One Piece : The Strongest Fleet Admiral

Shanks' murderous intent towards Sakazuki had reached its peak.

"It's Sakazuki again! My former vice-captain died at his hands. That mad dog... don't let me get near him!"

"Beckman, you need to find a suitable training ground and help Luffy grow up quickly!"

Shanks did not respond directly to Beckman's remarks but focused on Luffy instead.

Beckman, considered one of the smartest individuals in the world, still couldn't fathom why Shanks valued Luffy so highly.

First, Shanks gave him the Nika Nika no mi . Then, he deliberately sacrificed his arm to set Luffy on the pirate's path.

After investing so much, what was his true goal?

Beckman racked his brain but couldn't figure it out. Finally, he decided to follow Shanks' orders and research the matter further.

Shanks, left alone, stared in the direction of Marine headquarters.

Near Marine headquarters.

At this time, Sakazuki had no idea how many people were discussing him or how deeply Shanks hated him.

Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

He was an arrogant man.

"Now, there's no way anyone can defeat me!"

When the warship arrived at the port of Marineford, it was already noon.

Sakazuki called and instructed Hibari to secretly escort Bon Clay to his quarters.

Then, he walked to the headquarters building alone.

"Fleet Admiral! You're back!"

Sakazuki nodded to the guards at the entrance and went straight to his office, leaving the soldiers behind with expressions of admiration.

As he pushed the door open, he was greeted by a mountain of documents piled on his desk.

Sakazuki's face darkened.

"I really want to burn all of this," he thought.

Though his mind resisted, his body dutifully set to work.

Sakazuki spent the entire afternoon in his office, processing all the accumulated paperwork from the past two days.

When the desk was finally cleared, he sighed in relief and sat on the sofa, lighting a cigar.

Since becoming Fleet Admiral, the never-ending paperwork had become his norm, and the cigar never seemed to leave his mouth.

"One day, when Smoker comes by to report, I'll have to get a few boxes from him. With his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability, he should have plenty of supply. Judging by how he smokes two cigars at a time, there's no shortage," Sakazuki mused.

As he smoked, his mind drifted to his plans.

First, he needed to delegate some administrative tasks and find a suitable secretary.

Then, there was the matter of the Shichibukai.

Sakazuki's gaze fell on the new Shichibukai recruitment orders on the table. He stared thoughtfully through the haze of cigar smoke.

Time passed, and as night fell, Sakazuki snapped out of his thoughts.

Extinguishing the cigar, he picked up the recruitment orders and headed home.

When he arrived, the aroma of food greeted him.

Sakazuki looked inside and saw a figure busily working.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"What a diligent little girl," he thought.

"Uncle Sakazuki, you're back!"

Hibari, holding a rice bowl, spotted him at the door and beamed with joy.

"I missed you so much!"

Sakazuki nodded, his expression softening slightly.

A simple hum was the only response to Hibari.

"How is that pirate doing now?"

After finishing three rounds of dinner, Sakazuki asked casually.

"That ladyboy! At first, he wasn't very honest."

"He even used some weird boxing technique on me. But after I beat him up, he got much more compliant. Now he's locked up in the basement!"

Hibari's strength was more than enough to handle Bon Clay.

Even though Hibari only held the rank of major, it was because Sakazuki had deliberately asked Major General Robert, who oversaw the battle unit, to conceal her achievements.

There was no need to expose his adopted daughter's strength too early.

In reality, Hibari could be considered the strongest Marine officer currently under Zephyr.

She was proficient in the Six Powers, had foundational knowledge of Observation Haki and Armament Haki, and had even taught herself an impressive set of marksmanship skills.

Such strength was easily enough to serve as a major general.

Sakazuki nodded with satisfaction.

"How is Teacher Zephyr doing lately?"

Hearing Sakazuki mention Zephyr, Hibari immediately looked annoyed, her dissatisfaction evident.

"Teacher Zephyr has been dumping all the clerical work from the training camp onto me and Ain!"

"He's just enjoying himself! Either he's hanging out with the rookies in the training camp or going to some bar to drink!"

Hibari kept complaining about Zephyr's irresponsibility and how it affected his students.

Sakazuki watched Hibari as she spoke, his thoughts elsewhere.

He had been considering sending Hibari to the SWORD unit.

Although it would be a bit dangerous, at least she would have allies there.

However, now he was rethinking his decision.

With her ability to handle clerical work and his trust in her, perhaps she would be a good choice as Fleet Admiral's secretary.

It might not fully utilize her talents, but it was safe and dependable.

As these thoughts occupied Sakazuki's mind, he realized the room had gone quiet.

While he was wondering about the sudden silence, he saw Hibari looking at him with a flushed face, hesitating as though she wanted to say something.

Hibari, in the midst of venting her frustration about Zephyr, had been talking so passionately that she even stepped onto her chair in excitement, gearing up as though ready to give Zephyr a beating.

But when she paused and noticed Sakazuki staring at her, she panicked.

Even after calling out to him a few times, Sakazuki remained unresponsive.

She thought she had shocked him with her unruly, chattering, and unladylike behavior.

Embarrassed, Hibari retracted her long legs from the chair and slowly sat back down, feeling annoyed with herself.

"Why am I so unreserved? This never happens when I'm outside. But I just can't seem to control myself in front of Uncle Sakazuki!"

Sakazuki, puzzled by her sudden silence, finally spoke.

"Little... cough, Hibari, come to my office and be my secretary. These documents are too trivial for me to handle alone!"

He was about to call her "little brat" but stopped himself when he saw her frustrated expression.

Hibari looked surprised at first, but her gaze quickly turned gentle and determined.

Although she hated clerical work—evident from her endless complaints about Zephyr—if it was for Uncle Sakazuki, she was willing to do anything.

"Uncle Sakazuki! Leave it to me!"

Hibari's strong and confident voice echoed in the room.

As the person closest to Sakazuki, Hibari naturally understood the immense pressure weighing on his shoulders.

There might never be another Marine who bore such a heavy burden with such resolve.

Seeing Hibari agree, Sakazuki let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

At last, he could focus on leading Marine operations without being tethered to headquarters by mountains of paperwork.

The expectation that the Fleet Admiral remain confined to Marineford?

The strict oversight of the World Government, which forbade him from leaving on a whim?

Sakazuki had already planned a workaround.

Why else had he recruited Bon Clay, the mimicry fruit user, in secret?

"That performer in the basement," Sakazuki said calmly, "teach him to imitate my tone and movements in the coming days. I want him ready to work as soon as possible."

Hibari nodded solemnly, finally realizing Sakazuki's true intentions.

She recalled her initial shock upon seeing Bon Clay flawlessly imitating Sakazuki's form.

"Understood," she said.

"Good. That's settled," Sakazuki replied. "Now, get two bottles of fine rum. We're visiting Teacher Zephyr."

Hibari blinked in surprise.

"Teacher Zephyr? This late?"

She didn't understand the urgency of the visit. Even if Sakazuki intended to inform Zephyr about her transfer, surely it could wait until morning?

Still, Hibari obeyed without hesitation, retrieving two bottles of aged rum from the cabinet.

Sakazuki stared out the window, his gaze fixed on the crescent moon obscured by drifting clouds.

Tonight, he thought, would be a sleepless one.

When they arrived at Zephyr's residence, they found the lights inside had just been turned off.

Sakazuki and Hibari exchanged a glance, momentarily silent.

But Sakazuki had no intention of lingering outside or playing games.

Walking up to the door, he shouted, "Teacher Zephyr!"

A moment later, the lights came back on.

Sakazuki's lips curved into a slight smile.

What a coincidence. Zephyr wasn't asleep after all.

With that, the two entered the house, greeted by Zephyr's surprised expression.

Sakazuki wasted no time, explaining Hibari's transfer.

Zephyr, listening quietly, murmured to himself in discontent.

It was evident from his expression that he was reluctant to lose such a capable assistant.

The conversation eventually shifted as the three sat down together.

Sakazuki and Zephyr drank while discussing recent developments across the seas.

Hibari, seated beside them, dutifully poured the drinks while absorbing the conversation between two Marine legends.

After several rounds of drinks, neither Sakazuki nor Zephyr showed signs of intoxication.

On the contrary, both seemed more energized.

"Sakazuki," Zephyr began, his tone serious, "you don't visit without reason. From what I know of you, there's more to this visit than Hibari's transfer. What is it you want to discuss?"

Zephyr's sharp gaze flicked to Hibari, then back to Sakazuki, as he set his glass down.

"As expected of Teacher Zephyr," Sakazuki said, his voice even, "your insight remains as sharp as ever."

Reaching into his coat pocket, Sakazuki pulled out a stack of Shichibukai recruitment orders—documents that had yet to circulate within the Marines.

"I must warn you, Teacher. Prepare yourself. You may find these... upsetting."

Zephyr accepted the stack with a skeptical frown and began flipping through them.

With each page, his expression darkened.

By the time he reached the final document, his rage was palpable.

Zephyr's killing intent erupted, an overwhelming aura that shattered every wine bottle and glass on the table.

The intensity of his fury continued to rise, boundless and unrelenting.