"Since you've come in person, Sakasuki must have something he wants you to tell me, right?"
After being shocked for a long time, Taro finally spoke again.
A smile appeared on Fujitora's face as he first praised,
"With your sharpness, being the Navy Grand Staff Officer is truly more than enough for you!"
Then, he answered Taro's question,
"He asked me to bring you a message: 'A ragtag crew won't always be a ragtag crew'!"
'Ragtag crew' was the term Taro had previously used to describe the duo of himself and Akainu!
Holy crap! Is Red Doggy really going to rebel?
Taro's brow twitched violently, and he stopped in his tracks, looking down in thought.
Something's not right! It's understandable if those old fellows are dissatisfied with Akainu.
However, isn't Akainu's reaction a bit too intense?
"Did something else happen at Marineford?" Taro asked after thinking for a while.
Fujitora first shook his head, then nodded, "Marineford is fine; it's Marijoa where something happened!"
"Huh?" Taro was stunned. "What could possibly happen in Marijoa?"
Fujitora "looked" at Taro with a strange expression,
"Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with you!"
Taro raised an eyebrow, thought about it, and instead didn't care much anymore,
"Heh, is that so?"
Fujitora heard the disdain in Taro's tone and also chuckled,
"I heard that the family of the Celestial Dragon, Rosward Saint, hasn't been in a very good mood lately!"
The Rosward family?
Oh, that pig who was sent flying by one of Luffy's punches?
"Heh, of course they're in a bad mood since I didn't die on that island!"
Taro curled his lip in contempt. "But there are so many Celestial Dragons; just that one family shouldn't be enough to decide whether Sakasuki is fit for the position of Fleet Admiral, right?"
Fujitora continued walking forward. "Of course not!"
"What if we add the news that Ace is still alive?"
Taro froze for a moment; his heart skipped a beat before returning to normal.
The person beside him was a master at sensing emotional changes; he wasn't sure if that split-second reaction had let Fujitora notice anything.
"Oh? Ace is still alive? Where did this news come from?"
Taro said, feigning surprise.
He paused, then asked in confusion,
"Even if Ace is alive, what does that have to do with me, and how does it involve Sakasuki?"
Fujitora didn't seem to notice Taro's emotional change just now; his tone didn't fluctuate at all.
"The news that Ace is still alive has long spread through the Underworld; Marijoa only found out recently!"
"Now, there are many rumors in Marijoa..."
"For example, when you first joined the Navy, you seemingly had many conflicts with Sakasuki, yet you rose through the ranks rapidly, and Sakasuki even defended you before the Gorosei multiple times!"
"Some also say that during the Marineford War, when you were ordered by Sengoku to execute Ace, you didn't strike decisively, and you didn't put in your full effort during the subsequent pursuit!"
"Even more coincidentally, the ones pursuing Ace at the time were you and Sakasuki!"
"Now, one of you has become the Fleet Admiral and the other the Navy Grand Staff Officer! Controlling the entire Navy to defy the World Government's wishes multiple times...!"
"And Sengoku, who ordered the two of you to pursue him, probably can't escape suspicion either..."
"The entire Navy, from top to bottom, has been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant toward the World Government, leading the Celestial Dragons to conclude that the Marineford War was a play performed by the entire Navy!"
Fujitora said a lot in one breath. Taro was a bit apprehensive at first, but by the end, he was dumbfounded.
Holy crap, is the identity I was going to choose exposed?
But including Akainu and Sengoku in the cast of actors—that's a huge stretch of the imagination!
They've simply lost their minds!
Although there were indeed other actors,
But even with Red Doggy working so hard, he can still be suspected?
There's no justice!
"Do the Gorosei think the same way?" Taro found it hard to believe.
Fujitora said calmly, "Perhaps... not!"
"Perhaps? They haven't stopped these rumors from spreading, which means they're showing their approval!" Taro curled his lip in disdain.
Fujitora frowned deeply.
"After all, it's the Celestial Dragons spreading these rumors; the Gorosei are probably powerless!"
"Sakasuki commented that the Gorosei have already been stepped on by the Celestial Dragons and have become their Puppets!"
Taro knew it definitely wasn't like that. He spoke quickly in a low voice,
"The Gorosei aren't powerless; they're allowing it! They just want to test my... our reaction!"
Akainu's assessment was right about one thing: there really is someone sitting on top of the Gorosei.
However, this also shows that Akainu doesn't know about Lord Imu's existence!
But Imu is someone who can play both sides to perfection. Would someone like that need to test something they suspect?
And to use such a stupid rumor to test it—unless Imu has truly lost his mind!
Taro pondered for a moment and realized that someone else was spreading these rumors.
This person not only hates Taro deeply,
But also has a thorough understanding of the relationships between the Navy's top brass,
And many details of the Marineford War!
He is very likely someone who personally experienced the Marineford War!
"Taro, what did you think of?" Fujitora opened his eyes slightly, revealing the whites, his expression solemn.
Taro was silent for a while, then shook his head slightly.
"These rumors were deliberately spread by someone who participated in the Marineford War!"
"This person not only knows me and the Navy but also understands the psychology of those gar... those people in Marijoa!"
Taro analyzed as he spoke, and by this point, he had roughly guessed who it was.
Donquixote Doflamingo!
Tsk tsk, this guy really can't take even a small loss!
Playing little tricks in the shadows again!
"It seems you already know who is behind all this?"
Seeing Taro suddenly stop talking, Fujitora couldn't help but speak up.
Taro chuckled, somewhat mockingly.
"It doesn't matter who spread the rumors; what matters is the World Government's attitude!"
"In the Marineford War, those fallen Marines paid with their lives!"
"If they allow rumors like 'the Marineford War was a play' to spread, they won't understand the consequences once it reaches the ranks!"
At this point, Taro looked confident.
"Sakasuki should be on his way to Marijoa by now, right?"
When he leaves Marijoa, that will be when the rumors stop!"
The Gorosei must also know that these rumors were intentionally spread by Donquixote Doflamingo!
Knowing this yet still allowing the rumors to spread clearly means they have other considerations!
But now, with Sakasuki bypassing the World Government to directly appoint an Admiral, the Gorosei must be fuming at such an extreme reaction, right?
As Taro thought about it, he actually burst out laughing!
Fujitora also laughed, "looking" at Taro.
"To be able to figure out all the links so quickly, you really do have the air of a Navy Grand Staff Officer!"
"Indeed, at the same time I came to Sabaody Archipelago, Sakasuki also went to Marijoa!"
Taro waved his hand modestly, his tone relaxed.
"You've already marveled once before about whether I'm fit to be a Grand Staff Officer!"
"Tell Sakasuki to rest assured; this time, I am standing firmly on his side!"
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.