Staring at the files on his desk, Akainu slowly clenched his fists upon hearing the words.
"I say… Rowen, if I, like Garp, chose to keep waiting and refused to step forward… would you kill me too?"
The glowing red end of the burning cigar paused for a moment, then continued smoldering backward.
Hoo…
Rowen exhaled a long puff of smoke, nodding firmly.
"Yes! When I decided to do this, I was already prepared to become the enemy of the world. No matter who or what stands in my way, if they block my path, I will eliminate them all! You can call me stubborn, or say I'm ambitious, but this is the path I've chosen, and so this is what I'll do."
This was Rowen's conviction!
Not only was he ruthless enough to kill his enemies, but he would treat allies and benefactors the same, without exception.
The only principle he held onto was doing everything he could to avoid putting his comrades on the opposite side. Killing enemies didn't make him even flinch, but killing comrades, that blood was heavy, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.
Yet, even if it meant carrying that burden, he would never turn back. His resolve was unwavering.
"I see…"
Akainu's fists clenched, then loosened again. After a moment, he let out a sarcastic chuckle.
"So you're saying… my extreme stance actually saved my life?"
Given the same dilemma, Akainu would have made a completely different choice from Garp.
Because he was the embodiment of "Absolute Justice", he couldn't tolerate a single grain of sand in his eyes. Life and death didn't sway him much. Akainu couldn't decide if he should feel relieved or disappointed. Standing before such a Rowen, for the first time, he felt pressure.
Not pressure from a difference in strength, but from the sheer coldness of someone who had elevated their beliefs above everything else, and was slowly shedding their humanity.
It was like watching...
The "humanity" in the other person gradually leave their body.
"Maybe that's why Garp was willing to die trying to stop you… kid."
"Hmm? Did you say something just now?"
"No, nothing."
Akainu shook his head and tidied up the documents.
"I'll take care of this. I'll carefully select the right person… That bastard Kizaru always plays both sides, and Aokiji is too similar to Garp. I'll need to think carefully before it's all finalized."
"On that note, I actually have someone to recommend."
"Oh? Who?"
Akainu looked over, curious. Besides Aokiji and Garp, was there someone else in the Marines dissatisfied with the government?
"Vice Admiral Momousagi." Rowen didn't keep him guessing and repeated what he'd heard from Hancock.
Hearing this, Akainu's eyes burned with fury, and he pulled his cap low over his face.
"One after another… So they've all thought the Marines were wrong ever since over a decade ago?!"
Dragon was like that. Momousagi was like that.
He wasn't angry about Momousagi's rebellious words, he was angry that such sentiments had existed since over ten years ago.
"Sengoku, that old fool, what a waste of a lifetime! Something this important, and he just turned a blind eye!! If I hadn't become Fleet Admiral, how much longer would all this have been hidden?!"
No… maybe turning a blind eye was the only option.
Rowen glanced at the furious Akainu but kept that thought to himself, choosing silence over conflict.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Shua!
The burning sulfuric stench around Akainu vanished instantly. He adjusted his uniform and waved a hand.
"Come in!"
"Fleet Admiral! Bad news!!"
A breathless messenger burst through the door, before he even set foot inside, his voice had already reached them.
"Calm down! A few seconds won't change life or death, don't lose your composure!"
"Yes, sir!"
The messenger halted at the words, forcibly suppressing his panic. After saluting, he reported:
"Just received an urgent distress call from Vice Admiral Smoker, commanding officer of New World G-11 base. He encountered the Beasts Pirates and is currently being pursued!"
Akainu: "What?!!"
Rowen: "…"
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Rowen turned his head and said, "Looks like Smoker succeeded. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't mind dying, let alone calling for reinforcements."
"Is it something important?!"
Akainu wasn't a fool. He picked up on the subtext in Rowen's words: Smoker wasn't calling for help just to save his own life, but to prevent something from falling into Kaido's hands.
"Yeah… extremely important!"
Rowen's expression darkened as he responded. Out of the messenger's line of sight, he mouthed the words:
"Road Poneglyph!"
…
New World, Unknown Sea
A War Behemoth-class ship cut through the waves at high speed. The marines on deck looked solemn, gripping their weapons, remaining on high alert.
"Vice Admiral… is it really okay for us to just leave like this?" Tashigi stood by the window, clutching her sword, her tone uncertain.
Smoker, his injuries crudely treated and a bandage wrapped around his forehead, paused his smoking for a moment and then shook his head.
"Colonel Tashigi… there's something you need to understand."
Gazing out the window as well, Smoker's eyes were deep and grave.
"As Marines, there are things we must do, even if they cause us unbearable pain."
"That… is our duty!"
"But… it's Kaido of the Hundred Beasts!!"
Tashigi turned around, her face full of anxiety. "They're going to die!!"
To help them escape and prevent Kaido from seizing the Road Poneglyph, the mink tribe had mobilized their entire nation to fight.
Even Momonosuke, that little brat, had unexpectedly managed to communicate with Zunesha, commanding the elephant to block the enemy and aid their retreat.
But the difference in strength between the two sides was too vast!
Before they used a tempest to shake off their pursuers, Tashigi had clearly seen it,
That colossal, mountain-like figure, Zunesha, let out a heartbreaking wail and slowly collapsed.
A massive cyan-colored divine dragon was coiled around Zunesha's head, spewing scorching breath that tore its skin apart.
Zou Island's strength was no match for the Beasts Pirates.
Smoker fell silent.
In truth, to the minks, both the Marines who stole the Poneglyph and Kaido were enemies. But because of Kaido's sins committed two decades ago, they chose to fight him first, granting Smoker's group the chance to flee.
They weren't deliberately protecting the Marines. They simply didn't want Kaido to get what he wanted.
To Tashigi, it seemed like the minks were heroically sacrificing themselves to help, but in reality, that wasn't the case at all.
That cruel truth… Smoker couldn't bring himself to say it.
Because…
They are Marines.
Abandoning civilians, in this case, the Mink tribe, just to escape pirates, would be an inexcusable crime.
So if it couldn't be justified, he simply wouldn't explain it.
Smoker quietly took a puff of his cigar.
"Don't overthink it, Tashigi. Escort the Poneglyph back to Headquarters. Only then will their sacrifice not be in vain."
"Get some rest. That tempest last night bought us a lot of time. Even the Beasts Pirates can't defy the laws of the sea."
"Vice Admiral!!"
"Get some rest. That's an order."
"I… understand."
Tashigi clenched her teeth, saluted, and slammed the door shut as she left.
(End of Chapter)
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