22

After destroying all the naval warships and looking at the navy floating like dead fish on the sea, Ryō's rage finally subsided a little.

"Let's go!"

Ryō called to Nami, walking toward their boat. Nami, however, was as pale as a ghost, dreading the events that had just unfolded.

She knew she was in deep trouble now. By aiding Ryō in destroying the naval battleships, she had made herself an enemy of the World Government. No matter the reason, the Navy would soon put a bounty on her head. She could only hope it wouldn't be too high, or she'd have no place to hide anywhere across the seas.

Not long after Ryō and Nami departed, amidst the wreckage of naval battleships, Smoker—though battered and burned—emerged alive. As a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, he had managed to survive the carnage, though he was severely injured.

Enduring the pain coursing through his body, Smoker fished out a Den Den Mushi and immediately contacted the Navy Headquarters.

Blu-blu-blu... Katcha!

In the office of the Fleet Admiral at Navy Headquarters, Sengoku was processing stacks of documents when the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.

"I am Sengoku..."

As soon as Sengoku picked up the call, Smoker's weakened voice came through the line.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the mission to eliminate the pirates in the East Blue has failed..." Smoker said, coughing violently. "The entire naval fleet in the East Blue has been wiped out..."

Sengoku's face darkened instantly. "How can this be?!" he shouted, unable to believe his ears. The plan to eliminate the pirates of the East Blue was devised by none other than Sengoku himself. He was well aware of the region's importance.

After all, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, hailed from the East Blue. Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, the waters there had become increasingly turbulent, home to a new breed of dangerous pirates. Sengoku's plan had been designed to sweep the area clean of such threats, restoring peace to the East Blue.

According to his calculations, the mission should have gone smoothly, with Smoker leading the charge. Smoker was a powerful Logia user in a sea where the pirates, by comparison, were weak. Additionally, Sengoku had dispatched a large and well-equipped fleet to ensure success.

But now, Smoker was telling him the entire plan had failed, and that even the naval fleet had been destroyed. Sengoku found it hard to accept.

"What happened?! How did the pirates in the East Blue become strong enough to wipe out our fleet!?" Sengoku demanded, his voice seething with anger.

Smoker, still recovering from the intense battle, explained, "It wasn't the pirates. Someone got there before we could act..."

Sengoku's eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

Smoker's voice dropped to a serious tone. "It was a member of the Akatsuki organization... a man named Kakuzu."

Hearing the name Akatsuki, Sengoku's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Akatsuki?" Sengoku repeated, as if trying to confirm what he just heard.

The Akatsuki organization was a name known to few, but its reputation had sent waves through the higher ranks of the World Government. It was a highly secretive and extraordinarily powerful group, shrouded in mystery. The Akatsuki members were said to possess powers that rival even the strongest forces in the world, including the Four Emperors.

Recently, the Navy had even held an emergency meeting concerning the growing threat of the Akatsuki. To think that an Akatsuki member would appear in the East Blue and destroy an entire naval fleet was beyond shocking.

"Give me every detail about this Kakuzu and his abilities," Sengoku ordered sternly. He needed more information on this new threat.

Smoker wasted no time. "Kakuzu... he used several different techniques. Fire, wind, lightning... it was as if he controlled the elements themselves. He took down the entire fleet single-handedly. I believe he's a Devil Fruit user, though it's hard to say what kind. And... there was a girl with him. Young, but I couldn't get a clear read on her abilities."

Sengoku's face was grim as he processed Smoker's words. "Smoker, return to the nearest base for medical treatment. I don't blame you for this. The situation is far beyond anything we expected."

He paused, thinking carefully. "I will send an admiral to deal with this Akatsuki member. We need to put an end to this immediately."

With that, Sengoku ended the call and turned to his assistant. "Inform Kuzan to meet me in my office."

Ryō had disrupted a major naval operation, and with the reputation of the Akatsuki already causing unrest within the World Government, Sengoku knew they had to act swiftly. They couldn't afford to let someone this dangerous remain unchecked.

Soon after, Admiral Kuzan, known as Aokiji, strolled into Sengoku's office, his usual laid-back demeanor still in place.

"You called for me, Sengoku-san?" Kuzan asked, casually stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Sengoku's gaze was intense as he spoke. "Kuzan, there's a member of the Akatsuki in the East Blue. I want you to take a warship and eliminate him. Preferably, capture him alive."

Kuzan raised an eyebrow. "Akatsuki? You mean that group that took down Akainu?"

Sengoku nodded. "Yes. This man, Kakuzu, is extremely dangerous. He wiped out our entire fleet in the East Blue. His powers are unlike anything we've seen. I want him alive, if possible. We need information about the Akatsuki."

Kuzan sighed. "Understood. I'll head out immediately." With a lazy wave, Kuzan left the room to prepare for his mission.

Soon, a large naval warship departed from Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy, making its way toward the East Blue. Admiral Kuzan was on board, ready to confront the mysterious Kakuzu, a member of the dreaded Akatsuki. The Navy wasn't about to let the Akatsuki run wild any longer, especially not in one of the Four Seas.

As Ryō and Nami sailed away from the chaos they had left behind, they had no idea that an even greater threat was now on their trail.