-----
"What did you just say?!"
Aramaki's eyes widened as he stared at Uchiha Kitaro upon hearing his words.
"What? Didn't understand? Let me repeat it for you: who gave you the courage to speak to me like this?"
"It's only been six months, and you've already forgotten the pain, huh?"
"If I hadn't held back back then, do you think you'd still be alive?"
"Surely you don't actually believe it was luck that saved you, right?"
"With my speed and your clunky moves, do you really think I couldn't have smashed your face in?"
"Instead of being grateful for my mercy in sparing your life, letting you show off here, you come at me with this attitude? Are you asking for another beating?"
Kitaro's words sent shockwaves through the crowd. The truth about the final battle of the World Draft had been suppressed by Sengoku to avoid affecting certain individuals' reputations.
As it turned out, Vice-Admiral Uchiha Akira had thoroughly defeated Vice-Admiral Aramaki during the World Draft.
Aramaki's face turned red with fury, and he bellowed, "UCHIHA AKIRA! Don't think I'm the same person I was six months ago! This time, the outcome between us is far from certain!"
"Sure, sure. You've gotten stronger, no doubt. But does that mean I've grown weaker? If you can't guarantee victory, maybe you should stop barking at me. Otherwise... I might just kill you."
"What did you say?!"
Aramaki's rage reached a boiling point, and his body began to transform.
"RAAAARGH!"
Many onlookers turned pale. Aramaki was one of the most notorious monsters in the Navy Headquarters over the past six months, with strength close to that of a full-fledged admiral.
Kitaro's eyes shifted, transforming into the Sharingan as he locked gazes with Aramaki. Even through Aramaki's sunglasses, the chilling intensity of those eyes made his heart skip a beat.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted the tense standoff.
"Alright, that's enough. Can't you see the subordinates are scared stiff?"
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice—a tall man sitting casually in a corner, slurping noodles.
"It's Vice-Admiral Issho!"
Issho and Aramaki were both rising stars among the Navy's vice admirals, with strong prospects of being promoted to admiral after the new Fleet Admiral was chosen.
With Uchiha Kitaro also present, the three frontrunners for the admiral positions were all gathered in one place.
Aramaki snorted. "Uchiha Akira, I'll let this slide today out of respect for Issho and your age. But during the competition for the admiral position, I'll show you who's truly the strongest!"
"Let's go!" he barked at his three subordinates, who quickly followed him out.
Before they could leave, Issho added calmly, "You three—speaking out of turn and disrespecting a superior officer warrants punishment. The Navy's discipline must be upheld."
The three subordinates turned pale as they realized their fate. With Vice Admirals like Uchiha Akira (Kitaro), Gion (Momousagi), and Issho all in the running for admiral, there was no way they could avoid being demoted or penalized.
Regret filled their hearts. If they had known this would happen, they would've kept their mouths shut.
Aramaki's face darkened at Issho's words but could not argue—it was indeed Navy protocol.
Once Aramaki and his group disappeared, the tension eased. The onlookers collectively let out a sigh of relief. If Aramaki and Kitaro had fought, they would've been caught in the chaos.
"That Aramaki is insufferable!"
Gion muttered in irritation. She had heard plenty of unpleasant rumors about Aramaki—a staunch racist who groveled before the World Government and the Celestial Dragons while discriminating against people from non-affiliated nations.
Kitaro chuckled. "He's just a clown. Don't waste your energy on him."
To Kitaro, Aramaki's abilities as a wood-user were laughable compared to the legendary First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Issho approached and said, "Vice-Admiral Akira, I heard you thwarted Golden Lion Shiki's plans. The people of East Blue owe you a great debt."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku had decided to suppress news of Shiki's attempted attack on Navy Headquarters. Not only would it prevent unrest within the Navy, but it would also secure East Blue's loyalty to the World Government. For now, only Gion, Kitaro, and Sengoku knew the full details.
Kitaro smiled. "I was simply doing my duty."
"Still, it seems we're now competitors," Issho said. "To change this corrupt world, gaining more power is essential."
"Perhaps. But who's to say if only one admiral position will be open? Maybe there'll be two."
Issho frowned, puzzled by Kitaro's remark. With one admiral set to become the Fleet Admiral, shouldn't only one position remain?
This minor incident spread quickly, highlighting the fierce competition for not only the Fleet Admiral role but also the admiral positions.
A week passed in a flash. Gion was assigned a mission and departed after spending one last passionate night with Kitaro, leaving him thoroughly exhausted.
"My goodness, I can't keep up," Kitaro muttered. "No wonder so many married men complain. With a woman like her, even a rich man would run out of steam!"
---
Meanwhile, Golden Lion Shiki, after a symbolic trial on the rebuilt Enies Lobby, was once again imprisoned in Impel Down's sixth level—Eternal Hell.
—Eternal Hell—
Since Blackbeard's rampage, Impel Down's once-crowded sixth level had become eerily empty.
This level had been home to monstrous pirates so fearsome that they had been erased from history. Here, prisoners either faced execution or eternal confinement.
Their atrocities were so heinous that the government suppressed any reports of their existence, hiding their crimes even from newspapers.
Blackbeard's attack had forced these criminals to fight each other, leaving the survivors to join his crew.
As a result, Eternal Hell, once brimming with horrors, now held only a handful of prisoners, even after six months.
.
.
.