Marineford, Grand Line
Marines of all ranks, from new recruits scrubbing the decks to seasoned captains were gathered in small groups all talking about the same thing: the morning newspaper.
The story was incredible. A new hero had appeared. An agent named Umi, who had saved four kingdoms and defeated the evil Revolutionary Army.
The news was a huge boost to their morale.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like the Marines were winning.
"Did you read about this Umi guy?" a young Marine asked his friend as he polished his gun. "He sounds amazing. He took down all those revolutionaries."
"Yeah" his friend replied, his eyes shining. "It says he even got back that Germa technology. He's a true hero of justice"
Everywhere, the mood was the same.
The common soldiers felt a surge of pride. They were part of the same organization as this incredible hero. It made them stand a little taller, polish their buttons a little brighter.
The World Government was strong and justice is prevailing.
But in the highest tower of Marineford, in the office of the Fleet Admiral the mood was very different.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat behind his massive desk. The newspaper lay before him, but he wasn't looking at the picture of the hero.
He was looking at the lies.
He knew.
He knew this story was a fabrication, a clever piece of propaganda. The World Government had created a perfect hero and a perfect villain.
But the question that bothered him was not what they had done, but who had done it.
This was not the clumsy work of politicians. This was a move of terrifying intelligence and ruthlessness. It was a move made by someone playing a much bigger and much more dangerous game.
His office's door opened and Vice Admiral Garp walked in without knocking as he always did.
Garp was eating a bag of rice crackers.
"Sengoku....Did you see this nonsense?" Garp said and tossed a crumpled newspaper onto the desk. "A new hero, 'Umi'? Bwahahaha.....What a load of garbage. They think people are stupid enough to believe this?"
Sengoku sighed with rubbing his eyes. "Garp, The problem" he said tiredly, "is that they are stupid enough. The world will believe this. They will see this man as a savior."
It is not that whole world is stupid but they know little about revolutionary army and world government. People will believe it because of their lack of knowledge about this two organizations.
"Hmph. A savior who works for those Celestial Dragon scumbags," Garp grumbled and stuffing more crackers into his mouth. He didn't know the full story but his gut, the same gut that had helped him corner the Pirate King so many times telling him that this was all a lie.
Just then, the three Admirals of the Marines entered in the office of senkogu. They were the most powerful fighting force the Marines had now.
Admiral Aokiji, Kuzan, came inside yawning. "Ara....ara... what a troublesome story," he said in his lazy voice. "Making up heroes now. It's too much work. i am taking the nap." He saw the lie for what it was a political game and it bored him.
Justice for him was getting too complicated.
Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino had a strange smile on his face. "Ooooh...a new Vice Admiral," he said in his slow drawn-out voice. "How scaaaaaary. He looks very strooooong." Kizaru did not care if the story was true or false.
He only cared about interesting and powerful people. This Umi was now an interesting person.
But the third Admiral, 'Akainu' Sakazuki, was not lazy or curious.
He was furious.
He slammed his fist on Sengoku's desk leaving a smoking molten handprint on the wood. "This is what I have been talking about for a long time" he roared, his voice like grinding volcanoes. "The Revolutionary Army is a cancer for the world. They are absolute evil. This man Umi, has done a great service to justice. He has shown us that we must be merciless. We should burn every last one of those revolutionary dogs from the face of the earth."
Akainu believed in this story.
For him, the world was simple: there was good (the World Government and its Absolute Justice) and there was evil (pirates and revolutionaries).
This newspaper proved he was right. It fed his burning hatred and made him want to unleash even more of his "justice" on the world.
Sengoku looked at the faces of people in this room.
Garp, who saw the lie and hated it. Aokiji, who saw the lie and was tired of it. And Akainu, who saw the lie and believed it.
The room was a perfect picture of the division within the Marines.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang. It was a direct call from the Five Elders in Mary Geoise.
Sengoku answered, his face becoming serious. The face of one of the Five Elders appeared on the snail.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," one of the Elders said, his voice cold and commanding. "You have seen the news. The agent known as Umi has performed an wonderful service for the World Government."
"Yes, sir" Sengoku said, his voice was neutral.
"Due to his incredible success and complete loyalty to the world government," the Elder continued, "we, the Five Elders have decided to grant him a special commission. From this day forward he will no longer be an agent of Cipher Pol. He will be joining the ranks of the Marines."
Sengoku felt a cold knot form in his stomach. He knew what was coming.
The Elder declared, "Umi is to be appointed to the rank of Vice Admiral."
The room went silent.
Garp stopped chewing his rice crackers. Aokiji's sleepy eyes opened just a little wider. Even Akainu looked surprised.
A Vice Admiral? A secret agent with no Marine experience suddenly promoted to one of the highest ranks? It was unheard of.
It broke every rule and tradition.
Sengoku knew this was not a request. It was an order.
The Five Elders were placing their own man, their "hero," directly into the heart of the Marine command structure.
He was being sent to watch them and to control them.
"He will be arriving at Marineford within few days," the Elder said. "Prepare a formal welcome for him. That's all."
The call ended.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Garp was the first to break the silence.
He started laughing. A loud, booming, and completely joyless laugh. "BWAHAHAHAHA.....A Vice Admiral. They are not even trying to hide it anymore. They're just putting their puppets wherever they want."
Akainu, however, nodded grimly. "It is a wise decision. A man of his caliber deserves a high rank. He will be a great asset in our fight for Absolute Justice. I look forward to meeting him."
Sengoku didn't say anything. He just looked down at the newspaper. At the face of the man who was coming to his fortress.
A man who was a lie, a weapon for Five Elders and now a Vice Admiral of the marines.