News spread like wildfire. Emperor Tiamat was attacking the Navy's West Blue branch.
Two Vice Admirals immediately mobilized their forces and rushed to intercept.
"Whew…"
"Finally, that was close."
Liam Ross exhaled deeply, watching the distant silhouettes of the departing ships fade over the horizon. His expression eased, a hint of relief flashing across his tired face.
He had sent his clone to impersonate Emperor Tiamat, drawing attention away while he himself slipped away unnoticed.
With that clever distraction, neither Aokiji nor Akainu would have any reason to suspect him anymore.
After all, who could possibly imagine that his body could harbor the power of two Devil Fruits?
That secret was the reason he had refused to admit anything earlier, even when Akainu had cornered and tested him.
Now, with his shoulder injured, he was escorted by Lieutenant Toras to the ship's medic for treatment.
"Hey, Liam," Toras asked as he watched the bandages being wrapped around his arm, his curiosity barely contained. "Did you really awaken Observation Haki?"
Liam smiled faintly and nodded.
"Ha! Knew it!" Toras laughed, thumping him lightly on the back. "Didn't I say you had potential? You're the first in our entire squad to awaken Haki!"
His tone was cheerful, but envy flickered behind his grin.
He had been in the Navy for six long years, spending four of them mastering the Rokushiki techniques, and even now he hadn't come close to awakening any form of Haki. To him, it was something distant almost mythic.
And yet Liam, who had only been a marine for barely a year, had already taken down a pirate worth five million berries and now, to top it off, had awakened Observation Haki.
A genius like that would definitely be handpicked and groomed as one of the Navy's elite.
"C'mon, boss," Liam scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "You're making me blush. Honestly, I don't even know how it happened. One moment I was fighting, and… well, boom. It just happened."
Toras rolled his eyes.
"Listen to yourself! Some people train their whole lives for that 'boom'!" he muttered, half laughing, half exasperated.
Once the medic finished tending to Liam's wound, the two left the infirmary together. As they walked through the ship's corridors, Toras noticed the younger man had gone quiet.
He nudged him lightly with his elbow and smirked. "What's on your mind? Still thinking about that Emperor Tiamat business? Relax. The guy showed up in person. That proves you're not him."
In truth, Liam wasn't thinking about that at all.
His consciousness was split part of it controlling his clone as it battled at the West Blue branch, fending off the Navy's counterattack.
But he still managed to smile and reply calmly, "I'm fine, boss. Really."
"Good," Toras said, grinning again. "'Cause once you're back on your feet, I'm treating you to a proper meal. You earned it today, kid."
Meanwhile, miles away in the devastated West Blue base, the clone stood atop the ruins, overlooking the surviving soldiers below.
"Fire!"
The command rang out.
Dozens of rifles roared in unison, unleashing a storm of bullets.
"Whizz, whizz, whizz "
The air filled with the hiss of metal.
But the barrage never reached him. With a single motion, the clone raised both hands, and an earthen wall surged up from the ground, shielding him from the attack. The bullets sank into the soil, vanishing harmlessly.
Then, with another flick of his fingers, the earth itself responded absorbing the bullets, reshaping them into jagged spears of stone.
Earth Technique: Shattering Arrows!
Dozens of arrows rained down like a storm, detonating upon impact.
Explosions and cries filled the air.
"Ahh!"
"My arm!"
"Take cover!"
Panic rippled through the ranks.
Three officers a pair of majors and a lieutenant colonel used Moonwalk to charge at him from above. But the clone was faster. With a gesture, three earthen cages erupted around them, trapping them mid-air. He clenched his fist, and the cages collapsed, knocking them out cold.
"Almost time," the clone muttered.
Raising his arm, he summoned several colossal dragons made of earth, their maws twisting and roaring. They dived toward the Navy buildings below, smashing everything in sight.
The ground trembled under the force of his attack.
"Emperor Tiamat! The Navy won't forgive you for this!" the base commander shouted, bloodied but defiant.
The clone only smirked, admiring the destruction for a brief moment. "Forgiveness?" he murmured. "That's not what I'm after."
Satisfied, he turned and vanished into the clouds.
Minutes later, the patrol fleet finally arrived.
Aokiji and Akainu stepped ashore, their expressions grim as they surveyed the wreckage the collapsed buildings, the scorched earth, the broken walls.
They had pushed their ships to the limit to get here, but it was already too late.
The casualty report was mercifully light, but the base itself was crippled beyond use. It would take at least two months to rebuild.
Liam's plan had worked perfectly. The West Blue branch was now effectively paralyzed.
…
Two days passed in quiet recovery.
During that time, Liam completed several high-tier "sign-ins" through his system, gaining three Intermediate Experience Cards and one Basic Fruit Mastery Card. His swordsmanship and clone abilities both advanced significantly.
Akainu, ever impatient, led his strike team back to Marineford.
Aokiji, however, turned his patrol ship around and sought out Liam. When he found him on deck, he approached with his usual laid-back demeanor but this time, his eyes carried genuine seriousness.
"About what happened last time," Aokiji began, his tone calm but sincere, "I owe you an apology."
Liam nearly jumped to his feet. "Vice Admiral, please, you don't have to! I know you didn't mean any harm."
Aokiji's expression shifted, his voice suddenly formal. "Sergeant Liam Ross."
Liam straightened instinctively. "Sir!"
A faint smile curved the corners of Aokiji's mouth. "I've read your file. You took down a five-million-berry pirate before completing your official training. Now you've awakened Observation Haki. That's not something we see every day."
He paused. "So I'll ask you directly how would you like to serve under me?"
"Huh?" Liam blinked, caught completely off guard.
For a moment, he thought he had been exposed. But then it hit him the Admiral wasn't suspicious. He was impressed.
Aokiji wanted to recruit him.
It made sense. His performance had drawn attention, and even among the Navy's young recruits, his growth was abnormal.
But accepting meant something else entirely it meant responsibility. It meant losing the quiet, low-profile life he'd been trying to protect.
Liam had always understood one thing clearly: the higher you climb, the heavier the weight you carry.
Aokiji, Akainu, Kizaru they were living proof. Admirals in title, but prisoners to their duties, constantly at sea, burdened with endless missions.
Of course, there were always a few veterans who treated "missions" like vacations. Those were the ones Liam truly admired.
"Think about it," Aokiji said after a pause, smiling again. "You're promising material, and the Navy needs more talent like you."
Liam nodded silently.
Even if he wanted to keep hiding, there were different ways to do it and maybe this was the path that would let him play both sides.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Marineford, within the office of Fleet Admiral Steelbone Kong, three figures had gathered.
Kong. Sengoku. Tsuru.
The strategist, the commander, and the chief of staff.
A meeting of minds.
Something big was about to begin.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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