit his mind like a crashing wave.
The battle had no massive explosions, no desperate life-and-death struggle.
Instead, the intel stated plainly:
Under Renzo's sloth, the Blackbeard remnants lost their abilities, their fighting spirit eroded, and their bodies fell under control.
Then Kizaru carried out the "cleanup" with his Light Speed Kick and Yasakani no Magatama.
Except for a few prisoners he intentionally spared, the Blackbeard remnants were completely annihilated.
"This… this is…"
Sengoku held the report, his mouth hanging open so wide a whole egg could fit inside.
It wasn't Renzo's power that shocked him, he already knew Renzo possessed terrifying, field-crushing strength.
What shocked him was… Kizaru.
That slacker.
The man who treated "goofing off" as sacred doctrine,
Actually got motivated by Renzo?!
Not only that, the two of them together cleaned up the remnants with efficiency bordering on cruelty.
Sengoku felt his worldview cracking apart.
He looked out the window.
The sun was bright.
The sea breeze gentle.
Everything seemed unchanged.
But he knew, the world was quietly shifting because of one lazy, yet monstrously powerful man.
"Go! Summon all HQ command! Emergency meeting!"
Sengoku roared, his voice full of complicated emotion.
He needed to digest this news… and he needed to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about Renzo, and Kizaru.
...
Marine Headquarters, top-floor strategy conference room.
The air was heavy and solemn, but every commander's face showed barely concealed shock.
They had just finished hearing the intel on the Blackbeard Pirates.
Everyone present, Tsuru, Momousagi, Tokikake, and battle-hardened Vice Admirals, found the described "battle" completely unbelievable.
It didn't sound like a fight in the pirate world.
It sounded like a game controlled by gods.
"Is this intel… really accurate?" Momousagi asked, frowning.
She simply couldn't imagine the Blackbeard Pirates being wiped out without even putting up major resistance.
"Absolutely confirmed," Sengoku said gravely.
"The highest level of the World Government has verified the intel."
"Morgan has already obtained first-hand information."
"Tomorrow, this will headline the World Economy News."
"..."
Silence blanketed the room.
A pirate crew of almost Yonkō level, crippled once by Renzo during Marineford, had now been wiped out entirely by Renzo and Kizaru in a method that defied reason.
This was a declaration to the world:
The Marines possess the power to silence any 'trouble' into stillness.
Yet the most shocking moment came right after.
Akainu.
Clad in his Admiral's coat, radiating scorching heat, wearing his signature stern expression.
He had been silent from the start of the meeting.
Everyone assumed he'd explode in anger, that he'd accuse Renzo once again of "defiling justice" with his laziness and unpredictability.
But when Sengoku turned to him for his opinion, Akainu lowered his gaze to the report.
His eyes lingered on the words: "Blackbeard Pirates, completely annihilated."
After a long silence,
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then, under the stunned stares of every commander present, he spoke in a deep, steady voice: "…Well done."
Two simple words.
But they struck the conference room like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze.
'Was this really Akainu?
'The man who saw Renzo as a disgrace to the Marines.'
'The embodiment of Absolute Justice.'
'Was… praising Renzo?'
'And with a genuine "well done"?!
Even Sengoku nearly popped his eyes out.
"Sakazuki… what did you say?"
"The Blackbeard Pirates were among the most dangerous scum in this world."
"Their existence itself is an insult to justice."
"No matter what means were used," he continued, his tone calm, "As long as this evil is erased from the sea, justice is upheld."
He looked at Sengoku, magma-like eyes no longer filled with anger toward Renzo.
"Renzo's ability is bizarre, yes, but if it can be used to eliminate criminals who trample lives underfoot…"
"Then it is the most efficient method of enforcing justice."
And with a rare note of practicality, anote of praise, he added:
"The purge was completed swiftly, with minimal casualties, and yielded significant results."
"I'm not so narrow-minded that I can't akndowledge this."
"It is worthy of praise.
"..."
The room remained frozen.
All the commanders were stunned to their cores.
This-
This was more shocking than the destruction of the Blackbeard Pirates.
The man who once valued "justice" above even his own life…
Had praised Renzo for the sake of efficiency.
Sengoku felt his jaw nearly fall off the floor.
.....
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