138. Magellan: Rayleigh, Hit The Road!

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On the sea.

The warship sailed slowly in the direction of Marineford.

Akira stood on the deck, smoking a cigar as the sea breeze hit his face.

At this moment, his expression was blank, but if someone came within a meter of him, they could clearly feel a strong, oppressive aura.

This was completely different from the gentleness and humility he displayed in the Holy Land.

Fortunately, Akira was facing the sea, with his back to everyone, so no one could notice his mood.

They would only see the cloak of justice fluttering in the wind and assume that their Fleet Admiral was pondering some major world event.

"Should the trial of Rayleigh be postponed? Or..."

"Proceed with the third ultimate task according to the original plan?"

Akira lowered his eyelids slightly, hiding the cold glint in his eyes, muttering to himself.

Today's visit to the Holy Land wasn't just about achieving the set goals.

He also received hints from the Five Elders.

—— The Marine's autonomy would be fully taken back.

Though after some negotiation, it would only happen after the Rayleigh incident was resolved.

But still, it was coming soon.

This left Akira deep in thought.

He was considering whether to delay the trial to buy more time for preparations.

"No wonder the Five Elders were so cooperative today," Akira exhaled a long breath, shaking his head.

Not only did they not make things difficult for the new Admiral to assert his authority, but they were also unusually friendly, as if they were old friends at the dining table.

It was an emotional shift.

"Forget it, let's stick to the original plan," Akira finally decided, opting to solve the issue of One Piece as soon as possible.

This decision was made after considering many factors.

If he deliberately stalled, anyone with half a brain could see through it.

And if the Five Elders realized he agreed to one thing in front of them but backtracked later, their attitude would certainly not remain so gentle.

Akira had only been Fleet Admiral for a year, and while his strength was formidable, he wasn't yet among the top in the world.

Even the Marine forces under his control weren't yet strong enough to rebel and succeed.

It's clear that Akira will remain in the position of Fleet Admiral of the Marines for a long time.

In this situation, there's no need for the Five Elders to be feared or guarded against him.

Therefore, his top priority should be completing the third ultimate task and earning that mysterious reward.

It only offers benefits with no drawbacks.

Once his mind was made up, Akira stopped worrying about it.

In the Fleet Admiral's office.

"You're here," Akira said as he walked in, immediately noticing the three Admirals sitting quietly on the sofa.

He greeted them casually before sitting down in his own seat.

"Starting today, the three of you will move to the Admiral's office," Akira said, propping his chin with both hands and thinking for a moment.

As the recognized highest combat power of the Marines and the public face of the organization, Admirals have their own exclusive offices.

When Sengoku became the Inspector General, he vacated his office willingly.

Zephyr mostly stayed at the academy, and if it weren't for the soldiers cleaning it daily, his office would be covered in dust.

Vice Admiral Garp, who was initially assigned an office by default, refused to use it, regardless of the situation.

So, Garp's office had remained vacant.

Since the appointment of the top three Admirals was already official, there was no need to wait for the world to be informed before allowing them to move in.

"Yes!"

"Understood, Fleet Admiral Akira."

"I've been eyeing that private office for a while."

All three Admirals were visibly pleased with the decision. Even the typically stern Sakazuki couldn't hide his satisfaction.

It's a natural reaction. Who wouldn't prefer their own private space over sharing an office with others?

Akira smiled at their reactions. He then leaned down and pulled out the safe at the bottom of his desk.

Taking the key from his pocket, he opened the safe. Under the watchful eyes of the three Admirals, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi.

Unlike ordinary Den Den Mushi, this one was unique. It had no walkie-talkie function, couldn't be used for conversation, and only had a single button that could send a signal.

It was entirely gold and gleamed brightly in the sunlight streaming through the window.

The three Admirals stood up instinctively.

"A Golden Den Den Mushi," Sakazuki muttered in a deep voice.

The Golden Den Den Mushi.

A special device that only Admirals and the Fleet Admiral are authorized to use within the Marines.

It sends a signal that only Silver Den Den Mushi can receive.

Once the signal is picked up, Marine Headquarters will issue a Buster Call, dispatching ten top warships, five Vice Admirals, ten Rear Admirals, and Marine elite forces to completely annihilate the targeted area.

The operation is ruthless. Even if civilians or their own soldiers are in the area, they are considered enemies by default and are wiped out entirely.

This devastating military tactic is known as the "Buster Call."

"Being an Admiral is more than just a prestigious title," Akira said.

Akira casually tossed the three Golden Den Den Mushi to the Admirals, saying in a calm tone, "Use them wisely. But don't worry, once you do, the department will take responsibility for your decisions."

The three Admirals were stunned by Akira's nonchalant gesture. They hurriedly caught the Golden Den Den Mushi.

"Fleet Admiral Akira, be careful! If you press it by mistake, Marineford might face a Buster Call!" Borsalino wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice dripping with exaggerated fear.

Akira chuckled but ignored Borsalino's theatrical response.

Even though a Buster Call required his direct command as Fleet Admiral, and without his permission, the signal sent from the Golden Den Den Mushi would just be a regular signal, the gravity of the device wasn't lost on them.

Still, these Golden Den Den Mushi were incredibly valuable to the three Admirals.

After all, even outside of Marine Headquarters, such as at Enies Lobby, a signal from one of these could still trigger the Buster Call.

"Alright, nothing else for today. Get back to work." Akira waved them off, signaling the end of their meeting.

There was no need to keep the Admirals any longer, as the day's agenda was essentially complete.

He had other matters to attend to anyway.

Akira activated his Dog-Dog Fruit: Model Monster Racoon powers, and with his left hand, wrote his name on a misshapen leaf.

With a puff, a clone of himself appeared.

"I'm heading off to train Stella on how to further develop her abilities. You'll be in charge here. If a decision is needed, have someone come find me."

Akira grabbed the various documents on Haki users from the personnel department and walked out.

The clone sat down silently, already reviewing the papers.

That day, a new rumor started circulating.

Not only had it spread among the officers, but even the lower-ranked soldiers were talking about it.

"Huh? Where are Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan? Are they not on duty?"

"Don't you know? They've already moved into the Admiral's exclusive offices."

"Wait, when did that happen? Does that mean their Admiral positions are official now?"

"Yep. Fleet Admiral Akira took them to the Holy Land this morning. It's all confirmed now."

"So, Vice Admiral Sakazuki... I mean Admiral Sakazuki, which office is his?"

"Sakazuki took Zephyr's old office, Kuzan moved into Sengoku's room, and the last one is Borsalino's."

"Wow, did you hear? All three Admiral offices are fully occupied now."

"Yeah, I just heard the logistics department is going wild, rushing to prepare their new Admiral uniforms."

The atmosphere around Marineford was noticeably vibrant.

Officers left their offices one by one, heading to the Admirals' offices with gifts to congratulate them.

Even the soldiers were buzzing with excitement, spreading the news to everyone they met.

"It's like everything's fallen into place."

Zephyr, walking past the plaza, could sense the excitement around him. He sighed, feeling both relieved and somewhat regretful.

The Marine Admirals were the embodiment of the Marine's combat power, representing the faith of people worldwide and the rank-and-file soldiers.

The title meant more than just a rank. For 800 years, the power and accomplishments of countless senior Marines had layered this position with an aura of invincibility.

The fully established Admiral ranks gave people and soldiers across the world a symbol of Marine's enduring strength and invulnerability.

Garp aside, Zephyr reflected on his own career. Despite holding the title of Admiral, he didn't achieve the accolades expected of the position. Instead, he had devoted himself to teaching and training the next generation.

'Now that I think about it, I'm truly ashamed of how much faith I had in the past Admirals and all the soldiers.'

'But it's all right now.'

'I can teach with peace of mind moving forward, knowing that the prestige and legacy of the Admiral position will be fully upheld and carried forward by my three apprentices.'

With that thought, Zephyr felt a sense of pride once again.

Time flew by.

As the trial of Rayleigh, the Dark King, gained momentum through global newspaper coverage, and as Stella's Truth-Truth Fruit had been nearly fully developed...

One day!

In Impel Down's sixth floor, Eternal Hell.

Thud, thud.

Heavy footsteps echoed from a distance, stopping in front of a prison cell.

Magellan leaned forward.

"Rayleigh, is the task I gave you yesterday completed?" he asked.

"Why did you suddenly dump so much work on me?" Rayleigh's tired voice emerged from the darkness. "It feels like you're trying to drain my strength... why bother? I'm not escaping."

"This is a request from the Marines," Magellan replied.

"Huh?" Rayleigh's curiosity was piqued. Despite his exhaustion, he slowly stepped out from the shadows. "Care to tell me why? Consider it a reward for my cooperation."

Magellan took the prison key from his belt and pointed it at the lock.

He mused for a moment. Rayleigh had always been different from the other pirates, displaying a calm and reasonable demeanor.

Since his imprisonment, not only had Rayleigh refrained from cursing like the others, but he had also accepted his fate, carrying out tasks without complaint. Magellan never had to worry about him.

So, he didn't mind showing Rayleigh a bit of leniency. "I've heard that you're going to be judged today with a certain ability. To ensure you can't use Armament Haki to resist, they want your strength drained in advance."

Rayleigh's eyes widened.

At that moment, regret surged through him.

He wasn't sure what the Marines were planning, but it clearly wasn't anything good.

When he was first captured and thrown into Impel Down, Rayleigh had accepted that his life was essentially over. He didn't mind using his energy to spar with strong opponents in exchange for some perks.

But now, realizing the Marines had other plans, he wished he had conserved his strength for this unexpected turn of events.

Before he could ask anything else, the cell was opened, and guards rushed in, binding him and carrying him away.

"Shihahaha, Rayleigh, you fool!"

"It looks like you'll be following Roger into the underworld soon."

As Rayleigh was being led down the hallway, a voice echoed from a nearby cell. A man with long hair down to his waist and a helm on his head laughed from behind the bars.

"Shiki, can't you say something nice for once, you bastard?" Rayleigh responded helplessly. "Your time will come soon enough."

Golden Lion Shiki watched Rayleigh being dragged further down the corridor. The smirk on his face gradually faded.