One Piece : The Strongest Fleet Admiral

July 12, 1520 —this day was destined to be recorded in history.

Known as the world's largest and deadliest war, the War on the Top officially ended with the deaths of Whitebeard and Ace.

The Marine headquarters, which served as the main battleground, was now mostly in ruins. It would take a long time to fully repair it.

A week after the war ended, in a quiet little courtyard behind the headquarters building, Sakazuki was sitting on the steps in front of the living room, meditating with his eyes closed.

His simple red shirt was soaked in sweat, clearly showing that he had just finished training.

Over the past few days, Sakazuki had discovered something about the tattoo on his chest. It seemed to be connected to his inner belief in justice.

When his belief was strong enough, the tattoo would respond and give him feedback. So far, the only benefit he had discovered was its ability to restore his stamina.

Even this alone was impressive. Kaido of the Beasts was famous for his incredible self-healing ability and was called the "Strongest Creature."

Although Sakazuki couldn't heal himself, his stamina was a major asset. As long as his enemies couldn't crush him or cause severe injuries, he could simply outlast them!

Additionally, his recent meditations had helped him achieve complete harmony between his soul and body. This connection made his Haki even stronger.

Previously, his Observation Haki could only cover half of Marineland, but now it easily spanned the entire island. When focusing all his mental strength, he could extend it dozens of miles out to sea.

"Uncle Sakazuki, come to dinner!"

A gentle voice called from inside the house, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah! I'm coming!"

Setting his thoughts aside, Sakazuki stood up and walked toward the house.

Inside, a lively young woman about two meters tall stood near the dining table. She had long hair, headphones, a tight crop top, and gloves. Her pants were unique—camouflage on the outside, striped tights underneath, and boots completing the outfit.

"Uncle Sakazuki, I knew you were training, so I prepared food for fifty people~," said Hibari playfully, as if expecting praise.

If her soldiers saw this softer side of her, they would be stunned. The usually cold and intimidating Hibari acting this way was unheard of.

Sakazuki ignored her playful tone and went straight to his seat, causing Hibari to pout in dissatisfaction.

In his memory, Sakazuki recalled rescuing Hibar from a pirate slave ship in North Blue 20 years ago.

At the time, it was the year 1500, and Sakazuki was still a vice admiral. That year, under orders from the Marines, he led a Buster Call to destroy O'Hara.

Afterward, feeling heavy-hearted, he returned to North Blue, hoping to revisit his hometown and find some peace.

North Blue was infamous for its chaos, where pirates and underworld forces ran rampant. During his journey, Sakazuki's warship encountered several pirate crews.

Without hesitation, Sakazuki destroyed the pirates, turning them into ash with his magma powers.

Eventually, they came across a slave ship, and Sakazuki's anger reached its peak. He despised the slave trade and the cruelty of those who treated others as less than human.

He burned the ship's captain and crew alive with magma, then freed the boys and girls who had been captured. Sakazuki planned to send them all back to their homes.

Among the rescued was a 6-year-old girl, Hibari, who had no family or place to go. She knelt before Sakazuki and begged him to take her in.

Sakazuki, known for being a cold and ruthless soldier, initially had no intention of taking responsibility for her.

But perhaps the recent events in O'Hara had softened his heart. Against his usual instincts, he brought Hibari back with him.

It seemed like strong Marines always ended up caring for children. Aokiji, Garp, Sengoku, and even Whitebeard had shown a similar tendency.

"Is this some kind of tradition among the strong?" Sakazuki thought as he glanced at Hibari, now grown and standing before him.

"Uncle Sakazuki, what are you thinking about?"

Her question broke his train of thought. She had just finished setting the table and was now looking at him with big, curious eyes.

Sakazuki coughed awkwardly and immediately changed the topic.

"Ahem... Little brat, stop worrying about adult matters. What have you been doing with Instructor Zefa lately?"

"Hey! Stop calling me a little brat!" Hibari complained, clearly annoyed.

Even though she was now 26 years old and a Marine major, Sakazuki still used the same nickname he had given her as a child.

Despite her protest, Hibari began recounting her recent activities.

"A few days ago, Instructor Zefa asked me to help lead a training camp. We took out a few pirate groups near the Sabaody Archipelago. He captured the pirates and plans to send them to Impel Down."

"As for me, I think all those pirates should just be shot and sunk into the sea to feed the fish!" she said with excitement, even gesturing with her hands.

Sakazuki shook his head. "What a brutal girl," he thought. But then he smirked—it suited his own past style.

He remembered the time he taught Hibari about his concept of absolute justice. On one mission, he strung up a pirate slave trader over the sea and let the Sea Kings devour him.

Instead of being scared, Hibari had watched with enthusiasm. Later, she even adopted some of his methods for her own subordinates. It had earned her a fearsome reputation.

However, Sakazuki was surprised that even after all Zefa had been through, the man still couldn't bring himself to execute pirates.

"This general who refuses to kill… He may have to experience another tragedy before he finally embraces the reality of this world," Sakazuki thought grimly.

He began to plan. He couldn't let Zefa leave the Marines and needed to ensure the veteran stayed aligned with his vision of justice.

But first, Sakazuki had to focus on his immediate goal—becoming the next Fleet Admiral.

He knew he would have to face Aokiji in a decisive battle. In the original timeline, he had emerged victorious, but he didn't want to leave anything to chance.

"In these next few days, I'll study Aokiji's Ice-Ice fruit powers carefully," he thought.

Although he had defeated Aokiji in the past, Sakazuki understood the importance of giving it his all, even against an opponent he thought he could beat.

"A lion should still fight a rabbit with full strength."