12. Assassination

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In the middle of the night, Akira returned to his mansion after a long day of meetings.

"Fleet Admiral, you've worked hard."

Seeing him approach, the soldiers stationed outside like statues quickly rushed over and saluted.

"Hmm!" Akira acknowledged as he walked in. "How was your day?"

The soldier, who had served under Akira for five years, knew exactly what he was asking.

He quickly replied, "It's been quiet all day, but in the evening, two people deliberately passed by outside several times, occasionally glancing at your mansion."

"The woman you ordered to be brought back has stayed in her room and hasn't come out."

"When we went to deliver food to her in the evening, she didn't open the door for a long time after we knocked, but left a note asking us to place the food on the ground."

As expected, this is the Marines' base camp. Rouge must feel far from home, not to mention she's just an ordinary woman, a mother-to-be, unlike someone strong like Garp or Roger.

"Thank you for your hard work, go and rest."

"Yes."

Akira pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The mansion was pitch dark, with no lights on in any of the rooms.

But as he got closer, his keen senses picked up that someone was watching him from a window.

"Come out!" Akira stood still, frowning slightly.

The lights in the utility room flicked on, and Rouge emerged, bowing her head in greeting. "Fleet Admiral, welcome home!"

"You're sharp! Keep that vigilance up."

Akira sat down on a stone chair in the courtyard, his eyes filled with approval.

In the morning, he had arranged for Rouge to stay in a clean guest room.

But now, seeing her come out of the messy utility room, Akira understood.

Rouge, smart as she was, had quietly moved to a different location, turning off all the lights when night fell, to protect herself and the child.

It was likely that, aside from Akira and Garp, she wouldn't reveal herself to anyone.

This showed just how strong, intelligent, and self-aware Rouge truly was.

Considering all the bizarre characters in this world of pirates, Akira couldn't help but worry that Rouge might foolishly reveal her and her unborn child's identity.

That would complicate things for him, and he wasn't ready to let everyone know yet.

"In the future, if anyone asks about your identity, tell them you're my woman."

Akira advised her, "If they don't believe you, have them come to me directly, and be sure not to reveal anything more."

Rouge's anxious expression softened, and she nodded gratefully.

"Yes, thank you. You've had a hard day. I'll prepare some water for your bath."

Without waiting for his response, she hurried into the shower room.

As someone bearing a heavy burden, Rouge was well aware of her situation and position.

Her safety, and that of her child, depended entirely on the man before her. She had to give her all to ensure their protection.

Akira didn't object. After a long, exhausting day, he was feeling sticky with sweat.

While waiting, he began to contemplate his next move.

The proposal he had put forward during the afternoon meeting was unsurprisingly rejected.

It was expected, given that the room was filled with "notoriously unyielding" generals.

Even Chief of Staff Tsuru, who had served the Marines for decades, had a somewhat rigid mindset.

If it weren't for the grand defeat he had inflicted, which had left the Vice Admirals somewhat shaken, they would have laughed him off.

"This is my chance to address a soldier's issue."

"Since they won't support or cooperate, I'll handle it myself."

Akira narrowed his eyes.

He now had less than two months to prove himself. If he missed this opportunity that had been a thorn in the side of Marine Headquarters and the Five Elders, there might not be another chance. When that time came, he'd have to admit defeat, return to his position as a Vice Admiral, and follow Sengoku's orders quietly.

Moreover, without the convenience of the Fleet Admiral's position, it would be impossible to gain experience quickly.

This was unacceptable to Akira, who had made rapid progress and mastered two monster-level abilities in a short period.

Thinking of his system, Akira subconsciously focused inward.

[Host: Akira]

[Age: 29]

[Physique: Monster Level (0/10000)

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

[Haki: Normal Conqueror's Haki (0/100)]

[Abilities: Gun Mastery, Six Forms Iron Body]

[Experience Points: 1200]

"Huh? Conqueror's Haki? When did this happen? I didn't feel anything at all."

Akira was startled. He had awakened the rare Conqueror's Haki, something only one in a million could possess, and it had happened so suddenly and quietly.

He quickly searched through the records in his system to find the reason.

"Fuck!"

Seeing the system's record, Akira slapped the table in frustration.

If only Tsuru had intervened five seconds later, he could have unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, shocking everyone in the room.

What Conqueror's Haki represents might not be clear to ordinary people, but the top Marine officers understood it well.

On the seas, there is no one at the pinnacle who doesn't possess Conqueror's Haki. Those who do are destined for greatness.

If it had manifested at that moment, he might have gained more influence. Some Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals looking to shift the balance of power might have allied with him, and he wouldn't be standing alone.

"If I had known earlier, I would have argued with Sengoku, even if I got beaten up, it would've been worth it."

Akira sighed regretfully.

But he couldn't blame Tsuru. She had stepped in with good intentions, after all. At that time, if he had really clashed with Sengoku, it would've only hurt Akira's reputation.

Tsuru had meant well, but no one expected that he had Conqueror's Haki, let alone that it would awaken at that moment.

Even Akira hadn't anticipated it.

In the six years since he arrived in this world, even learning Iron Body had been a struggle for him, so he hadn't dared to dream about Conqueror's Haki.

"Fleet Admiral-sama, the hot water is ready."

Rouge came out, her sleeves rolled up and water dripping from her slender hands.

Akira set aside his thoughts, got up, and walked toward the shower room.

"Do you want me to rub your back?"

Before he stepped inside, Rouge suddenly offered, "But... but I can't do more, I hope you understand."

Akira turned, glancing at her nervous, hesitant, and worried face, then at her swollen belly, which she was protectively cradling.

"No! Don't worry, the values I was raised with wouldn't allow me to do something like that. You've misunderstood me."

Clearly, her assumptions about men had led her to a false conclusion.

Rouge let out a sigh of relief and bowed deeply. "If you need anything, you can call me anytime."

...

Soaking in the bathtub, the exhausted Akira closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Ordinary-level Conqueror's Haki can't be controlled at will and only activates when I'm excited," Akira thought to himself. "Relying on luck to release it is basically like having nothing."

"I need to upgrade it. No point in holding back."

On the first page of his system, Akira tapped twice on the Haki section.

[Ding, do you want to spend 1100 points to upgrade Conqueror's Haki to monster level?]

"Yes!"

As the experience points quickly decreased, knowledge and mastery of Conqueror's Haki flooded Akira's mind, like a sudden enlightenment.

In just a few breaths, his control over Conqueror's Haki increased significantly. The once invisible power now felt tangible, almost like a Devil Fruit ability. Akira could clearly sense that he could now direct his Conqueror's Haki to crush a specific target at will.

[Ding, Conqueror's Haki has been upgraded to monster level.]

As the upgrade completed, a powerful, natural aura of kingship radiated from Akira.

Suddenly…

"Help!" Rouge's terrified scream echoed from outside the door.

Immediately after, a sharp command followed by a low-pitched response rang out.

"Kill her, quick."

"Yes, sir!"

Akira stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing with anger.

Someone had the audacity to make a move in his mansion, targeting Rouge for assassination.

After making a deal with Garp and eating the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon, Akira was determined not to let Rouge die under his roof.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the cloak of justice hanging around his waist and shattered the bathroom door with sheer force.

Under the bright moonlight, he saw Rouge lying pale on the ground in the distance. A man in a cloak grinned menacingly, while another man in a suit charged at her with murderous intent.

They were too close—there was no time to physically intervene.

"Damn it, stop!"

Akira roared, releasing his upgraded Conqueror's Haki with all his might.

Boom.

A thunderous explosion echoed across the sky.

True Conqueror's Haki, unleashed from Akira's mansion, swept in all directions with an enormous range.

All of Marineford suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

In the distant sea, several Sea Kings surfaced, belly-up.

The two assailants were struck by Akira's Haki before they could even react. Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed unconscious.

Tread, tread.

Spandine, CP9.

Akira's face still bore the unmistakable fury as he slowly approached with determined strides.

He recognized the man in command—the head of the secret intelligence agency CP9 under the World Government, and the father of Spandam, who would later capture Robin—Spandine.

"Y-your Excellency, Marshal."

Rouge, spared from the full brunt of Akira's Haki, didn't lose consciousness. Terrified, she snapped out of her shock, realizing she was safe for now. She quickly ran behind Akira, her breath short, her body drenched in cold sweat.

"Leave this to me. Go back to your room and don't come out."

"O-okay." Rouge obeyed immediately. Despite trembling, she didn't hesitate and quickly ran off.

Akira thought for a moment, then pulled a Den Den Mushi from his cloak pocket and dialed a string of numbers.

Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere

It didn't take long for the Den Den Mushi to ring before it was quickly answered.

"Akira, what's going on?"

"Commander-in-chief Kong, there's something urgent I need to report."

"Hmm, calling at this hour—it must be important. Go ahead."

Akira pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. "Just now, CP9 Chief Spandine brought men to Marine Headquarters to assassinate a helpless pregnant woman."

"A pregnant woman? How did she provoke CP9? We're a righteous Marine; we can't ignore this… wait…"

The Den Den Mushi fell silent for a moment.

"Roger's woman, isn't she? Garp has some nerve. He just took her away right under everyone's nose, almost daring people to notice."

Kong's tone was flat, but there was an undercurrent of frustration. "It's basically a slap in the face to everyone, and I'm not too pleased."

"Mr. Garp did that because he was worried that the CP department's actions might affect other innocent pregnant women on the island. That's just how he is," Akira explained.

"Yeah, I get that... But still, since CP9 has found her, you might as well just let it go."

"..."

Akira remained silent.

Kong frowned. "What? You want to keep that woman? Akira, I feel like I need to remind you."

"You're still in the running against Sengoku for the position of Fleet Admiral. This is the last chance you have to mess up."

"If the Five Elders weren't concerned about the possibility of Marine becoming too loyal to Sengoku, you wouldn't even have this chance to compete."

"If they think you're being insubordinate now... well, you should consider that carefully."

So that's it.

The Five Elders are wary of Sengoku.

Akira finally understood. He had been wondering why things seemed off lately. Even if there was some butterfly effect, it shouldn't have been this significant before he got the system.

It turns out the root of the issue was the Five Elders.

With this knowledge, many things began to make sense to Akira.

In this era, the Marine Headquarters' top combat power includes Marine Hero Garp, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Instructor Zephyr, and Great Staff Officer Tsuru.

These four practically controlled all the real power within the Marines, along with the respect they commanded. What made them even more formidable was that they were all close allies, almost like family, a bond forged during the Rocks era when they were known as the "Marine Iron Four Corners."

Under them, the three Admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru—were all personally trained by Zephyr.

Then there were officers like Doberman, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Strawberry, who were positioned to replace the older Vice Admirals. The Rear Admirals destined to move up the ranks were also Zephyr's students.

In the future, with Sengoku at the helm, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Marine was essentially his empire.

"Hiss..."

Reflecting on this, Akira couldn't help but take a deep breath.

No wonder the Five Elders were on edge. In the dead of night, they might be losing sleep, fearing that one day they'd wake up to news of a Marine rebellion.

This was the world of pirates. If this were ancient times on Earth, Sengoku would be lucky to survive three episodes in a historical drama.

But…

"This also means that as long as I don't do anything too extreme, the Five Elders won't stand in my way if I truly aim for the top."

"In that case..."

Akira pondered.

Rouge must be protected.

Garp had entrusted him with a precious task, and Akira had gained the ability from the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon. He couldn't abandon her now.

The system had even hinted that keeping her could result in gaining a emperor level subordinate or son in the future.

Not to mention, if he failed to protect Rouge, he might lose Garp's support at a critical time, making it harder for him to become Fleet Admiral.

And on top of all that, he would still owe the system 16,000 experience points.

So, from any perspective, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

After some thought, Akira drew the Den Den Mushi closer to himself and spoke slowly, "Commander-in-chief Kong, Chief of Staff Tsuru held a meeting today and outlined the current situation at sea. Are you aware of it?"

"Yeah, I'm more aware of it than anyone. It's so tricky that I—well, I passed the trouble on to—cough, cough, cough!"

The Den Den Mushi conveyed Kong's sudden embarrassment. Realizing his slip, he coughed to cover it up.

"Akira, I'm getting old, and I stepped down to give the younger generation a chance to grow. You understand, right?"