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Chapter 36: The Calculus of Power
Levi's words hung in the air, dripping with a condescension so sharp it felt like a physical slap. To an outsider, it was pure, unadulterated contempt.
Silvers Rayleigh watched, his seasoned mind working quietly. The Levi he'd fought on Sabaody had been detached, eerily calmâa force of nature executing a task. This Levi was different. He was proactive, aggressive, almost provocative towards his own colleague. It was a stark contrast.
But then Rayleigh's eyes shifted to Sakazuki. The reaction was⊠unexpected. The Admiral of Absolute Justice wasn't erupting in further volcanic fury. The anger and judgment that had burned in his eyes moments before had banked, replaced by a cold, analytical focus. He was studying Levi, not as an unruly subordinate, but as a complex and dangerous variable. He had become calmer, more serious.
He's reassessing, Rayleigh realized with a flicker of insight. Levi's aggression changed the equation.
At the outset, Sakazuki had held the initiativeâthe senior, the arbiter of "justice" testing the new recruit. Levi's preemptive, overwhelming strikes had shattered that dynamic. Now, Sakazuki faced not a potential deviant to be corrected, but a peer of terrifying and unpredictable power who seemed perfectly willing to escalate violently. To push such a person too far, to create an enemy within the Admiralty through heavy-handedness⊠that was a responsibility even Sakazuki would not bear lightly. He was a zealot, not a fool. Rayleigh remembered the Summit War reportsâhow Sakazuki had manipulated Squard, how he'd goaded Ace. The man was brutal, but his brutality was often a precise instrument.
Has Sakazuki been outmaneuvered? The thought was startling.
The other observers held their breath, eyes glued to the bleeding cuts on Sakazuki's forearm. It was a superficial injury to a man of his stamina, but its symbolism was profound: the "Black Crow" had drawn Admiralial blood. Would this spark the unthinkableâan all-out battle between Marine titans?
"What terrifying pressureâŠ" Blackbeard muttered under his breath, a cold sweat on his brow. He was calculating survival odds. If these two truly went all out, these ships would be splinters, and the surrounding sea, churned with magma and that soul-rending energy, would be a deathtrap. The Calm Belt's Sea Kings, initially scattered, would be drawn back by blood and chaos.
"It seems that wasn't enough," Levi stated flatly, taking another deliberate step forward. A fresh gale of Reiatsu, visible as a distorting silver shimmer, hammered into the side of Sakazuki's warship. The massive vessel groaned, its hull dipping sideways into the water as if shoved by a giant's hand.
"It will never be enough until the job is done," Sakazuki countered, his voice gravelly but controlled. His injured arm shimmered. Magma and Armament Haki twisted together, the dark red flow hardening and crystallizing over the wounds into a gleaming, obsidian-like casing streaked with veins of fire. The display was one of formidable resilience and continued threat. He was wary of pushing Levi into a corner, but he could not show outright capitulation. That would be worse, signaling that Levi could act with impunity.
"STOP! BOTH OF YOU, CEASE THIS AT ONCE!"
The booming, authoritative voice cut through the standoff. A small, fast Marine cutter sped towards them from the direction of Impel Down's main gate. Standing at its prow was the formidable figure of Warden Magellan, his demonic form imposing even at a distance, with Undersecretary Hannyabal beside him.
"Warden Magellan," several Marines breathed, a mix of relief and trepidation.
Magellan's crimson eyes swept over the two Admirals, the damaged ships, and the precious, dangerous cargo on their decks. "You are both comrades-in-arms! Friction is inevitable, but continued conflict serves no purpose but to damage Marine unity!" he boomed, playing the unenviable role of peacemaker. "More importantly, you carry prisoners of historic significanceâcriminals whose fates will alter the world's very structure! An accident during an internal squabble would be an unforgivable failure of duty for all of us!"
His words were blunt, pragmatic, and undeniably true. They reframed the conflict from a ideological clash to a logistical hazard.
Sakazuki's gazeâlingering for a hate-filled moment on Jewelry Bonney before moving onâswept over Ace and then Rayleigh. These were the priorities. The Supernovas were chaff. Straw Hat Luffy was a footnote. But Ace was the bait for a war, and Rayleigh was a trophy that had already shaken the world. Any loss or escape due to their fight would be catastrophic.
His calculating eyes returned to Levi. He had taken the measure of the man's power and his temperament. The initial assessment was complete, and it had been far more costly and revealing than anticipated. Further public conflict was counterproductive.
"I expect you to uphold the duties of your position," Sakazuki said finally, his tone flat and final. It was not praise, not acceptance, but a cessation of hostilitiesâa grudging acknowledgment that Levi was too powerful to simply "correct" and that larger stakes were now in play. He turned away, beginning the process of handing over his prisoner.
Levi allowed a faint, calm smile to touch his lips. The tension bled from his posture as he turned back towards his own deck. Fake madmen fear real ones, he thought with cool satisfaction. But you assumed I was a real madman. A useful misconception, Sakazuki. I know your type far too well.
Vice Admiral Gion moved to his side, her voice a low whisper only he could hear. "Your behavior today is⊠inconsistent. You agree to help me, then nearly start a war with another Admiral. What was that?"
Levi didn't look at her, his eyes on the imposing walls of Impel Down growing ever closer. "Helping a colleague is a simple transaction. As for attitude," he said, his voice equally quiet, "attitude is a tool to achieve an objective. It is not for show."
Gion blinked, processing the cold pragmatism of the statement. His earlier aggression hadn't been born of rage, but of strategy. It had been a tool to firmly, decisively end Sakazuki's "test" on his own terms.
The formal prisoner transfer began, the bureaucratic ritual a stark contrast to the earth-shaking clash that had preceded it. Marine officers from both ships and Impel Down guards moved with efficient, nervous energy.
The Warden's deputy, Hannyabal, held a manifest, his voice echoing with ceremonial gravity across the water:
"Monkey D. Luffy! Crime: Assault on a World Noble, insurrection, grand piracy! Detention Level:Â LV6, Eternal Hell!"
"Silvers Rayleigh! Crime: Piracy, historical crimes against the World Government, former First Mate of Gol D. Roger! Detention Level:Â LV6, Eternal Hell!"
"Portgas D. Ace! Crime: Piracy, Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, bloodline of Gol D. Roger! Detention Level:Â LV6, Eternal Hell!"
"Eustass 'Captain' Kid! Crime:âŠ"
The list continued, each Supernova's name and sentence ringing out, sealing their descent into the abyss. As they were marched towards the giant, waiting maw of Impel Down, Levi finally looked up at the foreboding structure, his mind already elsewhere.
Finally, he thought. The check-in point.
(End of Chapter)
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