Who is Akainu?
He's the leader of the Marine War Faction, an Iron-Blooded Officer who adheres to "Absolute Justice"!
He's the type who believes in "ends justify the means" and acts according to the results, a ruthless fanatic.
In his eyes, the Marines must embody Justice, and pirates are always wicked!
Justice must triumph over wickedness, so the Marines must eliminate pirates, even if it means making great sacrifices.
If Justice isn't upheld, he's even willing to turn his blade against his own comrades!
Exterminate the "Marine scum" that tarnishes Justice!
With this kind of approach, if he weren't so powerful himself, he would have been tripped up long ago.
And he's not alone in this; the entire Marine War Faction, led by him, follows this approach.
Every time Sengoku receives ten internal complaints, at least seven of them are reports about the War Faction.
So, Akainu's impression has been well-established.
Reasoning?
No, no, no.
Let's just get things done first, then we can talk slowly afterward.
As a certain unnamed law enforcement officer from a certain city once said: "Throw the first punch, then ask questions while punching!"
You can imagine how unbelievable it is for Akainu, who's ready to stand his ground against Sengoku, to the rest of the people.
Observing everyone's surprise, Akainu's typically stern face showed a hint of a rare blush, but thankfully his complexion was on the darker side, so outsiders couldn't tell.
If he could, he'd like to be a bit more forceful and push Rowen out.
Just look at what's been happening lately...
Rayleigh shows up, and he's holding down Headquarters.
Things are heating up in the New World, and he's holding down Headquarters.
And now, launching an attack on the Revolutionary Army, and he's still supposed to hold down Headquarters?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
I have no dignity left!
The last time I did something was dealing with the Hundred Beasts pirate crew!
Two years have passed, and I haven't gained any merit.
He's ambitious too, wanting to implement his own Justice in the position of Fleet Admiral.
It's no secret that Sengoku sees Aokiji as the next Fleet Admiral among the current Admirals, and Akainu knows that his style is hard to win over soldiers. Sengoku deliberately arranges things this way to lay the groundwork for Aokiji's promotion.
But let's not forget, the Marine values military merit above all!
As long as there's enough military merit, coupled with a loyal and "unblemished" military career, becoming Fleet Admiral is set in stone, and Sengoku can't stop it.
After sitting on the bench for so long, Akainu has always felt aggrieved.
Now that the opportunity is right in front of him, of course, he's going to fight for it!
"Well..."
Seeing Akainu patiently waiting for his response, Sengoku felt a twinge in his stomach.
To be fair, he doesn't dislike Akainu; Marine owes a lot to the selfless dedication of the War Faction officers.
These decisions are made from the perspective of standing as the "Fleet Admiral of the Marines" and not personal preferences.
But he can't just come out and say, "I want Aokiji to be the next Fleet Admiral, so you should just go sleep it off..."
Otherwise, it would be a miracle if Akainu didn't flip out!
But the problem is...
"Besides Headquarters, there's nowhere else suitable for you to go!"
Sengoku let out a deep sigh.
The New World required a delicate approach, a slow and steady strategy like boiling a frog in warm water. Sending Rowen was out of the question, and sending Akainu was even worse. Rowen attracted trouble like a lightning rod, and Akainu was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
In a pot of boiling oil, should I add a ladle of cold water or toss in a block of ice? What kind of nonsense is this? Why do I have to add anything at all?
On the other hand, they had finally discovered the base of the Revolutionary Army, a significant find that demanded caution. Akainu's aggressive tactics could easily ruin everything. The cost of failure was minor compared to the disaster of letting the enemy escape.
Feeling a headache coming on, Sengoku turned to Tsuru, seeking her counsel.
"If Rowen stays behind, Momousagi won't have a reason to go. Conversely, if Momousagi stays, Rowen can't be spared."
"Do you see the problem with pushing Momousagi forward?" Sengoku sighed. "What do you suggest we do?"
Faced with this complex situation, Sengoku dumped the problem onto Tsuru, hoping for her strategic insight.
"An Admiral must remain at Headquarters, not just for its safety but also for the crucial security of the Sabaody Archipelago," Tsuru said after a moment of silence. "Marine Headquarters needs an Admiral."
Sabaody, also known as the Celestial Dragons' playground, required top-notch protection.
Without an Admiral, even with Headquarters' formidable firepower, Sengoku's own strength, and the natural barrier of the Grand Line, they couldn't risk leaving it undefended unless faced with a full-scale assault from a Yonko crew like in the war at Marineford.
Akainu frowned, about to protest, when Tsuru continued, "So, let's bring Kizaru back."
"Wait, what?!" Sengoku was caught off guard, and looked up in confusion. "BIG MOM is formidable. How can we manage without two Admirals?"
"Do you really think the New World front needs two Admirals, Sengoku?" Tsuru shot him a glance. "With Garp and Aokiji, we can handle BIG MOM. Add in the soon-to-be-appointed Chaton and other mid-level forces, and we'll have enough strength to counter the BIG MOM Pirates."
"Kizaru was always meant to be our rapid-response force, the firefighter of the seas. But lately, he's been idle for a month!"
Indeed, that was the truth.
In a large-scale war of attrition, even an Admiral could only influence the local battle, especially with someone as strong as BIG MOM holding them back. During the initial stages of the conflict, Kizaru was busy rushing from one hotspot to another. But as the situation stabilized and Garp arrived with reinforcements, his need diminished.
Now, he was just on standby, enjoying the respite and looking forward to some downtime with Vegapunk.
"Good steel should be used where it counts!"
"Dragon is incredibly strong. If we add Akainu to this mission, I'm confident we can capture them all!"
An Admiral like Akainu for frontline assault, another Admiral-level fighter like Soryu for rapid support, and a near-admiral like Momousagi for coordinated attacks. Plus, with the firepower and mobility of the Aircraft Force, Tsuru believed they could conquer Baltigo without fail.
However, this would mean sharing the credit with Momousagi, diminishing his individual value. But considering Dragon's strength, Rowen alone might not guarantee success, and his role would be less prominent anyway.
"Alright, I think this could work."
Seeing no other options, Sengoku made a decisive call. "Tsuru will command the raid on Baltigo. Akainu, Momousagi, and Soryu will coordinate under her direction. All actions will follow Tsuru's judgment."
And with that, the plan was set into motion.
"I don't care about the process, I only want the result. Understood?!"
"Understood!"
Watching Akainu exude a powerful aura, Rowen couldn't help but spare a brief moment of pity for Dragon.
For a second, anyway.
The next second...
He spat dismissively. "Serves him right!"
"Achoo...!"
In the New World, inside the command center of the G-5 branch, Kizaru rubbed his nose, glancing around suspiciously.
There must be some rogue trying to mess with me! What is this sudden chill?
Meanwhile, on the Grand Line, at the G-10 branch on Jaya Island:
"Hurry up! Report immediately once the equipment check is done and start boarding the soldiers!"
"You there! Got nothing to do? Go over the supplies again. If there's a mistake, I'll tear you apart!"
Captain Henry, having received his orders, quickly descended from the port and began rallying the troops.
With Dante absent, Henry, one of Rowen's trusted officers, faced his first major deployment with the G-10 and had sworn an oath to Rowen.
"Captain Henry, bring these along."
Ain, dressed in her military uniform, approached with her team.
"Colonel Ain!"
Henry turned, surprised to see her. He saluted quickly and then looked at the cart filled with equipment. "All supplies should have been accounted for. What's this?"
"These are some of Caesar's experimental gadgets. They're still in the testing phase, but I thought they might come in handy, so I had them brought along," Ain replied nonchalantly.
She patted Henry on the shoulder as she spoke. "We don't know our exact destination for this mission, but it's always good to be over-prepared. I can't be on the front line since I need to hold down the fort at G-10, so keep an eye on Rowen for me."
Now that's a woman who knows how to manage things, Henry thought with envy and admiration. He saluted again, "Understood!"
Half an hour later, as he watched massive blue whales soar into the sky, Ain allowed a slight smile to cross her otherwise serious face.
"Perfect, finally found an opportunity!"
She looked back at the sky, her smile turning into a sly grin. "Let's see what you're hiding on Sky Island, Rowen!"
...
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