Marine Headquarters — Marineford.
The admiral's office on the top floor of the fortress.
"Damn it!" burst out Sakazuki, who had just returned to the headquarters. His face was contorted with anger, and his body unconsciously radiated heat.
Sh-sh-sh!
Seconds later, lava began to drip from his clenched fist, sizzling sharply as it hit the floor.
It's clear!
As an Admiral of the Marine , he couldn't contain his emotions, which proved just how angry and disappointed he was.
He couldn't have imagined that those two - Sengoku and Garp - would play against him in such a way. Without saying a word to him, they had sent a letter of recommendation directly to the Five Elders of the World Government.
And most surprisingly, the letter recommended one of the three current admirals, Aokiji, for the position of the new Fleet Admiral of the Marines .
Upon finding this out, Sakazuki, having barely returned to headquarters, literally exploded.
He knew that Sengoku and Garp held certain prejudices against him, but... such disrespect made him feel extremely uncomfortable and disappointed.
Honestly, Sakazuki believed he had done everything for the Marine . He wholeheartedly adhered to the idea of "absolute justice" and put in all his efforts to uphold the dignity of the Marines.
His very codename — Akainu — struck fear into many major pirates. When he stepped onto the battlefield, his opponents either perished or were left crippled (except, of course, his son-in-law). Isn't this enough to prove his strength, abilities, and power?
"Garp, Sengoku, you really are something," Sakazuki whispered, and a shadow of resentment flickered in his eyes.
There had long been a rift between him and Garp, especially after the death of Portgas D. Ace and the incident with Monkey D. Luffy.
Now Sengoku had decided to step down, and Garp appeared to be on his side. It all seemed suspicious. Recommending Kuzan for the position of Fleet Admiral was logical, but... Sakazuki couldn't come to terms with it.
"Fine... very well!"
It was unclear how much time had passed before Sakazuki took a deep breath and managed to calm his irritated heart. A barely noticeable smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"You caught me off guard," he muttered. "What a pity."
But the recommendation letter still needed approval from the World Government. And that's where he got lucky: the Five Elders valued him more.
No, rather, they knew his fiery temperament and fierce nature, as well as his usefulness to the Marines. He was confident they would make the right choice.
Previously, he might not have taken things to the extreme, but now... His son-in-law, Tengen, was waiting for him to become Fleet Admiral and conduct a grand recruitment to eventually become an admiral himself.
He needed to strive and work even harder.
If they were to fight, it should be to the end. After the Great War, it was time for Marineford to showcase its might!
Brring-brring... Brring-brring...
At that moment, the phone on the table rang.
"This is Marine Watch Headquarters. Admiral Sakazuki speaking," he responded, picking up the receiver and taking a sip of hot tea to soothe his throat.
"Admiral Sakazuki, this is Bennett, head of the T-1 branch in the West Blue," came a respectful voice from the other side.
"M-m?" Sakazuki took a few more sips of tea, ready to reprimand Bennett for overstepping his position, but he remembered that Tengen was still in the West Blue. Holding back, he asked in a low voice, "Lieutenant Commander Bennett, what's the matter?"
"Admiral Sakazuki, something serious is happening in the West Blue," Bennett said with a slight tremor, trying to speak as cautiously as possible. "After you left, the World Breaker—Byrnndi World—arrived in the West Blue. He has captured many sea creatures that escaped from Impel Down and has issued several threats..."
Seeing that Sakazuki wasn't angry at his report, Bennett quickly recounted everything that had happened in the West Blue from the beginning. To emphasize the gravity of the situation, he specifically mentioned that Tengen was planning to find Byrnndi World.
However, Bennett did not know that upon hearing about the appearance of the World Breaker with a group of pirates, Sakazuki sharply frowned.
Then, upon learning that the five largest mafia families of the Western Blue Sea paid a huge sum for Byrnndi World to attack Tengen, he smiled broadly.
"Could everything really be going as I wanted?"
It so happened that his son-in-law, Tengen, needed a great pirate to bolster his own reputation, and the "World Breaker" Byrnndi World became the perfect stepping stone for him.
"Heh-heh, 'World Breaker' Byrnndi World,
"I held you in captivity for over thirty years, and times have changed.
"You want to take on Tengen?
"Be ready for a counterattack!"
So, in the end, although Bennett's tone was extremely serious, Sakazuki no longer felt any emotional fluctuations. He even felt slightly amused.
He had faced setbacks at the Marine Headquarters, but his son-in-law was succeeding in the West Blue Sea and was on the verge of becoming famous. It must be said that everyone has different destinies.
"Hmm?
"Why is there no response?"
On the other end of the line, Bennett, having finished his report, felt anxious but still awaited a response from Admiral Sakazuki.
"Alright, I understand,"
Sakazuki said calmly. "There is absolutely nothing to worry about. Just let the Marine Corps of the West Blue Sea prepare to deal with the aftermath."
"Polupolu... Poropolu..."
On the other end of the line, Bennett heard the click of the phone being hung up. An expression of disbelief flashed across his face, and he was utterly bewildered.
What is this situation? The condition of the Marine Corps in the Western Blue Sea is so critical, yet Admiral Sakazuki's tone was entirely unperturbed. Didn't he even consider a rescue? All he said was to prepare for the aftermath?
"The bounty hunter Tengen... Is he really that powerful?"
When he pondered that the life and death of the Marine Corps in the Western Blue Sea depended on a single person, a momentary emptiness appeared in Bennett's eyes. He sank into his chair and muttered to himself:
"Isn't this... Isn't this the 'World Breaker' Byrndi World, a captain who made his name on the seas more than thirty years ago?"