Kizaru usually floated through life, rarely sticking his neck out. But this kind of straight-up needling? That was a first.
Everyone present blinked in surprise.
Besides, Kizaru had been defeated by Creed. For him to back Ain—who was known to be close to Creed—didn't seem to add up at all.
What was Borsalino playing at? For a moment, no one could guess. A few, however, caught a whiff of it: Onigumo had long worked missions under Kizaru's command, yet lately he'd thrown in with Sakazuki. Maybe that rankled.
Onigumo's face went from green to white and back again. He wanted to snap back, but the other man was an admiral—he could only seethe. He knew why Kizaru jabbed at him, but he didn't think his choice was wrong. Sakazuki's "Absolute Justice" fit his own creed; Borsalino's didn't.
"Borsalino, we're in session. Cut the chatter," Sengoku broke the awkward tension. "Other than Ain of the G-K Branch, does anyone have candidates to propose?"
Privately, the Fleet Admiral massaged a headache. If Borsalino and Sakazuki were at odds, that was the last thing they needed in a season like this.
"I believe G-K's commander, Fujitora, also merits consideration as an admiral candidate," Zephyr said.
That name set the room buzzing again.
Fujitora had once served under Creed—then as deputy commander, holding the fort in the G-K Branch Creed founded. Calling him a confidant general wasn't an exaggeration.
Two nominations in a row for Creed's former officers—both closely tied to him. People began to suspect Kizaru and Zephyr were here to throw wrenches.
Sengoku didn't see it that way. "Fujitora is indeed excellent—his swordsmanship is first-rate, and he wields a formidable gravity fruit. Mm. That's a sound proposal. Anyone else?"
After a few more names were floated, the meeting broke up.
At dawn, Sengoku was jolted awake by his adjutant.
"What is it, Yonju?" he asked blearily, taking the latest World Economy News.
"'Clash with Kaido! The Fifth Emperor of the New World Officially Crowned!'" Sengoku read the headline and grunted. "Annoying and a little painful to see, sure—but what's it to us?"
Plenty had witnessed Creed's rampage in the Golden City. That couldn't be covered up; making front-page waves was normal.
At the adjutant's hint, Sengoku glanced at a side column on page one.
One look—and his temper flared.
There, in detail, were Creed's records and merits since joining the Navy—the barriers he'd shattered, the exploits he'd earned…
"Damn that Morgans! What is he trying to pull?!" Sengoku slammed the paper down.
This would ding the Navy's reputation. For now, the World Government took the blame for driving Creed out—but this piece was shifting the pot squarely onto the Navy's head.
No doubt the chief writer had his own agenda.
"This won't do. I have to report to Commander-in-Chief Kong."
"Uh-huh," came Steel Bone Kong's unruffled reply. "Then hold a big, splashy press conference. Announce the relocation of Headquarters to the New World."
"I understand."
Sengoku hung up and issued orders at once.
As the news of Creed's "official coronation" as the Fifth Emperor thundered across the world, the Navy's follow-up—relocating Headquarters to the New World—sent the global public into a frenzy. All eyes swung toward Marineford.
Everyone understood what it meant.
Was the World Government—was the Navy—finally moving on the Four Emperors?
As for Creed's Fifth Emperor coronation, the heat was abruptly smothered.
In a VIP suite atop a gilded tower in the Golden City, Morgans set down a den-den mushi, muttering in mild surprise, "For the Navy to drop a bomb like that, blithely ignoring the Emperors' feelings… an open provocation. Why now?"
A moment later, realization glinted in his eyes. "Because of Creed, is it?"
No question—the Fifth Emperor headline he'd personally crafted had set off a global shock. Many now mocked the Navy and the Government as inept.
The Navy's next move—a worldwide media blast about relocating Headquarters—had forcibly stamped out Creed's momentum.
"Heh. Didn't see this coming, did you? I also have the scoop that Sakazuki was defeated by Creed. In that case, no reason to stash it away. Let's drop it all at once."
Decision made, the News King of the underworld readied his second payload—to blow the world up again.
If the Navy was marching into the New World, he had no reason to keep giving them face.
That day, the busiest creatures alive were the news birds. Three earthshaking headlines rolled out in waves; their satchels were emptied within blocks of takeoff.
The most excited? The peanut gallery, of course. But others, sharper-nosed, sensed the oncoming storm and scrambled to prepare.
At Navy Headquarters, fury spiked as the bulletin—"Sakazuki defeated by the new Fifth Emperor"—hit. No one could believe Morgans had dug that up so fast.
Awed by the bird's claws, Sengoku could only bow to reality and call the Five Elders, asking them to step in and rein in that "uncle" of the dark world.
At the same time, he ground his teeth at Creed. The leak about Sakazuki's defeat had to have come from him; Kuzan swore there'd been no third party present during the fight.
Three detonations, all tied to Creed. In each, he was the lead actor. His renown surged—across the New World, across the globe.
Many pirate crews began hunting his trail, hoping to pledge themselves under his flag.
Just then, word spread through the New World: anyone wishing to join Creed's crew should contact former Warlord Crocodile, currently operating near Mushroom Island.
And the "culprit" who'd sent the world boiling—Creed himself—was busy studying the SSSS-grade Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) he had extracted from Akainu.
(End of Chapter)
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