The deck of the Thousand Sunny was alive with conversation as the ship cut through the waves. The recent news from the Marines had everyone thinking. "Where do you think Aokiji will go now that he has left the Marines?" Zoro asked, bringing up the topic that was on everyone's mind.
"I know! I know!" Luffy shouted, raising his hand and laughing. "Aokiji can become a pirate!"
The rest of the crew rolled their eyes at the same time. To them, the idea seemed impossible. Aokiji was a former Marine Admiral; it was hard to imagine a man of his status ever turning to a life of piracy. If he did, his old mentor Zephyr would probably turn over in his grave. Tashigi was the least convinced of all. She believed that the sense of justice in Aokiji's heart was still firm and that he would never truly become a criminal.
Sanji lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I think he might start his own team," he suggested. "Maybe he'll form a 'Neo Marine' or something. Since he can't follow his justice under the current leadership, he might try to show the world his own way of doing things."
While Sanji's idea sounded plausible, the rest of the crew had much weirder theories.
Usopp: "I bet he'll start selling popsicles! With his ice powers, he'd save a fortune on supplies and make a ton of money."
Mr. 3: "He should be an ice sculpture artist. He's got the perfect talent for it."
Jango: "He's probably going to retire. I heard he was always lazy and sleeping on the job anyway. Now he can just find a quiet island and sleep forever."
Brook: "Yohohoho! I heard he likes the ladies. Maybe he'll find a group of beautiful girls and live a decadent life!"
Franky: "He'd make a super delivery man! He can already ride his bicycle across the ocean. He could reach any island in no time."
Chopper: "I agree with Usopp! But he should sell ice cream and cotton candy, too!"
Nami and Tashigi looked at them with flat expressions. "None of those ideas are even close to being realistic!" Nami sighed. The members of the Heart Pirates who were traveling with them were also speechless, unsure of how to respond to such nonsense. While Sanji's guess was the only one that felt grounded, the rest of the crew seemed convinced by their own silly logic.
Carl turned to Robin, who had been listening quietly. "Robin, what do you think?"
"I don't know," Robin replied, shaking her head. "He is a very complicated man. It is almost impossible to guess what he is thinking." For Robin, Aokiji was a source of mixed emotions. He had been involved in the destruction of her home, Ohara, and was the one who killed her friend Saul. She couldn't forgive him for that, yet she also knew she only survived because he had allowed her to escape. She knew him better than most, but she didn't want to guess his next move.
Carl then turned to the young girl, Marie. "What about you, Marie? What's your take?"
"Mr. Carl, don't ask a child such difficult questions," Marie said, calmly munching on a biscuit. "Besides, what Aokiji does doesn't really affect us. If you're so curious, you should tell us what you think." She cleverly threw the question back at him.
The whole crew turned to look at Carl, waiting for his answer.
"I actually agree with Luffy," Carl said with a shrug. "I think Aokiji will become a pirate and join Blackbeard's crew."
"What?!" everyone shouted in shock. "Do you have any proof, Mr. Carl?"
"I don't have proof, but I think he is still following his own justice," Carl explained. "It would make sense for him to act as an undercover agent. The timing is perfect—he lost the duel, lost the position of Fleet Admiral, and was rejected by Akainu. Joining Blackbeard, who is currently the most dangerous rising power, would be the perfect way to get inside information."
The smarter members of the crew began to nod. It made sense. Blackbeard was recruiting powerful men, and he would likely accept a former Admiral despite the risks. Since Blackbeard possessed multiple Devil Fruit powers and was incredibly ambitious, the Marines would see him as a massive threat. Sending a high-level undercover agent like Aokiji would be a logical move for the World Government.
Luffy, however, wasn't happy with the explanation. "Wait a minute, Mr. Carl! Why is Blackbeard the 'most promising'? Why not me? Aokiji should come join my crew!"
The crew was speechless again. Luffy clearly didn't understand the concept of a secret mission. Law stepped in to explain patiently. "Luffy, Carl is saying that because Blackbeard is dangerous, the Marines might have sent Aokiji to spy on him. We already have Tashigi on our ship, so we don't need another 'undercover' person."
Tashigi sighed, feeling a bit helpless. She wondered if she even counted as an undercover agent anymore, considering how openly everyone talked about it on the ship.
Luffy punched his palm with his fist, a look of realization on his face. "Oh! I get it now! You should have just said that, Mr. Carl. I almost got the wrong idea!"
Carl didn't even try to argue. He knew Luffy's "reading comprehension" was famously poor. He decided to let it go. "As long as Luffy stays strong, things will work out," he thought to himself.
In a way, it would have been amazing if Aokiji actually joined them. With their current strength, adding an Admiral-level fighter would have made the Straw Hats one of the most powerful forces in the world. But everyone knew that was just a dream. With the discussion about Aokiji winding down, the crew turned their attention to the next big piece of news: the Marines' plan for a global military recruitment drive.
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