Chapter 305: An Admiral Departs, Sengoku Collapses
Hiss~
The temperature in the conference room instantly polarized. The tall figures of the two Admirals stood as a dividing line. On the left, the officers were blue in the face, shivering from the cold. On the right, they were drenched in sweat from the oppressive heat.
"Are you sure you want to do this here, Sakazuki?" Aokiji said, still not turning around, his hands in his pockets. "You know you can't stop me. The only outcome will be the destruction of Marine Headquarters." Even a full-strength Akainu, he was confident he could fight to a draw, let alone one who was seriously injured.
"I don't know!" Akainu's face was grim, his magma fist glowing with a menacing red light. "I only know one thing: there is no precedent for a Marine Admiral leading a defection! A traitor like you doesn't even deserve to be sent to Impel Down! You should be burned to ash!"
He took a step forward, and the air between them began to twist violently. CRACK CRACK CRACK, countless fissures spread across the walls! The terrifying clash of their energies made the entire fortress tremble! The remaining officers were terrified. Are two Admirals really going to fight to the death here? The last time Marineford was almost destroyed was when Golden Lion Shiki had attacked. Was it going to happen again, this time because of an internal conflict?
"Borsalino! What are you waiting for?! Help me take this man down!" Akainu's gaze shot to the side.
"Ah… uh, well…" Kizaru scratched his head, a troubled look on his face as he looked down at his own bandages. "I'm seriously injured, you know. The doctor specifically told me not to do any strenuous exercise for a week, cough cough cough…" He even coughed theatrically into his fist and shrank back in his chair like a withered old monkey.
"Bastard!" A vein pulsed on Akainu's forehead. He was about to explode, but then he saw that Sengoku was still in a daze, making no move to stop them. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. His magma arm churned, but in the end, he didn't attack.
As Aokiji had said, he couldn't stop him alone.
Seeing this, Aokiji said no more. He walked towards the door, his leather shoes clacking on the frozen floor. Just as he was about to disappear, Akainu's deep voice called out, "Kuzan!"
Aokiji stopped and turned his head slightly. "Hmm?"
Akainu opened his eyes, hiding the complex emotions within. "You'd better just be leaving the Marines. After this, whether you travel the world or retire to some countryside, that's your business. But if I ever find out that you've dared to join any pirate crew, especially that Shane's…"
"You'd better think carefully. You'll become the greatest enemy of the entire Marine force! And even the World Government!" Akainu snorted, his killing intent palpable. "If that happens, the next time we meet, I will bet my life on killing you myself, without mercy!"
"Is that so?" Aokiji chuckled and waved a hand without looking back. "Don't worry, Sakazuki. I have no interest in being a pirate. But your suggestion has given me an idea. A trip around the world… that sounds nice."
After so many years of tireless work, he was exhausted. But in the end, his heart had grown even colder and more tired than his body. Perhaps he really did need some time to himself, in a quiet place, to relax. As for what came after… he would leave that to the future.
Aokiji's figure vanished. The vast conference room, apart from Akainu staring at the empty doorway, his breathing heavy, fell into a dead silence.
After a long time, "…" Sengoku cleaned his glasses and slowly looked up at the remaining high-ranking officers. "Anyone else… leaving?"
No one responded. There were still many who remained, but only a few looked at him with understanding and support. The rest just stared at the floor, silent.
"Very good," Sengoku took a deep breath and forced himself to stand, looking as if he had aged another decade. "Then, this meeting is adjourned."
"Fleet Admiral! Fleet Admiral!" Just then, another adjutant burst in, panicked. "We just received a report! Over half of the medical staff at the headquarters hospital have submitted their resignations!"
"And… at the Marineford port, a large number of soldiers on the warships have mutinied! Over 5,500 Marines have already left with their families…"
"And, and…" The young adjutant glanced at Sengoku's face, swallowed hard, and said, trembling, "There's also been a dispute at the headquarters training ground. A warship was seen leaving the port without authorization. Nearly all of this year's elite recruits were on that ship. And the one leading them… leading them…"
"…is the head instructor of Headquarters, Mr. Z!"
"What?!" Sengoku's head snapped up, the last bit of color draining from his face. He lunged forward, grabbing the adjutant by the collar. "What did you say?! Say it again! Who?! Who else left?!!!"
The adjutant was terrified. Before he could stammer out a reply, Sengoku's hands fell away. He staggered back, and if it hadn't been for Kizaru flashing behind him to catch him, he would have collapsed.
"You're leaving too, Z…" Sengoku sat down, staring out the window, his lips trembling. Of course. It was inevitable. I was just in denial. What was he hoping for? Even Kuzan had left. How could that old friend of his, who had suffered so many blows and had grown so bitter and radical, not leave?
"Z," Sengoku murmured the name again. Through the glass, he saw the spirited, purple-haired young man from decades ago—back then, of the four of them, Z was the first to make a name for himself, the first to be promoted to Admiral. Sengoku still remembered the way he had shown him and Tsuru his new "Justice" coat, a toothpick in his mouth, his hands on his hips, a brilliant smile on his face.
"Hey! It's not fair! How did you get promoted before Sengoku?!"
"You're just jealous, you idiot Garp! Hahaha, because I'm a hero of justice, Z!"
"Don't worry, as your role model, I'll work even harder from now on! I'll make the name 'Black Arm' feared across the seas and bring peace to this turbulent era!"
"BWAHAHAHA!!!"
In his daze, he could almost hear Z's hearty laughter. But when he looked again, all he saw was the chaos at the Marineford port and the warship disappearing over the horizon.
"Fleet Admiral! Fleet Admiral!" the adjutant's urgent voice pulled Sengoku back to reality. "Should we dispatch a fleet to intercept them? If we go now, we might still be able to catch them…"
Catch them? Sengoku didn't answer. Did they need a fleet for that? He could break through the window right now, use Moonwalk, and catch up to that ship in no time. But what right did he have to face Z? From now on… they were strangers.
"Report! Emergency!" another communications officer burst in, terrified. "Fleet Admiral! We've just received word of large-scale mutinies at all the bases in the four seas and on the Grand Line!"
"At some bases, the commanders are even leading the defections! The other bases are powerless to stop them! They're requesting immediate assistance from Headquarters!"
"Also, initial estimates show that over thirty thousand Marines have already resigned from the various bases! And the number is still rising!"
How many? The news had only just been released, and over thirty thousand had already mutinied?
Kizaru and Akainu's expressions changed. Kizaru glanced over and saw that Sengoku's face was deathly pale, as if his soul had left his body.
In the next moment, "Fleet Admiral!" Kizaru cried out. Sengoku swayed, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and collapsed. The man who had been the dignified commander of the Marines just minutes ago, had finally succumbed to the successive blows, falling like a withered old tree.
"Fleet Admiral! What's wrong, Fleet Admiral!"
"Quick! Someone, a stretcher!"
"Get a doctor, now!"
The entire conference room descended into chaos.
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