Marineford, Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, a roar full of fury suddenly rang out.
"What?!"
Bang!
A bronze-colored giant fist slammed onto the brand-new desk. The solid wood instantly let out a groan of being overtaxed, and spiderweb-like cracks gradually spread across the surface, centered around the fist print.
The one letting out the roar was the current Marine Fleet Admiral—"Steel Bone" Aether. His chest heaved violently, and veins popped on his forehead, clearly enraged.
Below him, the one responsible for reporting the intelligence was a female Navy officer wearing glasses, with a calm and capable expression.
She pushed up her glasses and repeated the bad news in a steady tone to confirm it:
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Aether. According to the exact information sent back by our informant planted within the Rocks Pirates, Kaido has been rescued by Edward Newgate and has officially joined the Rocks Pirates."
She paused and explained the process in detail: "At that time, four of our Navy Vice Admirals were cornering Kaido. Newgate happened to pass by the scene and witnessed the amazing Talents and tenacious vitality Kaido displayed. It seems... he had the idea of taking him in as a'son.' So he intervened and took Kaido away from our encirclement."
"Bastard! That meddling fool, Newgate!" Steel Bone Aether slammed the desk again, and the cracks widened further.
Aether gnashed his teeth, "And those idiot kings of the Vodka Kingdom! Is their brain filled with seawater?!"
A huge sense of frustration and anger made this Fleet Admiral, known for his steadiness, lose control. He stood up abruptly and paced irritably in the office.
"First it was Charlotte Linlin! Now it's Kaido! Two exceptionally talented youths with infinite potential were forced to become pirates by their incredibly stupid methods!
Do they think the New World isn't chaotic enough, and they must send Talents to the Rocks Pirates?! A bunch of fools who are more of a hindrance than a help!"
Aether's anger was not without reason. The scene of Charlotte Linlin, a genius who previously intended to join the Marine, being forced to join Rocks was still fresh in his mind. Now, another genius who could have joined the Marine was forced to join the Rocks Pirates!
These nobles of the World Government's Affiliated Nations often used simple and crude methods when dealing with geniuses appearing in their own countries—
Either they tried to completely control them like puppets, or they chose to destroy them out of fear of their power, or they treated them like a rare piece of cargo, trying to 'present' them to the World Government or the Marine, never considering the individual's wishes.
Aether could almost guess what the Vodka Kingdom had done to Kaido—nothing more than this 'Kingdom's Greatest Warrior' with illustrious military achievements outshining the ruler or offending some powerful official, eventually ending up being ambushed, detained, and packaged like cargo to be sent over.
With this kind of treatment, anyone with a bit of backbone would rebel!
"Two years ago, when I heard the Vodka Kingdom was willing to send a genius only about ten years old who already had the strength of a Rear Admiral, how happy I was!"
Aether's voice carried an irrepressible heartache, "But now... it's all ruined!"
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but the gloom between his brows wouldn't dissipate. The shadow of the Rocks Pirates hung over the Marine's head like the Sword of Damocles.
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