The air inside the Fleet Admiral's office was so heavy it could almost be wrung dry.
The faint scent of bitter coffee tried to mask it but only made the tension more suffocating.
On the massive projection screen, the name "Portgas D. Ace" scrolled coldly, along with his data.
Every one of his titles, "Son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger," "Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates", landed like a hammer blow on the hearts of everyone present.
Akainu stood before the screen, tall and unyielding. His clenched fists turned white at the knuckles as waves of heat radiated from him uncontrollably, as though magma was boiling within, ready to burst forth.
His deep, cutting voice filled the room, every word heavy with absolute conviction:
"A public execution! It must be carried out in Marineford Square, before the eyes of the entire world!"
His gaze swept across the room, sharp and merciless.
"Only then can we completely sever this 'evil' bloodline and shatter the delusions of the pirates! This is the only way to uphold Absolute Justice!"
In the shadows of the corner, Kizaru lazily fanned himself his tone as slow and indifferent as ever.
"A public execution, huh~ sounds like such a bother. That old man Whitebeard will definitely fly into a rage and bring his little monsters crashing in here. Marineford's going to be so lively~."
He said it sounded troublesome, but there wasn't a hint of real concern on his face. Instead, he used his fan to poke at another corner, one where someone else was suspiciously quiet.
"But well~ if that's the Fleet Admiral's decision, I don't mind~"
In that corner, Renzo had somehow already curled up under his marine coat, only a few strands of black hair showing. His breathing was slow and steady, clearly, during the tense discussion, he'd managed to take another nap.
Kizaru's poke made him mumble something incoherent. He sluggishly sat up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and found Sengoku staring at him, a mix of exasperation and fury in the older man's gaze.
"Renzo!"
Sengoku's voice carried restrained anger as he slammed a thick file onto the table in front of him.
"Wake up! This is the final pre-execution security plan for Marine Headquarters."
"Your task is to handle security coordination around the entrance to the underground special prison!"
He emphasized the words security coordination, likely because even he didn't believe putting this man in charge of active defense would end well.
"I expect you to make sure that before the execution begins, not even a single fly gets past you to disturb the prisoner! Do you understand!?"
Renzo yawned long and hard, even squeezing out a tear from the effort.
He lazily picked up the file and flipped through a few pages filled with dense defense maps, patrol schedules, and emergency response plans. His brows furrowed deeper with every page.
"Security coordination?"
He dropped the papers with visible distaste.
"You mean I've got to check posts, count heads, and verify passcodes every day? That place's damp, cold, and doesn't even have a decent chair and it takes poor Potts forever just to bring me afternoon tea. Nope."
Before Sengoku could explode, Renzo smoothly continued with what he clearly believed was a more efficient and necessary alternative:
"If you ask me, instead of wasting me down there, why not let me stay in the HQ kitchen? I can focus on ensuring food supply and meal quality during wartime."
"After all, soldiers can't guard or fight properly if they're hungry or tired. That's strengthening security at the root, right?"
He wore a face of complete righteousness, as if his laziness was a form of patriotism.
Sengoku felt a vein bulge on his temple. His temples throbbed.
He took a deep breath, reminding himself that arguing with Renzo was like punching a cloud, it only wasted energy.
One glance at Akainu's face, now dark as a volcano about to erupt, convinced him to defuse the situation before magma literally started flying.
He gritted his teeth and forced out what might've been one of the most reluctant compromises of his career:
"Fine. You can continue handling logistics and food supply! You can even use Sanji's kitchen if you want! But-"
"You will submit a daily report on the underground prison's security status! It doesn't have to be detailed, but it must confirm everything is normal! That's the bottom line!"
Renzo pouted. Writing reports sounded annoying, but compared to sitting in a cold, damp dungeon, it was barely tolerable.
He mumbled an "okay" and slouched back into the sofa, already wondering what Sanji should make for lunch to "recover from the emotional damage" of being assigned work.
Just then, a small commotion sounded outside the office, the rustle of fallen papers.
A pink-haired young soldier in, Koby, was frantically picking up documents scattered on the floor.
He had accidentally overheard words like "public execution" and "Whitebeard" from inside and had been so terrified by their implications, and by Akainu's furious tone, that his trembling hands had dropped the files.
Pale and sweating, Koby gathered the papers with shaky hands, his heart pounding like it was trying to escape his chest.
He had only recently been transferred to Marine Headquarters and was still far from accustomed to the suffocating pressure of the decision-making level, where every conversation could alter the course of the world.
Just imagining having to face "the world's strongest man" Whitebeard and his monstrous crew made his legs feel like jelly. Even his breathing became cautious, as if too loud a gasp could bring doom.
He hurriedly collected the last of the papers and nearly ran from the door, desperate to escape that oppressive aura.
Inside the office, however, the grim meeting over Ace's execution and preparations for the coming confrontation with Whitebeard continued.
Meanwhile, in the corner, Vice Admiral Renzo's mind was already on the cafeteria's special menu for the day.
For the storm about to engulf the world, his only wish was simple, "Just don't disturb my meals or naps."
As for those daily security reports?
Oh, he'd just ask Kizaru to draft a template, have Potts check whether his field was still stable near the door, and submit a form saying "All Normal."
Pirates were such a nuisance.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu