(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
-Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Office-
In the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, three of the Marine's most distinguished veterans—Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr—sat together in heavy silence.
No one spoke, and the atmosphere was stifling. Each of them wore a different expression, making it impossible to tell what was on their minds.
The oppressive stillness stretched on for a long time until Sengoku finally broke it.
"Zephyr, you were Byakuya's teacher. Do you think he has any connection to the Night Organization?"
Sengoku's emotions were extremely conflicted.
Based on all available evidence, he had initially believed that Byakuya had no ties to the Night Organization.
He had even planned to push Byakuya into the position of Fleet Admiral before his retirement.
After all, Byakuya had achieved remarkable feats—he single-handedly fought both Shanks and Ben Beckman, forcing them to retreat, and even managed to kill 'Golden Lion' Shiki, saving the East Blue in the process.
Sengoku had been ecstatic at the time.
With such undeniable achievements and the endorsement of his old comrades, making Byakuya the next Fleet Admiral didn't seem like a difficult task.
However, just when Sengoku was beginning to celebrate, disturbing news surfaced—claims that Byakuya was a member of the Night Organization.
At first, Sengoku dismissed it as baseless slander spread by pirates.
But when he received a call from Commander-in-Chief 'Steel Bone' Kong, he could no longer stay calm.
Kong made it clear over the call that after a thorough investigation, the possibility of Byakuya being a member of the Night Organization seemed real.
However, there was no concrete evidence to prove it yet.
To resolve the matter, Kong conveyed a direct order from the Five Elders: the Marines should under no circumstances provide any support to Byakuya.
If any Marine forces aided him, the World Government would immediately classify Byakuya as a confirmed member of the Night Organization.
Sengoku understood the implications of Kong's words all too well.
Right now, the entire world knew that Whitebeard's two sons, Ace and Thatch, had been killed by the Night Organization.
If Byakuya truly was part of that group, Whitebeard would undoubtedly seek revenge.
According to reports, the Whitebeard Pirates had already begun assembling. Their next target was likely Byakuya.
The World Government's refusal to allow Marine intervention was a calculated move—to observe Byakuya's actions when faced with Whitebeard.
Whitebeard was widely recognized as the strongest man in the world, and despite his old age and failing health, no one believed he had grown too weak to fight.
Even though Byakuya had an impressive track record, in the eyes of the world's strongest fighters, Whitebeard remained unrivaled.
If Byakuya truly had ties to the Night Organization, then under Whitebeard's immense pressure, he would have no choice but to expose his allegiance by calling for the Organization's help.
If he had no connection, his survival would depend entirely on his strength.
In essence, the World Government was forcing Byakuya to prove his innocence with his life.
Sengoku had no choice but to comply with the order, so he called Garp and Zephyr to discuss the situation.
Yet, ever since they arrived, neither had said a word.
Garp sat there, frowning deeply, looking as though he had just lost a loved one.
On the other hand, Zephyr remained calm, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
The silence dragged on until Sengoku finally lost his patience.
"Damn it! You two old bastards, can't you say something?! I called you here to discuss this, not to sit there acting cool!"
As Sengoku erupted in frustration, Zephyr finally spoke in a calm voice.
"Setting aside whether the news is true or not, does it even matter if Byakuya is part of the Night Organization?"
"Since the Night Organization appeared, they have never acted against the Marines." That's an undeniable fact."
"In fact, they heavily injured Big Mom and exposed the corruption within the Seven Warlords system, which allowed us to abolish it."
"They've helped us quite a bit."
Sengoku's brows furrowed. "So what? Are you saying we should be thanking the Night Organization?"
"I never said that. I'm just stating the facts," Zephyr replied, turning his head away to avoid Sengoku's gaze.
But deep inside, Zephyr was uneasy. He strongly suspected that Byakuya wasn't just a member of the Night Organization—he might actually be its leader, 'Night' himself.
This wasn't baseless speculation.
From the moment Byakuya had walked into Zephyr's office and proposed abolishing the Seven Warlords system and even killing the Celestial Dragons, Zephyr knew his disciple had far grander ambitions than most.
The Night Organization's actions—eliminating Crocodile and exposing the Donquixote Family's crimes—had all perfectly paved the way for Byakuya's goal of dismantling the Seven Warlords.
Before today, Zephyr hadn't thought too deeply about it. But Sengoku's words had suddenly made everything click into place.
Still, as Byakuya's former teacher, he had no intention of betraying his student.
So, he only pointed out the Night Organization's positive actions, carefully avoiding any mention of their darker deeds.
Before Sengoku could respond, Garp finally snapped, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"If Byakuya really is part of the Night Organization, I swear I'll make him pay!"
Zephyr immediately turned to glare at him. "You old bastard! What the hell did my student ever do to you?!"
"What did he do?!" Garp's anger flared as he slammed his fist onto the desk.
"I had two grandsons—one was killed by the Night Organization, and the other was captured by Byakuya in the East Blue!"
"He said he was sending him to Impel Down! Now both of my grandsons have fallen into Byakuya's hands!"
"You tell me—how the hell did he not do anything to me?!"
Garp was fuming, his fists clenched so tightly that it looked like he was about to take a swing at Zephyr, Byakuya's teacher.
"Uh…"
Zephyr was at a loss for words in the face of Garp's fury. He had to admit that what Byakuya did was indeed harsh.
The man had two grandsons—at least leave him one for his old age! But no, one was killed, and the other was being thrown into Impel Down.
How was Garp supposed to handle that? And judging by Garp's stance, he really looked like he was about to start throwing punches.
Zephyr silently wished his disciple would hurry up and show up to back him up. Zephyr had no doubts about Garp's strength.
Even in his prime, he had never been a match for Garp, let alone now, when age had taken its toll, and his power had declined significantly.
Meanwhile, Garp's strength had remained largely unchanged. If they really fought, Zephyr knew he wouldn't last more than a few punches.
So, in an attempt to ease the tension, Zephyr tentatively suggested, "Look, we've been comrades for so many years—we're practically brothers."
"Your grandson is like my grandson. How about I ask Byakuya to release him? Consider it my way of helping you cool off."
Garp froze for a moment. That… actually didn't sound like a bad idea.
But Sengoku, who had been listening, immediately darkened.
"Do you two think I don't exist?! You're seriously sitting here, right before me, discussing how to release a pirate?!"
Garp shot back defiantly, "That's my grandson!"
Sengoku jabbed a finger at Garp's face and shouted, "You've got some nerve to say that!"
"You, the so-called 'Marine Hero,' managed to raise not one but TWO grandsons, and both turned out to be pirates!"
"And after all these years of taking leave, claiming you were 'teaching your grandsons,' this is the result?!"
"What the hell were you teaching them, you useless old man?!"
Sengoku was so furious that he was practically spitting in Garp's face.
Meanwhile, Garp hurried to defend himself, shifting the blame onto Shanks, saying that none of this was his fault.
His flustered excuses made the atmosphere in the office a little lighter, despite the heated argument.
-Sabaody Archipelago-
While the three Marine veterans were in a heated debate over Byakuya, the man himself briefly encountered Smoker as he passed through Sabaody Archipelago.
Smoker didn't say much. He simply looked at Byakuya and stated firmly,
"Whether or not you're a member of the Night Organization, I will continue to follow you."
"As long as you still remember what we discussed in Loguetown and stay true to what you promised me."
Byakuya hadn't expected Smoker to make such a decision, even if it meant abandoning his status as a Marine.
Moved by his conviction, Byakuya gave him a solemn promise.
"In less than a year, the Great Pirate Era will come to an end."
After this encounter, Byakuya couldn't help but wonder—if his connection to the Night Organization was publicly exposed, how many Marines would still stand by him?
Would his teacher, Zephyr, still support him? What about Admiral Aokiji, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Fujitora, Ain, Tashigi, and the soldiers of G-5? How would they react?
When Byakuya first arrived in this world, he saw everyone—Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirates, and all the other so-called main characters—as nothing more than NPCs.
To him, they were background figures, obstacles, or tools to be used, while he alone was the true protagonist.
Their lives, dreams, and ambitions had nothing to do with him. The only thing that mattered was how much power he could gain from them.
But his mindset had slowly changed after nearly three years in this world.
Before making a move, he would consider whether his actions would hurt those who truly cared about him.
That was why he had not immediately revealed his true identity or demonstrated the full extent of his power.
But now, the time to show his strength might soon arrive.
Byakuya knew Whitebeard's personality well—there was no doubt that he was already making his way toward the G-5 base, seeking revenge.
But Byakuya had no intention of letting Fujitora and the others suffer for something they had no part in, especially when he wasn't even the one responsible for Ace and Thatch's deaths.
Looking toward the direction of the New World, Byakuya's gaze turned cold.
"Big Mom, Shanks… since this rumor about me came from your mouths, then you must know who really killed Ace and Thatch."
"When the time comes, I will make you admit the truth—whether you want to or not."
Deep in his heart, Byakuya already had a strong suspicion about who was truly behind this. The World Government was the most likely culprit.
But he had no intention of exposing them just yet. He wouldn't destroy them outright—not yet.
Instead, he wanted to see one thing: now that the world believed he might be part of the Night Organization, would anyone still stand by him?
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 10 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > OP:OPM NOVEL TIER