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The acrid cigar smoke curled restlessly in the heavy air of the Fleet Admiral's office. Sakazuki, his face etched with chronic fatigue and
The acrid cigar smoke curled restlessly in the heavy air of the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sakazuki, his face etched with chronic fatigue and suppressed anger, stared blankly at the reports stacked on his massive dark wood desk.
A new era, they'd called it after Marineford. An era of absolute justice. But the New World seemed hell-bent on thwarting that vision with cataclysms and reckless ambitions.
The sharp clatter of boots on marble echoed down the hall, shattering the oppressive silence.
The door burst open without a knock, revealing a pale, sweat-soaked officer, gasping for breath. He clutched a twitching transponder snail like it was burning.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! Absolute emergency!" the officer panted, unable to contain his panic.
Sakazuki raised his eyes slowly, his gaze like cooled lava piercing the man. "What now?" His voice was a low growl, laced with latent menace. "Has Kaido finally razed Dressrosa?"
A clash between two monsters like that could only last days. He'd hoped for mutual destruction, solving two problems at once.
The officer shook his head, struggling for words. "No, Fleet Admiral! The fight… it's over!"
Sakazuki's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Over? That fast?" A dark glint crossed his eyes. "So Mihawk was crushed. The World's Greatest Swordsman was just a hollow title against the Strongest Creature." He gave a brief, almost satisfied smirk. "Good. Contact Admiral Fujitora immediately. Send him to Dressrosa at once. Primary objective: stabilize the situation with Kaido. Make that beast understand Dressrosa remains under World Government jurisdiction. If Mihawk's still breathing, lock him up. If not, retrieve his sword. And have Fujitora clean up the mess."
The officer stiffened, sweat pouring down his face. "Fleet Admiral… it's… not that. Kaido… Kaido left."
Sakazuki froze. The cigar in his fingers trembled faintly. "Left?" The word felt absurd. "Explain."
"The last transmissions before the observation posts were destroyed… Kaido fled the island, Fleet Admiral. Flying south. And Dracule Mihawk… he's still standing. He… he drove Kaido off."
The silence that followed was heavier than lead. The air itself seemed to solidify.
Sakazuki didn't move, but a searing heat began radiating from him, warping the air above his desk. The wood under his elbows sizzled faintly. His eyes, now two glowing slits, locked onto the terrified officer.
A black, absolute fury—a molten rage mixed with furious disbelief—surged within him, threatening to consume everything.
The officer stumbled back, white as a sheet, teeth chattering.
Sakazuki's shadow seemed to grow, swallowing the light.
"Driven off…" The word was spat like an insult. "That arrogant pirate…" His voice became a hoarse rasp. He raised a hand, fingers trembling slightly—not from fear, but from the superhuman effort to contain the eruption.
"This changes NOTHING!" he roared suddenly, making the officer flinch. "Fujitora goes to Dressrosa IMMEDIATELY! His orders stand: apprehend or kill Mihawk! Purge that island of his presence!"
The officer opened his mouth, scraping for courage in his terror. "Fleet Admiral… there's… a problem." He held out the transponder snail, gripping it like a lifeline. "He… he's calling. Now. From Dressrosa's royal palace. Dracule Mihawk."
Sakazuki stared at the snail like it was a venomous snake. His burning eyes flicked to the officer. "You dared…" His voice was a dangerous hiss. "…accept a call from a pirate? From a sworn enemy of the Marines?"
Before the officer could stammer an explanation, a calm, deep, and unmistakably clear voice came from the transponder.
"Listen before you punish him, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki."
Mihawk's voice was chillingly neutral, devoid of any audible provocation, which made it all the more infuriating.
"It would be counterproductive."
Sakazuki felt a vein throb violently at his temple. He snatched the snail from the officer's trembling hands. "I don't negotiate with pirates, Mihawk," he growled.
"Pity." Mihawk's reply was instant, tinged with the faintest hint of irony. "Then I'll have to fall back on Plan B. I'll reveal to the world, through the News Coo and any bold pirate transponder, every damning detail Donquixote Doflamingo kept hidden in his palace's vaults. His slave networks, his arms trafficking under World Government cover, his ties to Wano… and above all, his true identity. A fallen Celestial Dragon, sheltered by the Marines for years, left free to oppress an entire kingdom under the convenient pretext of his Warlord status."
Sakazuki gripped the snail so hard its shell cracked faintly.
"I don't know what you're talking about, pirate," Sakazuki growled.
"You're free to think so," Mihawk replied, unruffled. "But consider this: the Marines are struggling to restore their reputation after the war. Your two new Admirals, Fujitora and Ryokugyu, are a welcome show of strength. But a scandal this big—revealing the Marines knowingly protected a monster because of his noble blood—would undo years of effort. Your 'masters' in the World Government wouldn't forgive you. Rebellion is already brewing in many kingdoms. This would be the spark, Fleet Admiral. And I doubt your Absolute Justice would survive the flood that follows."
The officer held his breath, ready to melt into the floor.
"You're trying to negotiate through threats," Sakazuki said.
"I'm proposing a mutually beneficial arrangement," Mihawk corrected. "I have what it takes to make it happen. Doflamingo's network, his evidence, his story… it's a sword of Damocles hanging over Mariejois. I hold it."
Sakazuki felt lava boiling under his skin, ready to erupt. "What do you want?"
"It's simple. Dressrosa, and all nearby islands under its immediate protection, are now under my jurisdiction. My territory. The Marines withdraw. Immediately and permanently. No warships, no Admirals, set foot there without my explicit invitation."
"YOU?!" Sakazuki's fury exploded. A burst of magma shot from his shoulder, instantly charring part of the wall. The officer screamed and dove to the floor. "Get lost with your pirate demands! Dressrosa is a World Government-recognized nation!"
"Recognized, and left to be devoured by a mad Celestial Dragon by the same Marines meant to protect it," Mihawk countered, his voice slightly colder. "Your Justice, Sakazuki, is already tainted here. Deeply. Accepting my offer contains the rot. Refusing lets it spread and poison the entire structure."
Sakazuki breathed heavily, wisps of smoke and steam rising from him.
"Convenient timing, Mihawk," he growled, a feral smirk twisting his face. "I was planning to purge that rot anyway. Thanks for taking out Doflamingo… before I take out YOU."
"You have two choices," Mihawk conceded, and Sakazuki thought he caught a faint trace of amusement in his voice. "But choose quickly. Accept my territory, and Doflamingo's secrets stay buried with his palace's ruins. Refuse, and I guarantee the world will know—before your Admiral even nears the coast—that the Marines are corrupt. Your credibility will collapse before your ships can fire a single cannon."
Sakazuki stared at the transponder snail, seeing Mihawk's impassive figure beyond it.
With an inarticulate roar of pure rage, Sakazuki crushed the snail in his flaming fist. A violent sizzle, a puff of acrid smoke, and the snail exploded into charred fragments scattering across the office. Only the Fleet Admiral's wild, furious eyes, glowing in the sudden dimness, lit the room.
The officer, curled on the floor, barely dared lift his head. Sakazuki, trembling with contained fury, glared at him. "CONTACT FUJITORA IMMEDIATELY!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap that rattled the windows. "NOW!"