Chapter 120: The Rise of an Unchecked Sakazuki

Sakazuki was trembling with excitement—he had finally achieved his ultimate goal: becoming the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. Now, he could enforce justice without being hindered by the old guard within the Navy. This was everything he had ever dreamed of.

In this moment, Sakazuki felt invincible, as if he had reached the pinnacle of his life. However, what he failed to notice were the mocking expressions on the faces of the Five Elders, the very ones who had granted him this prestigious position. Their gazes didn't reflect respect for a Fleet Admiral; rather, they resembled the looks one would give to a well-trained watchdog.

For the Five Elders, Sakazuki's rise to Fleet Admiral was ideal. His obsession with absolute justice meant that he would stop at nothing—no conscience, no limits. As long as the World Government framed its orders as just, Sakazuki would carry them out without hesitation. To them, there could be no better watchdog.

At least, he was far more reliable than Sengoku ever was.

The Five Elders exchanged satisfied glances. One of them looked down at Sakazuki, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Sakazuki, come see us after the ceremony. We're eager to hear your ambitions as the new Fleet Admiral."

"Yes!" Sakazuki responded with fervor, his eyes burning with determination.

The Five Elders, pleased with his enthusiasm, left Sakazuki to manage the subsequent matters and returned to their meeting room, waiting patiently.

It wasn't long before Sakazuki stormed into the room, his face set with fierce determination.

"Sakazuki, take a seat," one of the elders said, perhaps genuinely pleased with him. Unlike their previous harshness towards Sengoku, they now greeted Sakazuki warmly—at least on the surface.

Sakazuki, delighted, quickly took a seat, his face beaming with enthusiasm.

"Sakazuki," one of the Five Elders began, "we're entrusting the future of the Navy to you. We have great confidence in your abilities and believe the Navy will thrive under your leadership. However..." The elder's tone suddenly darkened. "After the war at Marineford, the Navy has weakened. Of course, we don't blame you; at the time, you were merely an Admiral. But now, there's still a dangerous individual at large, isn't there?"

The Five Elder's gaze turned cold as he locked eyes with Sakazuki. Although Kuzan had officially resigned, his sudden disappearance was seen as an undeniable betrayal. The Five Elders couldn't allow someone who once held the rank of Admiral, with access to many of the World Government's secrets, to remain at large.

The current situation differed from the original storyline. In the past, Sakazuki had defeated Kuzan in the battle for Fleet Admiral, leaving Kuzan severely injured. But now, Kuzan had emerged victorious and unscathed, heightening the Five Elders' fears.

This meeting was a test to gauge Sakazuki's stance.

Sakazuki's expression darkened instantly. Having lost an arm during the war at Marineford and been defeated by Kuzan in the struggle for Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki had become even more extreme. Had none of this occurred, he might have ignored Kuzan's departure, as in the original storyline, out of lingering camaraderie. But now...

"A Navy traitor must be killed by me, Sakazuki!" he declared, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as he looked at the Five Elders.

"That's the resolve a Fleet Admiral should have. The future belongs to your generation!" one of the elders said with a satisfied smile. Another waved his hand grandly. "Then go ahead, Sakazuki. Even if you need to use 'that,' it's fine!"

"The justice we uphold must be maintained by you!"

Sakazuki's face lit up with joy at these words. "'That,' huh? Understood. I won't let you down! I, Sakazuki, will uphold justice!"

...

New World, Saiken Island.

Boom!

With a loud, dull sound, the two combatants quickly separated. Kuzan was forced back several steps before regaining his balance, while Lin Yan looked at him with a faint smile.

"Still as troublesome as ever," Lin Yan remarked, shaking off the ice from his arms and laughing.

"...I could say the same about you," Kuzan replied, slightly out of breath, his eyes wary.

This monster had grown even stronger!

Seeing the cracked ice on his chest, Kuzan couldn't help but feel astonished. It was hard to believe that such damage had been inflicted using only physical techniques!

That's right—only physical techniques! Lin Yan hadn't even tapped into his full power.

Though both had restrained themselves to avoid damaging the environment of Saiken Island, Kuzan had mostly used his ice powers defensively or to enhance his attacks by forming weapons from ice. He hadn't fully unleashed his abilities. But had Lin Yan used his full strength?

Looking at the man standing calmly before him, showing no signs of using special powers, Kuzan's expression grew even grimmer. This guy was at least 10% stronger than he had been during the war at Marineford!

For fighters at their level, any improvement was exceedingly difficult. But if Kuzan recalled correctly, it had only been a little over a month since he last saw Lin Yan. And in that short time, Lin Yan had improved by 10%?

If Kuzan weren't such a composed and seasoned fighter, he might have flipped the table in frustration by now!

Seeing the frustration on Kuzan's face, Zephyr, who had been watching the battle, finally spoke up with a smile.

"That's enough!"

"Kuzan, you should understand now, right? Lin's talent has completely surpassed people like us."

Zephyr chuckled, his face filled with pride.

"In time, the man before you will undoubtedly become someone we can only look up to!"