Kong smiled and said:
"It really does suit your personality."
"Take a break for a while. It's been so long since you returned to headquarters."
"Walk around a bit. The headquarters has changed a lot in the past few years."
Sakazuki nodded.
"Mm, true."
"There are a lot more residents on the island now."
Kong said:
"Yes, they're all the families of the officers."
"With the Great Pirate Era Roger started, more and more islands have become unsafe."
"To prevent another incident like what happened with Zephyr..."
"Most of the officers' families have moved to Marineford."
"We built up the commercial and entertainment districts quite a lot."
"Now the soldiers of headquarters can relax more during their breaks."
Sakazuki chuckled.
"That's actually not bad."
"Alright, I'll go take a look around."
Kong nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Mm... so really nothing?"
Sakazuki rubbed his forehead.
"Really nothing. When Sengoku decides he 'doesn't want the job' anymore, then we'll talk."
Kong smiled.
"Alright, alright, off you go."
Seeing Sakazuki firmly express his stance and leave the office, Kong finally let out a breath of relief.
There was nothing he could do. Both of them were like flesh of his own flesh.
After a lifetime of struggle in the Marines, he only had two reliable successors left.
If a rift formed between them over this kind of matter, that would really be...
...
Marine Headquarters Academy.
Sakazuki had just stepped into the courtyard.
He immediately spotted Morris and Zephyr coming out together, with a somewhat shy but steady purple-haired boy following behind them.
Seeing Sakazuki, Zephyr smiled and nodded.
Morris said in surprise:
"You're back, Sakazuki."
"You—"
Sakazuki raised his hand.
"Stop right there!"
"No, no, I don't have any ideas."
"Alright, carry on."
Morris shook his head with a laugh.
"You really are something..."
At that moment, the purple-haired boy behind them also stepped forward and respectfully said:
"Sakazuki-san."
Looking at Zephyr's son, Sakazuki smiled.
"You've already grown this much. Time flies too quickly."
He reached out and patted the boy's shoulder, noting the firm muscles.
"Not bad, you've got a steady presence."
"Do you have any Devil Fruits you like?"
"I'll help you find one later."
The purple-haired boy's eyes lit up, but Zephyr quickly spoke up.
"I'm still standing here, Sakazuki."
"That's going too far."
Sakazuki said:
"Don't be so rigid."
"If you develop a Devil Fruit power properly, it's very useful against pirates."
"Say an island is full of pirates."
"Do you want to crush them one by one with your fists, or drown them all in magma at once?"
"Which one is more efficient?"
Zephyr snorted lightly.
"That still won't do."
"Devil Fruits have fatal flaws."
"That kind of flaw can't be integrated into one's core."
He looked at his son.
"Stop those thoughts of yours."
"Focus on training your body."
The purple-haired boy looked discouraged. Sakazuki comforted him.
"Don't worry. I'll convince your father."
Zephyr chuckled.
"Don't bother with your tricks, Sakazuki."
"You'll never convince me."
Sakazuki gave a faint smile.
"Oh?"
...
Grand Line, first half.
On an unknown island covered in rocky terrain.
Two groups of fish-men stood facing off.
Jinbei and Arlong were squared off against each other.
By becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Jinbei had secured amnesty for some fish-men, including Arlong, freeing him from Impel Down.
But no sooner had they reunited than disagreements broke out.
Under Arlong's instigation, a faction of radical fish-men defected to his side...
Jinbei glared at Arlong and said gravely:
"Say it plainly, Arlong. What do you want?"
Arlong sneered.
"So you've become a Warlord, huh, Jinbei-aniki?"
"You've turned into a lapdog of those humans in the government."
"How pathetic."
Jinbei's brows furrowed.
"Have you forgotten what Tiger said?"
"Don't live trapped in hatred and rage."
Arlong snarled.
"I'm not like you."
"If I obediently stayed under you as a subordinate..."
"Then I wouldn't be Arlong."
"Tiger is already dead. I'm going to restore the identity of the Arlong Pirates."
"I'll take the brothers and leave."
"This is farewell."
Jinbei's eyes narrowed.
"Arlong... you bastard..."
Arlong declared confidently:
"If you want to stop me, then right here..."
"Kill me!!!"
"If you can't do that, then I'm free!"
His face twisted viciously as he roared:
"I am..."
"The wrath of the fish-men!!!!!!"
Jinbei's eyes flared in anger as he looked at Arlong drowning in hatred.
"Don't get carried away!!!"
Boom!
A straight punch smashed Arlong into the ground, blasting open a crater.
Arlong's mind went blank, his eyes rolled back.
Before he could recover, Jinbei's massive frame, several times heavier than his, pressed down on him.
Left and right, fists rained down like a storm.
Arlong was nearly beaten into unconsciousness, until others rushed in to pull them apart.
Hatchan helped Arlong up. His face twisted in a grimace.
He'd expected a gap in strength, but not this vast...
Beaten one-sidedly without the slightest chance to fight back...
Jinbei looked at the Arlong he had grown up with on Fishman Street. He couldn't bring himself to finish him, and closed his eyes.
"Take him down for treatment."
Only after they carried Arlong away did Jinbei collapse to the ground.
Bang—
He punched the earth.
"That idiot... why can't he understand Tiger's will?"
Ship doctor Aladdin said:
"The world is so big. No matter where he goes..."
"As long as he stirs up trouble, the Marines will come."
"And if not... when the time comes, we'll have no choice but to stop him ourselves."
The radicals carrying Arlong... did not head toward the Sun Pirates' ship...
Instead, they kept drifting farther away...
Jinbei and the others didn't stop them... they couldn't bring themselves to...
...
The regrouped Arlong Pirates, every face was full of grins.
"Great! It's just like old times again!"
"Finally, no more bothersome rules."
"We can do whatever we want!!!"
Supported by others, Arlong was grinning too.
"Cough, cough..."
He coughed twice, feeling the pain in his body.
"That brute..."
"But it was all worth it."
"Shahahahaha!!!!"
"Let's tear apart all those lowly humans!!!"
...
Several days later.
Grand Line, first half.
Night.
In an unknown sea, a massive battleship was anchored, resting on the waves.
The Arlong Pirates, aboard a stolen ship, slowly drew near.
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Arlong's face.
"In this pitch-black night, even if a battleship sinks..."
"No one will ever know!!!"
"Hehehe..."
"Follow me!"
Then came the sound—
Splash!
Bodies diving into water.
The fish-men all grinned wickedly and leapt into the sea with Arlong, charging toward the ship!
Several dark figures darted swiftly under the surface toward the battleship.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Towers of water exploded around the battleship with deafening force.
The resting soldiers and sentries were jolted awake.
Hearing the urgent whistles of the watchmen, Arlong landed on the deck, sneering.
"Tear them apart! Leave no one alive!"
"Shahahaha!!!"
Inside the battleship's top cabin...
Bullet, bare-chested, his body covered in terrible scars, pushed the door open.
He looked at the grinning fish-men on the deck, his voice low, cold, dripping with the killing intent of a man whose dreams had been disturbed.
"So damn noisy....."
-----------
The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg. 414 chapters in total