"Everything is…"
Sengoku's vision suddenly went dark.
The former Navy Admiral had never imagined that at nearly eighty years old he'd still have to endure a blow this heavy. If everything the Konoha Pirates had done was all orchestrated from the shadows by Akihara Kagura, then hadn't he been getting played in circles by Akihara Kagura this whole time?
This…
Where was his dignity supposed to go!
What the hell had he even done during his term!
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Sengoku's chest felt tight; he started coughing violently, face full of rage, wanting to condemn Akihara Kagura but too choked up to speak: "You… you…"
"Marshal Sengoku, there's no need to get angry over this."
Akihara Kagura's eyes were tightly closed. His body seemed relaxed, as if he had no desire to fight, and his voice was unusually calm as he spoke: "When you thought you were being toyed with by me, I was acting in line with the justice you imagined in your heart as well…"
"..."
Sengoku took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His gaze sharpened, and he barked in a harsh tone: "Akihara Kagura, don't joke about something like this! There's only evil on you, how could you possibly be called justice!"
Sengoku clenched his fists, suddenly remembering his evidence, and continued in a deep voice: "You slaughtered every Navy Soldier in East Sea Branch 16, from the branch Colonel down to the ordinary sailors, not leaving a single one alive!"
"That's just a bit too much of a false accusation…"
Akihara Kagura shook his head and sighed: "I've never killed a single Navy Soldier. I just spread a fake message about some Heavenly Celestial Dragons planning to head to the East Sea to catch Fishman slaves. That rat Colonel of the branch stupidly tried to curry favor with the Heavenly Celestial Dragons and went to war with his Fishman ally he'd always been colluding with—the Arlong Pirates…"
"That idiot…"
"How could he possibly be a match for Fishmen…"
"Speaking of which…"
Akihara Kagura tilted his head back, thinking, as if something had just occurred to him: "I really ought to thank that Arlong and that rat Colonel for what they did back in the East Sea…"
"Because by using Arlong's hand to wipe out the rat Colonel and his corruption-riddled East Sea Branch 16, it gave me the idea of using powerful Pirates to clean up the filth of the world…"
"..."
Sengoku's eyelids twitched wildly.
No way…
That Arlong…
And that rat Colonel…
Had actually given this bastard such a bizarre line of thought!
And Akihara Kagura really had followed that model—except his scale was way too big, directly starting with cleaning out the World Government's rulers, the Heavenly Celestial Dragons…
"I truly need to thank them…"
Akihara Kagura slowly opened his eyes and held out his hands: "If my own hands were stained with too much blood, it would be quite a bother for me…"
"As for right now…"
Akihara Kagura lifted his head to look at Sengoku, a sincere smile appearing on his face: "I can proudly say my hands are still very clean. I hardly ever kill anyone myself…"
"..."
Sengoku stared speechlessly at Akihara Kagura.
Who the hell would believe that crap!
"You bastard… you're really the one behind Konoha?"
Sand Crocodile Crocodile's voice sounded at Akihara Kagura's ear. His figure turned into a cloud of yellow sand, sweeping to Akihara Kagura's side, and the golden hook in his hand came to rest against Akihara Kagura's neck!
Obviously.
The Pirates who'd been watching the drama could no longer sit still.
A bunch of Pirate Ships were spreading the juicy news of the Navy and Heavenly Celestial Dragons tearing each other apart. Every Pirate was giggling and mocking the Navy and the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, but a few people had sensed that something was off!
For example, Crocodile…
For example, Red-haired Shanks…
"Hold on…"
Red-haired Shanks had entrusted keeping an eye on the Konoha Pirates to Whitebeard, then taken a little dinghy to this area. He glanced at the Five Elders clashing with the two Admirals, then at the captured Heavenly Celestial Dragons, fully aware of how serious this was, and spoke in a low voice: "Could you at least give me some face first…"
"Fuck off! Wait till I'm done asking!"
Crocodile snapped, cursing Red-haired Shanks without warning, clearly not putting this Sea Emperor in his eyes at all. His golden hook was still pressed to Akihara Kagura's neck as he grinned: "You're the guy behind the Konoha Pirates, so answer something for me first. I want to know how I can become someone like you lot…"
"You've got guts… former Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile…"
Akihara Kagura couldn't help the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm a man who'd even dare kill that old bastard Whitebeard!"
Crocodile laughed in disdain, his golden hook seemingly ready to rip open Akihara Kagura's throat at any moment: "You'd better hurry up and answer me, or if this hook slips and cuts you, the poison on it'll kill you on the spot…"
To be honest…
Crocodile looked seriously dangerous!
At least after dropping his position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the aura on Crocodile had indeed changed. He was no longer just someone who enjoyed playing games of strategy—he was a Pirate who was actually putting in effort to train!
"Relax…"
"I know you're a Devil Fruit User too…"
Crocodile chuckled darkly as he threatened: "So you'd better hurry up and answer me. My Haki can hurt your real body, and my poison is enough to kill you a hundred times over…"
"Tsk…"
Akihara Kagura helplessly shook his head, speaking carelessly: "Someone get Mr. Crocodile to calm down. I don't want to look at his hook…"