Meanwhile, in Admiral Akainu's office.
Alongside Akainu sat Doberman, Dalmatian, and the freshly wounded Onigumo, all gathered together.
"Sakazuki, I still don't understand why you're so intent on targeting Aizen," Dalmatian said, arms crossed as he fixed his eyes on the admiral. "You even pushed Onigumo to fight at full strength despite the injuries it would cost him."
Among the high-ranking marines, the men here shared the same ideology. They were the hawks, those with zero tolerance for pirates. In front of outsiders they minded their words, but here in private, they called each other by name and spoke bluntly.
At Dalmatian's question, the others turned to Akainu.
Taking a deep drag on his cigar, Akainu exhaled thick smoke and said heavily, "I think there's something wrong with this Aizen. I wanted to test him."
Something wrong? A test?
The others exchanged glances, momentarily stunned.
"Do you have any proof?"
"No."
Seeing that Akainu had no evidence—only his instincts—the rest didn't press too hard. Doberman simply warned, "Aizen is the Fleet Admiral's disciple. He's not some pirate scum we can kill at will. Without proof, neither Sengoku nor the World Government will forgive rash action."
Dalmatian added, "Still, it is strange. Those vile Celestial Dragons usually act like gods, but they treat Aizen with respect. That's far too unusual."
His words carried undisguised contempt for the so-called nobles. Spoken publicly, such heresy would be unthinkable, but here no one batted an eye. At their level, they knew all the filth already. Only politics forced them to be cautious outside.
Here, among themselves, they spoke freely.
After all, they were hawks, true to their vision of justice. Not lapdogs, not the kind who licked the boots of corrupt nobles.
Akainu stayed silent, only turning his gaze toward Onigumo.
"Sorry," Onigumo muttered, bracing himself against the table and waving dismissively. "Enough of this. Everything is for justice. If Aizen truly has a problem, that would be our failure."
Akainu said nothing more. The subject shifted naturally away from Aizen.
…
By evening, Aizen strolled through the residential district.
Word of his promotion test had spread like wildfire. Even the women in logistics whispered about it. Wherever he went, he drew stares and salutes.
Some staff officers' daughters, too shy to approach alone, grouped together just to ask him for autographs.
"Vice Admiral Aizen, you're incredible. Even a veteran like Vice Admiral Onigumo was defeated by you. So strong!"
Aizen chuckled softly, his tone gentle. "The commission hasn't come down yet. I'm still just a Rear Admiral. Onigumo held back. I merely took advantage. I hardly deserve such praise."
But that smile only dazzled them further. Their eyes sparkled with hearts, clinging to him as if unwilling to let him go.
It was no wonder.
Aizen wasn't only powerful and well-connected, he was handsome, kind, and treated subordinates with warmth.
Ask the rank-and-file which commander they most wished to serve, and ninety-five of a hundred would answer: Rear Admiral Aizen.
For years, he had ranked sixth in the "Most Popular Marines" monthly list, right behind Sengoku, Garp, and the three Admirals. The numbers spoke for themselves.
…
At last, Aizen escaped the throng and returned to his quarters.
The moment he set down his glasses, the warmth vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, rational detachment.
He walked to the window, gazing out at the endless sea. White curtains fluttered in the night breeze. From the shadows behind him, a figure emerged, hand resting on the hilt of a sword, closing in.
Before the figure drew within three meters, Aizen spoke.
"Your Soru has improved greatly, Uta."
The figure came into focus—a slim, lively girl with headphones and hair half red, half pink. Her twin braids rose like rabbit ears.
"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Aizen," she teased. "But tell me, isn't deceiving them wrong? When they realize the Aizen they admire never truly existed, won't their ideals shatter?"
Aizen's lips curved, his smile unlike the one he showed the world.
"I never intended to deceive. It's simply that none of them know my true self. Nothing more."