Marine Headquarters, New Marineford.
"Bang!"
Akainu slammed his fist heavily onto the desk. The magma-fist instantly melted a large hole in the brand-new Fleet Admiral's desk.
"This is outrageous! Does CP0 even acknowledge me, the Fleet Admiral, anymore!"
Kizaru, sitting on the sofa, put away his nail clippers. His eyes became a little more serious, his thick lips pouting, and his slow tone carried a hint of mockery.
"Oh my, that's frightening. CP0 actually has the audacity to set up such a massive scheme, targeting both a Marine Vice Admiral and a Seven Warlords of the Sea at the same time!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes twitched slightly when she heard Kizaru's words. She glanced at him, resting her chin on her hands, and did not immediately reply.
Akainu's entire face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He suddenly turned around, looked at Kizaru, and spoke in a gloomy tone,
"Borsalino, this incident was done by CP0, and it can only have been done by CP0. Do you understand?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru glanced at Akainu again but still remained silent.
Kizaru looked at the furious Akainu, reverted to his bitter-gourd face expression, and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Oh my, that's frightening, Sakazuki!"
Seeing Akainu grow even more enraged, his entire right arm turning into magma, the Master Slacker finally added:
"Oh, understood!"
Just as Akainu's arm returned to normal, he heard Kizaru deliver another jab:
"My understanding is useless, though. Will Taro understand?"
Akainu's gaze sharpened again, fixing intensely on Kizaru.
Kizaru lowered his arms, pulled out his nail clippers again, looking unconcerned, apparently not intending to speak further.
"Garp is on his way, and Smoker—isn't he almost there? If there's still time... No, there must be time!"
Only then did Vice Admiral Tsuru break the awkward silence and speak.
Akainu walked over to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the sea outside. After a long silence, he spoke in a deep voice,
"If Taro dies, the Marine loses a major fighting force. If he is still alive..."
Akainu didn't finish his sentence; his heart was deeply conflicted.
On one hand, Taro was one of the Marine's currently limited powerful fighting forces. Losing Taro would significantly reduce the Marine's strength and greatly weaken their deterrent power in the first half of the Grand Line.
On the other hand, if Taro was still alive, Marineford would have to demand an explanation for Taro being targeted by the World Government this time.
Otherwise, if Taro caused a scene and exposed the incident, given his prestige in the military, Marine morale would suffer a huge blow, potentially even leading to a split within the Marine.
Such a situation was even more unacceptable to Akainu, who was dedicated to pacifying the four seas and eradicating pirates.
The two people present were both shrewd veterans who had weathered many storms, and they naturally understood what Akainu had left unsaid.
Having already spent this month's salary on the previous few sentences, Kizaru sat cross-legged, showing no intention of speaking.
Vice Admiral Tsuru gave him a faint glance and spoke softly,
"I instructed Garp to try his best to stabilize Taro's emotions."
"Although that child is young, he has always understood what is important and respects us old fellows greatly. I presume he won't..."
Akainu suddenly interrupted Vice Admiral Tsuru,
"I would prefer if he died directly on that island."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's gaze froze, and Kizaru's eyebrow twitched.
But soon, they understood what Akainu meant.
Compared to the possibility of the Marine facing division and turmoil,
Akainu would rather give Taro the glorious reputation of having "died a heroic martyr"!
In that case,
Taro, who hadn't lived a particularly great life and had always been suspected by the World Government, but died gloriously,
could still make one final contribution to increasing Marine cohesion and boosting Marine morale.
"The World Government is only willing to use Spandam of CP0 to provide an explanation for Taro?"
A hint of disappointment was barely hidden in Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes, and her voice grew fainter.
"What else?" Akainu's magma-scorched face was dark crimson. He sneered contemptuously,
"Spandam planned this incident, and it can only have been planned by him!"
The disappointment in Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes deepened. After a long moment, she spoke again,
"Sakazuki, let's go to Marijoa together!"
Akainu turned around, raising an eyebrow, and looked at Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Vice Admiral Tsuru did not look at him, maintaining her posture with her hands crossed.
"We're going to demand a promise: CP0 must no longer operate in Taro's jurisdiction!"
"Furthermore, there are recent rumors in the military that Taro doesn't want to become an Admiral, but intends to take my position."
"I am old and lack the energy. It is time for me to retire and yield the position to a younger, more capable person!"
Kizaru's sunglasses flashed once. His gaze lowered, showing some surprise.
Akainu's fists clenched, grinding audibly, and he remained silent for a long time.
Kizaru thought for a moment—perhaps his advance salary had arrived—and then spoke:
"The World Conscription is nearing its end. Among those recruits, quite a few joined the Marine specifically because of Taro's reputation. That Mr. Issho, in particular, was directly recommended by Taro..."
Hearing this, Akainu heavily exhaled a puff of hot air, and his Fleet Admiral's cloak billowed without wind.
"Let's go!"
...Sicily Island, outer sea.
On the deck of the second floor of the warship, Smoker leaned back in a large sofa, a cigar clenched in his mouth, remaining motionless for a long time.
The cigar smoke drifted sideways with the sea breeze. Tashigi, with her glasses pushed up onto her head, was weeping profusely.
However, she wasn't crying because of the secondhand smoke.
Clenching her lower lip tightly, blood seeped from the corner of Tashigi's mouth.
Smoker looked at his subordinate, who was weeping silently, his face grim.
"Tashigi, wipe your tears. Sicily Island is right ahead. Don't let anyone else notice anything unusual!"
The silently weeping Tashigi suddenly let out a muffled sob, barely managing to suppress her crying.
Although Smoker was angry inside, he was very gentle toward his subordinate, Tashigi.
"No one in the Marine isn't angry about how he was treated by those old bastards in the World Government. But you must understand what situation the Marine will face if this incident is exposed!"
"Then are we going to do nothing? Fleet Admiral Sakazuki won't even demand an explanation for Vice Admiral Taro. Is this truly 'Justice'?"
Tashigi retorted to Smoker, her neck stiff, tears gushing like a spring and soaking her shirtfront.
Smoker glanced back at the Marine Soldiers goofing around on the lower deck and sighed.
"Taro believes in the 'justice that honors the true heart.' He won't care about those things, Tashigi!"
"But I feel injustice for Vice Admiral Taro!" Tashigi cried until snot came out.
Smoker stood up, turned his head to look at Sicily Island, now visible, and sighed.
"We've arrived. Taro is on the island. I hope he's still alive!"
Tashigi raised her arm, wiped her face, and shouted loudly:
"Of course he is! Vice Admiral Taro would never be defeated!"
The Marine Soldiers on the deck below looked at Tashigi, who was roaring at the sea, exchanging confused glances, unsure of what had happened.
Smoker's eyebrows twitched violently. He took a hard drag on his cigar and exhaled the smoke.
He stretched out his arm, pointing forward, his tone helpless,
"Tashigi, Sicily Island is in this direction!"
Tashigi lowered her glasses and looked at the empty sea surface in front of her.
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
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