Apparently, not long ago, something snapped in Kaido's brain, and he stormed into Marineford, wreaking havoc. It took all three Admirals working together, the destruction of half of Marineford, three warships, and two prison ships before they finally managed to capture him.
As the saying goes, the strong fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who don't value their lives. Dealing with such a lunatic was the Navy's worst misfortune.
Now, the Navy had sent a formal request, hoping that Inspector Kaguya would come to assist with post-disaster reconstruction. In other words, they were trying to conscript extra labor.
Since they had asked so humbly, Kaguya decided not to reject them outright. Besides, she had other destinations to visit, and Marineford just happened to be on the way.
...
"Have you heard? The Inspector is coming."
"No way! You mean the one they call the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Hey, are you looking to die? She's a Celestial Dragon. That's blasphemy!"
"I heard she's incredibly powerful—on par with the Admirals."
"No way, she doesn't look the part at all."
"Hmph, you rookies don't know anything. Back when I was a new recruit—"
As the Marines whispered among themselves, a tall figure strode forward and bellowed, "What do you think you're doing?!"
The Marines turned in shock, standing at attention in panic. "S-Sorry, sir!"
The man before them was none other than Admiral Akainu.
At that moment, Akainu's face was dark as iron, veins bulging on his forehead as he barely contained his fury.
The crowd fell silent, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"Gossiping like this in the Marine base is a serious violation of military discipline!" Akainu roared, waving his hand. "All of you—run one thousand laps around the training grounds! If you stop before finishing, don't bother coming back!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers groaned internally at their bad luck and scurried off to run. But they couldn't help but wonder why Sakazuki was making such a big deal out of a few casual remarks.
Only the veteran Marines understood the real reason—years ago, Admiral Sakazuki had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Inspector. The disgrace still burned within him. Now, even hearing her name made his blood boil.
Though he never spoke of it, everyone knew the truth.
"Oh my, how frightening," drawled Kizaru, walking over with his usual lazy demeanor. "They say she's got power comparable to Whitebeard himself."
"Power alone is meaningless," Akainu scoffed before turning and marching away.
...
By the time Kaguya arrived at Marineford, it was already afternoon. As her ship entered the port, she could see the Navy's craftsmen hard at work repairing the damage. The entire base was a hive of activity.
Marineford had truly been through some misfortunes—first, it was wrecked by Shiki the Golden Lion, then by Kaido, and in the original timeline, it would be destroyed again during the Summit War. Truly, a place of endless calamity.
As Kaguya stepped off her ship, a tall man with an eye mask approached—it was Aokiji, someone she hadn't seen in quite a while.
He hadn't changed much. Dressed in a white shirt beneath his Marine coat, he maintained his usual laid-back appearance.
"Welcome, Inspector," Aokiji greeted as he approached. "Please follow me—Fleet Admiral Sengoku has been waiting for you."
"He's been waiting for me?" Kaguya asked curiously. "Did something happen?"
"Ah, well…" Aokiji scratched his head. "It's a bit complicated. You'll find out soon enough."
Kaguya nodded and followed him toward the conference hall.
"Hey, is that the Inspector?"
"She's even more beautiful than the rumors say."
"No wonder they call her the most beautiful woman in the world."
"She's absolutely stunning."
"Shh! Keep your voices down!"
When they arrived at the Marineford conference hall, it was already packed. Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at the head of the long table, flanked by Admirals Kizaru and Akainu, as well as Instructor Zephyr. Several Vice Admirals filled the remaining seats. Notably absent was Garp.
Lately, Garp had been acting mysteriously, frequently skipping meetings without explanation.
Another major event in recent years was the resignation of the former Fleet Admiral, Kong. He had suffered a devastating defeat against "Red Count" Baloric Redfield, sustaining severe injuries that rendered him unfit for duty. As a result, Sengoku was promoted to take his place.
To fill the vacant Admiral positions, Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji were appointed. Several powerful candidates had also emerged, including "Peach Rabbit" Gion. However, due to her lack of seniority, she had not been promoted to Admiral.
As Kaguya entered, Sengoku acknowledged her presence with a nod and said, "That concludes today's meeting. Please ensure all necessary arrangements are made."
"Yes, sir."
The attendees began filing out. As Kaguya glanced around, she felt a wave of hostility directed at her. Turning her head, she met Akainu's seething glare. She didn't particularly care—only the weak needed to express their emotions through anger. It was a sign of powerlessness.
As Zephyr passed by her, he suddenly stopped and turned, speaking in a stern voice. "Don't think that just because you're a Celestial Dragon, you can do as you please in the Navy. This isn't Mariejois."
With that, he strode away.
Kaguya was left momentarily baffled. Was this guy insane?
As far as she remembered, she had never done anything to offend him.
Aokiji walked up beside her, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, please don't mind him. My teacher's always been like that—kind of old-fashioned. If he was rude, I hope you'll forgive him."
Kaguya looked at the easygoing Aokiji and thought to herself, You really have no problem throwing your teacher under the bus, huh?
But she didn't dwell on it. With a small smile, she said, "It's fine. I suppose he just misunderstands me. That'll change over time."
Though she was smiling, inwardly she mused, If that old man dares to show me attitude again, I'll beat him so hard he won't know which way is up.
Respect for elders? That concept didn't exist in Kaguya's vocabulary.
"This office is huge—bigger than my own room," Kaguya remarked casually as she lounged on the sofa, glancing around the spacious office. "As expected of the Fleet Admiral's office. Hey, be honest—confess now, and I'll be lenient. You haven't been taking bribes, have you?"
"How could I possibly do such a thing, you brat?!" Sengoku roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Who knows?" Kaguya shrugged nonchalantly. "Bad guys never admit they're bad, after all."
"Stop making baseless accusations!" Sengoku fumed. "I have never, and will never, do anything that goes against justice!"
"Geez, it was just a joke. No need to take it so seriously," Kaguya smirked, leaning forward mischievously. "You sure you're not just getting defensive because I hit the mark? No worries, though—just slip me, say, a hundred thousand Berries, and I'll keep quiet about it."
"You scheming little brat—are you seriously trying to extort me?!" Sengoku was livid. "Absolutely not!"
"Relax, relax. Seeing as you don't look like a rich guy, I'll let it slide this time," Kaguya sipped her tea nonchalantly. "I won't report you for corruption."
"I already told you—I'm not corrupt!" Sengoku bellowed, nearly spitting as he shouted.
Watching the Fleet Admiral nearly jump in frustration, Kaguya's earlier irritation vanished, replaced by amusement.
Happiness truly came from other people's suffering.
This old man was quite interesting. She had only been teasing, yet his reaction was so intense. No wonder Garp always drove him up the wall.
Leaning back into the sofa, Kaguya asked, "So, Fleet Admiral, you didn't call me here just for small talk, did you?"
Sengoku gradually calmed himself, his expression turning serious. "I actually have a favor to ask of you."
"Oh?" Kaguya lazily examined her fingernails. "Let me make one thing clear—I'm not officially part of the Navy. If there's no compensation, I won't waste my time."
"Compensation, huh?" Sengoku's eyes narrowed. "If I'm not mistaken, you've been collecting Devil Fruits for quite some time now."
Kaguya paused, then looked up with an amused expression. "People always say the World Government's intelligence network is impressive, but I didn't expect the Navy to be so well-informed too."
She had been gathering Devil Fruits for years—whether through purchases or forceful acquisitions. Over time, she had amassed a considerable collection.
Unfortunately, most of them were relatively weak, with little practical use.
Not that it mattered to her. She wasn't collecting them for their abilities—this was just part of her mission.
"This isn't exactly a secret anymore," Sengoku said in a low voice. "If you help us, the Navy is willing to give you several Devil Fruits from our inventory."
"All of them? Seems like you're willing to pay a hefty price." Kaguya crossed her legs. "Alright, let's hear it. What do you want me to do?"
"We need you to assist with the transportation of Kaido," Sengoku said, his gaze sharp.
Kaguya blinked.
Then, realization dawned on her.
Kaido wasn't just any pirate. Not only was he monstrously powerful, but his nearly indestructible body made him almost impossible to kill. The fact that he had repeatedly escaped from both the Navy and the Four Emperors in the original timeline was proof enough.
Transporting Kaido to Impel Down was no simple task.
In the past, an attempt to move him had resulted in catastrophe—Kaido went berserk, destroying two prison ships and four warships before escaping. The Navy had suffered tremendous losses.
While deploying multiple Admirals for the escort was an option, the onset of the Great Age of Pirates had overwhelmed the Grand Line with a surge of new pirate crews. Even with its vast military strength, the Navy was beginning to struggle with containment.
With that in mind, the Admirals were needed to maintain order at headquarters—especially with Shiki the Golden Lion on the loose after his escape from Impel Down. No one could predict when he might strike Marineford again.
Faced with this dilemma, Sengoku thought of Kaguya. With her overwhelming strength, she was the ideal candidate to ensure Kaido's safe transfer.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the ground. The entire fortress trembled violently, and even its reinforced walls seemed on the verge of collapse.
Sengoku's expression darkened as he shouted toward the entrance, "What's going on?! Someone, report!"
A Marine soldier rushed in, panting heavily. "S-Sir! It's Kaido—Kaido—"
"What about him?!" Sengoku's heart sank as a terrible premonition formed in his mind.
"Kaido has escaped!"
"What?!"
Meanwhile, outside in Marineford—
A massive figure was sent flying as if struck by a speeding train.
BOOM!
The body crashed into a rock wall with a thunderous impact, shattering the stone into spiderweb-like cracks. Blood spewed from the wounded figure's mouth—it was none other than Admiral Akainu.
Not far away stood an enormous titan of a man. Two massive horns jutted from his head, his face chiseled like stone, his towering physique bulging with thick, battle-worn muscles. Veins throbbed across his body, radiating pure, raw strength. He was none other than Kaido of the Beasts.
"Is this the strength of a Navy Admiral? What a disappointment!" Kaido bellowed, his voice booming like rolling thunder. "Garp! Sengoku! Get out here! If you don't, I'll tear this place apart!"
His enraged roar shook the entire island like a sky-splitting thunderclap, causing the very ground to tremble.
The sheer force of his presence sent waves of Marine soldiers collapsing to the ground, unconscious. This was Conqueror's Haki at its finest.
"Kaido, don't get ahead of yourself!" Akainu growled, his face twisted with rage. Ignoring his injuries, he slammed his foot into the ground, launching himself forward like an arrow. His magma-covered fist, billowing with thick smoke, blazed toward Kaido.
"Great Eruption!"
Before Akainu could get close, a figure suddenly materialized in midair, stepping onto his back and using the momentum to propel themselves forward like a shooting star.
"Thanks for the boost!"
Thud!
With a loud crash, Akainu was stomped into the ground, landing face-first like a collapsed statue. As he lifted his head, his entire body seethed with fury, his lungs practically ready to explode.
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