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Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
The long-anticipated battle between Akainu and Aokiji for the position of Fleet Admiral was finally about to begin.
The World Government favored Akainu as the new Fleet Admiral, while the Marine Headquarters leaned towards Aokiji. Neither side was willing to back down. After much discussion, it was decided that Akainu and Aokiji would duel to determine the winner, who would then become the new Fleet Admiral.
Both sides agreed to this method.
In this world, strength has always been the determining factor—those who are strong rise, and the weak fall.
For twenty years, Akainu and Aokiji had clashed ideologically. During the Ohara incident, Akainu chose to complete his mission at all costs, even if it meant killing a thousand innocents just to ensure no one guilty escaped.
In contrast to Akainu's ruthlessness, Aokiji was relatively merciful. He actively sought to save civilians and tried his best to avoid collateral damage during battles.
Over the years, their disagreements only deepened.
As the position of Fleet Admiral was the supreme command of the Navy, neither was willing to yield.
This past year, after Sengoku announced his retirement, the rivalry between the two Admirals intensified further.
---
Punk Hazard Island
Boom! Boom!—!!
On this island, Aokiji and Akainu began their duel.
Watching from a distance were Uchiha Kitaro, Gion (Momousagi), Sengoku, and Garp.
Gion was somewhat shocked—Uchiha Kitaro's prediction had come true. Akainu and Aokiji were indeed settling the matter through a duel, with the winner becoming Fleet Admiral.
Uchiha Kitaro had been brought along by Sengoku as a precaution against any unforeseen events. After all, a battle between two Admirals could leave them both severely weakened. If someone were to exploit that moment, it would spell disaster.
When Sengoku requested Kitaro's presence, Kitaro was momentarily stunned. Since when did this old man trust him so much? Didn't he worry that he might be the one to take advantage of the situation?
But upon seeing that Sengoku had also brought Gion, Kitaro understood. The old man wasn't entirely trusting—this was likely a test or an attempt to gauge his stance.
Sengoku might have wanted to see if Kitaro, faced with two heavily injured Admirals, would reveal his true colors despite Gion's presence.
Regardless of the intent, Kitaro wasn't concerned. His goal was to become an Admiral, and he had no plans to make a move against Akainu or Aokiji at this stage.
The battle raged on for ten days and ten nights.
The natural environment of Punk Hazard underwent drastic changes, transforming the island into a land of fire and ice.
It must be said—the endurance of this world's top fighters was terrifying, far surpassing that of the ninja world.
Boom!—!!
A massive shockwave erupted from Punk Hazard, and then silence fell.
"The battle is over!"
After ten days and nights, a victor was finally decided.
When Uchiha Kitaro and the others arrived at the scene, Akainu was sitting on the ground, his body covered in severe frostbite, breathing heavily.
Aokiji, on the other hand, was in even worse shape—his left leg below the knee was completely gone.
As in the original anime, the final outcome was Akainu's victory over Aokiji.
This result didn't surprise Uchiha Kitaro. From his previous sparring matches with both Akainu and Aokiji, he had already noticed that Akainu's strength surpassed Aokiji's.
Particularly Akainu's offensive power—it was strong enough to break through even the initial form of Kitaro's Susanoo after just a few punches.
"Kuzan!!"
Seeing Aokiji's state, Garp grew visibly anxious. Kuzan was his most prized disciple.
"Sorry… Garp-san, I lost," Aokiji said weakly.
"Medic! Get the Admirals treated immediately!" Sengoku shouted in alarm.
Medics rushed to place Aokiji on a stretcher.
"Admiral Akainu…"
"No need! I can walk on my own," Akainu growled, refusing assistance as he staggered toward the warship.
Upon returning to Marine Headquarters, the matter of the Fleet Admiral was conclusively resolved.
Sengoku officially stepped down, and Akainu became the new Fleet Admiral. Unable to tolerate working under Akainu's methods, Aokiji chose to resign from his position as Admiral.
Without notifying anyone, Aokiji left a resignation letter in the hospital and quietly departed Marine Headquarters, carrying his belongings on a bicycle.
This left two Admiral positions vacant, to be filled by Admiral candidates.
Currently, there were five candidates: Uchiha Kitaro (Akira), Issho (Fujitora), Aramaki (Ryokugyu), Tokikake (Chaton), and Gion (Momousagi).
Gion decided to withdraw from the competition, leaving four contenders: Kitaro, Issho, Aramaki, and Tokikake.
Akainu proposed a solution: the four would battle against one another. Each contender would face the other three in separate matches, and the one with the most victories would become the new Admiral.
No one objected to this decision—after all, in this world, strength determines everything.
"If there are no objections, we'll draw lots," Akainu announced, bringing out a box for the participants.
"I'll go first!"
Aramaki immediately stepped forward, not giving anyone else a chance. He quickly reached into the box and pulled out a small ball with the name Uchiha Akira written on it.
Aramaki turned to Kitaro with a grin. "Perfect! Uchiha Akira, this time I'll repay the humiliation you brought me a year ago!"
Kitaro merely smiled. 'Akainu, you really can't resist petty schemes, can you?'
In the original timeline, Akainu had encouraged others to stab Whitebeard during the Marineford War. This time, thanks to Kitaro's presence, Akainu had no chance to act in such a manner.
War is war. A little underhandedness isn't a problem, but that kind of behavior will always be looked down upon.
If Akainu wanted to play games, Kitaro was more than happy to oblige.
Akainu announced the matchups: "Aramaki versus Uchiha Akira. The other match will be Issho versus Tokikake."
"Then, the winners will face each other, and the losers will also battle one another.
"In the final round, you'll face the opponent you haven't fought yet.
"If there are no objections, prepare yourselves. The matches will take place three days from now on the Red Line."
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