In fact, the rumor about Akainu becoming Fleet Admiral wasn't a rumor at all—it was true.
Long after the Summit War ended, the Five Elders had already made a deal with him: when the time came, he would become the next Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
However, even with the Five Elders' support, it wasn't that simple. Akainu couldn't take the position without the approval of Commander-in-Chief Kong. Only then could he inherit the heavy responsibility from Sengoku.
But after what just happened, Akainu couldn't help but wonder—would the Five Elders and Kong now be disappointed in him?
Thinking of this, Akainu let out a bitter smile.
All of this… was his own doing.
If he really lost the chance to become Fleet Admiral, he could only blame himself.
Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting, the Marine powerhouses began a heated debate.
Some Marines argued that it was no longer worth intervening. If they continued to fight, they would be finished. There was no way they could defeat the Kamui Pirates.
Others pushed for a counterattack. Their reasoning was that Kronos and his crew had just fought a fierce battle with the Whitebeard Pirates, so they were definitely not in peak condition. Perhaps this was the perfect chance for the Marines to strike back.
Both sides had their own logic, each convinced they were right.
Garp, the Marine Hero, stood silently in the middle, arms crossed, deep in thought. He seemed genuinely torn over whether they should retreat or fight.
"I don't think we should withdraw."
The voice that broke the silence shocked many.
It was Kizaru—normally the laziest and most indifferent of the Admirals. But now, his tone was serious, even sharp.
"Right now," Kizaru continued, "this is without a doubt the best time to deal with the Kamui Pirates.
"If we miss this opportunity, I don't know when—or if—we'll get another one."
"We and Kronos are destined to be mortal enemies. He will never let us go, and we will never let him go."
"So from start to finish, there's only one path left for us."
"That's to fight Kronos."
The reason Kizaru spoke so firmly was simple—Kronos had put immense pressure on him.
From the moment Admiral Aokiji was killed, Kizaru understood one thing: either they killed Kronos, or one day Kronos would kill them.
If that was the case, why not choose the first option—strike first and eliminate him?
They couldn't just sit back and let Kronos run wild.
Kizaru's words finally pushed Garp to a decision.
Although Garp knew better than anyone how dangerous Kronos was, there was no way out anymore. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to fight this battle—and they had to fight with everything they had.
"Everyone!"
Garp's voice thundered with excitement as he shouted to the gathered officers.
"Now, we have only one path forward!"
"Within one hour, gather all of the Marines' remaining combat power!"
"This time, we will take Honeycomb Island in a single strike!"
"Completely destroy Kronos! Completely destroy the Kamui Pirates!"
"Erase this threat forever!"
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📢 Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: I Don't Want Recognition]
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