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Fleet Admiral's office.
Akira put down the Den Den Mushi, feeling a wave of relief wash over his body, and his face lit up with visible joy.
"No wonder I kept hearing magpies chirping outside the window this morning."
"Turns out today is my lucky day."
Sakazuki unexpectedly called, expressing his willingness to follow Akira's orders.
You have to understand, he's not just any ordinary officer.
The future Marine Admiral, currently one of the top three strongest Vice Admirals besides Garp, is known for his iron-fisted approach, and he has many supporters throughout the entire Marine, making his influence significant.
If word gets out that he's willing to follow Akira's instructions, it's certain that Akira's approval rating will skyrocket.
The chances of becoming the full-time Fleet Admiral are looking even better.
"Also, the Flame-Flame Fruit that I've had my eye on for so long—I might finally get it."
"I was wondering why I couldn't find it on Sixis Island in East Blue—turns out it had already been eaten."
Akira adjusted his glasses and turned his gaze to the bounty poster on the table.
Fire Wolf Norton, with a bounty of 300 million berries.
Devil Fruit Ability: Logia Flame-Flame Fruit.
Crimes: Destroyed several Marine bases in South Blue; after entering the Grand Line, killed three Vice Admirals and brutally murdered a large number of soldiers; none of the towns he looted survived, causing widespread devastation.
Background: According to an investigation by the CP department, his mentor was the Violent Wolf Duva, who was once notorious on the seas.
In 1492 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Tyrant Wolf Duva was defeated by Gol D. Roger in the second half of the Grand Line. With a broken leg, he fled back to North Blue, dragging his severely injured body.
In a bid for revenge against Roger, he secretly trained Norton in North Blue for eight years, eventually giving him the Flame-Flame Fruit.
On the day of Roger's execution, seeing no hope for revenge, Violent Wolf Duva died of rage, vomiting blood.
Norton, fueled by hatred, officially set sail after burying Duva, targeting Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
The General Staff and CP jointly suggested: Since he can freely control Haki, and the Flame-Flame Fruit has been developed to a very advanced level, there's no need to specially assign Admirals to target him. Instead, let him clash with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"The future Ace will be immediately invited to join the Shichibukai as soon as he makes his debut."
"It seems this has something to do with that Fire Wolf Norton, who's infamous for his burning abilities," Akira thought, tapping his fingers on the table.
It was clear that if this guy entered the New World, he wouldn't last long. With Norton's reckless style, if he really faced Whitebeard, he'd definitely get crushed, and then the Flame-Flame Fruit would end up on some uninhabited island in East Blue.
But Akira didn't want it to come to that.
Every day this guy stays alive, countless civilians are at risk. Plus, Norton's provocations against Akira's plan have been spread worldwide by a private newspaper.
If he were allowed to cross the Grand Line so brazenly, where would that leave Akira's reputation as the acting Fleet Admiral?
A troublemaker like him needs to be dealt with immediately—no waiting around!
Originally, Akira was struggling with how to handle the situation, especially since he didn't have anyone strong enough under his command. At this stage, even his clone's physical strength wasn't enough to take down Norton, forcing it to revert to a less powerful state.
Even if he went out personally, the outcome was uncertain. After all, he wasn't yet sure how to use Armament Haki to counter a Logia user's elementalization.
Fortunately, Sakazuki had offered to be his enforcer at just the right time.
So why hesitate?
"Magma Sakazuki" versus "Flame Norton"—in terms of both Devil Fruit abilities and personal strength, Sakazuki was a guaranteed win.
Plus, Akira knew where the Flame-Flame Fruit would end up after Norton's defeat, making it a perfect opportunity to strengthen his own loyal followers.
Knock knock!
"Send this information to the General Staff and have them relay Norton's real-time location to Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral."
The soldier hurried away with the documents.
Akira continued to focus on the paperwork in front of him.
Time passed slowly.
Boom.
"Akira, that girl from the garden is back!"
The door suddenly burst open, and Zephyr, clad in a purple suit with his Admiral's justice cloak, strode in.
"Huh? So suddenly? I didn't hear anything about this," Akira said, raising his head in surprise.
"Maybe she wanted to surprise you. She's only a few minutes away from the port."
"Let's go meet our great hero."
"Hahahaha, I had the same idea," Zephyr laughed, walking side by side with Akira.
The two made their way to the port without any delays, arriving just as a dusty rabbit-head warship came into view.
This was the exclusive battleship of Vice Admiral Momousagi, Gion.
Over the years, this warship had destroyed countless pirate vessels and claimed the lives of many pirates. But now, the once fierce and bloodstained rabbit-head battleship had undergone a drastic transformation.
The sharp teeth of the rabbit figurehead had disappeared, and the previously fierce expression was replaced with a harmless and cute smiling rabbit.
At the front of the battleship, several long, festive ribbons were wrapped around it, and red concentric knots covered the muzzle.
Akira's mouth dropped slightly.
Zephyr clenched his jaw, speaking in a low tone, "That girl, Gion, really sacrificed a lot."
"Indeed!" Akira nodded in agreement.
They both knew Gion very well. Despite having the face of an angel and the figure of a devil, growing up in the harsh environment of Marine Headquarters had shaped her into someone far from gentle—she was tougher than most.
It was Gion herself who had originally designed the fierce and imposing rabbit-head warship.
But now, to expedite and ensure the success of Akira's Honey plan, she had transformed her beloved battleship into a soft, gentle, and sweet style, making it approachable at first glance.
This...
Akira and Zephyr exchanged glances, both imagining the frustration and indignation Gion must have felt while transforming her warship. They shivered at the thought.
Sure enough, when the warship docked, Gion's "murderous" gaze shot towards them.
"Attention, everyone!" Akira suddenly shouted. "Welcome our great hero!"
Clap, clap.
He began clapping, leading the way.
The welcoming teams, already stationed on both sides, gripped their steel guns tightly and shouted loudly:
"A warm welcome back to Vice Admiral!"
"A warm welcome back to Vice Admiral!"
"..."
All eyes were on the figure slowly descending from the ship, and everyone present gazed at Gion with deep respect.
Only then did Gion's gloomy expression soften, and she smiled, waving to both sides.
"Hello, teacher!"
Gion approached Zephyr first, greeting him with the respect of a student.
Zephyr smiled with satisfaction and patted her on the shoulder. "You've worked hard this month. Now that you're back, make sure to get some well-deserved rest."
"Thank you for your concern, teacher."
Gion smiled sweetly, then turned her gaze to Akira.
Akira forced a smile, stepped forward, took Gion's hands in his, and said sincerely, "Thank you for all your hard work. If it weren't for your help, I really don't know what I would've done."
"Gion, you're truly a great friend. I owe you one. Whatever you need in the future, I'll do my best to make it happen."
As Gion looked at his handsome face up close, catching the scent of his strong, masculine presence, her heartbeat faltered for a moment, and her face flushed slightly.
She lowered her head slightly and whispered shyly, "It's okay; it was mostly thanks to you."
Zephyr observed this scene with a warm smile, like a proud father.
Both Akira and Gion were students he was particularly proud of, and he was pleased to see them getting along so well.
'Perhaps, of all my students, these two might be the first whose wedding I'll attend,' Zephyr thought to himself.
But the atmosphere quickly shifted with Akira's next words.
"By the way, where's Rouge? Why didn't she come down?"
"Hmph!" Gion snapped out of her momentary fluster, her expression hardening as she remembered something. She shot Akira a sharp look.
"She said she's not used to this kind of scene and will head back on her own later."
Gion emphasized pointedly, "Back to her room."
"..."
Akira was momentarily taken aback, glancing at Gion with a bit of confusion.
Why does it suddenly feel so tense?
However, he wisely chose not to push the matter further. He simply glanced once more at the quiet warship before shifting his attention away.
"Teacher Zephyr, let's head back."
"Yes, I'm eager to hear about Gion's achievements over this period."
The three of them then walked towards the office building together.