(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
Inside the white hospital room, a sea breeze swept in and rustled the curtains.
But the bed was already empty, with only scattered medical cables, bloodstained bandages, and signs of treated wounds left behind.
The nurse stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do. With injuries like his, even if he had woken up, the admiral would've needed at least three months to recover.
Now, he was gone? She suddenly snapped to her senses and bolted toward the nurse's station in a panic.
"Admiral Akainu is missing!" In an instant, the corridor erupted in chaos. Doctors and injured officers throughout the ward were stunned.
The news reached the Fleet Admiral's office almost immediately. "Akainu is missing?" Sengoku paused in disbelief.
He was caught off guard. A Marine Admiral vanishing without a trace—this was nearly unprecedented.
Moreover, given his injuries and the grave mistakes he made during the war, he was supposed to be held accountable.
Now that he was missing, what was he trying to do? Sengoku's eyes instinctively turned toward Arashi.
In truth, ever since the end of the Summit War and the decision about the next Fleet Admiral had been made, Sengoku had slowly begun handing over power.
It was a necessary process. Back when Fleet Admiral Kong stepped down, Sengoku himself had served as acting Fleet Admiral for a time.
That was how power was smoothly transferred. "Sakazuki has defected," Arashi said calmly, without even looking up. "Defected?"
"You can't throw around accusations like that, Arashi!" Sengoku's expression darkened.
The defection of a Marine Admiral would be a seismic event with global consequences. Arashi gave a faint smile. "I hope I'm wrong too."
His gaze turned sharp. In his eyes, Sakazuki—the man he nearly killed during the Summit War—was a defeated general. As the loser in the final clash for the title of Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki had no place left at Marineford.
That fight between them had been the true decider. Sakazuki had lost, and with that, he lost his only chance at the title.
Worse still, his rhetoric during the war, which seemed to absolve the enemy of guilt, had severely disrupted the original battle plan and impacted the war's outcome.
This wasn't something easily forgiven, and considering Sakazuki's ties to the World Government and the Five Elders, his options were now limited, leaving the Marines the only path left.
Of course, without solid evidence, it was still just Arashi's speculation. "If he really has defected…" Sengoku's expression became more conflicted.
To him, losing an Admiral was a tremendous regret. Admirals represented the peak of Marine power, essential to maintaining global balance.
"This will be remembered in history," Arashi said coolly. "Sakazuki will become a disgrace to the Marines." Sengoku shook his head and sighed without replying.
Retirement was imminent for him, and the future chaos would fall upon the man in front of him.
The Summit War had ended. The world-shaking conflict had inflicted heavy losses on both the Marines and the pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates, in particular, were severely affected, with numerous members captured.
Over the past few days, warships had been making non-stop trips transporting these pirates to Impel Down.
Because of this, Impel Down's security was reinforced, even requiring the reassignment of powerful Vice Admirals.
At Marine Headquarters, captured pirates were processed, and those in good physical condition were sent to Impel Down to await sentencing.
But some, like Edward Newgate—Whitebeard, were still unconscious and under emergency care.
Though he didn't die in his battle against Arashi, he was barely clinging to life.
He now lay in a prison cell at Marineford, undergoing intensive treatment. Whether he would survive remained uncertain.
Then there was Blackbeard, also known as Marshall D. Teach. After taking multiple devastating blows from Admiral Arashi, he lost consciousness and only just awoke today.
His entire crew was captured and en route to Impel Down. Out on the sea between Marineford and Impel Down, a large warship sliced through the waves, leaving trails of white foam behind.
On the deck stood the Blackbeard Pirates, shackled and silent, their heads hung low in defeat. Of them, the most miserable were Catarina Devon, Avalo Pizarro, and especially Shiryu of the Rain.
Shiryu's face was pale, his neck wrapped with bandages and twisted at an odd angle. Arashi's blow had nearly severed his head.
As for Teach, the situation was even worse. One of his kidneys was destroyed, and the impact from Arashi's punch damaged his nerves, leaving him with urinary incontinence.
He now struggled to control his bladder, frequently wetting himself, which made it difficult to hide the odor.
Using the restroom on a Marine warship was no easy task, so his lower body constantly smelled, causing his crew to keep their distance.
Burgess, the so-called "Champion," had his face reshaped like a pancake. Even after treatment, his face still looked misshapen.
At this point, the Blackbeard Pirates were a pathetic sight. Unless a miracle occurred, the rest of their lives would be spent in Impel Down, with no hope of redemption.
At the bow of the ship stood a towering man—around 2.55 meters tall—Vice Admiral Bernal, a cigar between his lips and a relaxed look on his face.
Escorting prisoners to Impel Down was usually easy work. Under normal circumstances, a veteran Vice Admiral like him wouldn't even be required.
But the war had just ended, and these pirates were unusually dangerous, so the job fell to him.
Still, no matter how infamous they once were—former Warlords or fearsome pirates—they were now just helpless, broken criminals.
"Once this is done," Bernal thought, "I'm getting a full-body spa from Stalicia. I've earned it."
He was exhausted. From the intense fighting at the Summit War to the relentless post-war cleanups, he had barely slept six hours in several days.
Without his powerful physique, he would've collapsed already.
"Heh, Marshall D. Teach." Suddenly, Bernal turned toward the pale, bandaged Blackbeard leaning against the railing.
"You're really disgusting," he sneered. "Betraying the Marines during a war? If Admiral Arashi hadn't stopped you, who knows what kind of chaos you would've caused."
Bernal's tone was icy. He believed scum like these pirates deserved death, not imprisonment.
He respected absolute justice—the kind practiced by Admiral Akainu. Justice should be pure and unwavering.
All evil should be erased, without leaving even a trace behind.
"Vice Admiral Bernal… Zehahaha! I just miscalculated, that's all." Teach grinned, but the motion tore at his wounds, making him yelp in pain.
A foul odor wafted up from beneath him. "Even now, the thought of that monster makes me wanna piss myself!"
"You? A former Warlord?" Bernal waved his hand in disgust and stepped away.
Teach's anger boiled. He wanted to explain, to yell that he was injured—but what could he say?
"Damn it! I'm injured!!" he thought furiously. But Bernal didn't care. He turned away, gazing toward Impel Down as the fortress loomed ever closer. His brows relaxed.
"Just a bit more and I'm done. Then it's spa time!" Bernal thought with anticipation.
But suddenly, the air ahead turned scorching hot, and his face flushed red. A blast of heat surged forward, grazing past his cheek and crashing into the sea.
Splash!
The ocean churned, erupting into clouds of white steam.
"That's—!! A magma meteor!" Bernal's pupils shrank.
He immediately recognized what had fallen into the sea. The warship came to an abrupt halt, stopping just before the boiling waters.
"Admiral Akainu?!" Bernal scanned the horizon, eyes darting rapidly. Only one man could do something like this—his most respected Admiral, Sakazuki.
Soon, he spotted a small warship racing toward them. As it neared, Bernal realized that Sakazuki was alone.
His body was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, yet his presence was overwhelming. Bernal's eyes widened—then he smiled.
"Admiral Akainu, have your injuries healed?"
But Sakazuki didn't return the smile. He bent his knees and leapt onto the deck in a flash, landing at the front of the large warship.
He cast a cold glance at the Blackbeard Pirates slumped near the rail. Then he spoke.
"Bernal, I don't have time for idle talk. Take your men and get off this warship!"
Bernal froze. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. He hesitated, eyebrows furrowed.
"This transport was ordered by Marine HQ. Admiral Sakazuki, what are you—? Don't make me repeat myself, Bernal," Sakazuki snapped.
Half of his body began to sizzle and melt into magma, emitting an unmistakable threat. Cold sweat instantly formed on Bernal's forehead. He gritted his teeth.
"Admiral Sakazuki… Please tell me… What are you planning to do?"
But to his surprise, Sakazuki smiled at those words, a cold glint flickering in his eyes—half amused, half threatening. "You really want to know?"
Bernal's whole body trembled, his face changed dramatically, and a look of shock filled his eyes.
His earlier suspicions had been confirmed. Sakazuki was about to do something major.
"I don't understand!" Bernal roared. "I've always admired you, revered you, believed in the justice you upheld!"
Sakazuki responded with a cold sneer. "You will understand. But for now, leave—immediately."
He paused, his gaze shifting to Marshall D. Teach and his crew. By now, Teach and the others had sensed something was wrong between the two and looked up.
"Zehahahaha! Well, well… now this is interesting!" Teach laughed loudly. Sakazuki didn't respond. His eyes only grew colder as they locked onto Bernal.
"My patience has its limits," he said. "If it weren't for our history, you wouldn't still be standing here, Bernal."
At that, Bernal's face turned pale. He realized Sakazuki had truly made up his mind.
"Get out of my sight!" Sakazuki suddenly roared. A magma-coated fist shot straight at Bernal.
Bernal reacted instantly, drawing the long sword from his waist and slashing at the magma fist, retreating at high speed.
Whoosh! The magma was split in half, but the killing intent radiating from Sakazuki only intensified. "Don't force me… to kill all of you!"
"Bernal!!" Sakazuki's face was ice-cold, his voice like a death sentence.
Bernal's expression shifted rapidly. After a moment of hesitation, he raised his hand and shouted, "All personnel—fall back!"
Taking a deep breath, he added, "Transfer to the smaller battleship immediately!"
From the start, the Marines had felt on edge.
Sakazuki's sudden appearance and the thick tension had put them on high alert. With orders given, they quickly moved to the smaller vessel.
Within moments, the ship was packed with Marines. Bernal stood at the bow, his face heavy.
"The key?" Sakazuki stood across from him, his voice cold. Bernal's face tensed, his voice trembling slightly.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" That's no longer your concern," Sakazuki replied with a cold smirk.
Bernal sighed and removed a set of keys from his belt, tossing them across the room.
Sakazuki caught them easily, then turned away.
Soon after, the large warship shifted course, heading farther from Impel Down and Marineford.
"Admiral Sakazuki… what are you planning?" Bernal muttered. A chill crept into his heart. Deep down, he feared this might be the last time they ever met.
Suddenly, the sky turned blood red. Behind him, an officer trembled and looked up. His voice quivered. "Vice Admiral Bernal… the sky!!"
Bernal's pupils shrank. From the distant warship, a blazing red meteor of magma had been launched, flying straight toward them.
"Move!" he shouted. "Everyone, jump into the sea!" With a leap from the bow, Bernal drew his blade and struck at the falling meteor.
But as he got closer, he realized his mistake. The heatwave was suffocating, and the churning magma roared like it held boundless fury.
Gritting his teeth, Bernal swung hard at the meteor.
Boom!
A second later, he was slammed down violently, crashing into the deck of the smaller ship. Screams erupted instantly.
"Vice Admiral Bernal!"
"That's Admiral Sakazuki's technique!"
"What the hell is he doing?!"
Thick steam and broken ship fragments floated on the sea. Red flames dyed the entire ocean crimson.
Marines floated in the water, eyes wide with fear as they stared at the vanishing silhouette of Sakazuki's ship. About three minutes later…
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine HQ, Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi. The moment he heard the report, his face changed drastically.
"I understand." He hung up abruptly and turned to Arashi. "You were right."
"Five minutes ago, Sakazuki attacked and seized the warship Reversal, which had Bernal and Marshall D. Teach's crew onboard." Sengoku's tone was grim and heavy.
"The Reversal, huh…" Arashi was surprised. He had anticipated that Sakazuki might defect and leave the Marines, but he hadn't expected him to set his sights on Teach's crew.
"Yes. The Reversal has a bit of history. Its first captain was once a notorious pirate who, after witnessing the world's evils and the cruelty of piracy, chose to reform and join the Marines."
Taking a deep breath, Sengoku slammed a fist on the desk. Bang! "Who would've thought… it would become the ship Sakazuki used to defect!"
Arashi's eyes glinted. His fingers tapped the table. "How ironic."
Without hesitation, he made his decision. "We need to investigate this incident immediately—every detail."
"If it's confirmed to be true," he said, his voice turning cold, "then a bounty must be issued at once."
"Even a former Marine Admiral… cannot be forgiven for such treason!" Sengoku's face darkened, and he nodded. The news had caught him off guard.
Even if Sakazuki had made mistakes during the Summit War and faced a military tribunal afterward, he still believed Sakazuki's power as a top combatant would've secured his position as an Admiral.
Arashi—without question—was a man of great tolerance. He could've accepted Sakazuki remaining in the ranks. Yet the man had done the unthinkable.
Sigh… Sengoku looked out the window. This sense of impending upheaval was growing stronger.
The Summit War had just ended, and already, this had happened. The Reversal—once a symbol of redemption and justice—now held a different meaning.
At its bow, the U-shaped emblem shimmered silver under the sun, dazzling to the eye.
Bernal wasn't sure how many captains this ship had gone through. Originally a pirate ship, it was refitted into a Marine vessel, but its pirate origins still lingered in its design.
A massive three-masted ship, with eight sails in total. Despite its large and heavy build, it was surprisingly fast.
The moment Sakazuki boarded, he noticed the ship's name. "Reversal, huh…" he murmured.
A flicker of complexity crossed his face, but it quickly vanished, replaced by cold resolve. Once the decision was made, he never wavered.
Without hesitation, he threw a punch. Molten magma engulfed the U-shaped emblem, melting it.
Then he destroyed the Marine flag hanging from the mast. The message was crystal clear. As of today, he was no longer a member of the Marine Corps.
After everything was done, Sakazuki turned and tossed the keys to Marshall D. Teach and his men. "Zehahahahaha! Admiral Akainu, what's the meaning of this?"
Teach laughed, his eyes gleaming as he caught the keys and immediately unlocked his shackles.
In moments, his Devil Fruit powers returned. Black flames rose from his body, healing his injuries.
"Your power might be useful to me," Sakazuki said coldly. "From this moment on, you follow my orders."
Though his body was wrapped in bandages and still wounded, his aura was as overwhelming as ever. Teach froze for a second, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Zehahahaha! So the great Admiral Akainu plans to join us pirates now? You… want to be a pirate?"
Sakazuki snorted. "I will act according to my justice."
The Blackbeard Pirates had all freed themselves. The sound of chains hitting the deck rang out one after another.
Soon, one by one, they stood before Akainu, strange smiles on their faces, eyes fixed on him.
"You want us… to follow you?" Lafitte asked mockingly. "What a joke," someone else sneered.
Sakazuki's face remained cold, but his gaze locked firmly on Teach. He knew very well—this man was their true leader.
Teach's eyes shifted, and after a long silence, he finally chuckled. "Zehahahaha… I think I get what you're after."
"But if you want to join us," he said, smiling widely, "then you'll have to follow a pirate rules."
Sakazuki replied coldly, "What rules?"
"Fists."
"Whoever's fists are stronger… is the captain!" Van Augur said flatly.
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed, and a cruel smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Just the way I like it."
(T/N: I might not be able to update tomorrow. Got a Fever. Cannot work on PC Screen because it makes my eyes tear up)
(T/N: Sorry Guys, I will continue updating after I get well.)
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. I have 10 advanced Chapters for you.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > OP:COI NOVEL TIER (PLEASE DONT SUBS THROUGH IOS PLATFORM)
Thanks for reading. Feel free to review this story and donate your power stone.