"Smoker?"
"Didn't you used to be close with him?"
"Aokiji—Kuzan," Akainu (Sakazuki) replied coldly.
Marine Headquarters – Strategy Conference Room
Aokiji Kuzan sat back in his chair with one leg casually crossed, looking completely uninterested in Akainu's passive-aggressive tone.
"Ahh, come on, Sakazuki. Don't start with that."
"If you really think about it, Smoker's just like us—he's one of Zephyr-sensei's students."
Sakazuki scoffed but said nothing.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku leaned forward and said seriously:
"You two know Smoker better than anyone."
"Do you really believe he'd team up with Uchiha Chiyu?"
Aokiji actually laughed.
"Smoker? No way."
"He's so damn stubborn, he doesn't even follow HQ orders half the time. You think he'd take orders from Chiyu?"
But Kizaru (Borsalino) chimed in with a counterpoint:
"Let's not be too quick to dismiss it, Kuzan."
"Sure, Smoker's known for going rogue, but his relationship with Chiyu is no secret. He's the one who brought Chiyu into the Marines. If we're pointing fingers—he's the starting point."
"Back in East Blue, they wiped out pirates like a well-oiled machine. They even left at the same time—one to a New World base, the other to the Grand Line."
"So yeah, if you say they're working together, I wouldn't be shocked at all."
Aokiji remained calm.
"Fair point, but speculation isn't proof."
"We're admirals—we can't throw out accusations without evidence."
Suddenly, Akainu slammed the table and stood up.
"It doesn't matter! Smoker's a Rear Admiral, and he failed his mission. That alone is grounds for punishment."
"I say we strip his rank and throw him into Impel Down!"
Aokiji's expression hardened.
"Whoa whoa, Sakazuki. That's way too much, isn't it?"
Akainu grunted.
"This is to make an example. And if Chiyu really is working with him, then we lure him in. If he tries to break Smoker out, we've got him—trapped and surrounded."
Everyone in the room fell silent.
It was a dirty move, sure—but undeniably effective.
They'd test Smoker's loyalty and maybe even catch Chiyu in the process.
Garp let out a booming laugh.
"Man, using tricks like this? The Marines are gonna be a laughingstock!"
But Akainu wasn't fazed.
"Who cares about appearances? Results matter more than reputation."
"Tsuru, what do you think?"
He knew Garp wouldn't get involved—but Tsuru, the fleet's top strategist, had real sway.
Tsuru sighed.
"Let's be honest. After what happened at Sabaody, we've already lost face.
Chiyu and Zephyr slipped right under our noses. The world thinks we're weak."
Sengoku's face was tense and tired.
"And it's not just the world."
"The World Government, the Celestial Dragons—they're all breathing down my neck!"
"Chiyu straight-up killed a Celestial Dragon. That hasn't happened in 800 years."
Tsuru caught the real meaning behind his words.
"I get it.
Do whatever it takes…
As long as we take Chiyu down."
"It's time the Marines got their dignity back."
Aokiji sighed again.
Even as an admiral, he couldn't fight them all.
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Akainu were all in. Kizaru stayed neutral. Garp didn't vote.
It was 3 to 1—there was no winning this.
He stood up and headed for the door.
"If you're really going through with this, I'm out. Don't expect me to be part of any of it."
He walked out and vanished down the hallway.
Tsuru watched him go, then said,
"Honestly, that might be for the best.
With Smoker involved, Kuzan probably couldn't bring himself to act anyway."
Sengoku looked completely worn down.
"To get the Celestial Dragons off our backs, we've got to take care of Chiyu fast…"
"Sakazuki, I'm handing this operation to you."
Akainu smirked.
"Perfect."
Until now, Sengoku had always kept him out of sensitive ops. He knew Akainu's style was way too extreme.
But this time… desperate measures.
Akainu stood and got to work immediately.
"Also—Chiyu's heading to Dressrosa. That's Doflamingo's turf. If he's willing to help out, that'd be ideal."
Sengoku glanced at Tsuru.
"If I remember right, Doflamingo really respects you."
Garp burst out laughing.
"Respects? You mean fears! Back in the day, before he became a Warlord, that kid ran from Tsuru like his life depended on it!"
Tsuru smiled faintly at the memory.
"He was a slippery, manipulative little bastard…"
"And let's not forget—he's got… connections."
Sengoku nodded.
"Yeah. He's not technically a Celestial Dragon anymore."
Tsuru frowned.
"That may be, but he still has their blood. Plus, he runs both sides—underworld and official. He's like a spider sitting at the center of a web. Even the Celestial Dragons rely on him."
Sengoku's scowl deepened.
"That guy's hands are filthy."
Kizaru added with a shrug,
"Weapons, slaves, trafficking—any shady deal, and 'Heavenly Yaksha' is behind it.
He says he's just a broker, but he controls a whole damn black market empire."
"The guy's disgusting… but impossible to deal with."
Tsuru sighed again.
"As long as the Warlord system exists, we'll have to keep turning a blind eye.
They were created to counterbalance the other underworld powers."
"I'll personally contact Doflamingo this time.
Just think of it as… calling in a favor."
"Got it."
…
Meanwhile…
As Chiyu's crew sailed toward Dressrosa, they had no clue that a massive trap was already being laid.
Under Akainu's orders, Smoker was arrested and dragged to Impel Down by Vergo — thrown straight into the very bottom:
Level 6 — Eternal Hell.
The place only holds the worst of the worst: criminals too dangerous to be allowed to live freely or even remembered.
Smoker's crimes hadn't even been proven, but Akainu didn't care. He needed bait — and Smoker was perfect.
At the same time, Doflamingo picked up a call from Tsuru through a Den Den Mushi.
"Kill Uchiha Chiyu, and not only will we wipe the slate clean, but I'll owe you a massive favor."
"Not a bad deal, right?"
Doflamingo grinned from ear to ear.
"A favor from you? That's rare enough to be priceless. And I was planning to deal with him anyway — win‑win."
"Don't worry. I've got it covered."
"Good boy," Tsuru said, then hung up.
Doflamingo's grin remained as he turned to Trebol beside him.
"Call in all the officers of the Donquixote Family."
"It's time to raise some hell."
"You got it, Doffy!"
…
Back on the Uchiha…
Chiyu and his crew had no idea what was coming.
While en route to Dressrosa, they spotted something strange on the horizon.
"Weird… this island isn't on the Log Pose. And there's no mention of it on any maps."
— Nami frowned as she checked the charts.
Hina looked through her scope.
"Something's off. That island gives off really bad vibes."
"Hina doesn't like it."
Chiyu's eyes sharpened — then he remembered.
Punk Hazard.
Once a secret Navy research facility, now a gas-shrouded hellscape.
Here, Caesar Clown ran inhumane experiments and collaborated with Doflamingo on insane forbidden science.
Now that they'd stumbled upon it, there was no way Chiyu would just ignore it.
"That island's Punk Hazard. It used to be a Navy research lab — now it's a chemical wasteland. But…"
"We're going ashore."
Hina frowned.
"Chiyu-sama… it might be dangerous."
"It's fine. Just a small team will go with me."
"Understood, Chiyu-sama!"
The Uchiha pulled close to the island.
Even from a distance, the air felt wrong — thick with danger, like hell had leaked into the real world.
"Hina, Barbara — stay on board and stand by."
"Franky, Blade, Box — you're with me."
"Yes, sir!"
And with that, Chiyu stepped into the heart of the beast.
This wasn't just a cleanup mission.
He was here to wipe it clean.
Burn it down.
Erase it from existence.
~~~
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