One Piece : The Strongest Fleet Admiral

Check out advance chapters over here:

https://patreon.com/VerseVagabond

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"Is the deal settled, Sakazuki?" Zephyr couldn't help but ask as he watched the Kuja Pirates retreat into the distance.

After all, those Kuja pirates would help him train his recruits in the future, so it would be better to learn more about them.

"Everything is under control!"

"Teacher Zephyr, go check out the islands nearby. You'll definitely find them interesting!"

After settling the matter at hand, Sakazuki invited Zephyr to Rusukaina Island.

Rusukaina Island was close to Amazon Lily, so they arrived in no time.

Zephyr expressed great satisfaction after inspecting the island and immediately decided that it was a perfect place for training. He even suggested that Enel should practice here for a while.

Sakazuki used his own knowledge and experience to survey the island, confirming that it was indeed ideal for practice.

When Sakazuki returned to Marineford, he had barely stepped into his study when the transponder snail rang.

Sure enough, it was another call from the Five Elders.

It's late at night—don't these old men ever sleep?

"Sakazuki, have you found the whereabouts of the Celestial Dragons?"

The elder topman warcury asked, his tone slightly anxious.

It was clear that the Five Elders were under pressure from other Celestial Dragons.

After all, three Celestial Dragons had been kidnapped at once—a terrifying thought for the so-called World Nobles.

Can they even go out and enjoy themselves anymore?

"Master Five Elders, the Marines are pursuing them with all their strength!"

"According to reports from the Sabaody Archipelago, the big pirate escaped while Straw Hat Luffy was causing trouble in Impel Down."

"He discovered that his hometown had been destroyed by the Celestial Dragons during his imprisonment. Since then, he's been waiting on Sabaody for the right moment to strike!"

"It's likely to end very badly now!"

Sakazuki responded with lies, even adding a gloating tone to his words.

"Sakazuki, stop with the sarcasm!"

"Presumptuous!"

Several of the Five Elders shouted angrily.

Even though they knew the Marines harbored dissatisfaction with the Celestial Dragons' actions, the Elders could only tolerate it.

The Marines were nothing more than hounds raised by the Celestial Dragons. How dare they bark at their masters?

"The kidnapping of the Celestial Dragons is the Marines' responsibility!"

"Send more forces to pursue them. Bring them back alive if possible—dead, if necessary!"

Sakazuki sneered internally at the Five Elders' unquestionable demands.

How could there even be bodies left to find?

"Understood. We'll try our best," Sakazuki replied before decisively hanging up the transponder snail.

He stood up, walked to his bookshelf, and pulled out a military and political theory book he'd studied before.

Returning to his seat, he began rereading it under the dim light.

The book contained Sakazuki's recent annotations, starting with a brief yet striking sentence:

"War is the continuation of politics."

Below it were more detailed notes.

"War is like a chameleon, ever-changing and unpredictable."

"Yet, violence, probability, and contingency are its fundamental attributes."

"From the perspective of war and politics, politics is the matrix of war, and war is a tool of politics."

He continued reading into the night, closing the book only when dawn began to break.

Walking over to his bed, he lay down to rest briefly.

A wise man remains vigilant. In this morbid and absurd world, one must never succumb to foolish thinking. Knowledge is a weapon, sharp enough to kill without being seen.

In the days that followed, the kidnapping of the Celestial Dragons on the Sabaody Archipelago became a global spectacle.

No one could believe someone dared to kidnap a Celestial Dragon in broad daylight.

Previously, when Straw Hat Luffy punched a Celestial Dragon, it was already considered a sky-shattering event.

The world understood the untouchable status of the Celestial Dragons—they were the descendants of the world's creators, the favorites of the gods.

To attack or disrespect them was to challenge the World Government, inviting utter disaster.

Yet someone had brazenly abducted not one but three Celestial Dragons.

The world was left wondering: which bold pirate could commit such an act?

Meanwhile, the World Government sent a large number of Cipher Pol agents to scour the seas for any trace of the Celestial Dragons.

The Marine Headquarters and its branches also dispatched hundreds of warships in an apparent show of force.

But keen observers noticed that the Marines seemed more focused on wiping out wandering pirates than actually searching for the Celestial Dragons.

Even minor pirates, some without bounties, were hunted down mercilessly.

This, of course, was Sakazuki's plan. Amidst the chaos, he seized the chance to clear the sea of its trash.

As for finding the Celestial Dragons?

Don't kid yourself—they'll never be found.

Symbolically, Sakazuki sent Admiral Kizaru to patrol the Grand Line. But every evening, Kizaru would come to the Fleet Admiral's office to complain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A familiar knock came at the door. Without looking up, Sakazuki knew it was Kizaru.

"Ouch~ Sakazuki, my old bones can't handle all this running around!"

"Oh! Hibari is here too!"

Kizaru greeted Sakazuki and Hibari as he entered. Finding a sofa, he sat down with an exaggerated pout.

Kizaru and Sakazuki, both hailing from North Blue, had joined the Marines at the same time. They were familiar with each other, and formalities were unnecessary.

However, their philosophies differed greatly.

Kizaru thought Sakazuki was too rigid, while Sakazuki viewed Kizaru as lazy, similar to Aokiji.

Still, their relationship was better than the tense one Sakazuki had with Aokiji.

"You don't need to search too hard. Just cruise around the sea twice," Sakazuki said, glancing at Kizaru.

He leaned back, casually pulling out a cigar. Lighting it with a flicker of lava, he began to smoke contentedly.

Seeing this, Kizaru wasn't about to be outdone.

Kizaru immediately took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his laser.

"Sakazuki, this isn't something you can just say!"

He blew out a puff of smoke heavily, as if he wanted to expel all the day's fatigue through the cloud of smoke. Then, he turned to Sakazuki with a puzzled expression.

Although Kizaru knew that Sakazuki, a strict soldier who upheld absolute justice, had little tolerance for the behavior of the Celestial Dragons and likely wished they would all perish, he also knew Sakazuki was a man who strictly followed orders. How could he now be so blatantly indifferent?

Kizaru couldn't help but feel that Sakazuki had changed a lot since becoming Fleet Admiral.

First, there was his strength. Sakazuki's power seemed to have increased dramatically, almost unnoticed. Even sitting nearby, Kizaru could feel the overwhelming presence of his strength. Sakazuki wasn't even trying to show it, yet the sheer magnitude of his physical energy felt like it was spilling over. It was more intense than when Sakazuki had faced Whitebeard at his peak.

Kizaru hadn't seen Sakazuki train or practice anywhere. He hadn't been fighting Whitebeard, Aokiji, Rayleigh, or Shanks to explain such growth in power. But somehow, Sakazuki's strength had reached terrifying new heights.

Even more surprising was Sakazuki's use of Conqueror's Haki—an ability Kizaru had never seen him use before. When Sakazuki displayed it during his clash with Shanks, it was so powerful it nearly matched the red-haired Emperor's own Haki. It had shocked Kizaru to the core.

"We've been comrades for decades," Kizaru thought to himself, "and I never knew Sakazuki could use Conqueror's Haki. Was he hiding it all along? Now that he's Fleet Admiral, has he decided to stop holding back?"

The more Kizaru thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

"And here I thought he was serious and straightforward," Kizaru mused. "Turns out he's been playing his cards close to his chest all this time!"

Second, Sakazuki seemed less rigid and more composed. While he was still strict and ruthless, his once fiery temper had calmed, and he was more pragmatic and measured. Was this transformation the result of his promotion? Kizaru was relieved he hadn't sought the position of Fleet Admiral himself—he couldn't imagine giving up his comfortable, laid-back lifestyle.

Sakazuki, unaware of Kizaru's musings, leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke from his cigar. Without looking up, he addressed the pensive Kizaru.

"Monkey, there's no chance you'll find the Celestial Dragons."

Hearing this, Kizaru took another drag from his cigarette. He frowned, processing the statement.

"Then why send me to search the seas?" Kizaru paused, narrowing his eyes. "Wait… Impossible to find them? You mean…"

Kizaru stopped mid-sentence, his gaze shifting to Sakazuki with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Sakazuki paused briefly, extinguished his cigar, and gestured for Hibari to close the office door. The seriousness in his expression made Kizaru sit up.

Sakazuki leaned forward, crossing his hands on the desk, his voice lowering as he spoke.

"Because…"

There was a deliberate pause.

"I. Killed. The Celestial Dragons."

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Check out advance chapters over here:

https://patreon.com/VerseVagabond

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