Marine Headquarters

Sengoku was dead, the funeral completed, and the turmoil within the Navy had slowly begun to settle down.

Akainu was aboard a battleship, heading towards the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

His purpose was singular: to claim the title of Fleet Admiral.

“Only if I become Fleet Admiral can I completely eradicate all pirates.” Akainu was willing to pay any price for this.

Today, he was filled with confidence. He was certain he could convince the Five Elders to back him as the new Fleet Admiral.

To Akainu, the position of Fleet Admiral was already within his grasp.

His only competitors were his fellow Admirals, Kizaru and Aokiji.

However, Akainu knew Kizaru’s character well—he wouldn’t put up a fight for the position.

That left only one rival: Aokiji.

“Compared to me, Kuzan might have a slight advantage within the Navy, but… the Five Elders favor me more.” Akainu believed that he was the destined Fleet Admiral.

With high spirits, Akainu disembarked from his battleship at the World Government’s headquarters.

He took a deep breath, calming his excitement.

Today, with the Five Elders agreeing to meet him, Akainu was convinced they had already chosen him.

“Once I become Fleet Admiral, Kuke, the Emperors…” Akainu clenched his fists, faint flames glowing in his hand.

In the Five Elders’ office.

Their faces were grim as they stared at a photograph.

The photo had come from the G-5 branch.

“Bang!”

One of the Five Elders slammed his fist on the table. “Well, well… We haven’t even made a decision, yet Kuke already knows our intentions. And he’s even prepared a congratulatory gift. What’s next? When Sakazuki becomes Fleet Admiral, will Kuke come to Marine Headquarters to toast with him?!”

They were livid.

The photo in front of them didn’t contain much.

Shakky had casually taken out a few unlucky pirates, a gift worth only a few tens of thousands of Berries.

The present wasn’t grand.

Alongside it was a letter handwritten by Kuke.

Just one sentence: “Congratulations, Sakazuki, on becoming Fleet Admiral. Here’s to a great partnership. Thank you for everything… Your friend, Kuke.”

The word “friend” stung the Five Elders’ eyes.

Their eyes reddened in fury.

“We already suspected something. Why did Kuke come back from the dead? Were some of the Admirals hiding things from us, deceiving us?”

“Why is it that the Navy seems unstoppable against other pirates, but continually fails against Kuke? Turns out, there’s a traitor among us.”

The enraged Five Elders had nearly lost their sanity.

“Stay calm. This is a ploy.” The Five Elders member with the sword tried to reason with his companions. “Such an open display of gift-giving is clearly Kuke trying to sow discord. We can’t let ourselves be fooled.”

It was obvious.

Even an idiot wouldn’t believe it.

“But why didn’t Kuke send a gift to Kuzan or Borsalino? Why only to Sakazuki?”

“That…”

“Even if it’s a ploy, it still makes me furious.”

Never in their lives had the Five Elders been provoked like this by a pirate.

Now they were displeased even with Sakazuki.

They had already been dissatisfied with Sakazuki after his repeated failures against Kuke, and this incident only worsened their view of him.

At that moment, an aide reported, “Elders, Admiral Sakazuki has arrived. Shall we let him in?”

The Five Elders looked up, their gazes unfriendly.

Their tone was icy. “Let him in.”

Outside, Akainu adjusted his uniform, determined to present his best self before the Five Elders.

He pushed the doors open.

Immediately, Akainu sensed something was off.

The Five Elders’ gaze towards him was filled with displeasure and anger.

It felt just like the time he had been scolded.

Akainu was puzzled—what was going on?

His first thought was of Kuke, but he hadn’t interacted with Kuke lately, nor had he made any blunders.

He must have been overthinking.

He cursed Kuke in his heart—this was all his fault, making Akainu paranoid.

Akainu composed himself, speaking without arrogance or humility, “Elders, today’s…”

“Congratulations, Sakazuki. You’ve already become Fleet Admiral, haven’t you?” one of the Five Elders spoke mockingly.

Akainu’s eyes widened, unable to hide his excitement.

He didn’t notice the sarcasm in the Elder’s voice.

The only words that echoed in his mind were “Fleet Admiral.”

He hadn’t even made his request, yet the Five Elders had already agreed.

His lifelong ambition had come true.

Even Akainu couldn’t keep his composure; his voice quivered, “Rest assured, Elders. Once I become Fleet Admiral, I will definitely…”

“Hmph.”

The Five Elders snorted coldly, interrupting him.

Akainu looked at them, bewildered.

Something was wrong.

This didn’t seem like they were agreeing to his promotion—it felt more like dissatisfaction.

Why?

Kuke’s survival had already been a point of contention, and he had already been reprimanded for it. He had been diligently working since then, so where had he gone wrong?

Akainu was perplexed.

“Akainu, you and Kuke seem to be quite close, aren’t you? He already knows you’re becoming Fleet Admiral. Those previous defeats—were they due to Kuke’s cunning, or were you in on it?”

One of the Five Elders slammed the table, questioning Akainu.

Akainu stood there with his mouth open, stunned.

His eyes were filled with confusion.

“See for yourself.” The Five Elders threw the photograph at Akainu’s feet.

Sensing trouble, Akainu picked up the photo.

His pupils dilated.

Damn it!

“Kuke, you bastard, are you even human? You’re setting me up.”

“Elders, this is a setup. No one would fall for such a childish scheme.” Akainu hurriedly tried to explain.

Seeing the photo.

He was boiling with rage.

Kuke, you are ruthless.

“Are you saying we’re mistaken, that we’re fools for being influenced by such a low-level scheme?”

Akainu’s lips twitched.

“Real or not, people will have their doubts. But if you do become Fleet Admiral, will it be easy to explain? What will the Navy think? What will the world think?” The Five Elders retorted.

Akainu had no words to respond.

“Does anyone else know about this?” Akainu clung to a final hope.

If only a few knew…

Maybe they could cover it up.

“Every marine in the G-5 branch knows.”

Akainu closed his eyes in despair.

He recalled that the G-5 branch’s highest officer was close with Kuzan, his direct rival for the position.

Which meant…

Akainu’s heart bled.

What kind of situation was this? What had he done to deserve it?

“We have our arrangements for the Fleet Admiral position. Just stay as Admiral,” the Five Elders said coldly, dismissing Akainu.

Akainu forced a smile, saluted, and left.

His entire demeanor was dark and dejected.

With a dazed look, he walked to his battleship.

“Admiral Sakazuki, what did the Five Elders say?” Akainu’s loyal subordinates gathered around eagerly—had he succeeded?

Akainu lifted his head, forcing a bitter smile.

“We’re heading back.”

His subordinates’ hearts sank—it seemed he had failed.

The battleship left Mary Geoise in defeat.

“Kuke, this isn’t over…” Akainu’s enraged roar echoed from the ship.

Holy Land, Mary Geoise

After venting their frustration on Akainu, the Five Elders felt less furious.

“The three Admirals have only recently assumed their ranks. Promoting one of them to Fleet Admiral so soon—whether it’s Sakazuki, the slothful justice of Borsalino, or the ambiguous justice of Kuzan—none are ideal. And Sakazuki… never mind.”

“Let former Fleet Admiral Kong hold the position for a while.”

Kuke’s gift had been the last straw that led to the Five Elders’ final decision.

“Sakazuki is capable in many areas, but when it comes to Kuke, he just falls short. I suspect Kuke might be Sakazuki’s nemesis. If that’s the case, we need to reconsider before making him Fleet Admiral in the future.”

“Agreed.”

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE FOR EXTRA CHAPTERS

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 154+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep