3580!
Staring at the numbers flashing on the crystal meter, Alex stood frozen, his jaw dropping in disbelief. How could Aokiji Kuzan's crystal points soar so high?
Vice Admiral Garp clocked in at just over 4200 points, yet Aokiji was already breaching 3500? By the time the original One Piece story kicked off, eight or nine years from now, wouldn't his crystal points surpass Garp's? That seemed utterly unthinkable!
"No, I must be missing something. Based on the original story's power scale, Garp's strength clearly outshines Aokiji and the three admirals."
Shaking his head, Alex mulled over the puzzle in silence. Could Aokiji Kuzan have been concealing his true power in the original tale?
That was flat-out impossible! In the original story, Aokiji Kuzan clashed with Akainu Sakaski in a brutal duel, losing a leg in the process, proving Aokiji's strength was just a hair below Akainu's.
Yet during the Battle of Marineford, even with a gaping hole in his chest, Whitebeard still overpowered Akainu. Garp's strength was believed to rival Whitebeard's, so Garp's might surely eclipsed the three admirals.
Since Aokiji wasn't hiding his strength, what explained his crystal points nearly matching Garp's?
If crystal points measured strength, Aokiji now wielded over 80% of Garp's power, didn't he?
"Could it be? It's because…" A sudden theory sparked in Alex's mind, flickering with possibility.
The crystal meter's function was straightforward—it gauged the raw energy within a target's body, nothing more, nothing less.
As a Natural-type Fruit user, Aokiji's energy levels were sky-high, that much was certain, but Garp? He was a master of pure physical prowess. Even setting aside energy, his raw physical strength was a force of nature.
In other words, beyond combat skills, could the sheer might of Garp's physical body account for a massive chunk of his overall power?
Thinking it through, this made perfect sense. The crystal meter couldn't quantify the strength of a physical body!
Of course, Alex knew he'd only confirm these guesses by measuring powerhouses like Akainu or Kizaru in the future.
Besides, whether it was 4000 or 8000 crystal points, it hardly mattered to Alex. Such levels of power were still galaxies beyond his current reach.
The battleship sailed back to Marineford, the journey smooth and untroubled.
After docking at Navy Headquarters, Alex and the others disembarked, scattering to their tasks. Aokiji Kuzan, naturally, headed to Marshal Sengoku's office to report on the mission.
"That's the gist of it…"
That day, Akainu happened to be in Sengoku's office. Hearing Aokiji's report, Akainu's face twisted with frustration, and he snapped irritably: "As Navy officers, being chased by pirates and fleeing back? It's an absolute disgrace to the Navy!"
What followed was a heated clash of ideals between Aokiji and Akainu, their voices crackling with tension.
Aokiji argued the mission was complete, with no need to stir trouble with the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. But Akainu insisted that pirates should be crushed on sight—being chased and retreating was a humiliating stain.
Sengoku, exasperated by their bickering, stepped in to silence them, his authority cutting through the noise.
At the same time, he shifted the topic, saying, "This Smoker—his choice makes sense, but a Natural-type Fruit is incredibly rare. Can he handle its power, or will he squander it?"
"Well, Smoker's got solid talent and works hard. He's a Navy man who truly upholds justice…" When it came to Smoker, Aokiji Kuzan's words brimmed with praise, and he gave a quick rundown of Smoker's qualities.
"Hmm, sounds like a Navy officer worth watching. Let's prioritize his training moving forward." Impressed by Smoker's potential and the Natural-type Fruit, Marshal Sengoku nodded in approval.
"By the way, you mentioned that rookie, Alex, made significant contributions on the battlefield?"
At this point, Sengoku pivoted again, recalling Alex's recent buzz as a prodigy. Knowing he was Garp's protégé sparked his curiosity.
"Well, when it comes to talent, Alex might just be a once-in-a-century genius in our Navy." Kuzan nodded, a flicker of awe crossing his face as he spoke.
"Isn't that a bit much?" Akainu interjected, unable to hold back, his tone sharp with skepticism.
A once-in-a-century genius? That title wasn't thrown around lightly!
To prevent another argument, Sengoku shot Akainu a look to hush him.
Immediately, Sengoku leaned forward, intrigue lighting his eyes, and said, "Sure, the Magnet-Magnet Fruit's control over metal can wreak havoc on a battlefield, but a once-in-a-century genius? What makes you say that?"
"I've watched Alex closely. His progress is lightning-fast, yet his physical fitness is only on par with a Navy lieutenant's."
"As you know, typically, only major-level officers at Headquarters are deemed fit to learn Armament Haki, but he pestered Rear Admiral Bastille for advice over a few days and mastered it on his own."
"He learned Armament Haki in just over two weeks!?"
At that moment, Sengoku and Akainu's expressions shifted, the weight of Armament Haki's difficulty sinking in.
"To be precise, he nailed it in just one week, and it's not just invisible Haki—he can wield it with finesse, forming Haki Armor…"
In response to their shock, Aokiji clarified, noting that Haki Armor referred to the condensed, blackened Haki that marked true mastery.
"With only a lieutenant's physique, he learned Armament Haki in a week and can use it with such skill. This is unheard of in Navy history…"
Marshal Sengoku sat stunned, murmuring in disbelief, his mind reeling.
Even Akainu, usually at odds with Aokiji, couldn't mask his astonishment, struck silent by the revelation.
This news nearly shattered their understanding of what was possible.
Never had a lieutenant-level Navy officer cultivated Armament Haki, let alone mastered it and formed Haki Armor in a mere week.
In this light, Alex was indeed a super-genius, a rarity in the Navy's century-long legacy.
"Let's set this aside for now. Kuzan, you're right—merit deserves reward. Since Smoker shows exceptional promise and wields a Natural-type Devil Fruit, we should nurture him closely. Let's sweeten the deal to secure his loyalty to the Navy. This time, we'll make an exception and promote him from sergeant to lieutenant."
As a seasoned marshal, Sengoku recovered from the shock of Alex's feats and spoke with authority.
"Yeah," Aokiji and Akainu nodded, agreeing with the decision.
For a Natural-type Devil Fruit user, a lieutenant's rank was a modest reward.
Then, after a brief pause, Sengoku added, "As for Alex? He played a key role in securing the Devil Fruit. To reward his merits, we should also grant him a lieutenant's rank."