Calm Belt, an uninhabited island.
All the Vice Admirals of the Navy had gathered at the outer perimeter.
They left the battlefield entirely to three men.
Sakazuki.
Kuzan.
Michael.
This was one of the Navy's most iconic scenes—two men of justice against one.
In the past, Sengoku and Garp had teamed up against the Golden Lion.
Now, it was Akainu and Aokiji against Michael.
"Michael, do you have any last words?" Sakazuki looked at him deeply. "Although Fleet Admiral Sengoku ordered us to take you alive… we both know that capturing you alive is far harder than killing you."
"Killing me? That's fine too."
Michael smiled and nodded.
The Holy Flame and Holy Light—everything—retracted and vanished.
The next instant, a massive six-winged angel, radiant and tangible, descended from the sky in a cascade of holy brilliance.
And just then, the sun broke past the horizon, flooding the sea with golden light.
"Long Step… Ascension!"
The last time he unleashed this full-power form was on Fishman Island—against Whitebeard.
And now, facing Akainu and Aokiji at once, Michael didn't hesitate to go all out.
Even if this was just a performance, he wasn't about to hold back.
Besides, Issho and Garp were both watching closely from nearby.
The two of them might not go for the kill, but to make it convincing, they'd definitely use some real strength.
Thus, the Holy Light liquefied—pure white, pale blue, and crimson flames swirled around him.
Michael, clad in rune-forged heavy angelic armor, descended once more.
Whether it was the Vice Admirals watching from the perimeter, Sakazuki and Kuzan, or even Issho—all stared at Michael in disbelief.
The sheer pressure radiating from him was enough to make their hearts tremble.
Only Garp, who had once witnessed this form firsthand on Fishman Island, remained calm.
As someone who had worked with Michael the longest, he was used to the man's absurdity.
No matter how much stronger Michael became, Garp wasn't surprised anymore.
At that moment, Michael wasn't interested in their reactions.
Instead, he crooked a finger toward Akainu and Aokiji.
"So, gentlemen… what are you waiting for?"
Magma and ice surged forward in unison, their elemental powers colliding toward Michael.
But with a mere lift of his hand, he blocked the attack effortlessly.
"Don't test me. It's pointless."
As he spoke, he raised his sword, Myōjō.
A sweeping slash infused with Armament Haki tore down from above, slicing through the air like a storm.
Just as Akainu and Aokiji braced to counter it, a massive shockwave erupted from the side, neutralizing the flying slash completely.
Garp's fist smoked faintly as he looked straight at Michael.
"Michael… you don't mind if I join in, do you?"
"Garp old man… I'd be honored."
Michael glanced around, then suddenly laughed.
"Two Admirals and one Navy Hero… I wonder—can you withstand my full strength?"
The moment the words left his lips, black lightning arced through the air.
The force of Conqueror's Haki swept outward like a storm.
Myōjō trembled lightly, pouring out the power of Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
"Lost Paradise!"
...
Five days later…
"In the Sea Calendar year 1512, Chief Inspector of the Navy, 'Gintaka' Michael, has been revealed as the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, enraged, dispatched the entire Vice Admiral corps. Led by Admirals Akainu and Aokiji, and with the Navy Hero Garp overseeing the operation, the Navy moved to apprehend Michael."
"The two sides clashed in the Calm Belt, on a deserted island."
"The specific details of the battle remain unclear—every Vice Admiral present has refused to speak."
"But according to insider reports, all Vice Admirals were injured, many seriously… while Admirals Akainu and Aokiji were hospitalized for three days and nights before being declared out of danger."
"Michael's whereabouts are currently unknown. He has been officially expelled from the Navy… This paper will continue to follow the story!"
The front page of the World Economy News that day exploded across the seas.
That the Navy's Chief Inspector was a Revolutionary Army member was shocking enough.
But the fact that two Admirals and one Navy Hero—along with every Vice Admiral—had failed to capture him...
The entire ocean was now buzzing with talk about Michael.
His allegiance didn't matter anymore. What mattered was how powerful he had become.
But while the masses gossiped, the keen-eyed noticed something deeper.
The sea, calm for so long, was about to surge once again.
...
"Kurararara! That kid Michael really hid his cards well! A Revolutionary Army man, huh? No wonder he never acted like one of those stiff-necked Marines!" Whitebeard roared with laughter as he held up the newspaper.
"What a shame. Why couldn't that brat have joined the Whitebeard Pirates instead?"
"Father, now that Michael's no longer a Marine… what about our contract with him? And that plan he mentioned about founding a kingdom?" Marco asked, still shaken by the revelation but more concerned with their interests.
"It's still good for us either way. No need to stop anything." Whitebeard shook his head slowly.
"And my gut tells me Michael isn't just some ordinary Revolutionary. Mark my words—one day, we might see the Navy and the Revolutionary Army standing together… maybe even united as one."
...
"Hey! Yamato! Where do you think you're going?!"
Jack caught up to Yamato at the Navy Headquarters' harbor, blocking the path as she struggled under a pile of luggage.
"Shh! Keep it down!" Yamato yanked him closer and hissed, "Don't say a word to Ulti or Page One about this!"
"Going? Going where?"
"Are you stupid? To join the Revolutionary Army, obviously!" Yamato said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"If not for following Vice Admiral Michael, I wouldn't have joined the Navy in the first place!"
"You—you're betraying the Navy?!" Jack's eyes went wide. "Then take me with you! Otherwise, I'm reporting you to Headquarters right now!"
"...Weren't you planning to run off too?"
"A-hahaha! Of course! Wherever Vice Admiral Michael goes, I go!" Jack grinned, stretching out his huge hand toward her. "I even brought the keys to the Seraphim's hatch!"
"...Anyone who still calls you a dumb brute—I, Yamato, will be the first to disagree!"
The two instantly came to an understanding and dashed off toward the harbor together, sneaking away like a pair of conspirators.
High above them, on a floating island cloud, several Vice Admirals of the SWORD Secret Special Force—and Garp—watched from above.
"Vice Admiral Garp, are you really just going to let them go?" Stella asked, worry written all over her face.
"Michael will need a few people he can trust to handle things for him," Garp said, glancing from Stella to Crocodile and the others.
"You're all Vice Admirals now, and vital parts of Michael's plan. That's why you can't leave the Navy. Same goes for Hancock and the others. But Jack and Yamato… they're the perfect candidates."
Garp let out a quiet sigh.
"I just wonder when… we'll meet again."
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