Sakazuki finally couldn't suppress the fury burning in his chest and roared into the Den Den Mushi.
Blazing magma dripped continuously from his body, igniting the floor of the captain's quarters — a reflection of the raging fire in his heart.
The poor Den Den Mushi was sweating profusely from the heat, yet still did its duty faithfully, mimicking Sengoku's furious expression and glaring back at Sakazuki.
"The Navy is a force that upholds justice, not a dog of the World Government. You've lost your way, Sakazuki!"
Sengoku made a final attempt to reason with him, but Sakazuki had already lost his patience and slammed the Den Den Mushi shut.
After cutting the line, Akainu's face was dark and stormy as he stepped out of the captain's quarters. The adjutant standing guard outside didn't even have time to speak before being startled by the blaze roaring inside.
Fortunately, Akainu's subordinates were well-trained in handling such situations — before he could even give an order, they were already calling in men to extinguish the flames.
"Admiral Akainu, a call from the Gorosei…"
Just moments after Akainu left the captain's quarters, a Marine major came running toward him, clutching a Den Den Mushi in a panic.
Seeing this, Akainu's expression darkened even further. He had just finished his talk with Sengoku, and already the Gorosei were calling. Clearly, there were spies aboard his ship reporting his every move.
Still, as someone who prided himself on his loyalty to the Gorosei and the World Government, Akainu said nothing. With a blank expression, he accepted the call.
"Akainu, what's the situation?"
When Akainu answered, the Den Den Mushi's face grew two thick mustaches — a sign that the speaker was Saint Topman Warcury of the Gorosei.
Even before Akainu had become the leader of the Navy's hawkish faction, Warcury had been the Gorosei member with the most influence within the Marines.
Akainu's rise to Admiral was, in part, due to his own merit — but he also owed much to Warcury's backing.
"The negotiations failed. Sengoku chose to side with that man, Kizaru."
Akainu gritted his teeth as he spoke. He couldn't understand why Sengoku was so determined to support Kizaru.
His choice was clearly the right one — the Navy's justice depended on obedience to the World Government.
But Kizaru's recklessness would only lead the Navy down a path to destruction.
"Damn it! I knew it would come to this… Where are you now?"
Warcury cursed under his breath. He had long suspected that Kizaru would eventually rebel, yet he hadn't given up all hope, praying that Akainu might do something with his authority as Admiral.
But now it seemed he had to prepare for the worst — in seven days, Mariejois might be facing more than just that super-pirate fleet.
"I'm on my way to G-1 Branch to take command of the main fleet stationed there. I should arrive within a day!"
Akainu replied in a low, steady voice. He was convinced that Marineford, under Kizaru's leadership, was doomed. But if he could prove his loyalty and capability to the Gorosei, there might still be a chance to rebuild the Navy.
And when that time came, he would be its new Fleet Admiral.
The thought alone lifted Akainu's mood considerably.
"Are you sure you'll make it in time? If I recall correctly, G-1 Branch lies right along those pirates' route…"
Warcury's bare brows furrowed. At this stage, even the combat power of an ordinary marine was considered precious — let alone that of a Marine Admiral like Akainu.
Sacrificing a top-tier force like Akainu just to secure a fleet seemed far too wasteful in his eyes.
And just as Akainu had suspected, although an official decision had yet to be made, the Five Elders had already reached a general consensus on rebuilding Marine Headquarters.
The Five Elders could not tolerate the Navy's excessive independence — especially when, behind this current crisis, the shadow of Kizaru had been faintly visible all along.
Even though they lacked solid evidence, only a fool would believe Kizaru had nothing to do with it.
Reestablishing Marine Headquarters would not be an easy task. Even the Five Elders couldn't simply give an order and expect everyone to obediently fall in line — if they could, they wouldn't be in such a dilemma now.
That was why Akainu's existence was essential. Only by utilizing his influence as a Marine Admiral could they restore the combat strength of the newly rebuilt headquarters in the shortest possible time.
Of course, the prerequisite was that this new Navy must be the world government's most loyal hound. The Five Elders would never again allow this "blade" to slip out of their control.
"Of course! Give me at most three days, and I'll bring the entire G1 Branch fleet and all marines to Mary Geoise!"
Eager to prove his ability, Akainu spoke with absolute confidence. Not only was the current G1 Branch commander one of his former subordinates, but the title of Marine Admiral alone was enough to let him take command of the entire branch.
In Akainu's view, aside from the old generation — Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr — no one in the current navy commanded more respect than he did, not even Kizaru.
Besides, he had "justice" on his side.
If all went as expected, the moment he appeared at G1 Branch, the stationed marines would rally under his banner without hesitation.
With several thousand elite marines from G1 as his core force, and with the backing of the Five Elders and the World Government, Akainu was confident he could rebuild Marine Headquarters in no time.
"...I see. Then I'll leave it to you."
Warcury's tone suddenly grew colder. If Akainu's prestige within the navy was truly that high, then perhaps this plan to rebuild the Navy around him would need to be reconsidered.
After all, the Five Elders wanted complete obedience — not merely a more cooperative Fleet Admiral.
"Serving the World Government is the Navy's justice!"
Akainu failed to notice the change in Warcury's tone. He had no idea that a single careless statement had just made the Five Elders rethink their decision to support him.
Once the call ended, Akainu impatiently ordered his warship to increase speed. He was determined to reach G1 Branch before the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates arrived and take command of the fleet currently stationed there.
As the largest and most vital naval base in the New World, G1 Branch stood along the crucial route leading to Mary Geoise.
This massive sea fortress served not only as the Navy's primary stronghold in the New World, but also as a key force maintaining balance among its many pirate factions.
The G1 Branch alone housed over three thousand stationed marines, with at least three Vice Admirals permanently assigned to ensure this heavily armed fortress maintained absolute deterrence over the pirates of the New World.
If this were the world line where Kizaru did not exist, the G1 Branch would have become the new Marine Headquarters, while the name "G1 Branch" would have been transferred to Marineford instead.
However, that was now impossible. The vast underground vault built beneath Marineford made it certain that Kizaru would never relocate Marine Headquarters from Marineford to the G1 Branch.
While Akainu was rushing toward G1 at full speed, the marines stationed there were busy packing up and preparing to move.
Although Kizaru had used both persuasion and authority to grant most high-ranking officers an extended vacation, the G1 Branch was still guarded by three Headquarters vice admirals — the branch commander Doberman and his two deputies, Lacroix and Onigumo.
Doberman and Onigumo were known representatives of the Navy's hawkish faction, while Lacroix, a giant, was comparatively neutral.
With the exception of Vivienne, the female giant who had clear allegiances, most of the giant vice admirals within the Navy remained neutral. Even Kuzan's old friend, Jaguar D. Saul, had never truly belonged to the pacifist faction.
After receiving intelligence that the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates were approaching, the G1 Branch wasted no time in sending an emergency request for reinforcements to Marine Headquarters.
It wasn't that G1's marines were cowards — the problem was that the enemy's strength had already far exceeded what the branch could possibly withstand.
Two Yonko crews had combined their forces, and in addition to those, over 200,000 pirates had been conscripted from across the New World. Thousands of pirate ships formed an unprecedented superfleet.
Even Marineford itself might not have been able to withstand such a force — let alone a single G1 Branch.
But what truly shocked the G1 marines was the response they received when Commander Doberman contacted Marineford for support: they were ordered to abandon G1 and relocate to the G5 Branch as soon as possible.
"Move all the food from the warehouses and all weapons from the armory onto the ships! Take everything you can! Anything you can't carry — destroy it on the spot! We can't let it fall into pirate hands!"
Standing at the harbor, Lacroix was personally directing the marines as they loaded supplies onto the warships. The giant vice admiral's towering figure was like a lighthouse amidst chaos — and just the sight of him calmed the frightened soldiers.
He not only rallied morale but also led by example, carrying massive crates of provisions himself and loading them aboard the ships.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Lacroix was far more disciplined and obedient than many of the Headquarters officers who always had their own agendas.
"There's still no word from Headquarters. Fleet Admiral Kizaru hasn't declared rebellion either. If all this turns out to be a misunderstanding… we'll be branded the traitors of G1…"
Standing atop the G1 command tower, Commander Doberman gazed at the distant sea, speaking in a heavy tone.
They had received two conflicting orders — one from Marineford, instructing them to withdraw to G5 for regrouping, and another from Sakazuki, who commanded them to remain at G1 and wait for him to take over command.
The contradiction placed Doberman and Onigumo in an impossible dilemma.
Technically, orders from Headquarters should take precedence over those from a single admiral — but Sakazuki claimed that Kizaru had initiated a rebellion against the World Government.
°°°
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