Marineford — Navy HeadquartersCorridor outside the Fleet Admiral's Office
"This Gern…"
Sengoku clenched the report in his hand as he strode down the corridor at a brisk pace, his white Justice cloak snapping sharply behind him with each step.
Moments ago, he had received an emergency report from Magellan, the vice warden of Impel Down.
The contents were simple—yet outrageous.
During the transfer of Douglas Bullet, Gern had unilaterally released Bullet from his Seastone restraints, openly allowing him to fight at the gates of Impel Down. Not only that, he had even permitted Bullet to severely injure Chief Jailer Shiryu!
"This is absolute lawlessness!"
Fury burned in Sengoku's eyes. When he shoved open the door to Steel Bone Kong's office, the force was so great that the reinforced doorframe trembled.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! We cannot continue indulging Gern!" Sengoku growled, slamming the report heavily onto the desk as he spoke with righteous indignation.
"Do you have any idea what Impel Down represents? He dared to remove Bullet's Seastone restraints in that place—and even allowed him to injure Shiryu and threaten Magellan!
"This is no longer a matter of disobeying orders. This is a blatant provocation against Marine discipline! We cannot let him remain idle at headquarters any longer! I propose that he be immediately reassigned away from the core combat zones—perhaps to monitor Whitebe—"
His words cut off abruptly.
Because only now did Sengoku truly see the expression on Steel Bone Kong's face.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't frustration.
It was an almost cold, austere calm.
On the desk lay a Den Den Mushi, resting silently with its eyes shut—clearly having just ended a thoroughly unpleasant call.
Sensing something was wrong, Sengoku slowed his steps, his voice turning cautious."Fleet Admiral… Kong?"
"Hm? Oh, Sengoku."
Kong slowly raised his gaze, taking a deep breath. An unprecedented weariness lingered in his eyes as he placed the Den Den Mushi back on the desk.
"So… did something happen again? The Four Seas? The Grand Line? Or perhaps the New World…?"
"No. It's not about the seas."
Kong leaned back in his chair, tilting his head upward as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His other hand tapped lightly on a proposal document lying on the desk.
Following that motion, Sengoku's eyes dropped to the file—and right at the top, he saw it:
Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, White Qilin — Four Admiral Titles
His brows furrowed."Don't tell me…"
"That's right."
Kong's voice was hoarse, as if each word had to be forced through clenched teeth.
"The World Government has rejected Gern's promotion to Admiral."
"They made it very clear—there will be no increase in the number of Admiral positions. They insist on Sakazuki and Borsalino's promotions."
"And as for the final seat…"
Kong paused, his sharp gaze locking onto Sengoku.
"They intend to make Gern and Kuzan simultaneous candidates."
"In other words…""Kuzan is the only 'opponent' they deliberately left for Gern."
"What does that mean? If that's the case, then—"
Sengoku's pupils shrank sharply, his fist tightening without him realizing it.
Countless possibilities raced through his mind before converging on one terrifying conclusion.
"The Five Elders want Kuzan and Gern to destroy each other… to decide the final Admiral seat?!"
Bang!
Steel Bone Kong slammed his fist down onto the desk. The solid hardwood surface instantly split with spiderweb-like cracks.
"Those bastards!"
"They don't care about the future of the Marines at all!" Kong roared."All they care about is their little power games!"
Watching Kong erupt in fury, cold light flashed across Sengoku's glasses. He forced himself to calm down and spoke slowly.
"If that's the case… then what Gern did at Impel Down two days ago may have already given them the excuse they needed."
"Hm?" Kong frowned. "What did he do?"
"Magellan just filed a report against him. He said—"
"Said what?" Kong interrupted with a laugh."Was he praising Gern's efficiency? Hah! That was Douglas Bullet, after all!
"I was already prepared to authorize a Buster Call to deal with him. In the end, it was Gern who resolved it!"
But Sengoku's next words wiped the smile straight off his face.
"Fleet Admiral… it wasn't praise. It was an accusation."
"A full three-thousand-word report."
"It claims that Gern released Bullet's Seastone restraints at the gates of Impel Down—and allowed him to seriously injure Shiryu…"
Kong stared blankly for a moment.
"Three thousand words?""…Magellan really held it in and forced it out, huh."
Then he sighed deeply.
"Forget it.""Compared to beating Saint Garling's father so badly he cried for mercy back then, this hardly counts as a big deal."
"But regardless," Sengoku said gravely,"Gern's actions, at this moment, undeniably continue to provoke the World Government's bottom line."
"Their bottom line?"
Kong let out a cold laugh.
"When have they ever cared about a bottom line?"
"They're simply afraid—afraid that Gern's reputation and strength will threaten their indirect control over the Marines!"
"I know that," Sengoku replied after a moment of silence, his gaze heavy."But Fleet Admiral, we still have to make a choice.
"If we continue to indulge Gern, the World Government may directly intervene in Marine internal affairs.
"But if we suppress him, the Marines will lose a top-tier force capable of intimidating the seas—especially at a time like this."
"I'm well aware…"
Kong stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to Sengoku.
Bathed in sunlight, his broad silhouette looked unbearably heavy—as if carrying the final weight of his entire era of command.
"Sengoku… do you know why I've never stepped down?"
Kong's voice suddenly became calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.
"Because I've been waiting for someone."
"Someone capable of carrying the future of the Marines."
Sengoku froze slightly—then understanding dawned."You mean… Gern?"
"Exactly."
Kong turned around, his gaze burning like steel.
"He captured Roger. He suppressed Bullet. In both prestige and strength, he's already reached the pinnacle.
"If he can't become an Admiral, then who possibly deserves it?"
"But the World Government won't allow it," Sengoku said heavily.
"Then let them see this clearly!" Kong's voice rose sharply, resolve flashing in his eyes.
"The Marines are not their puppets!"
Sengoku's breath caught slightly.
"Fleet Admiral… are you certain you want to do this?"
"It's not a matter of want. It's a necessity."
Kong's eyes were firm as iron.
"The era has changed, Sengoku.
"Roger used his death to ignite the Great Age of Pirates—and we must use our actions to tell the world something just as clearly."
"The justice of the Marines… will not be trampled by anyone!"
"Sengoku, I know your style."
His voice softened slightly—but remained stern.
"You're a dove. For now, that's fine. But once you sit in this chair—never forget this."
"You cannot always choose retreat."
Sengoku took a deep breath and nodded slowly."I understand."
"Go."
Kong waved his hand.
"And pass the word—whether it's Kuzan or Gern, whoever returns to headquarters first is to report to me immediately."
...
After Sengoku left, Steel Bone Kong stood alone, gazing at the deepening twilight beyond the window.
Gern's sudden rise was like a massive stone hurled into calm waters, sending ripples through the Marines from the inside out.
Over these past years, the Marines' gradually growing independence in decision-making had quietly taken shape amid these very upheavals.
"Sengoku is still too young…"
Kong sank heavily back into his chair.
He understood the World Government's old foxes far too well.
Handing power to a dove like Sengoku was clearly their attempt to reverse the Marines' increasingly hardline stance.
"One term of iron… one term of appeasement…"
Kong let out a cold chuckle. He knew this balancing act all too well.
But what truly troubled him now was something else entirely.
Before stepping down, he had to clear the path for Gern.
Even if he couldn't become an Admiral—he must never be stripped of real authority.
At that thought, Kong clenched his fist tightly.
"This must never happen…" he muttered, his gaze blazing as he stared out the window.
No one knew the true nature of those five old monsters better than he did.
After all, decades of political maneuvering had taught him one iron rule:
The World Government's most absurd decisions were often the final straw that broke everything.
If someone like Gern—someone with that level of combat power—were truly pushed to the opposite side…
Just imagining it was enough to send a chill down his spine.
Others might joke about it.
But those five old bastards?
Their reckless machinations were genuinely capable of forcing Gern into rebellion.
That truth—
No one understood it better than Steel Bone Kong, who had spent half his life contending with the World Government itself.