Chapter 13: 13. Sengoku: I'm In A Hurry, What Should I Do?
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In a different world, Luffy masters Observation Haki by 7 and Conqueror's Haki by 9. Setting sail at 14, he quickly awakens Gear Fourth. Known for pushing his limits and demanding the same from his crew, Luffy confronts challenges head-on. During the Summit War, he boldly declares his dominance over Akainu.
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Akira's expression turned dark.
But Kong didn't back down, and since he couldn't activate the system, he didn't complain.
"Well, I can understand."
"It's like this. I think allowing CP9 to kill Roger's wife and child won't improve the current situation in the slightest."
"It's like someone who's clearly being beaten down by life, but instead of fighting back, indulges in short-term false pleasures, rewarding themselves daily without ever addressing the root cause."
"Forgive me for using such a crude metaphor, but I just want to make it more intuitive for you."
Akira finished speaking, looking at the Den Den Mushi expectantly.
In his opinion, he'd made his point clear enough for Kong to understand: the World Government should focus on dealing with the current era of pirates and not waste effort on the innocent Rouge and her unborn child.
After all, even if they killed the mother and child, besides venting anger, would it have any effect on this era?
It's better to leave them alone and make some meaningful contributions to this time.
But in the next second, Akira's temper flared.
Kong, either not understanding or just being curious, asked, "So you're really rewarding yourself like the newspaper said?"
"Cough, this is getting difficult, right? Commander-in-Chief Kong, I'm trying to discuss something serious."
The veins on Akira's forehead bulged, and he squeezed the Den Den Mushi tightly, shouting, "And do I look like someone who rewards himself?"
"Just kidding, just kidding. After all, you haven't exactly been working hard to make achievements to replace Sengoku during this time. So, Akira Vice Admiral, what exactly do you mean?"
"I want to keep Roger's wife and child alive and use her status to help me make achievements, contain this era, and successfully defeat Sengoku."
"..."
Kong fell silent, his eyes flickering.
After a long pause...
"Okay, do as you want. But there's one condition: if she doesn't fulfill her role, she'll have to be handed over to CP9."
"No problem, the CP9 assassination..."
"I'll explain it to them to stop all actions against Roger's wife and child, and let me handle the Five Elders."
A smile finally appeared on Akira's face.
He walked over to a stone chair, sat down, looked at Spandine and CP9 in front of him, and continued:
"It's said that CP9 members openly came to assassinate in Marineford. Isn't that too presumptuous? Didn't they notify you before they acted?"
"I haven't been officially promoted to the commander-in-chief yet, so I'm not fully aware of their actions. So... do you plan to deal with them?"
"Yes."
Spandine had barged into his mansion without any scruples, and Akira couldn't just let that slide.
Even though he'd always given the impression of being kind and wealthy, that didn't mean anyone could just walk all over him.
Moreover, Marine Headquarters and CP are two separate entities.
Now that CP dared to carry out an assassination operation in Marineford, it's a blatant slap in the face.
If they let Spandine leave without any consequences, how will the Marines save face?
Kong understood the seriousness of this situation, and his tone became stern.
"Just keep them alive, and release them in two months."
"Okay, I'll hang up now. I still have some matters to handle here."
Click.
The Den Den Mushi was hung up, and Akira turned his gaze toward the door.
Outside, all the Marine officers who had come over from Marineford had gathered.
Sengoku, Garp, Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, Momousagi, Momonga...
"Akira, what happened?"
Garp was the first to walk in. He scanned the courtyard and glanced at the bedroom from the corner of his eye, his tense expression easing as he asked nonchalantly:
"I just sensed someone using Conqueror's Haki. Who was it?"
The others outside the door also entered.
They had been alarmed by the Conqueror's Haki and rushed over to check on the situation.
"I was just attacked in the mansion, so I used Conqueror's Haki to capture them alive," Akira said, pointing to Spandine and the CP9 members on the ground.
"Oh, so that's what happened. Since you're fine, I'm going back to catch up on some sleep."
Hearing this, Garp scratched his head and started to leave.
After a long day of meetings, he was exhausted. If the Conqueror's Haki hadn't woken him up, he would still be flying high in his dreams.
Now that the assassin has been caught, there's nothing to worry about.
"Huh? Sengoku, why aren't you heading back?"
"What's with that look? What's wrong?"
But as Garp reached the door, he noticed that everyone who had come with him was standing still, staring at Akira in shock.
This puzzled Garp.
Soon, the murmurs of the other officers clued him in.
"Wait, did I hear correctly? Did Vice Admiral Akira just say he has Conqueror's Haki?"
"That can't be right. I've never heard of this in the past six years, and he's never shown it before."
"As far as I know, only Garp and Admiral Sengoku possess Conqueror's Haki at headquarters. Now, Akira is the third."
"Could it be that Vice Admiral Akira is finally revealing his Conqueror's Haki because of his potential promotion to Fleet Admiral?"
"..."
Compared to the significance of Conqueror's Haki, the assassination attempt seemed insignificant.
No one paid any attention to Spandine lying on the ground; all their focus was on Akira.
The more they observed, the more awe filled their eyes.
If Conqueror's Haki is cultivated to a high level, its user doesn't need to deliberately release it. A powerful kingly aura naturally emanates from them, greatly impacting the "weaker people" around them.
At this moment, everyone felt an overwhelming pressure from Akira, a feeling that was hard to put into words.
Garp, too, slowly caught on.
He returned to Akira's side, studying him closely.
"Akira, was that powerful Conqueror's Haki really yours?"
"The aura was brief, but I could tell it was incredibly strong, though I'm not sure just how strong."
"Come on, let me test it out."
Boom.
Garp was a man of action, doing whatever came to mind.
Without waiting for Akira's consent, Garp unleashed a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki from himself.
"Gladly."
A slight smirk crossed Akira's face as he prepared to show his strength.
Though the saying goes, "the tall tree catches the wind," and in another world or another organization, he might be worried about drawing attention without any backing. But here, in this place...
In the world of One Piece, especially within Marine Headquarters, there's no need to hide anything.
Competing with Sengoku for the position of Fleet Admiral means that the stronger you are, the better. The stronger you are, the more opportunities you have, and the more people will trust and follow you.
Boom.
Akira's monster-level Conqueror's Haki surged out of his body, meeting Garp's with an unstoppable force.
Boom, boom, boom.
The ground thundered, and an intense gust of wind erupted from the clash, wildly blowing everyone's hair.
At some point, dark clouds gathered in the sky, completely obscuring the bright moonlight.
Crackling.
Under everyone's shocked eyes, black lightning-like sparks crackled and exploded in all directions, yet they were controlled by Akira and Garp, keeping the destructive force within a certain range.
Dust and debris were whipped up, creating a swirling storm in the courtyard.
Sakazuki's eyes deepened, his fists clenching involuntarily: "This level of Haki clash... Akira, he..."
Kuzan, hands in his pockets, was full of admiration: "I didn't expect Akira to have this power too. It's really a king against a king. No wonder he dares to compete with Sengoku for the Fleet Admiral position."
Borsalino added, "Wow~~~ With such powerful Haki, why didn't he confront Sengoku earlier? Well, whatever, monsters always have their own mysterious ways."
This display moved the three Marine Admirals, who had been quietly observing.
Borsalino, ever the tactful one, couldn't resist making a comment.
Sengoku, who had been calm that afternoon, was no longer so composed.
Though his expression remained unreadable, his tense face betrayed nothing of his inner thoughts. But if you looked closely, you could see the seriousness in his eyes.
Clearly, he hadn't expected Akira to possess the "kingly talent" of Conqueror's Haki.
This revelation both shocked him and made him anxious.
Every time Akira revealed a new "surprise," it meant he was more qualified to compete for the position of Fleet Admiral.
Sengoku glanced at the reactions of those around him, and his heart sank.
He saw that the gathered Marines were all stunned and in disbelief.
Garp was recognized as the pinnacle of Marine combat power, and his Conqueror's Haki was undoubtedly formidable.
But for Akira to hold his ground against Garp for so long—few in the entire ocean could manage such a feat.
The way the Marines looked at Akira was now indescribable.
Sengoku knew that Akira's image as a potential Fleet Admiral had just skyrocketed.
The sense of crisis grew heavier.
As the black lightning intensified and the air waves began to converge, just as they were about to explode…
Both Akira and Garp simultaneously reined in their Haki to avoid destroying the surroundings.
"Good boy, you were hiding this deep. The strength of your Conqueror's Haki is almost catching up with Sengoku's."
"I'm really curious, do you still have more power hidden away that you haven't shown? Do you want to step outside and really fight!?"
Garp, clearly impressed, stared at Akira with fiery eyes.
He was already itching for a real battle.
"No, Mr. Garp. I'm very tired today and just want to rest."
To be personally challenged by the Marine hero meant that his strength was truly recognized, a moment that would be gratifying to anyone.
But Akira knew his own limits. Without being able to fully use Armament Haki or Observation Haki, facing Garp head-on was a losing battle.
Akira had no desire to be pummeled, so he politely declined.
"It's a pity, I really suspect you have more strength hidden."
"But if you're not up for it, then so be it."
Garp shook his head in disappointment, but since Akira wasn't interested, he wouldn't force him.
After speaking, he glanced at Sengoku.
Sengoku was silent, turned around, and left.
As the others were about to leave, Akira spoke up.
"CP9 Chief Spandine and his subordinates blatantly attempted to assassinate me tonight. I've already reported it to Commander-in-chief Kong."
"Is there anyone willing to help me escort these two to Impel Down to serve two months in prison?"
The courtyard fell silent, and the generals, who had been about to depart, paused. Everyone's eyes shifted around, processing the request.
But someone quickly stepped forward.
"Vice Admiral Akira, Rear Admiral Momonga is willing to take on this task for you."
"An assassination attempt on the Vice Admiral—who had the audacity? I happen to have a connection with the director of Impel Down. Let me take care of this; we'll make sure they're properly handled."
"Vice Admiral Horii, don't you have a mission tomorrow? No need to trouble yourself. Let me handle it."
"No, I'll take care of it."
"..."
In a matter of moments, more than a dozen generals eagerly volunteered.
The smile on Akira's face widened.
Sengoku, who was walking away, quickened his pace considerably, not wanting to linger any longer.
...
...
Creaaak!
After everyone had left, Akira closed the door and headed toward the bedroom.
Inside, Rouge, still visibly shaken, was crouched in the corner, hugging her knees. She looked up at the moon outside the window with slightly red eyes.
Akira wasn't sure how to comfort her. Roger hadn't made any arrangements before surrendering—an irresponsible move as both a husband and a father.
It seemed Rouge's misfortune was meeting someone like Roger.
"It's all right now. You can sleep peacefully."
Akira approached Rouge, leaned down, and spoke softly.
Rouge nodded but then quickly shook her head.
"What do you mean?" Akira raised an eyebrow, a bit puzzled.
Rouge pursed her lips, lowering her head, her voice barely above a whisper:
"I... I'm worried about another attack. Can I sleep in the same room as you?"
"..."
Akira stared at her silently for a long time, eventually understanding her concern.
Tonight had indeed been dangerous.
If his Conqueror's Haki hadn't evolved to a monster level, saving her from CP9 would have been nearly impossible.
Rouge wasn't naive; she knew that her safety, and that of her unborn child, depended on staying close to Akira.
"It's up to you. The quilt and mat are in the closet."
After saying this, Akira lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
'Rouge must be feeling extremely vulnerable right now. I shouldn't add to her worries. Once she sees that there won't be any more assassination attempts in the next few days, she should start to feel better.'
With that thought, Akira's mind drifted off to sleep.
Time passed, and at some point, Akira, still half-asleep, sensed a figure moving beside him.
A rich, delicate scent of hibiscus flowers filled the air.