How can I become the Pirate King if you don’t work hard?.

Chapter 458: The bottom defeats the top?
"Speaking of which, the Sharp Blade Unit was originally supposed to be handed over to Mr. Zephyr, but then Fleet Admiral Sengoku changed his mind at the last minute."

"This is your good fortune, and this is your misfortune."

Drake paused for a moment, then, after confirming that the man before him meant no harm, sat down and asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.
"Why did Professor Zephyr make that decision back then?!"

He doesn't understand.

I've never understood this.

Zephyr was the person he respected most, or rather, Zephyr was the person most respected by the vast majority of officers and soldiers in the Navy Headquarters.

Within the Navy, the only one who can surpass Zephyr in prestige is Garp, who is known as a hero.

more importantly.

After Zephyr turned his hand on Mary Geoise and committed endless atrocities, he severed all ties with the past and buried his own code of justice against killing.

What happened to Zephyr that forced that man to make such a decision?!

Drake's gaze was intense, trying to find the answer in Fujitora's face, but he only saw a faint trace of remorse in the other's eyes.

Fujitora took a sip of tea and said slowly:
"What do you think justice is?!"

"Justice...justice is..."

Drake opened his mouth, but suddenly realized that he couldn't give a definite answer.

These two words, which sustained his will even in the darkness, and which he and countless other marines regarded as their faith, seemed so unfamiliar at this moment.

"Eliminate pirates? Protect civilians? Maintain the peace of the seas? Or uphold the rule of the World Government and defend the privileges of the Celestial Dragons?!"

"Whose justice is this?!"

"You don't even know what justice is, do you really have the right to bear the burden of justice?!"

Fujitora's words were like a knife, stabbing Drake's heart, making him blush, yet he couldn't find a reason to refute them.

He knew perfectly well that Fujitora was right.

But what exactly is justice?
What exactly have I been carrying all this time?
Drake didn't find his answer. He subconsciously looked up at Fujitora, only to see the other's receding figure and Zephyr's words:
"As Mr. Zefa once said."

"When you realize this, when you start to examine your past, examine the justice you bear, and even what everything you have done really means."

"Your hand has already touched the essence of justice."

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
The footsteps faded into the distance, and Fujitora's figure disappeared from sight.

Drake continued to gaze in the direction where Fujitora had disappeared, repeatedly pondering Fujitora's words, but all he could see was confusion.

During this time he saw many things in Britannias.

Frankly speaking, if we ignore the fact that this is a country founded by pirates, Britannias might be the most stable and ideal country on this sea.

It has even transcended this era to some extent.

Sound laws and a will for freedom and equality that is gradually ingrained in the blood of the people are different from those in other parts of the world.

Even Drake, who came from the Navy, could sense that this was how the world should be.

He has witnessed many tragedies caused by the World Government and the Celestial Dragons in the years he has been a pirate.

If one did not firmly believe in justice and that one has always been doing the right thing, one's stance would have already wavered.

Fujitora's words, like the whispers of a demon, were gnawing at Drake's most fundamental beliefs, yet he couldn't stop himself from thinking about them.

Because one believes in justice, one must understand what justice truly is.

The more one understands the essence of justice, the better.

The more he compared everything he saw in Britannias with the kingdoms under the World Government, the more...

The more clearly one feels that the justice one carries may not have been justice in the first place.

Drake sat in the shipyard for a long time, not leaving until late at night.

Hawkins, standing at a distance, watched him and subconsciously took out a brand-new tarot deck from his pocket.

He no longer blindly believes in his divination results, but that doesn't stop him from using them to glean some hidden information.

The tarot cards fluttered in Hawkins' hands. He casually picked out three, and after looking at them, a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Is it a cycle of wavering, destruction, and then innovation?!"

"you……"

"What choice will they make?!"

"Drake!"

……

a few days later.

Navy Headquarters.

Akainu and a group of high-ranking Navy officers gathered in a conference room on the top floor.

The Den Den Mushi used for recording was crushed by the Green Cow Aramaki, who was guarding the door, leaving only a pile of broken shells and slime.

Tina, sitting at the back of the crowd, saw this scene and her pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

The video denial-of-call (DDoS) device was installed at the World Government's insistence to record every internal Navy meeting.

The symbolic meaning of Aramaki's actions was all too obvious, and what was even more astonishing was that no one present was surprised or tried to stop him.

Marshal Sakazuki...

What exactly do you want to do?
Tina was utterly horrified and couldn't help but look up at Akainu above.

Recently, there has been a lot of turmoil within the Navy.

The news that Akainu was preparing to reform the Navy had already spread like wildfire, attracting the attention of the World Government and even the entire world.

Everyone is speculating about what ruthless measures this most radical admiral in naval history will take to suppress the seas!
just.

To their surprise, Akainu's first target after taking office was not pirates, but the World Government itself!

"Everyone here is someone I can trust, so I won't waste my breath with pleasantries."

Akainu broke the silence in the meeting room, and everyone immediately perked up, focusing their attention on him. Seeing this, Akainu continued:

"Since the founding of the navy eight hundred years ago, justice has been nothing but empty talk."

"The justice we bear has never been the justice of the Navy, but a justice distorted by the World Government and the Celestials!"

Tina was slightly taken aback, and suddenly realized what Akainu was up to. This man's goal was never pirates, but the World Government and the world itself!

Is this still the same man who acted so radically that even his colleagues couldn't tolerate him?!

Tina was shocked. She looked around and saw that everyone around her looked normal, obviously having expected this.

This was a premeditated coup!
The naval high command joined forces to stab the World Government with a knife!

Perhaps preparations for this day began the moment Akainu took office.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why things went so smoothly, and why they even managed to persuade the vast majority of the high-ranking officers within the Navy.

Tina realized this and understood even more clearly what Akainu was planning to do.

really.

Akainu continued:

"The power of the Celestial Dragons should be checked!"

"I will launch a reform aimed at creating a political system entirely led by the Navy, on top of the existing framework of the World Government!"

"justice……"

"It should be defined by the entity that executes it, rather than as a tool that serves a particular group."

boom--!
Akainu slammed his hand heavily on the table, then stood up and calmly surveyed the room:
"After I finish speaking, who agrees?"

"Who objects?!" *Whoosh!*
Hands suddenly rose up.

A fanatical emotion appeared on the faces of the vice admirals of the Navy Headquarters.

Sitting in their seats, one can almost always see the contradictions and divisions within the navy.

On one hand, it protects member states worldwide, eliminates pirates, and maintains the stability of the seas.

On one hand, he had to act as the World Government's henchman, collecting Celestial Gold everywhere, and witnessing countless civilians being destroyed and driven to the path of pirates.

But these two completely opposite behaviors...

It's all about justice!

But is that really the case?
Everyone has their own scales and their own judgments.

Some people numb themselves with absolute will, while others, after witnessing all of this and realizing their powerlessness to change it, choose to cope passively.

But this sense of separation won't disappear; it will only become more severe over time...

What Akainu needs to do now is to completely deny the past, completely free the Navy from this quagmire of contradictions, and pursue true justice!
This is also why the three admirals, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Green Bull, as well as Sengoku and Garp, have all raised their hands.

With the rise of Britannias and Gawain's survival against the Ancient Weapons, the World Government's rule is facing the most serious threat in its history.

But this is also the Navy's last chance!

Akainu decides to capture her.

boom!
boom!
boom!
Tina heard her own heartbeat, understood the cause and effect, and raised her hand without hesitation.

Thinking of Smoker's involvement with Britannias, she even felt a faint sense of pride.

navy……

It's not that bad!
Smoker, if you, who joined the pirates, saw the Navy now, what would your expression be?!

What we bear is justice!
As they raised their hands, both Tina and the high-ranking naval officers present felt a strange sense of relief.

Yes, it's easy.

The sense of separation between cognition and behavior dissipates at this moment. After the unity of knowledge and action, what follows is a sense of mission that is difficult to put into words.

Justice!
Justice!
What we bear is justice!

Even the three admirals of the Navy felt this way at that moment.

As a result, Aokiji was no longer lazy, Kizaru shed his fatigue, and Green Bull's face was filled with indescribable fervor.

Half an hour later.

End of the meeting.

Akainu did not return to the Fleet Admiral's office. Instead, he changed into civilian clothes, bought a bouquet of flowers at a flower shop near the naval base, and then went to T-Bone's grave.

The tombstone bears only a black and white photograph and a brief account of T-Bone's life, but ironically, the true cause of T-Bone's death was changed to be that he died at the hands of the Golden Lion.

Akainu has seen many of these deceptive tricks over the years.

But every time he came to T-Bone's grave, he could feel the rage in his chest that almost set him ablaze.

“Peng En…”

I will clear your name.

"The kind of justice you are waiting for will come soon."

As Akainu muttered to himself, his Observation Haki keenly detected the approach of another figure, but he did not turn around.

The only reason that, besides himself, there was only one other person who would come to pay homage to the T-bone at such a time.

"Ara ara~!"

“Senior Sakazuki, no, I should call you Marshal now, you really are here.”

After making a few jokes, Aokiji placed the bottle of strong liquor in front of T-Bone's tombstone and said:

"He still prefers this one."

Akainu remained silent.

The two stood in front of T-bone's grave for a long time, until the sun set in the distance and the sea breeze brought a slight chill, before they left side by side.

Aokiji reached up and scratched his scalp, his eyes becoming more serious:
"Once we take this step, there's no going back, neither for us nor for the entire Navy Headquarters."

Akainu said calmly:
"I never intended to turn back."

Qingzhi pinched the bridge of his nose, his tone quite helpless:

"You know, this means that the trouble we'll be dealing with isn't just the World Government, but also that behemoth in the New World."

"Having suffered such a great loss at the World Martial Arts Tournament, based on my understanding of that man, he is definitely not the kind of person who would swallow his pride."

"With the fighting power of those monsters, it's not impossible for them to directly replace the World Government."

“Britannias is acting out of character now, making no move at all… This may just be the calm before the storm.”

Akainu didn't reply, but simply turned and glanced at Aokiji, saying:
"Kuzan."

“You should know Britannias better than I do, and you should know that man better.”

"Which world do you think is better, one in the hands of the Celestial Dragons or one in his hands?!"

Aokiji remained silent for a moment, but judging from his expression, Akainu already knew the answer, and a rare smile appeared on his face:
"so……"

"No matter the outcome, isn't this ocean moving in a better direction?!"

Aokiji was taken aback, then shook his head helplessly:
"makes sense."

“On this point, I’m not as clear-headed as you are, Sakazuki-senpai.”

"Humph~"

Akainu nodded slightly, looking somewhat pleased.
"You still have a lot to learn. After I retire, the position of marshal will be yours."

"My approach is only suitable for chaotic times; your justice is the justice that should exist in times of peace."

Blu-bloom—!
A sudden, urgent phone call interrupted their conversation.

Akainu reached into his pocket and took out a Den Den Mushi. The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of seriousness.

This is a Den Den Mushi (snail phone) used for one-way communication between the Fleet Admiral and the Five Elders.

The secret meeting within the Navy had just ended when the Five Elders called...

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

The news has leaked?!

Who?
Akainu's mind flashed through a series of possible faces, but he rejected them one by one.

Filled with countless questions.

Akainu answered the Den Den Mushi in his hand, but the news he received made his expression change drastically.

"Sakazuki, I want you to immediately mobilize the entire navy to attack Britannias!"

"This is unreasonable!"

Akainu's face turned ashen, and he retorted forcefully:
"After the World Martial Arts Tournament, Knight Gawain's combat power has reached an inhuman level. Even without mentioning him, the high-end combat power gathered within Britannias has reached an extremely terrifying number."

"The navy's top priority right now is to stabilize the seas!"

"This is an order!"

Satan's unyielding voice came through the Den Den Mushi receiver, but what truly enraged Akainu was what he said next:
"Don't think I don't know about the little tricks you've been playing within the Navy."

"Besides..."

"You don't want the whole world to sink faster, do you?!"

(End of this chapter)