81. The Experience Value Exceeds 20,000, And The Physique Reaches The Emperor Level!

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Kisdiko Town.

"Admiral Sengoku! It's me, Tatsumi!"

On the second floor of the residence, Tatsumi stood tall by the window, looking at the Marine Base not far away.

Through the Den Den Mushi, Sengoku's weary and lazy voice responded, "How is the investigation going?"

"It's all been thoroughly investigated, and Mr. Issho's report is accurate."

Tatsumi's voice was heavy, his brows furrowed. "All the Marines at this base have been engaging in illegal activities, and the evidence is undeniable."

Sengoku remained silent.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Then arrest them and bring them to a military court for trial."

"Understood, but we'll need new officers and soldiers to replace them here."

"I'll report to Fleet Admiral Akira and have him make the necessary arrangements."

"Okay, I'll hang up now."

Tatsumi hung up the Den Den Mushi, placed it in his coat, and turned around to face Issho, who was looking at him with intense eyes.

"You broke the rule again today, Mr. Issho!" Tatsumi reminded him pointedly.

"It doesn't matter. I once thought there were many despicable and vile people in the world, but I never realized there were also many noble and admirable ones."

With a smile, Issho's face was full of emotion as he gazed up at the sky. "Where there is evil, there must be good. Rejecting the good entirely because of the presence of evil is far too extreme."

"So, you're not going to keep your eyes closed?"

"Well, I still need to close them. Recently, I've discovered that by not using my eyes and instead feeling the world with my heart, my Observation Haki has improved rapidly."

"Even if you relapse every day?" Tatsumi laughed.

Since Issho had been brought here that night, he had seen him break his rules six times in three days.

Even so, Tatsumi admired him quite a bit.

When Issho said he would close his eyes, he truly did, unless he encountered something or someone beautiful—then he was completely blind.

Tatsumi still remembered the last time they were gathering evidence; if Issho hadn't caught him, he would have almost fallen into a cesspit.

To be honest, not everyone could go to such lengths.

Issho smiled awkwardly.

"Alright, I need to deal with those Marines."

Tatsumi stretched, loosening his muscles, and walked toward the door.

His expression was relaxed, showing no sign of concern, even though he was about to face an entire Marine base.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Issho stood up.

"No, this is an internal Marine matter, and it shouldn't be displayed in front of the public."

Tatsumi declined.

Although Issho was the whistleblower, and technically, it would be fine if he knew about it, Marine internal scandals were best handled discreetly.

Anyone, including whistleblowers, needs to know is that the justice they believe in will never fail them.

As for the evil, let it sink into the darkness forever, known only to our own.

Issho stopped, understanding the weight of Marine internal affairs.

Indeed, I am not a Marine either. If Mr. Tatsumi can handle the situation, there's no need for outsiders to intervene.

Issho thought to himself.

He moved to the window, watching as Tatsumi approached the base's gate.

Tatsumi raised his right leg and delivered a powerful kick forward.

With a loud bang, the stone gate, towering as high as a four-story building, was sent flying, crashing onto the training ground.

The base reacted immediately.

A large number of soldiers rushed out, surrounding Tatsumi.

Soon after, the base commander appeared, cursing loudly.

The two sides exchanged words briefly, but it wasn't long before gunshots and the clashing of swords echoed through the air.

The base descended into chaos as Tatsumi's figure moved swiftly within it.

"But I really want to beat up these corrupt Marines myself."

As Issho watched, a surge of emotion filled his heart, and he gripped his staff tightly.

He widened his eyes as much as he could, trying to burn the ongoing battle into his memory.

Scenes like this were what he was most willing to break his vows for.

But soon enough, the fighting stopped.

Tatsumi stood calmly with his hands in his pockets, his clothes untouched by even a speck of dust.

The Marines in the entire base lay on the ground, bruised and battered, groaning in pain.

Issho let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

He carefully made his way back to his seat, quietly waiting for Tatsumi's return.

A few hours later, the sound of clear footsteps approached the door.

"Thanks to you, Mr. Issho, for reporting this. These Marines will—"

"Mr. Tatsumi, does your investigation bureau have any openings? I want to join."

Issho interrupted, his tone unusually serious.

If he had little interest in joining the Marines before, his thoughts had now changed.

The world was indeed becoming dirtier with villainous pirates, but the Marines, who upheld justice, were like scavengers trying to make it better.

Although there were corrupt individuals within the Marines, they also had ways to deal with such people.

As an outsider, Issho hadn't known this before, leading to a misunderstanding about the Marines.

Now, he realized that the Marines were a place worthy of serving for those with justice in their hearts.

At the same time!

[Ding, reminding Host that your experience points have exceeded 20,000!]

Marineford.

In the Fleet Admiral's office, Akainu was buried in paperwork but suddenly paused.

Without hesitation, he focused his mind on the system deep within his consciousness.

[Host: Akira]

[Age: 29]

[Physique: Monster Level (0/10000)]

[Development of Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon (Enhanced): Monster Level (0/10000)]

[Mythical Form 'Over' Development: Normal Level (0/10000)]

[Haki: Monster Level Conqueror's Haki (0/10000)]

[Abilities: Gun Mastery, Six Powers - Iron Body]

[Experience Points: 22,200]

Seeing the number of experience points, Akira's breath quickened.

"Wow, that's a lot!"

"But now, I can finally upgrade my monster-level physique."

His monster-level physique had been holding him back for over two months, and it had been on his mind for a while.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough—this level of physique already surpassed 90% of the people in the world.

The main issue was that the ability to transform with the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon was too demanding.

With the advent of various plans in this era of great pirates, even a monster-level physique couldn't sustain the energy it required.

To meet the demands of his plans, he needed to elevate his physique further.

"Let's upgrade the physique first."

Akira took a deep breath and lightly pressed on the physique attribute.

[Ding, would you like to spend 10,000 experience points to upgrade to the Emperor level?]

Emperor level? Could it mean the level of the Four Emperors?

Akira thought, but without hesitation, he replied, "Yes!"

[Note: After breaking through the monster-level attribute, it will upgrade to 'Inhuman Physique.']

[The inhuman physique is too strong to improve in all aspects like the human physique. Please choose one attribute to enhance: strength, speed, or defense!]

Akira frowned as he looked at the three options given by the system, falling deep into thought.

To be honest, this situation was completely unexpected for him.

Before today, he thought that breaking through to the monster level would mean an all-around improvement, just like his previous advancements.

But he hadn't expected it to be a choice between three distinct options.

His mind flashed to two scenes from the original story.

One was when Big Mom, one of the future Four Emperors, delivered two powerful punches, knocking out an Emperor's deputy with ease.

The other was how Big Mom's steel-like defense remained unbreakable no matter what.

Reflecting on this, Akira began to understand.

"Perhaps the stark difference between a Vice Admiral and the Four Emperors lies in this," Akira muttered to himself.

Are Vice Admirals strong?

Yes, incredibly strong.

Strong enough to seem unbeatable.

But even Katakuri, who could foresee the future with his Observation Haki, couldn't hold out for long against Big Mom.

Even when the top fighters agreed not to use their Devil Fruit abilities or Conqueror's Haki, relying solely on their physical strength and defense, the gap remained.

No matter how many vice admirals or strong fighters showed up, they wouldn't be enough against the overwhelming force of an Emperor.

Of course, this didn't include Luffy or the aging Whitebeard among the Four Emperors.

"Which two should I improve?" Akira pinched his chin, pondering.

He had a total of 20,000 experience points, enough to enhance two attributes.

As for upgrading the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon to its awakening level, or the Mythical Zoan to an elite level, Akira quickly dismissed the idea.

He had plenty of time, and he could train those abilities himself in the future.

On the other hand, his physical enhancements, constrained by his original body from the technologically advanced Blue Star, had to be improved through the system.

In fact, the best approach would be to save all the system's experience points for the future.

Then, he could boost all three attributes.

But for now, he had to choose.

Boosting strength?

As the Fleet Admiral, Akira didn't have many opportunities to engage in combat. Choosing to enhance strength would be akin to buying something for display—rarely used but still there.

Speed?

This was a solid choice. In the future, Shanks' deputy speed could rival that of Borsalino who has the Glint-Glint Fruit ability. Very practical, and definitely worth considering.

Defense?

An even better option.

Like Big Mom, who as the ruler of Totto Land, had no fear of assassination. She could take hits from supernovas without a scratch, embodying the principle of "I can make countless mistakes, but you can't afford even one."

And as Fleet Admiral, Akira needed this kind of defense. It would greatly enhance his safety, eliminating the risk of sudden assassination.

After careful consideration, Akira made his decision. "Increase the defense first, then the speed."

The moment he confirmed his choice, Akira felt his body change.

But this time, it wasn't like the previous upgrades.

Pain.

A sharp, intense pain.

It felt like every part of his body was being torn apart and then reorganized.

Meridians, cells, pores, muscles—all of them were undergoing transformation.

"Rouge, go to the cafeteria and get me some food to replenish my strength!" Akira instructed, taking deep breaths as he tried to manage the pain. Rouge, who had been working on documents nearby, quickly nodded.

"Okay, I'll go get a doctor too," she responded, thinking Akira was about to attempt another powerful transformation, and left the room.

The moment she stepped out, Akira stood up, locked the door, and then the pain intensified beyond his control.

"Ahhh…" He couldn't hold back the scream as the excruciating sensation overtook him.

"Hmm?"

Rouge stopped in her tracks, a puzzled look on her face as she thought she heard the Fleet Admiral scream.

She turned to glance at the closed door but, hearing no further noise, she shook her head, dismissing it as her imagination.

"I should get to the kitchen quickly."

She muttered to herself as she continued on her way.

When she returned after placing the kitchen order, she noticed Tsuru lingering in the corridor.

Tsuru seemed to be hesitating, as if she wanted to knock on the door but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Chief Staff Officer, do you need to speak with the Fleet Admiral? Why don't you go in?" Rouge asked, curiosity clear in her voice as she approached Crane.

Tsuru seemed startled, shaking her head quickly. "No, it's nothing! Just don't tell Akira that I was here."

With that, she hurried away, leaving Rouge frowning slightly.

"Strange," Rouge thought to herself. "Tsuru, the Marine's Chief Staff Officer, behaving so oddly at a time like this? That can't be a good sign."

Rouge knew her place well. Both she and the child she carried survived thanks to Akira, and as one of his women, she couldn't keep secrets from him. Tsuru's behavior was suspicious, especially with that last comment. Rouge felt she had to inform Akira.

She approached the door to his office and tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Fleet Admiral-sama, I'm back. Please open the door."

Rouge called out, knocking lightly at first, but when there was no response after five minutes, her worry grew.

"Master Fleet Admiral, are you in there? Please respond!"

She knocked louder, her voice growing more urgent with each passing moment, but there was still no answer.

"What's going on?!" Rouge's face turned pale with worry.

"I—I'm going downstairs to find Vice Admiral Garp! You wait here!"

But just as she began to run off, she heard a noise behind her.

Click!

The door creaked open slightly, and a strong scent of blood wafted out. Rouge's heart skipped a beat as she saw Akira, his face half-visible, with bloodshot eyes that made her jump.

"I... I have something to take care of. Stay outside, keep watch, and don't let anyone in."

Akira's voice was hoarse, as if he had just returned from the depths of hell. The words came out in a strained, intermittent manner.

Without waiting for Rouge's response, he shut and locked the door again.

Rouge stood there, breathing heavily, her mind racing.

Though she couldn't understand why the Fleet Admiral had suddenly become like that, she knew better than to disobey his orders.

"Don't let anyone disturb the Fleet Admiral," she repeated to herself, taking a deep breath before sitting down by the door.

She had been at Marineford for over two months now, and during her free time, she often borrowed books from the General Staff to read. Her understanding of the world had grown significantly.

Although what was happening wasn't something she had ever read about, she knew Akira must be going through something critical.

Time passed slowly.

The hallway was soon filled with the food Rouge had ordered from the cafeteria. One officer after another approached the Fleet Admiral's office, only to be turned away by Rouge with the excuse, "The Fleet Admiral is busy inside."

Finally, as the full moon hung high in the sky, the door to the Fleet Admiral's office opened.

"Master Fleet Admiral," Rouge quickly raised her head.

She saw Akira, thinner and paler than before, but his spirit seemed strong despite his appearance.

"Thank you for your help," Akira said softly, glancing at the food and documents that had piled up outside the corridor.