On the other side, the new Marine Headquarters was now stationed on Enies Lobby.
"The North Blue has fallen," Akainu said calmly, reading the newspaper in his hand. "It was Kuzan, Borsalino, Garp, and Gion who led the operation."
He wasn't surprised. There was no way the North Blue could hold back the Neo Navy.
Currently, the full strength of the Marines was focused around the Red Line, and most other regions had become hollowed-out shells.
What did catch him off guard were the people who led the operation.
Not long ago, Garp, Kuzan, and Borsalino had fought side by side with him against Whitebeard. Now, they were fighting for the Neo Navy in the North Blue.
This shift in identity and allegiance stirred complex emotions.
"Buru Buru."
The Den Den Mushi on the table rang.
Akainu picked it up and was greeted by the voice of one of the Five Elders.
Saint Saturn spoke in a heavy tone. "Akainu, your daughter is dead."
Akainu's fist clenched, his heart skipping a beat. "Didn't you say you were transferring her to Marineford? How could she suddenly be dead?!"
He opened his safe and quickly checked Hibari's life paper, only to see that it had already turned to ash.
She was dead. Hibari was truly gone.
"We don't know how she died," Saturn said coldly. "By the time our men found her, she had already died in Dressrosa. Her body was taken away by the Neo Navy."
"You know, Dressrosa is Caelan's home ground. We couldn't do anything about it."
He didn't frame Caelan directly. He simply relayed the facts and let Akainu come to his own conclusions.
Akainu narrowed his eyes. "You're saying Caelan killed her?"
"It's very likely. After all, she was your daughter," Saturn said, leading the thought further. "Caelan is like you. He never shows mercy to his enemies."
"Maybe it's for the best. If she had stayed alive, considering Caelan's reputation, she might've ended up as his plaything."
"She was very beautiful. And your daughter, no less. The thought alone is... entertaining."
Saturn paused, as if realizing something. "Wait, maybe Caelan played her to death."
He clicked his tongue regretfully, as though lamenting a missed opportunity.
If I'd known, he thought, I would've had Castellon kill both Hibari and Kujaku. It would've looked far more convincing.
"Enough! Shut your mouth!" Akainu slammed the table, his mind a raging storm. "We don't even know if Caelan did it, or if you people did it!"
He had no idea what to believe anymore. All he knew was that Hibari was dead.
"Think whatever you want," Saturn replied indifferently. "It would've been more useful for us to keep your daughter alive to control you. Killing her isn't in our interest."
"But why would Caelan kill her? She was the daughter of the Fleet Admiral. Wouldn't she be more useful alive, to hold over your head?"
"Then again, maybe the so-called God Slayer doesn't care about a mere Akainu."
"Oh, and I had someone send you a photo of the corpse. Take a look."
With that, Saturn let out a mocking laugh.
Crash!
Akainu crushed the Den Den Mushi with one hand and shattered the desk with the other.
What Saturn said made sense. Power-hungry, lustful, arrogant—these had always been Caelan's labels.
Killing Hibari was entirely within character.
He recalled what Caelan had told him during the Battle of Marineford: "I'll spare your life today, so the Navy can deal with you more easily."
That's right. Caelan had looked down on him from the beginning.
"Caelan... Neo Navy!"
Akainu roared, eyes burning with fury.
He would make Caelan pay dearly for this. He would make the Neo Navy feel the consequences of letting him live.
At that moment, Keith walked into the office, followed by three tall figures. "Fleet Admiral Akainu, three admiral-level fighters have arrived and are willing to join us."
These three were two hidden members of the Knights of God, and a genuine newcomer named Aramaki.
Seeing that the other two shared his righteous outlook, Aramaki was grateful he had joined the World Government faction.
"Three admirals?"
Even Akainu, seething with rage, was stunned.
Recruiting three admiral-level fighters at once was something not even the Marines in their prime had managed.
Now, with the Marines in a declining state, why were people still willing to join?
"My name is Urther. I possess the Logia-type Iron-Iron Fruit."
The bald, muscle-bound man with a metallic sheen to his skin introduced himself in a low voice.
"My name is Aramaki. I use the Logia-type Wood-Wood Fruit."
The thug with algae-green hair grinned widely.
"Fleet Admiral Akainu, I'm Castellon. I use the Logia-type Earth-Earth Fruit," said the man in the khaki suit with a warm smile. "I've long admired your leadership. Please take care of me."
How wonderful, he thought. The person I killed was your daughter, wasn't it?
"Are you really admirals?" Akainu asked, still wary.
If admiral-level fighters were this easy to find, they wouldn't be in such a desperate situation.
"Certainly."
"I am."
"Absolutely."
All three replied confidently, simultaneously unleashing their Haki and demonstrating their Devil Fruit powers.
From one, iron flowers bloomed. From another, jagged earth spires erupted. From the last, green trees burst forth.
"This is definitely admiral-level strength," Akainu muttered.
They might be slightly weaker than him, but they were still within the admiral tier.
At the very least, the Marines now had enough strength to stir up real trouble for the Neo Navy.
But Castellon's gaze made Akainu feel uncomfortable.
He didn't think too much about it. He simply assumed Castellon was eyeing the position of the fleet admiral.
(To be continued.)