At the special port behind Marineford, the waves hit the black breakwater. They made a dull, heavy sound.
This was the most hidden corner of the Headquarters. It was covered in a cold, grey mist all year round.
Splash—
Most of the lights on Gion's ship went out. It slipped quietly into the deepest berth of the port.
With a harsh sound of metal scraping, the heavy gangplank was lowered. It landed on the wet stone of the dock.
The dock was empty. No one was there to meet them. There were no guards and no workers.
However, a group of women was already waiting in formation.
There were about twenty of them. They wore dark blue custom uniforms. The cut was slimmer than standard Marine uniforms and made for easy movement. Their hats were pulled low, hiding most of their faces.
They were the personal guard of Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer of the Marine Headquarters. In all of Marineford, they only took orders from Tsuru. They were her sharpest tools.
At the front of the group stood a woman with short black hair. She looked to be in her early thirties.
She walked straight to Gion's adjutant. The adjutant was a veteran, but under the woman's cold gaze, he felt a sudden pressure that made it hard to breathe.
The woman did not salute or greet him. She stayed expressionless and held out her right hand in a white glove. She showed a token.
"I am Vice Admiral Tsuru's adjutant, Captain Melissa."
Her voice was cold. "By order of Vice Admiral Tsuru, I am taking custody of all personnel from the G-17 Branch."
Gion's adjutant looked back at the hundreds of surrendering soldiers. He hesitated. "Ma'am, according to the rules, these witnesses should be isolated by the guards first. After their statements are recorded—"
"That won't be necessary," Melissa interrupted him coldly. "Commodore Gion has already spoken with Vice Admiral Tsuru on the phone. Their destination is already decided."
She looked at the terrified soldiers. Her eyes looked like she was looking at people who no longer existed. "They will be sent directly to the 'Purification Center.' There, the dirt on their bodies and the extra memories in their heads will be washed clean."
The adjutant shivered. He shut his mouth and stepped back immediately.
Everyone in the Marines knew about Vice Admiral Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit. It didn't just wash clothes. It could wash away evil and exhaustion. Naturally, it could also wash away "memories" that shouldn't exist.
Melissa waved her hand. "Move fast."
Following her order, the silent women rushed onto the deck.
Their movements were perfectly synced. Before the hundreds of soldiers could react, they were forced down the gangplank.
Soon, the large deck was empty.
The sea breeze blew, taking away the last bit of noise.
"Let's go." Gion straightened her Justice coat. She looked at the tall Headquarters building in the distance with a complicated expression. "Vice Admiral Tsuru should be waiting for us in her office."
Top floor, Marine Headquarters.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's office was at the very end of the hall. There were no extra decorations in the room. There were only walls full of books and piles of intelligence documents. The air smelled of ink and tea.
When Aiden and Gion entered, Tsuru was standing by a tea table near the window. Her back was to the door as she washed some teacups.
Splash—
"Sit."
She pointed to the chairs by the tea table.
Aiden pulled out a chair and sat down calmly. Gion hesitated for a moment before sitting next to him. Her body was slightly stiff.
Tsuru looked at Aiden. Her tone sounded like she was remembering the past. "The last time we met face-to-face was two years ago in Loguetown, right?"
Tsuru poured tea as she spoke slowly. Her voice was a bit raspy. It had a unique quality that echoed in the quiet office.
"You were only sixteen then. I thought you were a talent. I wanted to promote you to Lieutenant. And what happened?"
Tsuru pushed a cup of tea in front of Aiden. She looked up and stared at him. "You rejected me to my face. You said you didn't want to be an officer. You said you just wanted to stay at that small execution platform in Loguetown and be a peaceful executioner."
Aiden looked at the steaming tea. The liquid was clear. It reflected his face, which was much more mature now.
He didn't hurry to drink. He picked up the cup and gently blew on the steam. A warm smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, I was young then. I thought less trouble was better. I just wanted to get by. Thank you for your decision back then, Vice Admiral Tsuru. You forced me into Teacher Zephyr's elite training camp. Otherwise, I'd probably still be tanning at the Loguetown docks."
"Don't talk back to me."
Tsuru glanced at him. Her eyes suddenly became serious. "I threw you into that camp because I thought you were too sharp. A blade like that hurts itself if it isn't polished. I wanted you to learn how to be a Marine from Zephyr. But instead—"
Tsuru tapped the table lightly with her finger. "You tore a hole straight through G-17. Do you know how messy things are outside right now?"
The air in the office froze.
Gion gripped her hands on her knees. She knew exactly how heavy Tsuru's words were. If this wasn't handled well, Aiden would face more than just a naval court.
She took a deep breath and leaned forward. She urgently wanted to take responsibility. "Vice Admiral Tsuru, I approved this mission. All the decisions were mine—"
"Gion."
Tsuru didn't look at her. She just said her name quietly. It wasn't loud, but it had an absolute authority.
Gion's words got stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth but had to close it. She looked at Aiden with worry.
"Victor is dead. Nelson is dead. I expected that. Gion told me the basics on the phone, but some details aren't meant for a phone call."
Tsuru leaned forward. The pressure was intense. "But Aiden. How do you explain those two CP0 agents?"
The reports could say anything. They could say they died from pirate crossfire, died in the chaos, or went missing.
But in front of Tsuru, those word games were like a child's lies.
The smile left Aiden's face.
He didn't look away from Tsuru. He didn't try to use the excuses he had prepared.
He put down his teacup and leaned back. He crossed his hands on his knees. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were very firm.
"I killed them."
There was no hesitation. He didn't make excuses.
Gion's breath hitched. Her heart pounded. In the Marine Headquarters, admitting to killing CP0 agents—direct agents of the World Government—was like putting a sword to your own throat. It was a total taboo!
Aiden acted like he didn't see Gion's tension. He simply described everything that happened from the beginning to the end. He talked about the disgusting business in the basement, his decision to act, and finally—at the D-Block port—killing Victor, Nelson, and those CP0 agents.
"Since they were people who deserved to die, I killed them."
After speaking, Aiden picked up his teacup again. He took a sip. He looked perfectly calm.
The office became silent.
Only the ticking of the wall clock and Gion's fast breathing could be heard.
Gion looked at Tsuru nervously. She waited for the Great Staff Officer to explode in anger.
However, the anger she expected did not come.
Tsuru just stayed silent.
A long time passed.
"Living statues... Seven Warlords... Celestial Dragons..."
Tsuru whispered those words. Her voice sounded deeply tired and disgusted.
"Those people living at the top of the Red Line... After all these years, they are still just as sickening. Their taste is always built on the blood and tears of others."
Tsuru let out a long sigh. She looked up.
Her sharp gaze faded. It was replaced by a complicated look of praise.
"Good kill."
Gion's eyes widened in shock.
"What? Are you surprised?" Tsuru scoffed. "The word 'Justice' on a Marine's back isn't meant to cover for that trash. If we don't have a bottom line like that, what's the difference between us and pirates?"
She looked at Aiden, her tone turning stern. "But Aiden, this world isn't just black and white. A man with only passion and a sense of justice won't live long. CP0 answer directly to the Celestial Dragons.
If you move against them, you're provoking the people behind them. The World Government is already in an uproar. Saint Charlmark is throwing a fit because he didn't get his 'goods.' He is demanding that the Marines hand over the killer."
"I know," Aiden said calmly. "That's why I kept those soldiers as witnesses. I also faked evidence that Victor attacked the base. As long as the Marines accept it, that is the only truth."
"The World Government is more afraid of a scandal than we are. The Seven Warlords plan just started. If a scandal like this gets out, the credibility of the system will be ruined."
Aiden pointed at himself. "They need a cover-up. I am the hero who stopped a rebellion. Victor is the pirate who went mad. Everyone likes that story, and they have to believe it."
Tsuru looked at Aiden and suddenly smiled.
"Good kid." She shook her head. "Not only are your fists hard, but your brain moves fast too. You've predicted exactly what the people at the top are thinking."
"Fine."
Tsuru straightened her collar. Her aura suddenly changed. She went back to being the Great Staff Officer who controlled everything.
"Since you have this resolve, I will play along with this act. I will talk to Fleet Admiral Kong. I will help you turn this 'lie' into a 'fact.'"
"However—"
Tsuru walked to the door. She put her hand on the handle and stopped.
She didn't turn around, but her voice was clear. "If you want the Marines to stand against the pressure from above to protect you, if you want Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku to play along, brains and words aren't enough."
"The Marines are a force of power. We only care about strength here. You have to prove it—"
Tsuru turned around suddenly. Her eyes were sharp like lightning. "Prove you have enough weight! Make us feel that offending the Celestial Dragons for you is worth it!"
She stared at Aiden. A hint of expectation flashed in her eyes. "Victor wasn't some random person. He didn't survive on the sea this long just by luck. Let me see. How exactly did you kill him?"
Aiden heard this but did not stand up. He didn't take a fighting stance.
He stayed in his chair. He reached out calmly. From the saucer in front of him, he picked up a small silver spoon used for stirring.
Buzz.
A tiny sound, like a bug's wings, rang out in the quiet office.
A blue arc of electricity came from Aiden's fingertip. It wrapped around the silver spoon like a snake.
A second later, between Aiden's two fingers, that hard silver spoon—
Melted.
He used high-frequency current to create extreme heat instantly. The silver spoon lost its solid form. It became a liquid silver drop floating at his fingertip.
Then, guided by an invisible magnetic field, the drop began to spin, stretch, and reshape itself.
In a blink.
Ting.
Aiden let go.
A perfect, shiny silver bullet fell from his finger. It hit the empty teacup with a sharp clink.
From solid to liquid, then back to solid.
This wasn't just heat. It was perfect control over electromagnetism and thermal energy on a tiny scale.
Tsuru looked at the warm silver bullet in the cup. Her pupils shrank.
She had lived through the old era. She had seen countless legends and monsters. She knew what she was looking at.
This wasn't just the power of a Logia type. It represented an amazing talent and potential.
"A Logia... the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
Tsuru took a deep breath. She looked at Aiden and made her decision.
This was someone with the chance to become one of the Marines' greatest powers. A future "Admiral" who could shock the entire sea.
For a future like this, offending the Celestial Dragons was a good deal.
"Good. Very good."
A look of satisfaction appeared on Tsuru's face. She pulled open the heavy office door.
The light from the hallway spilled in. It lit up the word "Justice" on the back of her coat.
"Let's go."
Tsuru walked out without looking back. Her voice was strong. "To see the Fleet Admiral."
Aiden stood up. He straightened his collar. He winked at Gion, who was still in shock, and gave her a relaxed smile.