Just after Ross and Cobra set off.
In the waters off Water 7, in the first half of the Grand Line.
BOOM!!!
Molten lava surged forward, reducing a wooden pirate ship to smoldering wreckage. The crew aboard screamed as they met their fiery end.
"As expected of Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Even the infamous 'Blood Tiger' Nordson from the New World couldn't escape Akainu's justice!"
"Incredible!"
"He's the future of the Marines!"
"Admiral Sakazuki is unstoppable!"
Cheers erupted from the Marine warships. The sailors gazed in awe at the towering figure on the lead vessel's bow, their eyes burning with admiration.
Word had spread of a notorious pirate slipping back into the first half via Fishman Island. When Sakazuki learned it was the brutal Nordson, he'd turned his fleet around and hunted the man straight to Water 7. Now, the deed was done.
Sakazuki stood unmoved at the prow, a cigarette between his lips. His expression was stone-cold.
Nordson wasn't some legendary Yonko, but his head would bolster Sakazuki's standing in the World Government. At his age, Fleet Admiral Kong should've retired or promoted him by now. The endless delays said it all—politics, inertia, the usual rot.
Then there was the intel from Ross. It laid everything bare: Sakazuki had a shot at the top spot. Seize it, and his dream of purging every last pirate could become reality. But first, merits. He needed to outshine even Sengoku to drown out the doubters.
Bru…Bru…Bru…!
The Den Den Mushi buzzed. His second-in-command, Rear Admiral Onigumo, hurried over with the snail in hand.
"Admiral Sakazuki, incoming call!"
Sakazuki glanced at it. This line connected straight to Ross. A rare smirk tugged at his lips. He waved Onigumo away and picked up.
Ross didn't call often, but when he did, it meant opportunity.
"Sakazuki!"
Zane's voice crackled through. Sakazuki recognized her instantly.
"Something on your mind?"
He kept his tone even, but he held genuine respect for Zane and Gion. Their strength outmatched most Vice Admirals—rare talent, even in the Marines.
"I've got word you're closing in on Alabasta."
"Is His Highness there now?"
Ross wouldn't drag him across the seas for nothing. Sakazuki's grip tightened on the receiver.
"He's in Alabasta. And the Red the Aloof might be too."
The Red the Aloof. Sakazuki's eyes gleamed with barely contained fire. He'd been itching for a real fight, a chance to rack up kills that mattered. And now? A legendary pirate, delivered on a platter.
"Take him down," Zane continued coolly. "Leak it to the papers: he plotted against the Celestial Dragons and allied kings. You cornered him personally. If he won't surrender, he's done."
"No problem."
Sakazuki's face hardened into a scowl of righteous fury. Headquarters had always reined him in—don't provoke, don't escalate. But this? Green light. The Red the Aloof was as good as magma fodder.
"Need backup?"
Excitement thrummed in his veins, but Sakazuki wasn't reckless. He could crush the Red the Aloof, but stopping an escape? That might take more.
"No need. Head out alone. Zephyr and Gion are with His Highness. You're one of his picks, so no secrets here: Ross's strength surpasses even Zephyr's."
That was the reveal Ross wanted out. Sakazuki was straightforward—no games, no hidden agendas. As long as it meant eradicating pirates, he'd follow through. That's why Ross backed him.
In the World Government's web of old schemers, only Ross could deliver what Sakazuki craved: unchecked authority to burn the seas clean. Those fossils propped up pirates as bogeymen to keep the Heavenly Tribute flowing. Peace? That'd turn the allies against Mary Geoise. No thanks.
"Understood."
Is Ross stronger than Zephyr? Surprise flickered in Sakazuki's eyes, but it hardened into resolve. He'd dismissed the Celestial Hunt rampage as brute force against weaklings. But this? A powerhouse with vision. The World Government needed leaders like that, not doddering relics.
---
Meanwhile, at Enies Lobby, in the CP9 commander's office.
"What?! Me, recruit Moria?"
Spandam shot up from his chair, face contorting like he'd swallowed seawater. He paced the room, sweating bullets.
Handling small-fry pirates with CP9's muscle? Fine. But Moria? The guy sported a 320 million Berry bounty—top-tier even in the New World. With Spandam's build, this was a suicide mission.
"No, no... gotta think this through."
He slammed the receiver down and barked for Moria's full dossier. Pages of shadows, zombies, and revenge plots spread across his desk as he paced and muttered.
This was Ross's first direct order. Nail it, and his family could climb the ladder. Power was Spandam's drug—irresistible.
"Intimidation? Nah. Saint Ross made it clear: Moria's worth more alive and loyal than me pushing too hard. He'd feed me to the sharks if I botched the recruitment."
"Bribes? Moria's swimming in loot."
"Kidnapping? His crew's long gone. All that's left is his grudge against Kaido."
Revenge talk alone wouldn't hook him. Even if Saint Ross dangled payback personally, who'd buy it from the World Government? They hadn't launched a New World purge in decades.
Spandam raked his hair, then grinned. His old con artist tricks—half-truths and hot air—could work.
"Stir the pot first: fan that revenge fire. Then paint the dream—power, payback, all on a platter. He won't bite on vague promises, so frame it as a pact. Loyalty to Saint Ross in exchange for vengeance."
That clicked. But the hitch? Credibility. "How do I sell that Saint Ross can deliver? One big win would seal it—like if he smoked a Yonko-level pirate right now."
He waved it off. "Screw details. Promise Saint Ross is gearing up to crush some big name. Pirates vanish all the time; it's believable enough. We spin the rest later. Time to reach out to Moria."
Spandam cracked his knuckles, a scheming glint in his eye. "This'll work. It has to."
…
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