5 Chapter 5

Xilan, nonchalant in demeanor, remained silent as a faint smile played upon his lips. It was no secret that numerous individuals harbored animosity towards him, and he was cognizant of this fact.

But dissatisfaction was just that, dissatisfaction. He knew that his position was secure. In fact, he expected nothing less than to be addressed with the utmost respect and deference.

Xilan's reputation may be marred by his past actions, including illicit dealings and amassing wealth through questionable means, but he has also demonstrated his commitment to the Marine organization through his tireless efforts in the past. Interestingly, in this timeline, it was actually Xilan who apprehended the pirate king, Gol D. Roger.

Xilan's reputation as "Marine's double wall" alongside Garp was well-earned, but in contrast to Garp's growing luminosity, Xilan's reputation had become increasingly sullied. The capture of the pirate king, Gol D. Roger, was only made possible due to the latter's illness, otherwise it would have posed a signigicant challenge for Xilan.

"Xilan, what brings you here?" Sengoku tried to maintain his composure. Despite being of a similar age, Sengoku appears significantly younger compared to both Garp and Xilan at this stage in their lives.

Xilan wondered if this old man had been living a lavish lifestyle, indulging in the same corrupt practices as him and somehow managing to maintain a youthful appearance.

Xilan exhaled a plume of smoke and cast a casual glance around the room, his voice dripping with nonchalance as he inquired, "I heard that someone has lodged a complaint against me?"

"Someone filed a report against you?"

"Have you received any reports or complaints against you that I am unaware of?" Sengoku asked with a puzzled expression, pretending not to know.

Xilan chuckled to himself.

Xilan gave a sly smile as he turned his attention to Akainu. "Not bad, Sakazuki, you're looking more and more powerful."

"You may be getting older, but I am still in my prime," Akainu replied haughtily, standing tall and proud. "I am constantly improving and growing stronger."

"It seems that you have made accusations against me, alleging that I have engaged in nefarious collusion with pirates and brought them to the attention of Marshal Sengoku," Xilan inquired coolly.

"How does he know?!" Sengoku was shocked, he burned all the reports letters.

Sengoku's mind raced, trying to understand how Xilan could have discovered the reports filed against him. Could it be that there was a spy in his midst, working for Xilan and revealing his actions?

Sengoku quickly signaled to Akainu with a wink, hoping that he would deny the allegations. However, those familiar with Akainu's personality knew that he was an upright individual who would never tolerate injustice and would never succumb to corrupt forces.

"Indeed!" As expected, Akainu admitted to the allegations without hesitation.

Many Marines were in awe, and everyone looked at Sengoku with concern. If this situation is not properly handled, it could potentially lead to civil strife within the organization.

"What evidence do you have?" Xilan inquired, standing confidently on the ground. "If you don't have any, you can be sued for defamation, Sakazuki."

"Naturally I collected all the evidences needed," Akainu stated confidently as he pulled out a stack of photographs from within his garments and distributed them among the gathered individuals.

"This damn Sakazuki is trying to drag us down!" Everyone cursed secretly, feeling that the photos in their hands were incriminating evidence against Xilan.

The photos showed Xilan on a luxury yacht, surrounded by beautiful women. Some of the women were from normal families, while others were known pirate beauties, including the famous pirate queen Boa Hancock.

"What is your relationship with Boa Hancock? As a Marine Admiral, it is inappropriate for you to be seen publicly embracing a member of the Shichibukai. Even if you are known for your reckless behavior, there must be limits to your actions." Akainu scolded angrily, his words carrying the weight of his outrage.

Xilan leaned back in his chair, exuding an air of cool nonchalance as he puffed on his cigar, he had a faint smile.

Xilan casually flicked the ashes off his cigar and gazed at the group of Marine officials with a cool, faint smile. "Is that all you've got? Disappointing."

Akainu snarled in response, his eyes blazing with anger. "This is enough evidence to prove your nefarious collusion with pirates!"

"First and foremost," Xilan raised his finger and addressed the group, "Whomever dances within my arms is my freedom. With your mother's consent, I would gladly hold her as well."

"What did you say?!" Akainu scowled, his eyes gleaming with anger.

"Listen to him, Sakazuki!!" Sengoku interjected.

"Regarding the second point", Xilan raised his second finger and continued, "Dancing with a pirate in my arms does not prove collusion with pirates. Such an accusation is baseless. Appreciation for beauty is universal. Within the ranks of the Marines, many admire the world's most stunning woman. Should it then be assumed that I colluded with pirates simply because I won her over with my handsome face and mature charm?"

"You tell me," Xilan directed his gaze at the silent Sengoku.

Everyone rolled their eyes. Xilan and his 'handsome face'? They were all senior men in their seventies.

Sengoku found himself in a predicament. Answering Xilan's question could potentially offend either Akainu or Xilan, and with the imminent fight against the Whitebeard pirates, he deemed it inappropriate to provoke either of them. "Execution day is about to begin. Any of you, please proceed to Impel Down and retrieve Ace the Fire Fist," Sengoku changed the subject. "The top priority is indeed to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates," Crane Vice Admiral added, standing up to reinforce Sengoku's point. "We can discuss other matters later."

"Damn it!" Akainu muttered to himself, annoyed that the older men were sidestepping important issues. In his opinion, Xilan's behavior was more reprehensible than that of Fire Fist Ace. Dancing with Boa Hancock in his arms was just one of the many instances that could be construed as collusion with pirates. Those pictures of Xilan eating barbecue and drinking with pirates further fueled his suspicions.

Xilan complacently ignored Akainu's piercing glares. Sengoku's words, on the other hand, signaled a potential business opportunity. "I'll go," Xilan volunteered, "since some people doubt my loyalty. I will escort Ace to prove my innocence."

Sengoku scrutinized Xilan for a moment before responding. "Very well. I hope you will be successful."

After the meeting, Xilan hurriedly made his way to his office at Naval Headquarters. As he entered, he quickly dialed a phone bug, and upon the other party's prompt answer, Xilan immediately began, "Whitebeard, I have a 100 billion berries proposition. Would you be interested?"

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