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As if on cue, the gold that covered the sky and the sun filled everyone's vision in the next instant.
"The land of gold really exists."
Kuzan's mouth dropped open unconsciously as the gold rained down.
It was clear now—there really was a Sky Island over 10,000 meters up, with villages and towns filled with gold.
"This is bad!"
The blinding golden light flashed across his eyes, snapping Kuzan back to reality.
Seeing the gold about to fall into the sea, he didn't dare to hesitate any longer. He rushed to the sea's surface and ran to the area where the gold would sink.
With such a massive amount of gold, the weight and the sea's resistance would make it nearly impossible to recover if it sank to the deep sea.
Not only would it take a lot of time, but he'd definitely get blamed for it.
Kuzan wasn't about to fail over something so small.
"Ice Age."
A surge of cold air burst from his entire body, and within moments, the nearby sea was completely frozen.
At the same time, all the gold crashed onto the ice.
Bang, bang.
Rumble.
Shards of ice flew into the air.
"Wow, that's a lot of gold!"
"We're going to be rich."
The soldiers stared in disbelief at the gold still falling, suddenly finding the treasure chest they'd just found a lot less impressive.
This scene continued for a full hour.
"What are you waiting for? Go and collect all the gold."
Kuzan broke free from the ice, pointed ahead at the dazzling sight, and ordered.
"Oh, oh... yes!"
The soldiers snapped out of it, jumped off the warship, and rushed toward the gold as fast as they could.
Kuzan let out a long breath.
While waiting for Borsalino to return, he kept watch, ready in case pirates showed up to steal the treasure.
After a long time...
There was movement in the sky again.
Borsalino returned to the ice, carrying a backpack as big as a mountain.
He tossed the massive bag into the open space, left the remaining cleanup to the soldiers, and strolled over with his hands in his pockets.
"All done?"
Kuzan noticed the bloodstains on Borsalino and frowned slightly.
But after a moment's thought, he kept his opinion to himself.
With so much gold taken, unless Sky Island was deserted, conflict was inevitable.
And where there's conflict, there are casualties.
No matter how unfair it was to the local residents, right now, Marine lives took priority.
Although Kuzan was kind, he wasn't naive.
"Ah, not a single gram of gold was missed."
"The one in the backpack came from a big snake's stomach. I had to chop it up to be sure."
Borsalino shrugged, breathing easily, with no sign of injury.
Even when Sky Island was under Enel's rule, it would've been no challenge for an Admiral like him. They couldn't touch him at all.
If they can't use Armament Haki and can't even counter his basic intangibility, how could they possibly beat him?
A silence fell around them.
Borsalino and Kuzan stood guard on either side, waiting for the soldiers to gather all the gold.
As the golden mountain grew taller, Kuzan couldn't help but remark.
"There's so much... how many berries will this sell for?"
"I don't know, but Akira doesn't seem to plan on selling it."
Borsalino pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a long drag. "I don't get what he's thinking."
"Huh? If it's not for sale, what's the plan? Isn't berries what our Marine needs most right now?"
"The first step was getting the Sky Island gold; the second step is taking this golden mountain around the world to display and show off."
Borsalino tapped the cigarette ash and said pointedly, "Not for sale, just for showing off."
"Who will show off this?"
"You, me, and Sakazuki, who's tracking a pirate. He'll be here as soon as he's done."
"Hiss... is he out of his mind?"
Kuzan gasped, realizing that Akira actually intended for the three of them to parade this golden mountain around the world.
"Isn't he worried about getting robbed halfway?"
Whitebeard's still alive. Plus, Kaido, Big Mom, and other pirates who once clashed with Roger are still out there, active on these seas.
Even though the three Marine Admirals are incredibly strong together, if some powerful pirate, driven by greed, decides to attack, it could turn out like when Shiki raided Marineford.
If someone manages to hold off the three of them—even if just for a little while—the pirates could make off with this entire golden mountain, leaving nothing behind.
That would mean losing a golden opportunity that could have filled the Marine's financial gap, evaporating right before their eyes.
"Well, I don't know either~," Borsalino said with a lazy shrug. "But I don't think Akira overlooked something like that, so let's not overthink it.
"Just follow the orders. If things get dangerous, we can run. If not, just think of it as a government-paid vacation."
"Anyway, if something goes wrong, it's not our responsibility."
Kuzan:
What you said suddenly made so much sense that I don't know what to say.
He originally planned to call the Fleet Admiral's office to inquire, but now he decided against it.
"Alright, let's just stick to Akira's plan."
"Yeah! But now we've got a big problem."
"What?"
"This mountain of gold is taller and heavier than dozens of warships put together. How are we supposed to move it? And Akira also wants us to use this gold to recreate Shandora. I can't do that, can you?"
The two stared blankly at the golden mountain and fell silent.
*****
Meanwhile, at the Fleet Admiral's office...
Akira hung up the Den Den Mushi, his eyes flickering as he looked at the photo of the Poneglyph from Sky Island.
"This thing... could bring some unexpected rewards in the future."
"For now, though, academics might be willing to pay a hefty sum for it."
He knew the storyline well and had his own theories about the Void Century, so he wasn't particularly interested in this Poneglyph right now.
Besides, Roger already took the complete historical record to Raftel.
This fragment is of no use to him, but...
While it doesn't matter to him, it matters to someone.
In the famous archaeological haven of Ohara in West Blue, scholars are willing to risk their lives for even the smallest piece of information about the Void Century.
If they found out that this Poneglyph contained significant information, they'd go absolutely mad.
"Perfect timing, I'll pick up little Robin tonight. Maybe I'll have a chat with Olvia too."
Akira smirked and carefully tucked the photo away.
Since ancient times, information scarcity has been the most profitable.
This Poneglyph could guide scholars, who are wasting their time and resources scouring the globe for historical texts, in the right direction.
For such valuable information, it's not unreasonable to ask for a large portion of their net worth, right?
Knock, knock, knock.
"Soldier, go get the Deputy Staff Officer. I have some orders to give."
Akira knocked on the table and issued instructions to the Marine outside.
Next, he needed to create the right momentum for promoting the Golden Town, and there were some crucial points that had to be handled personally.
The sound from the Den Den Mushi was unclear.
The soldier quickly hurried downstairs.
But when he returned, it wasn't the deputy chief of staff he brought back—it was someone entirely unexpected.
"Rosinante? What are you doing here?"
Akira raised an eyebrow, glancing down the corridor behind Rosinante but seeing no one else. He asked curiously, "Where's the deputy chief of staff?"
"My lord, the deputy chief of staff has collapsed recently due to emotional stress," Rosinante replied, standing tall like a javelin, giving a crisp salute before continuing in a clear voice.
"Collapsed? Why? It's not like he has to answer the phone 24 hours a day."
"True," Rosinante said with a mix of admiration and helplessness. "But he's also been seeing the daily reports of the Marine Bank's sharp increases. And..."
Akira listened quietly.
Soon enough, he understood why the deputy chief of staff had broken down.
The main reason was overwork and the immense pressure he put on himself.
The one-trillion-berry shortfall at Marine Headquarters was something Akira had kept secret from the lower-ranked soldiers. But among the high-ranking officers, it wasn't a secret—anyone who wanted to know could find out.
Akira's goal was to make them aware of the gravity of the situation, to instill a sense of urgency.
But he hadn't anticipated that this pressure would take such a toll—not on him as the acting Fleet Admiral—but on the deputy chief of staff.
The deputy chief of staff had a deep-seated sense of justice and was one of the hardest-working individuals when it came to ensuring the future of the Marines.
Though he appeared confident daily, he was equally worried about the crisis facing headquarters.
As time went on, the fraud department's reports were submitted, and the incredible numbers changing daily made him ecstatic.
But the emotional highs and lows from seeing those results every day began to take their toll.
When he learned that it was possible to make a lot of money through deception, he became impatient, no longer content to simply supervise his subordinates.
He spent every day racking his brain, thinking of new schemes, trying to come up with ways to milk more money, and analyzing how to execute these plans in steps. This obsession led to even more elaborate schemes.
His dedication went so far that he reportedly devised a plan to charge 100,000 berries to jump the queue and meet "Queen Alice" in person, with competitors having to pay to get ahead in line.
And as for how to win her full favor? Simple—just keep spending money!
Spend another 100,000 berries for a 10% increase in favorability, and after reaching 20%, continue paying 100,000 berries to boost it further...
Once you hit 90%, with just 10% left, all you need is 100 million berries, and you could spend the night with Queen Alice.
It's said that they even hired females from the Pleasure District in the Sabaody Archipelago specifically for this scheme, paying them a monthly salary of one million berries.
Clearly, they had deep pockets.
Not only that, but they recruited hundreds of Pleasure District workers from all over the world, pretending to be Queen Alice or her close associates for offline interactions.
Though the deputy chief of staff didn't have to answer the phone 24/7, he burned through a huge amount of brainpower.
If you only sleep 2-3 hours a day, who wouldn't get exhausted?
"The deputy chief of staff has worked hard. Once we overcome this challenge, I'll personally award him a medal," Akira said, feeling a mix of emotions. Then he turned back to Rosinante. "So, you're in charge of the staff department now?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Well..."
Akira pursed his lips.
This was quite the twist—the son of an enemy had become his right-hand man.
In a storyline like this, it would only be fitting if, at a critical moment, Rosinante betrayed them, putting the Marines on the brink of bankruptcy, wouldn't it?
"...Sir, should I call someone else?" Rosinante asked proactively, sensing that Akira might be considering replacing him. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath, though the suspicion hurt and felt unfair.
Still, maybe being removed would be for the best. It would mean he wouldn't have to help his father's rival, and it would put more distance between him and his father's legacy.
He could only try to comfort himself with that thought.
"Ah, no. I'm not doubting you—I was just thinking about something else," Akira said, snapping back to reality and offering Rosinante a warm smile.
Rosinante's performance during this period must have been exceptional to earn the recognition of the deputy chief of staff and be chosen as his successor. Beyond his unwavering sense of justice, Rosinante's innate kindness and integrity make it clear that he would never betray the Marines, especially at such a crucial moment.
The real issue lies with the unreliable subordinates under his command. Rosinante's strength and dedication are too valuable to be wasted on trivial tasks, so, for now, Akira has no choice but to rely on him.
"Alright, next I need the staff to generate momentum for the Golden Land."
"The Golden Land? Isn't that just a fairy tale? It's usually cited as a cautionary tale against lying."
"No, it's real. These are photos Borsalino took on Sky Island, 10,000 meters up. They also explain how the Golden Land vanished 400 years ago."
Akira handed over a stack of photos and a file from the desk.
Rosinante took them and studied them carefully.
"Hiss... that much gold? Is this for real?"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Of course it's real. I have no reason to lie to you," Akira confirmed with a nod, leaning on his hands as he sighed softly. "You see, even you were skeptical at first. Imagine how the rest of the world will react."
"So, I need you to convince the entire world that the Golden Land truly exists as quickly as possible."
"You can decide on the title, content, and methods of operation. I only care about the outcome."
"Of course, in a few days, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Sakazuki will broadcast this live worldwide and work with newspapers to convince everyone."
"That's your first mission."
"The second task is to gather a hundred of the most renowned gold appraisers and bring them to Alabasta to wait for Borsalino and the others."
"If transportation is an issue, arrange for nearby officers to escort them. Remember, this is crucial!"
To emphasize his point, Akira knocked heavily on the table.
Rosinante swallowed hard, then immediately saluted with a firm "Understood, sir! I'll complete the mission without fail."
"Very well, you can go now."
"Yes, sir!"
As the door to the Fleet Admiral's office closed, Akira leaned back in his chair.
He took out a cigar, lit it, and took a long drag.
At this stage, he had so much on his plate, with countless things to consider.
He could no longer micromanage every detail as he used to. He needed to delegate, focus on the bigger picture, and trust his subordinates with the smaller tasks.
He would let them showcase their talents and only intervene if the final results didn't align with his expectations.
"The time is tight. The speed of a regular warship might not be enough," Akira suddenly thought, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
He activated his power, causing a deformed leaf to appear in his palm.
Picking up a pen, he recalled a figure from his memory: long blond hair reaching the ground, a ship's rudder stuck in his head, and two famous swords attached to his legs.
Swish, swish, swish.
"Golden Lion Shiki."
As Akira completed writing the name, he felt a drain on his physical strength, his face paling slightly.
He tossed the Transformation Leaf forward casually.
More than twenty years later, the old Golden Lion, who was defeated by the Straw Hat Luffy crew early in their Grand Line journey, materialized.
Though this Golden Lion was considerably weaker, Akira wasn't concerned about his strength.
What he valued was the power of the Float-Float Fruit, which allowed Shiki to fly freely, crossing the Calm Belt and Red Line at will.
"Go to East Blue, find Borsalino, and use your Devil Fruit ability to assist them."
"Also, take these leaves and let them use them as the situation requires."
"Yes, my lord," the transformed Shiki replied, ready to carry out the mission.