One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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The sunshine, symbolizing hope, dispelled the darkness and spread over Marineford.

The Great Dining Hall at Marine Headquarters.

More than a dozen chefs carried freshly baked delicacies and placed them in the small room themselves.

"Master Fleet Admiral, Please Enjoy."

"Well, you've all worked hard."

Akira smiled kindly at the chefs.

After they carefully closed the door, the ability of the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Raccoon in his left hand activated, and he wrote the name "Rosinante" on the deformed leaf just produced.

With a "bang," mist suddenly rose in the corner.

A clone of Rosinante appeared, silently wrapping the small room in a barrier of silence with his power.

Only then did Akira safely pick up his chopsticks, place a large piece of meat in his mouth, and chew slowly.

The words that followed were inaudible.

After all, the soundproofing of this small room wasn't great, and who knows if there were spies in the Marine cafeteria.

It's never a mistake to be cautious.

It was a shame there were no ingredients at the mansion; otherwise, he wouldn't need to come out for nutrition.

Opposite him, Olvia sat kneeling with her head bowed, showing no reaction, her dull eyes seemingly lost in thought, and steam rose from her slightly parted lips.

"Not hungry?"

Seeing her lack of interest in the food, Akira asked.

"Just eat, I don't… Gulu!"

Olvia's body trembled as she snapped back to reality and quickly shook her head.

Her mind was full of thoughts about the mansion, the Poneglyphs, and uncertainty about the future, leaving her in no mood to satisfy her hunger.

But the stomach doesn't care about such things.

A loud grumble broke the silence.

This involuntary act of self-betrayal caused Olvia's already rosy cheeks to turn even redder.

Akira chuckled, picked up a piece of meat, and placed it in her bowl. "Your body's as honest as ever."

Olvia: "..."

Her stomach had already betrayed her, and it would be foolish to lie to herself now.

Olvia took a deep breath, pushed aside the complex thoughts swirling in her mind, and began to eat the meal in front of her.

The room fell into silence for a while, with only the sound of chopsticks clinking against the dishes.

"Are you familiar with Rouge?" Akira suddenly asked.

"Ro—Robin has received a lot of care from her. I'm very grateful to her, so... yes," Olvia replied, pausing as she quickly realized why Akira would ask such a seemingly trivial question.

"So, you became best friends with her?" Akira raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes." Olvia lowered her head even further.

"No wonder!" Akira said, as if everything had just clicked.

A close friend, and also the mother of little Robin, would be completely trustworthy in Rouge's eyes. So, it wasn't unusual for two women to share everything with each other.

As for how they became best friends in such a short time, Akira figured that was something only women could explain. As a straightforward man with complicated thoughts, he couldn't begin to understand it.

"Hehehehe!"

Akira put down his chopsticks and smiled knowingly. "So, do you think that, because of Rouge, I'm the type of man easily swayed by beauty?"

"No!" Olvia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly raised her head.

As the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, a man whose authority could shake the world with a single command, it was impossible for him to be so easily manipulated. No one, no matter how foolish, would believe that.

"It's just that... there's no other price for me to offer you except myself."

"So please, don't misunderstand. I've never thought like that," Olvia said with a serious tone, regaining the demeanor of a strong woman.

Akira met her gaze, looking straight into her big blue eyes.

After a long pause, with a flick, he lit a cigar.

"Since you know I'm not lacking in women, why did you still go through with this? Aren't you afraid of ending up with nothing?" he asked.

"I know, and I've prepared myself for that possibility," Olvia replied, her resolve clear.

"The mindset of a gambler! Have you thought about what happens if you lose the bet?"

"If I lose, I'll consider it a repayment for the care Robin received. The doctor and I will simply continue our journey to search for the Poneglyphs as planned," Olvia responded without hesitation, making it clear she had thought this through.

Akira fell silent, puffing on his cigar as it burned down faster.

Seeing this, Olvia couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.

It was clear that Akira was weighing whether to agree to help Olvia find the Poneglyphs.

Sensing this, she didn't dare interrupt his thoughts. Even her breathing became more controlled.

But what Akira was contemplating wasn't whether he wanted to help or not. 

Going to Raftel to find the Poneglyphs had been part of his plan all along. He supported this mission. Even if Olvia hadn't approached him last night, he would've pursued it after inevitably clashing with the Five Elders in the future.

In truth, the archaeologists seemed more impatient than he was, the Marine Fleet Admiral preparing to defy the World Government.

"Even if you uncover the Void Century, will the world actually believe you?" Akira flicked the ash from his cigar and looked up. "You know the Five Elders will outright deny it."

"Yes, but if it's published by the scholars of Ohara, its credibility will be unquestionable," Olvia responded seriously.

"So confident?"

"Absolutely! Ohara is globally recognized as the sacred center of archaeology. Any research published from there is seen as authoritative."

Akira chuckled at her response, his thoughts drifting.

He considered things from the perspective of the common people and realized Olvia had a point.

Ohara's scholars were regarded as the foremost experts in the world of pirates. Naturally, anything they declared wouldn't be doubted. 

Even if one day they claimed that eating vegetables was harmful, the global sales of vegetables would plummet. It might even come to a point where no one would sell them anymore.

Even on Blue Star, there were "experts" whose nonsensical claims were followed by masses of people. So in a world like this, where the average IQ was arguably even lower, expert opinions held even more weight.

Moreover, the authority of Ohara's scholars far exceeded that of Blue Star's so-called experts.

But the key factor was the Five Elders' strict suppression of the Poneglyphs, a fact everyone knew. Even a child could tell that the information contained within was deeply threatening to the World Government.

If Ohara were to reveal this information and present solid evidence, there was a high chance the world would believe them.

Akira pressed his right hand on the table, rising slowly.

Rosinante's clone, who had been patiently standing by, sensed the moment and instantly ceased the output of his silence ability. The clone dissolved into a leaf and floated back to Akira's palm.

"...!" 

Olvia quickly stood up, watching Akira's retreating figure. She instinctively took two steps forward, raising her hand as if to say something, but stopped in her tracks, too hesitant to speak.

"Is pursuing history really that important to you?" Akira asked suddenly, standing at the door as the barrier of silence faded away.

"Yes, it's very important. History is humanity's wealth, and my life's greatest ambition is to make it known to the world," Olvia answered, staring at him blankly. She didn't fully understand why he asked, but she spoke her truth.

"I see."

Akira placed his hand on the doorknob and walked out.

"Don't rush off just yet. Stay for a few more days," he said, pausing briefly. "I have some leads about that place, and I'd like to have an in-depth discussion with you tonight."

With a slight smile, he added, "Remember to wash up and wait for me."

His words echoed in the small room, leaving Olvia puzzled at first.

But then, her eyes widened in realization.

A sudden look of joy spread across her face.

"He… he agreed."

"I'm going to meet him tonight, yes, tonight!"

But in the next moment, as the meaning behind his words sank in further, her cheeks flushed red once again.