Everyone on the ship felt speechless after hearing Luffy's strange reasoning. His logic was hard to follow, yet it seemed to make sense in its own way. After all, people expect a hero to share everything, while pirates are naturally selfish and take what they want. Still, Luffy's words and his actions often contradicted each other. If he truly didn't want to be a hero, why did he keep acting like one?
Regardless of what the people of Dressrosa thought, the Straw Hat Pirates were leaving today. Once they sailed away, their connection to the island would end, and no one knew if they would ever meet again.
"Everyone! Let's set sail!" Luffy shouted.
The crew immediately got to work. They lowered the sails, stowed the anchor, and took their places at the rudder. Under Nami's sharp command, the Thousand Sunny began to glide away from Dressrosa. It didn't take long for the island to vanish from their sight.
At that same moment, Kizaru received a direct order from Sengoku. His warship was ordered to return immediately to the newly built Marineford. The ceremony for Akainu to take over as the new Fleet Admiral was about to begin, and the future of the Marines would soon be in his hands.
However, shocking news was already spreading through the Marine ranks: Aokiji had left the Marines. Not only had he stepped down as an Admiral, but he had resigned from the organization entirely. This was a massive blow to morale. The "doves"—the Marines who shared Aokiji's more moderate views—felt lost and depressed, like a flock that had lost its leader.
Akainu was so furious that steam practically rose from his skin. He was taking over a chaotic situation that required more manpower, yet Aokiji had chosen this exact moment to walk away. Deep down, Akainu understood why. He planned to enforce "Absolute Justice," leaving no room for Aokiji's personal beliefs. With no place to practice his own justice, Aokiji had no choice but to leave.
This left a massive gap in the Marines' combat power. Although Sengoku had recruited a powerhouse like Yixiao, they were still short one Admiral. Akainu began to feel that three Admirals weren't enough to handle the six Emperors of the New World. Furthermore, Akainu hated the Seven Warlords of the Sea system. He believed all pirates were untrustworthy and should be eliminated. If the Warlord system were abolished, he felt the Marines would need at least five Admirals to maintain control.
Within two days, the news of the chaos in Dressrosa spread across the entire world. The journalist Morgans ignored the warnings of the World Government and published the exaggerated truth in his newspapers. The public was shocked. Civilians were terrified as they realized the full horror of the Warlord system. While a normal pirate might raid a village, a Warlord could legally plunder an entire nation. The World Government and the Marines were suddenly facing a wave of public anger.
The Revolutionary Army took this opportunity to make their move. They preached that the World Government's justice was a lie and that the Warlord system was a sign of their corruption. They called for people across the seas to rise up and resist. Even more threatening, the Revolutionary Army announced they had a massive weapon aimed directly at the Red Line.
While many didn't understand the threat, the World Government and the Marines knew exactly what it meant. The Revolutionary Army had secured the "Multiplication Fruit" and aimed its power at Mary Geoise. If they fired, the entire capital could be turned to ash.
The Five Elders were livid. They ordered Commander-in-Chief Kong to scold Akainu for the situation. Akainu, who had only just become Fleet Admiral, was being blamed for things he hadn't even controlled. He was so angry he slammed his fist onto his desk, the molten heat of his magma burning right through the wood. It was the first of many desks he would destroy.
"Why am I being scolded?" Akainu growled. He felt completely wronged. He had been busy dueling Aokiji while these events unfolded. "Sengoku and Kizaru are the ones who failed to secure that Devil Fruit!".
He couldn't understand why the Marines were being blamed for the Revolutionary Army's actions. Wasn't the World Government supposed to handle them? He felt the CP0 and the government elites should be the ones taking the heat.
Vice-Admiral Huoshaoshan tried to calm him down. "Fleet Admiral, you have to understand the situation. Sengoku and Kizaru had to face Kaido, Blackbeard, the Straw Hats, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates all at once. The difference in power was too great. Besides, you know how the World Government works—they always try to pass the blame to us".
Akainu took a breath and realized he shouldn't blame his subordinates. He was just glad that Yixiao had been recruited.
"The pirates are becoming too powerful," Akainu declared. "The New World has six Emperors, and the Warlords are useless. We must make the Marines stronger. Since our current Vice-Admirals like Gion and Kake aren't ready for the position of Admiral, I am ordering a global military draft. We will find strong, righteous men like Yixiao to join our ranks".
No one dared to object. The Marines needed strength immediately, and there was no time for traditional training. If they didn't grow stronger now, they would be swallowed by the rising tides of the new era.
Two days after leaving Dressrosa, the Straw Hats were still sailing. The official newspapers hadn't reached them yet, but Carl had contacted Shakky at her bar to get the latest news. Law had also used his contacts to gather information from the underworld.
When they shared what they had learned, the crew was stunned.
"Aokiji actually quit the Marines?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
The rest of the crew couldn't believe it either. It seemed impossible that a Marine Admiral would just walk away because he lost a fight. Tashigi, however, sat in silence, her expression thoughtful. She understood better than anyone why he might have left. She knew that for a man like Kuzan, being unable to follow his own sense of justice was a fate worse than losing a battle. He had likely left to find a different path toward what he believed was right.
"Kuzan," she whispered to herself. "Now that you've left the Marines, what will you do?".
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