Chapter 516: Temporary Calm in the Situation

"Understood."

Sengoku's command caused a brief silence from Kizaru and Aokiji before both nodded in acknowledgment. Normally, when Garp was engaged in battle, others wouldn't interfere. With two Admirals present as backup, they could intervene if the opponent attempted to escape. Sengoku's order for Kizaru to join the fight, however, showed just how urgent the situation had become.

It was no wonder Sengoku was anxious. The Navy's current predicament was far worse than it had been in the original story.

"Are you underestimating me?" Before Kizaru could act, Kaido burst into a rage. Clad in lightning, his right arm shot towards Aokiji.

For the Navy to send an Admiral to deal with him alone while another supported Garp in fighting his previous opponent implied that they considered him weaker than his rival.

Boom.

A massive impact followed as Aokiji's body shattered into countless ice shards, only for him to reappear about ten meters to Kaido's left.

"Ice Spears." Two ice spears, wrapped in Armament Haki, materialized beside Aokiji and shot toward Kaido, who shattered them with a single punch.

Aokiji's goal was merely to hold Kaido back and prevent him from interfering with Garp's fight, so he conjured a steady stream of ice weapons, each imbued with Haki. Even Kaido couldn't afford to ignore such attacks.

There was no definitive answer to who was stronger between the Four Emperors and the Admirals, but based on their current exchange, the Emperors seemed to hold a slight edge. Nevertheless, it was virtually impossible for an Emperor to defeat an Admiral in a short time, and two Admirals working together would undoubtedly overpower an Emperor.

"Really playing dirty, aren't we?" Daniel muttered as he began to retreat, feeling increasingly pressured by Kizaru's precise laser attacks. Every shot targeted his weak points, leaving him no opportunity to mount a counterattack against Garp's relentless punches.

Garp quickly understood Sengoku's reasoning and accepted the strategy, recognizing that he and Kizaru made a powerful combination: Garp as the primary attacker, with Kizaru providing support and suppressing Daniel's mobility.

"Fighting two opponents at once is definitely tough… unless I use that." Weighed down by Kizaru's lasers and Garp's iron fists, Daniel considered retreating. He did have a way to deal with this situation: his time-stopping ability. Twenty seconds of frozen time, even if reduced by resistance, would be more than enough. In a close-range battle like this, a single second of time freeze could determine life or death.

Of course, targeting vital spots would be crucial rather than relying on raw physical attacks. In the world of pirates, the physical resilience of the strongest fighters was almost inhuman.

"Akainu really had it rough…" Daniel mused as he evaded Kizaru's laser and Garp's attacks, reflecting on the Summit War. With Kizaru exerting this level of effort back then, Akainu wouldn't have had to fight with all his might on the front lines alone. During that war, the Navy had three Admirals, yet only Akainu fought intensely, with Aokiji freezing the sea briefly and then disappearing into the ocean. Meanwhile, Kizaru sporadically fired his lasers at Whitebeard without much commitment.

"Well, that's enough fun. Farewell." Seizing an opening, Daniel dodged Garp's punch and deflected two of Kizaru's lasers, flashing a grin at his two opponents before disappearing from sight.

"Another spatial ability? What a headache." Kizaru's brows furrowed at Daniel's sudden disappearance. He had refrained from attacking with full force, mainly to assist Garp, and partly to stay alert for other Akatsuki members who might join the fray.

He hadn't expected this "Tobirama Senju" to also possess spatial abilities—ones that left no trace when activated.

Previously, the Navy's analysts, led by Vice Admiral Tsuru, had identified weaknesses in Daniel's Kamui ability based on Aokiji's description, noting that it prevented him from attacking while activated. But this time, Daniel vanished without warning, and no trace of him could be detected even with Observation Haki.

"Zoan Mythical Devil Fruit and spatial abilities… Could it be that Akatsuki members all possess two Devil Fruit powers?" Kizaru muttered, his speculation making Sengoku's expression back at Marineford darken.

Akatsuki members already had power rivaling Admirals and Emperors. Adding spatial powers that allowed them to leave at will would be disastrous intelligence for the Navy.

With a spatial ability, even if Garp, Sengoku, and the three Admirals joined forces, Akatsuki's members could still escape if they wanted.

"Hahaha! What a show!" Kaido, now transformed into a massive blue dragon, laughed loudly as he flew away, leaving Garp and Kizaru to handle his absence.

Although Kaido was arrogant, he wasn't foolish. With Daniel gone, if he stayed any longer, he'd soon face Garp and the two Admirals in a three-way assault.

Kizaru and Garp made no attempt to stop Kaido. While Kizaru could have prevented Kaido's departure, now was not the time for the Navy to clash with an Emperor.

Additionally, Kaido's domain, Wano Country, had an alliance with the World Government. The Navy relied heavily on Wano for weapons, particularly Seastone.

It was ironic: the World Government and the Navy depended on pirates to supply them with the very tools they used to combat piracy, but that was the reality of this world.

Only the highest ranks in the Navy, like Kizaru, were aware of this arrangement.

In fact, Daniel had somewhat overestimated the World Government's strength, largely out of caution towards the mysterious Im. In truth, the World Government was much weaker than he anticipated.

This was a world where powerful individuals could single-handedly rival entire armies or nations. In a less power-centric world, the World Government might not have survived this long.

The reason was simple: the World Government was deeply corrupt. For the Celestial Dragons living on the Red Line, wealth was for pleasure, not for development. The automation in the moving walkways of the Red Line was a testament to their wasteful excess.

In reality, the Rock Pirates had come close to wiping out the Celestial Dragons, a feat made possible by the relatively low strength of the Rocks Pirates' members at that time. Kaido and Big Mom were members, but they hadn't yet reached the level of strength they would attain as Emperors. Their power only grew with time, much like Shanks, who started as an apprentice on Roger's ship.

Look at Wano's Shogun, Kurozumi Orochi. Despite the wealth he amassed from weapon sales, Wano remained impoverished because Orochi squandered it all.

The Goa Kingdom, the "most beautiful" kingdom in the East Blue, was similarly weak, with its soldiers reliant on weaponry rather than skill. Powerful individuals weren't absent in these nations; they simply lacked the motivation to grow stronger.

Sabo, now the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff, wouldn't have reached such heights if he'd stayed in the Goa Kingdom.

Countless individuals across the seas possessed potential. They simply lacked the will to become strong, as was the case with Sabo and Koala. Who could have predicted that a former civilian and slave of the Celestial Dragons would become a karate instructor for the Revolutionary Army?

Yet most nobles had no desire to strengthen themselves, with the likes of Goa's Sterry and Spandam remaining incompetent and sheltered.

"Man, that really stings. That Iron Fist packs a punch." On an uninhabited island in the Calm Belt, Daniel rubbed his bruised cheek where Garp's punch had landed after Kizaru's lasers threw him off balance. Although he'd managed to block it with Armament Haki, the pain still lingered.

Sighing, he restored his face to its original appearance, preferring his natural look despite the versatility his abilities offered.

"Morgans must be thrilled—big news is everywhere." Daniel chuckled, glancing at the newspaper's coverage of the Navy's G1 branch incident.

"The Straw Hat crew is lying low and training for now, so I can take a bit of a breather. Once Esdeath and the others have grown stronger, things will get even more interesting." For Daniel, victory wasn't satisfying unless he could crush his opponents with overwhelming force.

With this in mind, he returned to his secret base.

"Vegapunk reported that consuming two Devil Fruits is impossible, but Akatsuki may have its own methods or unique Devil Fruits," Sengoku relayed, addressing Vice Admiral Tsuru, Garp, Aokiji, and Kizaru as they gathered to discuss Akatsuki intelligence.

The World Government had long researched dual Devil Fruit powers without success, even with Vegapunk's expertise.

To the people of the pirate world, any unfamiliar ability was assumed to be a Devil Fruit power. This belief made them receptive to strange abilities, but also limited their thinking.

"The CP divisions are investigating Akatsuki. The next time we encounter them, I expect all of you to go all-out," Sengoku said with finality. "No more hesitating."

He paused before continuing. "The losses from this incident were significant. The World Government has decided to raise the Heavenly Tribute next year."

"What? Are they insane?" Garp almost stood in protest, while Tsuru's eyes narrowed.

"I'm afraid it's already been decided. The increased tribute will be used to create more

 Pacifistas to help wipe out pirates across the seas," Sengoku explained grimly, a bitter silence settling over the room.

"And one more thing." Taking a deep breath, Sengoku added, "They plan to appoint Edward Weevil as the newest Warlord of the Sea."

"How dare they?" Garp finally stood, his voice outraged. Aokiji and Kizaru, who had previously seemed indifferent, now focused intently on Sengoku.

The name Edward Weevil was infamous among the group—he was the one who had severed Zephyr's arm. Appointing him as a Warlord was a blow to all of them, even Kizaru, who had a contentious history with Zephyr, furrowed his brow.

"Sengoku, how could you agree to this?" Tsuru finally spoke, unable to contain her frustration.

"I'm sorry. The invitation has already been sent, and he has accepted," Sengoku replied, his expression dark with anger. As Fleet Admiral, he had no choice but to follow the World Government's orders.

"Is that all?" Aokiji asked before abruptly leaving the meeting room, followed shortly by Kizaru.

"How will you explain this to Zephyr?" Garp asked, turning to Sengoku once they were alone.

"I don't know," Sengoku admitted. Turning to Tsuru, he added, "Bring Gion and Tokikake here."

Faced with repeated setbacks, Sengoku decided it was time to activate the Navy's reserve force—the Admiral candidates.

Meanwhile, Daniel returned to his secret base and used Wood Release to cultivate Yarukiman Mangrove trees around the island.

Combining Earth and Water Release, he created a scenic paradise complete with a waterfall, artificial beaches, and imported shell clouds from Skypiea, crafting a beautiful haven.

"What a view." Daniel took a deep breath, not just admiring his handiwork but also watching the figures of Ada, Robin, Esdeath, and others in swimsuits, enjoying his newly completed paradise.

"So they're raising the Heavenly Tribute… Maybe it's time to target that. And to think the World Government would actually appoint Edward Weevil as a Warlord, disregarding the former Admiral Zephyr entirely. How audacious."

Smiling at the latest news, Daniel realized this would make it much easier to win Zephyr over to his side.

"With Admiral candidates stationed at the new G1 branch, they're probably worried Akatsuki will strike there again. I was planning on a bit of rest, but it looks like I'll need to send out another flyer."

The content of this next flyer? The life of Admiral Zephyr. In truth, the Navy owed much of its success to Zephyr, who had trained countless Marines, only to later be betrayed by his students.

This time, however, such a tragedy would not occur. Instead, it seemed that Kizaru might soon experience Zephyr's "Black Arm" firsthand.

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]

[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]