The commotion Saul caused ended in less than thirty minutes.
At first, Finn had been genuinely puzzled. Even if Saul blocked the port, Kuzan should have been able to freeze the sea around Marineford with minimal effort. Why would they need ships at all?
The answer, as it turned out, was both simple and ridiculous.
Before attempting his escape, Saul had invited Kuzan out for drinks. The giant vice admiral had been in a foul mood, conflicted about the upcoming mission, and Kuzan, being Kuzan, had accepted the invitation without suspicion. They'd drunk together late into the night.
The result was entirely predictable. How could a normal-sized human possibly out-drink a giant?
Kuzan had been completely knocked out. When the alarm sounded at dawn and Marines scrambled to respond, the Ice-Ice Fruit user was still unconscious in his quarters, dead to the world no matter how much anyone shook him.
Finn couldn't help but admire the cunning. Saul might act like a straightforward simpleton, but the man could scheme when properly motivated.
Now, in Admiral Sengoku's office, Finn sat comfortably on the leather sofa, pouring himself tea with leisurely confidence. Across the room, Saul stood at attention before Sengoku's desk like a schoolboy awaiting punishment, his massive frame somehow managing to look small and contrite.
The Admiral's face had turned an impressive shade of crimson. His fist slammed down on the desk with enough force to make the wood groan.
"Are you actually stupid, or just pretending to be?" Sengoku's voice thundered through the office.
Saul's head hung low, his expression the very picture of regret. He said nothing, shoulders hunched, looking utterly miserable.
Finn sipped his tea and watched the show. He understood Sengoku's dilemma perfectly. If you assumed Saul was stupid, you had to acknowledge he'd been clever enough to neutralize Kuzan before making his move. But if you thought he was intelligent, how could you explain him trying to defect from the Marines in a fit of righteous indignation?
The whole situation would be comedic if it weren't so serious.
"You're a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters," Sengoku continued, his voice dropping to something more dangerous than shouting. "Commander of the Giant Unit. I trusted you with the authority to call a Buster Call. And you repay that trust by attempting to defect?"
"I'm sorry," Saul mumbled, his deep voice barely audible.
"Sorry?" Sengoku's palm struck the desk again. "Do you think 'sorry' is sufficient?"
Finn flinched slightly at the impact, took another measured sip of tea to steady himself, and decided it was time to intervene. "Admiral, Saul is straightforward by nature. He was manipulated by someone with an agenda and acted impulsively. Now he's come to his senses. Fortunately, the situation hasn't escalated beyond control. Perhaps you could find it in yourself to forgive him?"
Sengoku's glare shifted to Finn. "Is this about forgiveness?"
Saul's expression brightened slightly, gratitude evident in his eyes as he glanced at Finn.
The Admiral took a deep breath, visibly restraining his temper. "He is a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. He attempted to defect without a second thought and caused a massive incident at our home base. Do you understand the implications?"
Finn maintained his pleasant smile, though he adopted a more cautious tone. "The impact is certainly significant, but Admiral, Saul truly was deceived—"
"Admiral, this is entirely my fault," Saul interjected quickly, his voice earnest.
"What if we told everyone it was just a training exercise?" Finn suggested carefully, testing the waters.
For a brief moment, Sengoku's eyes flashed with genuine anger. Then he forcibly suppressed it, jaw clenched, glaring at Finn without speaking.
Finn recognized that look. The silence was actually a good sign. At least Sengoku wasn't seriously considering executing Saul on the spot.
Truthfully, Finn had possessed ulterior motives when he'd chosen not to prevent this incident beforehand, then stepped forward to protect Saul afterward.
On one level, it was simple friendship. He and Saul got along well. Now that the giant was in trouble, loyalty demanded Finn speak on his behalf.
On another, more pragmatic level, Saul represented valuable political capital.
In terms of raw strength, Saul was genuinely powerful. The ease with which Finn had captured him was misleading; the giant hadn't resisted at all. In the original timeline, Kuzan had defeated him quickly, but that was due to Kuzan's overwhelming superiority and Saul's terrible physical condition at the time.
More importantly, Saul served as commander of the Giant Unit. Among the Marine's giant vice admirals, his influence was substantial. Those towering warriors were essentially his subordinates, bound by loyalty and respect.
Finn had been actively working to expand his influence throughout the organization. If he could secure the loyalty of the giant vice admirals, the benefits would be immense.
Giants were famous for their gratitude. If Finn saved Saul now, and needed their help in the future, would they refuse?
"We can't dismiss this as a training exercise," Sengoku finally said, exhaling heavily.
The Admiral found himself in an awkward position. At this point, he couldn't pretend not to understand that Saul had been manipulated into acting rashly. The giant's intentions had been pure, if catastrophically misguided.
But the incident needed to be addressed properly. There had to be consequences, or what kind of precedent would that set?
Yet Sengoku was reluctant to simply execute Saul. The giant had been raised within the Marines under Sengoku's own guidance, after all. Beyond personal sentiment, Saul commanded tremendous influence among the Giant Unit. Killing him abruptly could destabilize morale and damage internal cohesion.
Before Sengoku could continue, the office door burst open.
Kuzan stumbled through, looking absolutely wretched. His usual composed demeanor had vanished, replaced by the disheveled appearance of someone nursing a catastrophic hangover. Dark circles ringed his eyes. His uniform was wrinkled. He moved with exaggerated care, as though sudden movements might make his head explode.
"Saul!" Kuzan's voice cracked slightly as he tried to project authority while clearly suffering. "What were you thinking?"
He turned immediately to Sengoku, his expression shifting to earnest appeal. "Admiral, Saul was just being impulsive. He definitely didn't—"
Sengoku's glare cut him off mid-sentence. The Admiral looked deeply unimpressed with this particular subordinate at the moment.
Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, Sengoku interrupted Kuzan before he could continue. "We'll announce publicly that Saul and Kuzan drank excessively last night and acted foolishly, sinking a warship in the harbor. Afterward, Saul took a ship out to clear his head and enjoy the sea breeze, which caused this entire commotion."
Finn's heart lifted. The Admiral was protecting Saul. Being drunk and being a defector were entirely different things in the eyes of the organization.
Kuzan visibly relaxed, shoulders sagging with relief. He wisely kept his mouth shut rather than risk saying something that might make things worse.
Saul looked on the verge of tears, his massive frame shaking slightly with emotion.
Seeing the giant's expression, Sengoku sighed deeply, then continued in a firmer tone. "However, there must still be consequences. Saul, you are hereby stripped of your rank of Vice Admiral. You will relinquish command of the Giant Unit. Your new rank is Captain. You will serve in this reduced capacity until you earn reinstatement through meritorious service."
The pronouncement landed like a hammer blow.
Sengoku had demoted Saul from Vice Admiral directly to Captain in a single breath. The giant had been forcibly ejected from the flag officer ranks entirely.
The punishment was severe, genuinely harsh.
But neither Finn nor Kuzan spoke in protest. They both understood this was necessary, perhaps even merciful given the circumstances.
Saul nodded immediately, accepting without argument. "Yes, Admiral."
"Actually, Admiral," Finn spoke up casually, a slight smile playing at his lips, "why don't we assign Saul to G-7? I could use someone of his capabilities."
If Saul had still been a Vice Admiral and commander of the Giant Unit, transferring him to a regional base would have been impossible. But now? Now Saul was just a Marine Captain. Granted, the first giant in Marine history to hold that rank specifically because the Giant Unit recruited exclusively giant warriors who were immediately promoted to Rear Admiral upon joining, but a Captain nonetheless.
The logic made perfect sense.
Sengoku didn't hesitate. He nodded once. "Very well. You'll keep an eye on him. If he does anything foolish again, I'll hold you accountable, Finn."
"Yes, yes, Admiral, absolutely," Finn replied quickly, his tone appropriately respectful.
Saul looked slightly bewildered by how quickly his fate had been decided, but Kuzan started laughing.
The coordination between Sengoku and Finn was actually quite clever, almost conspiratorial.
This arrangement meant Sengoku hoped to see Saul reinstated sooner rather than later. Finn's future was essentially guaranteed; everyone knew his trajectory pointed toward the highest ranks. Once Saul arrived at G-7, he would be Finn's subordinate. After a reasonable period, Finn could arrange for Saul's promotion to Commodore, then Rear Admiral, as recognition for good service.
When Finn eventually transferred back to Headquarters, possibly even promoted to Admiral, he could arrange for Saul's full reinstatement to Vice Admiral and return to commanding the Giant Unit. The entire process would appear natural, justified by merit and service.
Sengoku was secretly doing Finn a tremendous favor.
If Saul could become a Vice Admiral again and lead the Giant Unit under Finn's patronage, that would represent a significant portion of Finn's direct power base within the organization.
"Hmph." Sengoku made a dismissive sound in the back of his throat and waved his hand. "Get out. All three of you."
Finn and the others didn't linger. They stood, offered appropriate salutes, and moved toward the door.
Just as Finn's hand touched the handle, Sengoku spoke again. "Finn. You stay."
"Yes, Admiral." Finn released the door and turned back. After Kuzan and Saul filed out, he closed the door quietly and returned to his seat on the sofa.
"Where is that scholar?" Sengoku asked without preamble.
"We have her," Finn replied with an easy smile. He'd lock up Olvia shortly after bringing her and Saul back.
"Regarding Saul's situation, we'll leave it at that," Sengoku said slowly. "But there's no reason to keep that scholar alive."
Finn felt a slight chill. The Admiral intended to silence the witness permanently.
"I think you should keep her," Finn said suddenly.
Sengoku's brow furrowed with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Although she may not seem particularly useful now, and might never be useful again, she's still a card to hold, Admiral." Finn kept his voice soft, almost conversational. "A potential asset."
Sengoku had been prepared to eliminate the problem cleanly. But hearing this perspective, he paused, hand moving absently to stroke his chin as he considered.
O'Hara was finished. That much was certain. Soon, no one alive would be able to decipher the Poneglyphs.
Which meant this scholar in Marine custody might be the last person in the world with that knowledge.
Finn's hint was subtle but deliberate. This woman, Olvia, could be used to quietly pressure the World Government in the future if circumstances required it.
But Sengoku's mind moved in a different direction entirely. His thoughts turned to contingencies. What if something catastrophic happened in the future? What if the Marines found themselves desperate, backed into a corner, facing threats to their very survival? Wouldn't having access to ancient weapons, the power to unlock those mysteries, be an invaluable trump card?
After a long silence, Sengoku spoke again. "Deal with it, Finn. I'm leaving this matter in your hands."
He paused, his dark eyes focusing intently on Finn's face. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Finn nodded with a knowing smile. "Yes, Admiral. I'm the King of Understanding. No one understands your intentions better than me."
It was obvious. Although Sengoku hadn't stated it explicitly, his meaning was clear: this was Finn's responsibility now. Based on what Finn had just suggested, he should handle the situation carefully and ensure no loose ends remained.
Finn felt genuinely pleased. This exchange had served as a test, and the results were illuminating. Sengoku harbored his own reservations about the World Government, his own willingness to maintain secret contingencies.
Of course, Finn had completely misunderstood Sengoku's actual reasoning. Their minds had arrived at similar conclusions through entirely different logic.
"Good. Go handle your affairs," Sengoku said, waving his hand in dismissal.
Finn stood, offered a crisp salute, and turned to leave the Admiral's office.
After walking through the corridor for a few moments, he rounded the corner and found Kuzan and Saul waiting for him, both leaning against the wall.
"Thank you again, Finn," Saul said, his expression awkward but sincere. "I really appreciate what you did in there."
"Ah, you big fool," Finn sighed, shaking his head with exaggerated exasperation. "Who told you to be so stupidly noble?"
Kuzan smiled, looking more like himself now that the immediate crisis had passed. "It's fortunate you were at Headquarters when this happened. If Saul had actually escaped, this wouldn't have ended nearly so well."
That was undeniably true. The reason this incident had resolved so cleanly was because Finn had intercepted Saul almost immediately after his departure from port. The giant had been captured before he'd made any real progress toward escaping.
If Saul had actually gotten away, fled into the open ocean, he could never have returned to the Marines. His fate would have been far darker, probably ending with his death.