"The Summit War..."
Renn Hawk stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
In his mind, the scenes of that legendary battle unfolded one after another.
The spark of the war came from the downfall and capture of a single man:
Portgas D. Ace.
Ace, the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
At the same time, he was the Second Division Commander under Edward Newgate, the Emperor of the Sea known as Whitebeard.
The chain of events began when Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, was murdered by his own crewmate: Marshall D. Teach.
After seizing the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, Teach betrayed the crew, breaking the only iron law of the Whitebeard Pirates: never kill a comrade.
Ace, as Thatch's close friend, swore to hunt Teach down.
Thus began a fateful chase.
Their pursuit ended on Banaro Island, where Ace and Teach clashed in a fierce battle.
The outcome was well known. Ace was defeated and captured.
Teach delivered Ace into the hands of the Navy Headquarters, bargaining for the title of Warlord of the Sea.
With the Pirate King's bloodline in their grasp, the Navy moved quickly.
They announced Ace's public execution at Marineford.
The purpose was twofold:
First, to demonstrate the Navy's power to the entire world and strike fear into the growing tide of piracy.
Second, and most crucial, to lure Whitebeard himself to the battlefield.
There, the Navy would unleash its full might to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates, the greatest crew that had ruled the New World for decades.
"Phew..."
Renn exhaled, taking his eyes off the horizon. He lit a cigar, the smoke curling slowly upward.
This war, he knew, was one he had to fight in.
For one, Marine Headquarters would inevitably issue the call to arms. Every elite from the branches would be summoned to Marineford. With his current strength as a Rear Admiral among Headquarters elites, there was no escaping the draft unless he abandoned everything.
And even if no summons came, Renn would still go.
Because this war was his greatest opportunity.
The Summit War would be a feast of Justice Points.
The Navy's enemies in that war were none other than the Whitebeard Pirates.
And at their head stood the man once hailed as the Strongest in the World: Edward Newgate, Whitebeard.
His bounty was an astronomical 5,460,000,000 Beli.
That alone meant five hundred thousand Justice Points.
One Whitebeard was worth half a million points by himself.
And his commanders...
First Division Commander, the immortal flamebird Marco.
Second Division Commander, the "Fire Fist" Ace.
Third Division Commander, the diamond-bodied Jozu.
Fifth Division Commander, the master swordsman Vista.
Each was a pirate with a bounty in the hundreds of millions.
The combined bounty of the Whitebeard Pirates, by rough estimate, would not fall short of ten billion.
Which meant... over one million Justice Points.
If Renn seized the right opportunities during that war, if he maneuvered carefully, this could launch him to the very peak.
With that many points, he could raise one of his abilities to the absolute pinnacle of this world's power.
Or, he could spread the investment across multiple abilities, pushing each to the highest level, creating a leap in his overall strength.
Even without spending them on power, one million Justice Points equaled one million days of survival time.
An ordinary human lifespan was no more than thirty thousand days.
One million days... was almost eternity.
"Whitebeard..." Renn muttered softly.
"Compared to other vile pirates, you've shed less blood. Loyalty to your crew, devotion to family — those qualities are admirable in ordinary men."
"But... sorry."
"Crime is still crime. A pirate is still a pirate."
"And the Justice Points you represent... are simply far too many to ignore."
He blew out a slow ring of smoke. The rising haze blurred the cold edges of his face.
"At most..."
"I'll make sure your Whitebeard family stays together. All of you, reunited below."
"In the underworld, you can remain the warm, happy family you've always been."
A thin smile played at his lips as more smoke drifted upward.
"And if you grow bored down there... I'll send Shanks, Kaido, and Big Mom to keep you company, using the Justice Points you so kindly provide."
"Then, the Four Emperors can sit around one table in hell and play mahjong."
...
Knock, knock.
The office door rattled with two sharp knocks.
"Enter," Renn said calmly.
Major Dane stepped inside, his expression unusually solemn.
With no one else present, he spoke directly. "Big brother."
"The special envoy from Headquarters has been confirmed."
"Oh? Who is it?" Renn asked, narrowing his eyes.
Dane drew in a deep breath, then replied gravely:
"It's... Admiral Akainu."
Renn blinked, then slowly, his lips curved into a grin. The grin grew wider until it became a satisfied smile.
"Good."
"If it's Admiral Akainu... then this is as good as secured."
With Sakazuki as the envoy, the worst-case scenario — being hauled to a military tribunal and punished — was impossible.
Corrupt vermin like Captain Nezumi, who colluded with pirates and preyed on the weak, were beyond redemption in Akainu's eyes.
Renn's methods might have overstepped procedure, but in outcome, he had enforced the very brand of Absolute Justice Akainu upheld.
At worst, he would keep his rank as Branch Lieutenant Colonel.
At best, he might be promoted, perhaps even reassigned to another sea as a Branch Captain.
Excellent.
Renn's smile faded back into his usual calm as he looked at Dane.
"Then we'll wait for Admiral Akainu's arrival," he said evenly.
He paused, then added, "But the branch's daily training cannot slacken, not even a little."
"Yes, big brother!" Dane snapped to attention and left.
Though Renn was the official commander of the Sixteenth Branch, to Dane he would always be "big brother."
What Renn said, he would follow without question.
...
A Navy warship cut across the waters of the East Blue, its sails billowing in the wind.
At first glance, it was an ordinary vessel.
But the man standing at the prow made it anything but ordinary.
Arms folded, he stood as solid as a mountain. Though the sea breeze was cool, heat radiated visibly around his body like shimmering waves.
One of the Navy Headquarters' ultimate powers.
Admiral Akainu, Sakazuki.
Had arrived in the East Blue.
"The weakest of the seas... East Blue."
His voice was deep, commanding.
"Lower the Navy flag."
"I want to see..."
"Just how weak the pirates of this sea truly are."
"Yes, Admiral!"