Chapter 100: The Winning of the World Government
In the office, Chiba looked at Aokiji with a smile, despite the serious topic at hand. "How is it possible? Who's spreading such nonsense? Just because you're my grandfather's disciple doesn't mean you can slander me without consequences. I'll sue for defamation."
Chiba laughed off the accusation, knowing that killing a Marine Admiral like Sakazuki would make it impossible for him to remain in the Marines or utilize their resources in the future.
"I'm not joking, Chiba. You've been back for ten days, and Sakazuki hasn't reported back. There are rumors in the ranks that you killed him," Aokiji said seriously.
Chiba feigned anger, "Which idiot is spreading these rumors? I want to sue them for slander. Aokiji, as a Marine Admiral, it's your duty to arrest those spreading lies about the future Marine Marshal. Investigate their motives. Do they want to remove me to claim the position themselves?"
Chiba's eyes turned cold as he stared at Aokiji. "If someone thinks they can remove me with such tactics, they're sorely mistaken."
Aokiji, sensing Chiba's intensity, replied, "What kind of look is that? Are you suggesting I spread the rumors?"
"Who knows?" Chiba's gaze remained sharp.
Aokiji, frustrated, said, "If I wanted to be Marine Marshal, I wouldn't have recommended you or signed your recommendation letter. And now you doubt me?"
Chiba's demeanor softened, and he laughed, "I'm sorry, I was just upset. Don't take it personally, Uncle Aokiji."
"Hmph, of course, it wasn't me," Aokiji grumbled. "I'm staying out of your affairs. Handle it yourself."
With that, Aokiji left, but on his way out, he stopped and pondered, "Wait, wasn't I supposed to ask him about the rumors? How did I end up defending myself instead? Was I tricked, or does he really suspect me?"
"Whatever, I won't get involved," Aokiji decided as he walked away, leaving Chiba relieved that he had managed to deflect suspicion for now.
Back in the marshal's office, Aokiji sat down, and Sengoku asked, "Did you find out anything?"
"No, as soon as I mentioned the rumors about him killing Sakazuki, he turned it around on me, suggesting I was trying to usurp him," Aokiji replied, sighing. "I recommended him for the marshal position. Why would I want to fight him for it now?"
Sengoku stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Aokiji, I think Chiba's reaction was a ploy to keep you from probing further. He never truly wanted to be Marine Marshal; he only pursued it because we pressured him to."
"If Chiba hadn't killed Sakazuki, he would have dismissed the rumor or joked about relinquishing his claim to the marshal position. His defensive reaction suggests Sakazuki died by his hand."
Aokiji was taken aback, "So, Sakazuki really died at Chiba's hands?"
The revelation was shocking. Aokiji couldn't fathom how Chiba had grown powerful enough to kill an Admiral like Sakazuki, especially after his Lava-Lava Fruit awakening.
"I didn't expect his strength to reach such heights," Aokiji admitted, sinking back into his seat.
"Yes, I didn't anticipate it either," Sengoku replied. "But since Akainu was a Marine Admiral, Chiba's actions mean he can't assume the marshal position."
Sengoku sighed deeply, lamenting not only for Akainu but also for Chiba, whose potential as a leader was now in jeopardy.
Aokiji, however, still held some hope. "Sengoku, we know Chiba, but the World Government and the Five Elders may not. Without evidence, they can't prove Chiba killed Sakazuki. These are just our suspicions."
Sengoku shook his head, "The Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons don't need evidence. They act on suspicion and make decisions accordingly. They're the rule-makers."
"If they believe Chiba is uncontrollable, they'll use him until his value is exhausted, then eliminate him."
Aokiji's face darkened, "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"We'll see soon enough," Sengoku warned. "If you're questioned about Chiba, don't show strong support. Say you recommended him because Garp pressured you."
Aokiji asked, "Is it necessary?"
"Trust me, it's for your own good. Keep today's conversation to yourself," Sengoku advised, worried about Chiba's recklessness in killing Sakazuki.
"Understood," Aokiji nodded, troubled by the day's revelations and still unsure if Chiba had truly killed Sakazuki.
Another half month passed, and during this time, Chiba focused on gathering resources, refining precious herbs into potent elixirs. He even turned some elixirs into liquid form for Sengoku to sell, acquiring even rarer materials.
Sengoku, despite his concerns, assisted Chiba due to their past friendship and his understanding that Chiba's time in the Marines might be limited.
Meanwhile, the World Government ordered another massive search for Devil Fruits, likely suspecting Sakazuki's death and seeking his Lava-Lava Fruit.
Aokiji joined the search, embarking on a mission to find Devil Fruits. While lounging on a deck chair, he was interrupted by Kong, who criticized his laziness.
"Aokiji, you should lead by example," Kong reprimanded, instructing Aokiji to follow him to meet someone.
Aokiji, puzzled by the presence of four warships surrounding his own, had a bad feeling as he followed Kong to another ship.
Inside the ship's cabin, Aokiji was met by powerful figures, including Lucci and one of the Five Elders, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.
"Ethanbaron," Kong introduced, and Ethanbaron invited Aokiji to sit.
Ethanbaron questioned Aokiji about Sakazuki's disappearance, suggesting Chiba might have killed him.
Aokiji deflected, citing the need for evidence before making accusations. Ethanbaron pressed further, but Aokiji maintained his stance, refusing to speculate without proof.
Kong tried to ease the tension, suggesting a casual discussion, but Aokiji remained cautious, unwilling to implicate himself or Chiba.
Ethanbaron hinted at Aokiji's ties to Garp and Chiba, suggesting they didn't intend to harm Chiba but wanted to know the truth.
He proposed that if Chiba killed Sakazuki, they would choose a new marshal, possibly Aokiji, given Kizaru's lack of ambition.
Aokiji laughed off the suggestion, asserting he was no better than Kizaru and praising Sengoku as the rightful marshal.
"In the entire Marine, the most suitable person to be a marshal is old Sengoku. It was a wrong decision to remove him," Aokiji declared, standing by his belief.
[๏ปฟโขโโโโขโโโขโโโโข]
๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ. ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐!
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐๐ผ:
โญ โข ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ก๐ด๐ผ [๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป $๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ]
โญ โข ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ [๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป $๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ]
โญ โข ๐ผ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ [๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป $๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ]
โญ โข ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฒ [๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป $๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ]
๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ป๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ:
โจ โข ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐: ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ด๐ฑ+ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐.
โจ โข ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐-๐ข๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ!
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐!
๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ: ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ค๐ฃ.๐๐ค๐ข/๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง
๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐ผ๐ซ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐: ๐๐ฎ ๐ผ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฉ! ๐๐ฃ๐ก๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐ช๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค๐ก ๐๐ค๐ง $30โ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ 10% ๐๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ! ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐: ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ.
๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ค๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ผ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฉ, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ-๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ก. ๐๐๐๐จ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐จ, ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐!
๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ: ๐๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ค๐ฃ.๐๐ค๐ข/๐๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง/๐๐๐ค๐ฅ