Tsuru's voice was not loud, but it pressed down Kong's anger.
"The World Government is preparing the Shichibukai system. This is a key strategy to balance the power on this sea. And Victor Hugo was one of the first candidates."
"If word gets out now that one of the first Shichibukai candidates was actually a slave trader helping Celestial Dragons kidnap people..."
Tsuru looked at Fleet Admiral Kong and spoke slowly. "What will the member nations think? They will think the World Government is legally stealing their citizens. What will the powerful people on the sea think? They will feel that working for the Celestial Dragons is beneath them, and they will refuse to join."
"Once that scandal gets out, the Shichibukai system will rot before it even begins. The World Government's credibility will take a devastating blow."
This was a political bomb.
If it exploded, the damage would be no less than Shiki the Golden Lion's escape.
Fleet Admiral Kong rubbed the bridge of his nose.
At that moment, this powerful commander looked a little tired. He knew Tsuru was right. The Marines were already in a mess and could not handle a scandal like this on top of everything else.
"So..." Kong's voice turned hoarse. "What exactly are you saying?"
"To protect the Shichibukai plan and keep the member nations calm, the World Government must, and can only, bury Victor's crimes."
Tsuru pointed at Aiden and Gion standing to the side, setting the final tone. "Victor can only be a pirate who suddenly went mad and attacked the base. And Aiden must be the hero who saved the day and stopped the rebellion."
"As for those two CP0 agents, they died in a pirate counterattack. The World Government has to accept this story, and they must accept it."
Fleet Admiral Kong fell silent.
Especially now, with the Golden Lion's escape throwing the world into chaos, this was not the time to stir up more trouble. Compared to chasing the truth, ending the situation quickly and protecting the last scraps of face left to the Marines and the Government was the better choice.
He was weighing everything in his mind.
It was a filthy deal, but he had no real choice.
After a long silence, Kong let out a long breath.
His eyes turned sharp again as he stared at Aiden like an eagle. "Tsuru is right. We'll do it that way."
"But!"
Kong suddenly stood up.
The pressure from his massive body was terrifying. "Aiden, you need to understand one thing. If we want to push you into the role of a hero, a lie alone won't be enough."
A terrifying Haki burst out from Kong's body and crashed straight at Aiden. "Prove it to me! How did you kill Victor, a man worth 360 million?! Just because of that fruit you happened to get?!"
Faced with the Fleet Admiral's pressure, Aiden did not step back.
He did not need words.
Aiden slowly raised his right hand.
Bzzzt. The humming sound of electric current suddenly rang through the room.
In the next second
Boom!!!!
Every light in the Fleet Admiral's office shattered at once.
As darkness fell, countless blinding blue-white arcs of electricity burst from Aiden's body. His entire right arm instantly turned into lightning itself, violent, bright, and destructive.
A terrifying high-voltage electromagnetic field spread through the room.
Everyone's hair rose slightly. The air filled with the sharp smell of ozone.
This pressure, coming from the strongest natural disaster in nature, changed the expressions of everyone in the room.
The light of the lightning reflected off Sengoku's glasses.
Garp's mouth hung open in surprise.
"Logia..." Fleet Admiral Kong's pupils shrank. Even he could feel that destructive force. "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit?!"
Aiden drew his hand back.
The lightning vanished, and the backup lights came on.
He straightened his slightly wrinkled sleeve and spoke calmly. "Is this enough proof?"
"Hmph... Hahahaha!"
A low, restrained laugh suddenly broke the silence in the room.
Sakazuki, who had been sitting in the corner like a statue without saying a word, suddenly laughed.
The smile on his face looked grim, but his satisfaction was obvious.
He stood up and walked toward Aiden, his tall body giving off waves of heat.
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit... I see."
Sakazuki stared at Aiden.
A sharp light flashed through his cold eyes, as if he had finally found something worth noticing.
"A few days ago, more than five hundred pirates in Mock Town were wiped out in an instant. Even the terrain there changed. There are rumors that a 'Thunder God' brought down heavenly punishment"
Sakazuki grinned, showing his white teeth. His eyes burned. "That was you too, wasn't it?"
Aiden did not deny it.
"I just cleaned out some trash on the way," Aiden said plainly. "And I don't like the name 'Thunder God.' It's too stupid."
"I think it's stupid too. But the method was good."
Sakazuki turned to look at Fleet Admiral Kong, his tone firm and direct as he openly backed Aiden. "Fleet Admiral, this kid trained on my ship. I know how to judge people."
"His methods against pirates are ruthless and absolute. None of those five hundred pirates in Mock Town even left ashes behind."
"This is exactly the kind of Justice the Marines are lacking right now!"
Sakazuki pointed at Aiden and gave him the strongest backing he could.
With Sakazuki's support, Tsuru's political setup, and the overwhelming display of lightning just now, the office fell into a brief silence.
Fleet Admiral Kong looked at Aiden.
His finger lightly tapped the report about G-17's destruction on the table. He seemed to be making his final calculation.
After a long time, he finally spoke in a heavy voice. "There is one more thing."
Kong pointed to the sea chart hanging on the wall behind him.
His eyes landed on the key route linking the four seas to the Grand Line. "The Golden Lion escaped. Headquarters has to send elite forces to hunt that madman down. We are badly short on people right now. We don't have extra high-ranking officers to fill the vacancy at G-17."
"But G-17 cannot be left empty. That position is the throat of the first half of the Grand Line. It is the World Government's golden sea route. Nelson is dead. Now countless greedy eyes are fixed on that place."
He raised his head and locked his gaze onto Aiden.
A flash of decision appeared in his eyes. "Since you caused that mess, and you've already proven that you have the strength to suppress that area..."
Fleet Admiral Kong finally pulled a document from his drawer.
With one strong stroke of his pen, he signed the appointment.
"Aiden."
He stood up and handed over the appointment letter.
"In view of your heroic performance in stopping the rebellion at G-17, and your abilities..."
"Headquarters has decided to grant you a special promotion to Marine Headquarters Captain."
Kong paused.
His tone became extremely serious. "At the same time, I am officially appointing you as the Base Commander of G-17. You leave immediately."
"You clean up the mess you made. I don't want to hear any more scandals involving Celestial Dragons or the Shichibukai coming from that place. Do you understand?"
This was a major appointment.
The G-17 branch was a rich posting, a place where profit flowed nonstop.
Aiden looked at the appointment letter.
A flash of ambition passed through his eyes.
This was exactly what he wanted.
A place far from the center of the Government, where he could freely gather Sin Points and build up his own strength.
He took the appointment letter and suddenly stood at attention, giving a crisp salute.
"Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed."
Fleet Admiral Kong looked at the young man's back and gave him one final warning. "Don't die, kid. There are far more people there who want your life than here."
A predatory smile appeared on Aiden's face.
He answered without the slightest fear.
"Let them come."