Tsuru's voice wasn't loud, but it pressed down on Kong's anger anyway.
"The World Government is preparing the Seven Warlords of the Sea plan. It's a key strategic lever meant to counterbalance this ocean. And Victor Hugo is one of the first candidates."
"If this leaks—if the world finds out a first-batch Warlord candidate is a slaver trafficking civilians for the Celestial Dragons…"
Tsuru looked straight at Kong and spoke slowly.
"What will the member nations think? They'll believe the World Government is legally plundering their population. And what will the powerhouses of the sea think? They'll see 'serving the Dragons' as beneath them—and refuse recruitment."
"If that scandal detonates, the Warlords system will rot before it even begins. The World Government's credibility will take a catastrophic hit."
It was a political nuke—one whose blast radius could rival Shiki's prison break.
Kong rubbed his brow. The arrogant supreme commander looked… tired for once. Tsuru was right: the Navy was already drowning. They could not absorb that kind of impact.
"So…" Kong's voice came out hoarse. "What are you saying?"
"To preserve the Warlords plan's legitimacy—and keep the member nations stable—the World Government must and can only bury Victor's crimes."
Tsuru pointed at Rain and Gion and delivered the final framing.
"Victor can only be 'a pirate who suddenly went mad and attacked the base.' And Rain must be 'the hero who turned the tide and put down the rebellion.'"
"As for the two CP0 agents—" Tsuru didn't even blink. "They died in the pirates' counterattack. That story is one the World Government can't afford to reject. They will be forced to believe it—and forced to act like they believe it."
Kong went silent.
With Shiki's escape and the seas already shaking, this was the worst possible time for more chaos. Compared to ripping apart every inconsistency, the cleanest play was to put the fire out fast and salvage what little face the Navy and the Government had left.
He weighed it—dirty, but necessary. And he had no real alternatives.
At last, Kong let out a long breath. His gaze sharpened again, hawk-like, pinning Rain in place.
"Tsuru's right. We'll do it her way."
"BUT!"
Kong slammed to his feet. His massive frame radiated an oppressive force that filled the room.
"Rain, understand this: you don't become a 'hero' just because we tell a lie."
A surge of terrifying pressure erupted from Kong, slamming straight into Rain.
"Prove it. What gives you the right to kill a three-hundred-and-sixty-million man like Victor?! That Devil Fruit you stumbled into?!"
Rain didn't back down.
He didn't argue.
He simply lifted his right hand.
"Bzzzt—"
A sharp electrical hum cut through the room.
Then—
BOOM!
Every light in the Fleet Admiral's office shattered at once.
In the instant darkness fell, countless blue-white arcs exploded out of Rain's body. His entire right arm elementized into a violent, blinding mass of lightning—raw, savage, and steeped in destruction.
A high-voltage electromagnetic field flooded the room. Hair lifted. The air reeked of singed ozone.
It was the pressure of nature's most lethal catastrophe.
Sengoku's glasses reflected the harsh electric glare. Garp's mouth fell open. Even Kong's pupils tightened.
"A Logia…" Kong breathed. "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit?!"
Rain lowered his hand.
The crackling faded. Emergency lighting flickered on.
He adjusted his sleeve—calm, almost casual—and asked evenly:
"Is that proof enough?"
"Hmph… hahahaha."
A low, restrained laugh broke the silence.
Sakazuki—who'd sat like a statue in the corner, silent the entire time—was suddenly laughing.
It was a harsh smile, almost feral, and openly satisfied.
He stood and strode up to Rain, heat rolling off him.
"Rumble-Rumble… so that's it."
Sakazuki stared at Rain with predatory focus, like he'd just found a priceless blade.
"A few days ago, more than five hundred pirates in Mock Town were erased in an instant. Even the terrain changed. The rumor was that 'the Thunder God' brought down divine punishment…"
He bared his teeth, eyes burning.
"That was you too, wasn't it?"
Rain didn't deny it.
"I cleaned up some trash on the way," he said flatly. "Also, I don't like the name 'Thunder God.' It's stupid."
"I agree it's stupid. But the method—" Sakazuki's smile sharpened. "It's very good."
He turned to Kong, voice hard and absolute as he threw his weight behind Rain.
"Fleet Admiral. The brat served under me during his internship. I don't misjudge people."
"He's ruthless and decisive when it comes to pirates. Those five hundred in Mock Town—there wasn't even ash left."
"This kind of justice is exactly what the Navy lacks right now."
With the hawk-wing leader Sakazuki backing him, Tsuru's political groundwork in place, and Rain's lightning display still hanging in the air like a threat, the office fell into another tight silence.
Kong watched Rain, fingers tapping lightly on the G-17 report—final calculations.
At length, he spoke again, heavy and controlled.
"There's one more issue."
Kong pointed to the sea chart on the wall, his finger landing on the vital route that linked the Four Blues to the Grand Line.
"Shiki's escape means we must divert elite manpower to hunt that madman down. We're short on hands. We don't have spare senior officers to fill the vacancy at G-17."
"But G-17's position cannot be left unmanned. It's the throat of the first half of the Grand Line—the World Government's Golden Route. Nelson is dead, and now countless greedy eyes are turning toward that place."
He raised his head. His gaze locked onto Rain with a flash of decision.
"Since that mess happened under your watch—and you've proven you have the weight to suppress it…"
Kong pulled out a document, signed it with a decisive stroke, and held it out.
"Rain."
"Given your 'heroic performance' in the suppression at G-17… and given your capabilities…"
He paused, voice turning iron-serious.
"Headquarters hereby promotes you by exception to Marine Headquarters Colonel."
"And you are formally appointed as Base Commander of G-17. Effective immediately."
"The hole you tore open—you will be the one to patch it. I don't want to hear another whisper about Celestial Dragons or the Warlords plan leaking out of that place again. Understood?"
It was a promotion—and a trap—and a gift all at once. G-17 was a land that flowed with milk and honey… if you could hold it.
Rain looked at the appointment letter. A flicker of ambition passed through his eyes.
This was exactly what he wanted.
A territory far from the Emperor's gaze, where he could harvest "sin points" freely and build his own foundation.
He accepted the document, snapped to attention, and saluted crisply.
"Yes! I will complete the mission."
Kong stared at the young man's back and tossed out one last warning.
"Don't die, kid. The number of people who want you dead out there is far higher than in here."
Rain's lips curved slightly. His reply was light as air.
"Let them come."
~~~
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