Marine Headquarters.
Sengoku had died, and his funeral was over. The turbulent Marine internal affairs slowly calmed down.
Akainu was on a warship.
He was heading to the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
He had only one goal for this trip: he had his sights set on the position of Fleet Admiral.
"Only when I sit in the position of Fleet Admiral can I completely destroy all pirates." For this, Akainu was willing to pay any price.
Today.
He was full of confidence, believing that he could definitely persuade the Five Elders.
To make them support him in becoming the Fleet Admiral.
The position of Fleet Admiral, in Akainu's eyes, was already within reach.
His competitors were only Kizaru and Aokiji, who were also Admirals.
As for Kizaru, Akainu knew his personality and knew he would not be a competitor.
There was only one opponent, and that was Aokiji.
"Compared to me, Kuzan has a slight advantage within the Marines, but unfortunately… the Five Elders value me more." Akainu believed that the Fleet Admiral position belonged to him.
The spirited Akainu stepped off the warship and arrived outside the World Government building.
He took a deep breath.
He calmed his excited mood.
Today, since the Five Elders agreed to meet me, they must have chosen me in their hearts.
"Once I become the Fleet Admiral, Kevin, the Four Emperors…" Akainu clenched his fists, and a scorching flame faintly appeared within them.
The Five Elders in the office.
Their faces were ashen as they looked at the photo.
The photo sent back from the G-5 branch.
"Bang!"
One of the Five Elders slammed the table. "Good, very good… We haven't even decided yet, and Kevin already knows our thoughts. Very good, he even prepared the congratulatory gift. Is he going to personally come to Marine Headquarters and celebrate with Sakazuki when Sakazuki becomes the Fleet Admiral?!"
They were furious.
Looking at the photo, the Five Elders were enraged.
There wasn't much in the photo.
Shaki casually extorted a few tens of thousands of Berries from some unlucky pirates.
The gift wasn't heavy.
Plus, a letter personally written by Kevin.
It only had one sentence: "Congratulations, Sakazuki, on becoming the Fleet Admiral. It's been a pleasure working with you, and thank you for everything before... Your friend, Kevin."
The two words "Your friend" stung the Five Elders' eyes.
Their eyes were about to burst.
"We suspected before why Kevin came back to life. Did these Admirals of the Navy hide it and deceive us?"
"Why is the Navy always successful against other pirates, but constantly fails against Kevin? So it turns out there's a mole."
The furious Five Elders.
Most of them had already lost a bit of their sanity.
"Stay calm, this is a conspiracy." The Five Elders holding a sword reminded his companions: "Sending a gift so openly is clearly Kevin's way of sowing discord. We can't fall for it."
No need to even think about it.
It was obviously fake.
Even an idiot wouldn't believe it.
"But why didn't Kevin send gifts to Kuzan or Borsalino? Only to Sakazuki?"
"This?"
"Even if it's a conspiracy, it's still infuriating."
In this life.
The Five Elders had never been so angered by a pirate.
This even made them dissatisfied with Sakazuki.
They were already displeased with Sakazuki's repeated failures against Kevin, and now, after this incident, their impression of Sakazuki worsened.
At this moment.
A subordinate reported: "Five Elders, Admiral Sakazuki has arrived. Should we let him in?"
The Five Elders looked up.
Their eyes were unkind.
Their tone was cold: "Let him in."
Outside the door, Sakazuki straightened his military uniform, preparing to face the Five Elders in his best possible appearance.
Pushing open the door.
Sakazuki immediately felt something was off.
The way the Five Elders looked at him was full of displeasure and anger.
This situation.
It was just like the last time he was scolded.
Sakazuki was a bit bewildered. What was going on?
The first person he thought of was Kevin, but he hadn't dealt with Kevin at all recently, and he hadn't disgraced himself.
It must be him scaring himself.
He cursed Kevin inwardly, thinking, 'It's all your fault, you've made me so paranoid now.'
Sakazuki collected himself, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Sirs, Five Elders, today is..."
"Sakazuki, congratulations, you've already become the Fleet Admiral." One of the Five Elders said sarcastically.
Sakazuki's pupils dilated.
His surprise was evident.
He didn't understand the sarcasm in the Five Elders' words.
Only the four words "Fleet Admiral" echoed in his mind.
I haven't even said anything, and the Five Elders have already agreed.
His life's highest ideal had been realized.
Even Sakazuki couldn't maintain absolute composure at this moment, his voice excited: "Five Elders, please rest assured, after I become the Fleet Admiral, I will definitely..."
"Hmph."
The Five Elders snorted, interrupting Sakazuki.
Sakazuki looked at the Five Elders in bewilderment.
He finally realized something was wrong.
This didn't sound like they were agreeing to him becoming the Fleet Admiral; it sounded more like they were displeased with him.
Why?
About Kevin being alive, I was already scolded last time, that's over. During this period, I've been diligent. Where did I go wrong?
Sakazuki was puzzled.
"Sakazuki, is your relationship with Kevin good? He even knows about you becoming the Fleet Admiral. Were your previous failures due to Kevin's trickery, or were they intentional?"
The Five Elders slammed the table.
Questioning Sakazuki.
Sakazuki stood there, mouth agape, stunned.
His eyes were blank, filled with only confusion.
"See for yourself." The Five Elders threw the photo at Sakazuki's feet.
Feeling a bad premonition, Sakazuki picked up the photo.
His pupils dilated.
Damn it!!!
Kevin, you're not human, you framed me.
"Five Elders, this is a frame-up; no one would believe such a low-level conspiracy." Sakazuki explained in a panic.
Seeing the photo.
His eyes widened in fury!
Kevin, you're truly ruthless.
"So, you mean we've wronged you, that we're foolish enough to be influenced by such a low-level conspiracy?"
Sakazuki's mouth twitched.
"Can't we tell the difference between true and false? But… if we truly let you become Fleet Admiral, would it be explainable? How would other Marines view it? How would the sea view it?" The Five Elders retorted to Sakazuki.
Sakazuki was speechless.
"So, how many people know about this?" Sakazuki clung to his last hope.
If not many.
They could just keep it hidden.
"All Marines in G-5 Branch know."
Sakazuki closed his eyes powerlessly.
He remembered that the highest officer of G-5 Branch had a very good relationship with Kuzan, and Kuzan was now his most direct competitor.
In other words…
Sakazuki's heart was bleeding.
What kind of situation is this? Who did I offend?
"We have made arrangements for the position of Fleet Admiral; you just do your job as an Admiral." The Five Elders looked at Sakazuki indifferently.
Allowing him to return.
Sakazuki forced a cheerful expression and bowed out.
His entire being was bleak.
He arrived at the warship in a daze.
"Admiral Sakazuki, what did the Five Elders say?" Sakazuki's loyal subordinates excitedly crowded around him. Had he succeeded?
Looking up.
Sakazuki pulled out a very ugly, bitter smile.
"Let's go back."
His subordinates' hearts sank; it seemed he had failed.
The warship slinked away from Holy Land Mariejois.
"Kevin, I'm not done with you…" On the warship, Sakazuki's hysterical roar erupted.
...
Holy Land Mariejois.
After venting his anger on Sakazuki, the Five Elders were no longer so furious.
"Sakazuki and the other two have just become Admirals; if one of them becomes Fleet Admiral so quickly, it's too soon. Besides Sakazuki, the other two—one with a lazy justice, and one with an ambiguous justice—are not the best candidates for Fleet Admiral. The only one, Sakazuki, is… forget it."
"It's better to let the former Fleet Admiral Former Fleet Admiral Kong hold the position for a while."
Kevin's gift was the final straw that made the Five Elders make their decision.
"Sakazuki, he's fine in other areas, but when he meets Kevin, he loses his edge. I suspect if Kevin is Sakazuki's nemesis, then we need to be cautious about letting him become Fleet Admiral in the future."
"Indeed."
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