At Marineford, Marine Headquarters Building.
Sephiroth stood in front of the Fleet Admiral's office door, his hands casually tucked into his pants pockets, his face displaying deliberate boredom.
Behind the thick wooden door, he faintly heard a fierce debate between Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Akainu.
"The situation in the New World is too complicated, Sakazuki! The Marines cannot rashly send a large fleet there. Doing so will only provoke the other Yonko and increase friction! You will never get a window to surround and annihilate Kaido! We don't have a plan that guarantees 100% extermination right now."
Akainu's voice sounded loud and filled with dissatisfaction. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are we going to swallow this insult whole? Where is the Absolute Justice of our Marines?"
"Enough! Sakazuki, you are an Admiral now. You must learn to see the bigger picture from a higher level."
Haaahhh…!
Sephiroth deliberately raised his right hand and yawned loudly.
Immediately, the sound of the quarrel inside the office subsided.
A moment later, Akainu, wearing a white Justice Cloak, opened the door. His sharp eyes stared coldly at Sephiroth for a few seconds—filled with hostility and disapproval—before he strode away from the Fleet Admiral's office.
Since Akainu's promotion, his Absolute Justice faction had grown, attracting many ambitious officers. Akainu, who clearly coveted the position of Fleet Admiral, did not hesitate to openly challenge Sengoku, as if wanting to show that he was the future of the Marines.
To an outsider, if Sephiroth were just an ordinary officer, he might also consider Akainu the best hope.
Compare him with the two other Fleet Admiral candidates: Kizaru and Aokiji.
Kizaru? He was a treasure who spent his days loafing around, acting like a fisherman ready for retirement. Even a dog would shake its head at him.
Then there was Aokiji.
Before the Buster Call tragedy at Ohara, Aokiji was known for his "Passionate Justice," which made him very popular. After all, he was Garp's legendary disciple, carrying the aura of a "Marine Hero," in addition to his unquestionable strength and good character.
However, after seeing the dark side of the World Government at Ohara, the once passionate Aokiji had now become a proponent of "Lazy Justice." He had lost his footing and his conviction. The Aokiji of today, who loves cycling on the sea and often disappears, frustrates high-ranking officers. If it weren't for the occasional delivery of Pirates to Impel Down to fulfill his duty, people would think he had quit the Marines.
This change caused many senior officers to choose Akainu. Sephiroth suspected Akainu knew this, and was convinced he would be the next Fleet Admiral, which is why he acted quickly to seize authority from Sengoku's hands.
Sephiroth entered and sat down opposite Sengoku. Sengoku took a thick pile of documents from his desk and threw them down in front of Sephiroth.
"Look at this! The mess you made this time… the entire Dressrosa Kingdom filed a strong protest with the Five Elders! If I hadn't painstakingly mediated for you, you'd already be in Impel Down, awaiting a court-martial!"
Sephiroth responded expressionlessly, folding his arms across his chest, appearing very relaxed.
"Oh, really? So, you want to punish me? Or just fire me from the Marines! I'm too lazy to work anyway."
"Sephiroth!"
Sengoku frowned, his tone containing a hint of danger.
"If something is bothering you, tell me. Whatever can be resolved, I will definitely help you!"
"I want to kill Kaido. Can you help me sort that out?"
"..."
Seeing Sengoku's silence, Sephiroth sighed and put on a helpless expression.
"Hmph. You must know my life story. My father was killed by the Beast Pirates. This revenge… I have to see it through, nothing can stop it! However, the Marines explicitly forbid provoking a Yonko like Kaido. Doesn't that mean you're forcing me to leave? Before, I wanted to resign, and you said you wouldn't let me go, even Commander-in-Chief Kong intervened to stop me. Now, I act against the Beast Pirates, and you say you want to punish and jail me. What can I do? I'm desperate too! So, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, let me leave the Marines!"
"..."
Hearing those words, Sengoku imagined himself in Sephiroth's position and couldn't help but fall silent.
Indeed, it was natural for someone to want to avenge his father's death against the Beast Pirates. This was undeniable.
But the Marines were holding Sephiroth back, forbidding him from taking revenge.
If Sephiroth hadn't had the strength, Sengoku could have persuaded him to forget or create a long-term plan.
The problem was, based on the latest intelligence analysis, Sephiroth and Kaido were truly evenly matched in power.
"Sigh… Sephiroth, you've fought Kaido, you know how difficult he is. Trying to kill him is no easy task. And the Marines have their own issues. However, I promise you, sooner or later the Marines will move against Kaido. Don't worry. What do you say, will you stay with the Marines?"
Sengoku's attitude was extremely humble in order to retain Sephiroth.
A power equal to a Yonko! If he just walked away, Kong and the Five Elders would surely criticize Sengoku and question his ability as Fleet Admiral.
Sephiroth stared at the old man who didn't even dare to raise his voice in front of him, feeling an indescribable pleasure. Tsk, tsk, tsk! This is the benefit of Power!
Sengoku had been so low-key, Sephiroth couldn't push it too far. He nodded slightly.
"Alright! For now, I won't leave. I'll stay in the Marines."
"Good! Very good!"
Sengoku smiled with relief, let out a long breath, and then continued.
"Sephiroth, listen. The impact of Kaido's attack on the G-5 base is not good. If I don't symbolically punish you, it will be difficult to explain to the public and other officers…"
Sephiroth frowned slightly, feeling intrigued. "Oh? So, what are you going to do to me?"
"I plan to transfer you to the 16th East Blue Marine Division as Base Commander. Your rank will not change! Wait for a while until the impact subsides, and I will transfer you back to Headquarters or somewhere else. What do you think?"
Sengoku had thought this through carefully. If the punishment was too severe, Sephiroth could just walk away. If he wasn't punished, lower-ranking officers would protest, and some might even be motivated to provoke a Yonko.
Transferring Sephiroth, a Brigadier General from Headquarters, to an East Blue branch as a Base Commander was considered a symbolic demotion. However, in practice, Sephiroth's authority there actually increased—a typical move, both a promotion and a demotion. Sengoku was confident Sephiroth would understand.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have no objection to this assignment… However, I have one shameless request."
"What is it?"
"I want a long leave of absence."
"How long?"
"Three months."
"That long? What are you going to do?" Sengoku asked suspiciously.
Sephiroth made a casual excuse. "I need a rest, travel, and relaxation. You should agree to this small request of mine, right?"
Sengoku stared at the silver-haired young man in front of him, pondering. "Although this exceeds the normal leave limit, it's not a big problem. But, don't make trouble again! I hope you understand!"
"I understand! I understand!" Sephiroth immediately laughed with satisfaction.