One Piece : The Strongest Fleet Admiral

Marco felt doubtful when he heard that Sakazuki, the Marine Fleet Admiral, wanted to talk to him.

"Akainu! We have nothing to talk about! If you want to fight, fight!"

Marco's tone was sharp and filled with hostility. For this Marine who was responsible for the deaths of Ace and Whitebeard, Marco held nothing but disdain.

"Captain Marco, please be patient!" Sakazuki said calmly through the Den Den Mushi.

"I heard that Blackbeard is already on the verge of seizing the position of the new Four Emperors! Are you really willing to sit back and watch him plunder the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates and live freely as a Yonko?"

Hearing Blackbeard's name filled Marco's eyes with fury. However, he suppressed his anger and replied coldly.

"What does this have to do with you? If Blackbeard is becoming a Yonko, shouldn't Marine be the one with the headache?"

Sakazuki sneered. "What a group of cowards—greedy for life and afraid of death. Blackbeard orchestrated the war at Marineford, shattering the Whitebeard Pirates! And now, instead of seeking revenge, you hide in the shadows, helpless and angry!"

He continued mockingly, "Do you not understand? Without Blackbeard, there would have been no war. Thatch, Ace, and Whitebeard would still be alive! Instead, you blame Marine for everything. If Whitebeard's spirit knew that Teach was thriving as a Yonko, he wouldn't find peace, even in the afterlife!"

"You know nothing! Do you think we don't want revenge?!" Marco's restraint broke, his voice shaking with anger.

"In our final battle, more than ten captains died—not at Marineford but at the hands of former crewmates who betrayed us! Blackbeard possesses two Devil Fruits, including the Logia 'Darkness Fruit,' which nullifies powers. If we attack him now, we'll be annihilated! I can't let the few remaining Whitebeard Pirates die in vain! How could I face my father then?"

Marco's voice cracked with frustration, his eyes welling up with tears.

"What if Marine offers significant assistance?" Sakazuki's calm words startled everyone listening.

Even Zephyr, Momousagi, and the others nearby were surprised. Marine cooperating with pirates? It was akin to the controversial Shichibukai system.

Sakazuki anticipated their doubts.

"Don't misunderstand me. Marine isn't 'cooperating' with you pirates. We simply want both sides to exhaust themselves so we can finish the job. While you may not have the strength to harm Blackbeard significantly, at least you can drain his resources."

"You...!" Marco seethed, but he couldn't refute Sakazuki's logic.

"How about it? This is your only chance to destroy Blackbeard and avenge Whitebeard's legacy!"

Sakazuki's words were straightforward but manipulative. Marco knew that Marine's ultimate goal was to eliminate both factions. But if it meant avenging Whitebeard, he was willing to gamble.

"How can you guarantee Blackbeard will be defeated?" Marco asked, his resolve faltering.

"Marine will deploy at least two Admiral-level fighters, along with a candidate for Admiral and several Vice Admirals!"

Hearing such a formidable lineup, Marco's hesitation disappeared.

"Father, forgive me for being reckless just this once!" Marco whispered to himself, then nodded.

"Zephyr, give Captain Marco a Den Den Mushi for communication," Sakazuki ordered.

"Captain Marco, assemble the remaining Whitebeard Pirates. When the time comes, Marine will contact you. Blackbeard's reign ends with this battle!"

Zephyr, relieved that Sakazuki avoided formal cooperation with pirates, handed Marco the den den mushi. With that, Marco departed, and the Marines prepared to return to Marineford.

"Boss, are you ready to fight with that Blackbeard?" Enel asked excitedly when he saw Sakazuki hang up the phone.

"There's no rush. We need to wait a few more months anyway," Sakazuki replied calmly. "And your current strength isn't enough to fight the Four Emperors."

"When you return to Marine Headquarters, I'll assign you a teacher to help improve your strength as quickly as possible," he added, discouraging Enel's eagerness.

"Okay, is that teacher at Marine Headquarters great?" Enel asked, intrigued.

"The Marine you just heard through the phone bug is also my teacher. He's a remarkable teacher who has trained countless excellent Marines!" Sakazuki explained. "But he's also extremely strict, and you'll suffer a lot under his training."

"Ah! If he's your teacher, then he must be very powerful," Enel said, completely ignoring Sakazuki's warning about the difficulties ahead.

"Training is nothing," Enel thought to himself. "No matter how hard it is, it can't be worse than my childhood wandering in the wilderness." Confident and untrained, Enel assumed it wouldn't be a problem.

Later, however, as Enel recalled this moment, he realized just how naive he had been.

The two didn't waste time. Enel started the spacecraft, heading straight for the Blue Sea below.

"Yeah, hahaha! Blue Sea, here I come! Surrender, world!" Enel shouted enthusiastically, his words sounding like a middle school boy's exaggerated proclamation.

The small spaceship, barely larger than a Marine warship, came to a steady stop above the ocean.

"Wow! Boss, look at that huge fish!" Enel exclaimed, spotting a giant Sea King drawn to the movement of the Ark Maxim.

Turning into a bolt of lightning, Enel darted toward the creature. As the Sea King roared, Enel swung his golden staff, summoning thunderbolts that struck the Sea King's thick scales precisely.

He played the "electric fish" trick, shouting excitedly, "Wow, wow, wow!" as he attacked.

Sakazuki's face darkened as he observed Enel's antics. He resisted the urge to call him a "frog in a well."

Extending his Observation Haki, Sakazuki scanned the surrounding sea for dozens of nautical miles. He sensed Doberman's warship nearby and called out to Enel, who was still playing wildly.

Reluctantly, Enel left the terrified Sea King, which quickly retreated into the deep sea. Shaking his head in disappointment, Enel muttered, "The fish in the Blue Sea are really useless."

Hearing Sakazuki's summons, he promptly piloted the spacecraft toward Doberman and his crew.

Meanwhile, Doberman had just finished dealing with pirates in Mock Town. He planned to patrol the nearby waters for any remaining pirate ships. Instead of pirates, he spotted a golden ark flying through the sky, its dazzling light catching everyone's attention.

As the ship approached their warship, the Marines grew wary. However, Doberman soon recognized a familiar aura and smiled.

"Stand down, everyone. It's Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!" Doberman announced.

The soldiers relaxed immediately upon hearing that their leader was aboard the approaching vessel.

When Sakazuki descended from the spacecraft, Doberman led the Marines in a formal salute.

"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!" Doberman greeted.

"Good work, Doberman. Have the pirates in Mock Town been dealt with?" Sakazuki asked.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral. We've successfully captured them all," Doberman reported with pride.

"Hey! Mortal!" Enel called out as he descended dramatically, seated on his golden staff. Picking at his ear, he casually remarked to Doberman, "Are you the Marine Lieutenant General? You don't seem very strong."

Doberman looked puzzled. Before he could respond, Sakazuki intervened.

"This is Enel," Sakazuki explained. "He's a prodigy I brought back from Sky Island. He'll be trained to become a Marine admiral within a year."

Doberman scrutinized Enel, finding it hard to believe that the careless man before him could achieve such a lofty position.

Noticing Doberman's skepticism, Enel smirked and raised a finger, clearly interested in a challenge.

"How about we spar a little?"