Holy Land, Mariejois
Two CP8 agents stepped quietly into a dimly lit chamber.
The air inside felt heavy, oppressive. Their throats tightened as their eyes fixed on the lone, silhouetted figure seated at the far end of the room. The man sat relaxed in an ornate chair, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of whisky resting loosely in his hand.
For a moment, only silence reigned.
Then the figure spoke.
"How did the investigation go?"
His voice was calm. Too calm.
One of the CP8 agents swallowed hard before stepping forward. "We… cannot confirm it with absolute certainty," he said carefully. "However, the evidence is leaning very favorably toward your thoughts, sir."
The figure let out a soft hum.
"Alright," he said. "You may leave. Continue the investigation."
The two CP8 agents bowed deeply, not daring to look up again, before swiftly exiting the room.
Once they were gone, the chamber fell silent once more.
The silhouetted figure lifted his glass, swirling the amber liquid slowly. As he leaned forward, the faint light finally caught the edge of his face and revealed a wide, beaming smile.
---
Marineford
Stacks upon stacks of paperwork covered Sengoku's desk, rising like an unscalable mountain.
Sweat trickled down the Fleet Admiral's temple as he stared at the endless reports, requisitions, and signatures still waiting for him.
"I swear," Sengoku growled, rubbing his forehead, "this paperwork is going to be the reason I retire."
Across from him, Tsuru continued sorting documents with practiced efficiency, barely looking up.
"Don't even think about it, Sengoku," she said calmly. "If you retired now, what do you think would happen to the Marines? Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru aren't ready to steer the ship yet."
Sengoku sighed heavily. "I know… I know."
Before he could say more, a sharp knock echoed through the office.
Sengoku's expression hardened. "Come in."
The door flew open as a Marine officer rushed inside, face pale and breathing uneven. In his hands was a Den Den Mushi.
Tsuru and Sengoku both immediately noticed his panic.
"What is it?" Sengoku asked. "What's going on?"
The Marine officer hurried forward and placed the Den Den Mushi on the desk.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," he said. "It's a direct call… from the Holy Land."
Sengoku's jaw tightened.
'Those Celestial Dragons again…'
They had been relentlessly pressuring him about the Tenjin incident, and his patience was wearing dangerously thin.
Tsuru sensed Sengoku's irritation just as clearly. 'Just how badly do these nobles want a seventeen-year-old boy dead…' she thought, though she wisely kept silent.
Sengoku straightened himself and forced a polite smile as he answered the call.
"Hello," he said evenly. "If this is about Captain Tenjin, I've already deployed Admiral Kizaru. The situation should be resolved shortly."
A brief pause.
Then an unmistakably aristocratic voice echoed from the Den Den Mushi.
"Is this Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"Yes," Sengoku replied. "And whom am I speaking to?"
"That does not concern you," the voice answered coolly. "These are orders from the Holy Land."
Sengoku frowned.
"Cease the attack on Captain Tenjin."
The words hit like a cannon blast.
Sengoku froze.
Tsuru's pen slipped from her fingers.
"…What did you say?" Sengoku asked slowly, as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"I will not repeat myself," the voice said sharply. "Revoke the execution order immediately. Recall Admiral Kizaru."
The tone darkened.
"If anything were to happen to Captain Tenjin due to the Navy's actions… all hell would break loose."
Click.
The line went dead.
Sengoku and Tsuru stared at the Den Den Mushi in stunned silence.
Then
Slowly
Small smiles formed on both of their faces.
Tsuru was the first to speak. "Well," she said, adjusting her glasses, "what was that all about?"
Sengoku let out a quiet chuckle, still shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I won't complain. Ordering the death of a prospect like Tenjin was weighing heavily on my conscience."
He reached for another Den Den Mushi and began dialing.
Tsuru leaned back in her chair, eyes thoughtful. "Sengoku… you don't think this Tenjin could actually be a Celestial Dragon, do you?"
Sengoku laughed. "Impossible. I checked his records myself. There's nothing tying him to the World Nobles."
Tsuru nodded slowly. "I suppose you're right."
She exhaled softly. "Maybe I'm just overthinking things."
Still
Somewhere deep down
A quiet sense of unease lingered.
---
North Blue – Open Seas
The sky fractured into gold.
Light gathered above the Kuja ship, particles condensing into a familiar tall silhouette as Admiral Borsalino reformed midair. His hands slid casually into his pockets as his feet touched the air itself, standing on light as though it were solid ground.
Or as most knew him
Kizaru.
"Goodness me~," he drawled, tilting his head slightly. "You're quite fast, Warlord Boa Hancock."
Across from him, Boa Hancock stood at the edge of her ship, chin raised, posture flawless. Her long black hair flowed behind her as if the wind itself obeyed her.
"I warned you," she said coolly. "You will not pass."
Kizaru sighed, exaggerated and lazy. "This is really troublesome. I was hoping to avoid fighting a fellow government affiliate today."
Hancock's eyes narrowed.
"Affiliate?" she repeated. "Do not lump me in with you."
The air between them shifted.
Suddenly
The world pressed down.
An invisible wave burst outward from Hancock's body, rippling across the sea like a shockwave.
Conqueror's Haki.
The sea itself seemed to bow.
Kizaru blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Ooooh~?" he muttered, scratching his cheek. "That's scary."
The pressure washed over him, but stopped there.
Kizaru remained standing, hands still in his pockets, coat fluttering lazily.
'As expected,' Hancock thought. 'An Admiral… won't fall to this.'
Still
She vanished.
The deck shattered where she had stood as Hancock launched herself forward, her leg arcing through the air with terrifying speed.
"Slave Arrow!"
A flurry of heart-shaped projectiles erupted from her kick, streaking toward Kizaru like a storm of crimson meteors.
Kizaru's body dispersed instantly
The arrows passed harmlessly through glowing particles of light.
"Ah, ah," his voice echoed from above. "That kind of attack works better when someone's looking at you~."
A beam of light descended.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
Dozens, no, hundreds of golden light bullets rained down toward the Kuja ship.
Hancock's eyes sharpened.
She spun gracefully, her movements more like a dance than combat, each kick perfectly timed.
"Perfume Femur."
Her leg hardened jet-black with Armament Haki as she struck the air itself. The impact sent a shockwave outward, detonating the light bullets midair in a blinding cascade of explosions.
The sky flashed white and gold.
Sandersonia stared in disbelief. "She kicked… light?"
Marigold clenched her fists. "An Admiral really is something else…"
Kizaru reformed behind Hancock, one finger already glowing.
"Now then~ this might sting a little."
Hancock twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the beam as it sliced past her cheek and split the sea for miles behind her.
She landed lightly on the water's surface, standing atop it as if it were solid.
Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "Walking on water, too? How frightening~."
Hancock didn't reply.
Instead, she stepped forward
And vanished again.
In an instant, she was above Kizaru, leg descending like a guillotine.
"Pistol Kiss."
Kizaru crossed his arms just in time.
BOOM.
The impact sent him hurtling downward, crashing into the ocean with a massive splash that swallowed his light completely.
For a moment
Silence.
Then the sea began to glow.
Kizaru emerged slowly, reforming as he floated back upward, water dripping harmlessly through his light body.
"Ouch~," he said lazily. "You're quite rough for someone so beautiful."
Hancock scoffed. "Do not speak so casually to me."
Their gazes locked.
Despite the destruction around them
Neither was breathing hard.
Neither showed even a hint of panic.
They were testing each other.
Nothing more.
Kizaru tilted his head. 'She's not fighting like someone trying to kill me…'
Hancock clicked her tongue. 'He's holding back… irritating man.'
The Admiral suddenly raised his foot, light gathering intensely.
"Alright then~ let's speed things up a little."
Hancock felt it instantly.
Danger.
Before Kizaru could release the attack
A familiar ringing echoed across the battlefield.
Purururururu.
Both of them paused.
Kizaru froze mid-motion, light flickering as he reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"…Hm?"
He answered it.
"Yes~? This is Borsalino."
His expression shifted.
Just slightly.
Hancock watched closely.
"…I see," Kizaru continued. "That's unexpected~."
A pause.
Then
"As you wish, Fleet Admiral."
The call ended.
Kizaru let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, isn't that something."
Hancock narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
Kizaru looked at her, a small, amused smile forming.
"Orders changed~. The execution of Captain Tenjin has been revoked."
Hancock's breath hitched
Just for a fraction of a second.
Kizaru noticed.
"Oho~?" he said softly. "That reaction's interesting."
She straightened instantly. "If that is true, then leave."
Kizaru raised both hands in mock surrender. "Aye aye~. No need to tell me twice. This job was giving me a headache anyway."
He turned his body into light once more, beginning to rise into the sky.
Before fully dispersing, he glanced back at her.
"But do tell~," he said lightly. "What exactly is Captain Tenjin to you?"
Hancock's eyes hardened.
"That," she replied, "does not concern you."
Kizaru chuckled. "Fair enough~."
In a flash of gold, he vanished.
The sea slowly calmed.
The Kuja Pirates stared in stunned silence.
Marigold finally exhaled. "Sister… you just fought an Admiral."
Hancock turned away, gazing toward the distant horizon
Toward Lvneel Kingdom.
Her hand clenched at her side.
'Tenjin…'