AN : Sorry for the short hiatus, people following my stories will know that I was working on a new fanfic. That took most of the time. Enjoy the new chapter.
As always, if you want to read ahead check out my patreon page. It is roughly 50 chapters ahead. Roughly.... more than enough reading time with more than enough exhilaration promised.
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After parting ways with Garp, Jack suddenly remembered that he had sent Lena to Mariejois earlier. With the system still in the middle of its upgrade, he decided to track her down and ask about what had unfolded there.
"Sir, we did manage to acquire a good amount of supplies from the Revolutionary Army," Lena reported, her tone a little sheepish. "But transporting everything was tricky, so we only managed to haul away about three shiploads. Still, that's quite a lot. But… are we really in the clear for doing this?"
Jack chuckled lightly. "Relax. Those supplies were originally plundered by those despicable Celestial Dragons. It's only fair that we relieve them of their stolen treasure. By the way, didn't Mariejois call in any reinforcements"?
Shaking her head, Lena replied, "Other than their usual guards, only a few of the Celestial Dragons' slaves joined the fray. And even among the Revolutionary Army, there wasn't a single top officer—just regular soldiers and one commander with some ability to rally the troops. So in the end, it was a pretty even fight."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. That guy Dragon sure plays it safe. But tell me—did the Revolutionary Army take the chance to rob the Celestial Dragons blind?"
"Oh, they did more than that," Lena said with a small laugh. "To be honest, it felt less like an attack and more like a straight-up raid. They hit much harder than we did—their ships were parked right at the port, and they didn't leave until they'd packed them to the brim. When Admirals Kizaru and Akainu showed up, that's when some of their real commanders appeared—but they only stepped in to protect the treasure ships and then withdrew."
Jack blinked. "Wait, Kizaru and Akainu just let them go? Wouldn't it have been better to sink the treasure fleet rather than let them escape with everything?"
"It seems the Celestial Dragons panicked," Lena said, her face twisting with disdain. "They ordered the admirals to stand guard over them instead of launching an attack. So, the Revolutionary Army made off with their loot and left on their own terms."
Jack smirked. "Typical. Alright, then—let's put our haul to good use and recruit more soldiers. I suppose it's also time I gather a few strong allies."
Lena hesitated, opening her mouth as if to protest, but then fell silent.
Seeing this, Jack gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to bring back anyone shady. If our ideals don't align, I'd rather continue walking this path alone."
In truth, Jack already had someone in mind—Issho, the man destined to become Admiral "Fujitora." His sense of justice resonated with Jack's own, and his formidable strength made him an ideal partner.
The only problem? Jack had no clue where Fujitora was. He had stayed inactive until now, but after the battle at Marineford, Jack fully grasped the value of comradeship. Determined, he planned to leverage the Navy's intelligence network to track the man down.
"Oh, and Lena," Jack added, turning to her. "I'll be laying low for the next few days. Use the Navy's intel network to search for any trace of him. As soon as you find something, report back to me immediately."
After giving Lena some details about Fujitora, Jack left for the Sabaody Archipelago and checked into a modest hotel. With Marineford in ruins and uninhabitable, Sabaody was the nearest base of operations. The area had improved, too—thanks to the presence of marines, public security was better, and Luffy's actions had shuttered the notorious human auction houses.
Even the Celestial Dragons, still reeling from their recent humiliation, had gone into hiding. Jack wasn't the least bit concerned about running into them here.
"Phew… Let's see what's new," Jack muttered as he opened up the now-upgraded system. After a thorough scan, he noticed that while there weren't many groundbreaking changes, the store had become far more user-friendly.
Now, he could simply click to filter the list to show only items he could afford—everything too expensive would be hidden, making shopping much more efficient. He could even browse by category, like secret manuals, and have them listed neatly by price.
Without thinking much, he directly purchased Advanced Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki Infusion. These are the two that are blocking him from reaching the level of Yonko and upper Admirals. With only these two and his own advanced Armament Haki, there is no one in the Admirals who can defeat him without a prolonged battle. If I also use chakra and sage mode, even Garp-sensei might not be able to defeat me.
A few days later, when Lena finally tracked Jack down with news about Fujitora, he emerged from his seclusion.
Strangely, though, there was no word about Luffy storming Marineford again. Jack figured it made sense—Ace had survived, so Luffy's spirit hadn't been crushed. Whether Luffy would still train under Rayleigh for two years was anyone's guess. Jack had left before the dust fully settled, so the fate of Luffy and Ace remained uncertain.
But honestly, Jack wasn't worried. Luffy was the chosen child of destiny—someone fortune always seemed to favor.
In truth, after Luffy collapsed from his injuries, the Navy wasn't even sure if he was still alive. He'd taken brutal hits, and with Ace needing to retreat alongside Marco, the Whitebeard Pirates had their hands full after Whitebeard's fall. In the end, they entrusted Luffy to Trafalgar Law, who had arrived just in time.
While Law worked to save Luffy, the tides of fate carried him to Amazon Lily, the domain of the Kuja. After parting ways with Ace and the Revolutionary Army, they ran into Boa Hancock. Upon learning of her deep connection with Luffy, they had no choice but to take him to the island, where he would be safe.
And so, true to the stubborn pull of fate, Luffy once again found himself training under Rayleigh. As for informing his crew, that task fell to the Revolutionary Army. Only Bartholomew Kuma knew where Luffy's scattered companions had ended up, and he had already passed that info to a Revolutionary stronghold. Sabo, Luffy's brother, would deliver the message: reunite in two years. And with that, Luffy's intense training began anew.
Meanwhile, Jack had his own concerns. As he returned from Sabaody to Marineford, he couldn't help but grumble, "Huh... Marineford's such a huge city, yet I can't find a single vice admiral around here!"
The aftermath of the war was messier than he'd expected. The three admirals had been dispatched on urgent missions, and even the vice admirals—those not still recovering from wounds—had been sent out. No one was paying attention to Jack's request to sail out again, leaving him, technically, as Marineford's acting highest officer for the moment.
Elsewhere, in Mariejois, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat across from an aging man whose towering frame and snow-white beard made him look like a living mountain. A long scar stitched beneath his left eye marked him unmistakably: "Steel Bone" Kong, the Navy's supreme commander.
"I did what I could, but Garp's still been dismissed from his post," Kong admitted with a weary sigh. "His rank remains, so he stays in the army. As for that kid Jack—the higher-ups haven't given specific orders. You'll handle that your own way."
Sengoku nodded, staying silent. Everything he'd wanted to say had already been sent up the chain of command.
"If you're serious about retiring, Sengoku, you'll have to do it right—just like Garp. Train the next generation before you step back," Kong added quietly.
"That's fine. Honestly, spending the rest of my days that way doesn't sound bad at all," Sengoku replied with a calm smile.
Kong sighed deeply. "Hard to believe, huh? Two men who stood at the frontlines since the era of Roger are both stepping back. Times are changing. And with the legendary pirates that escaped from Impel Down running wild, it's chaos."
Sengoku gave a wry smile. "Whitebeard once stood at the summit, but now that he's gone, a new pirate era is brewing. The Navy can't afford to keep clinging to old soldiers. Justice needs fresh blood."
Kong chuckled, though his eyes were sharp. "Hmph. That kind of talk stings, Sengoku."
Leaning forward, Sengoku's tone grew serious. "Kong-san, I recommend Aokiji as the next Fleet Admiral. As for the vacant admiral seat... I nominate Jack. He's ready."
Kong arched a brow. "That kid? Isn't he a bit too young to shoulder that title?"
"There's no question about his strength. I had my doubts about his maturity, but after what I've seen, I'm convinced. With Jack, the Navy's justice will endure."
Kong shrugged. "Fine, fine. If you're that set on it, I'll report it to the Five Elders. Whether they approve... well, that's out of my hands."
Back on his ship, Jack sneezed suddenly, jolting from his meditative trance. "Achoo—!"
"Sir, the sea breeze is strong out here. Why don't you head below deck?" Lena approached, her voice tinged with concern. His wounds from the war were still healing, after all.
Jack just waved her off with a lopsided grin. "It's nothing. Someone's probably talking about me somewhere."
Lena sighed, exasperated. "With Impel Down breached, pirates are flooding the seas again. And here we are, chasing after some blind man instead of helping. Doesn't this feel... irresponsible?"
Jack yawned and stretched. "Relax. The Navy took heavy hits, sure, but whether I'm there or not won't tip the balance. Besides, I'm technically out at sea, aren't I? If we run into pirates, we'll handle them. That way Sengoku can't complain I slacked off. And hey, I am still recovering."
Seeing his lazy yet confident demeanor, Lena could only shake her head and quietly walk away.
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