One Piece: I'm not Roger

Temptation whispered endlessly in Aokiji's mind.

As long as he abandoned Gion, the position of Fleet Admiral would finally become his. He could lead the Marines according to the justice he believed in and reshape the future of the organization with his own hands.

But if he refused the Five Elders now, everything would become uncertain again.

The atmosphere across the sea grew heavier.

Even the cold ocean wind failed to disperse the suffocating tension hanging over the battlefield.

Every Marine present focused their attention on Aokiji.

He was the commander of this operation.

If Admiral Aokiji decided to wage war, they would obey without hesitation, even if the casualties became catastrophic.

Still, everyone understood the danger.

The enemy before them was not weak.

There was no overwhelming advantage on the Marine side. Between Aether, his crew, and the unstable environment of the New World, the outcome of a battle was impossible to predict. If another force appeared during the conflict, the Marines could easily suffer devastating losses.

"Kuzan…"

Garp's voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.

Aokiji's body trembled slightly.

The hesitation in his heart slowly tilted away from war.

Compared to the Fleet Admiral position, the lives of his comrades mattered more.

Meanwhile, Aether's crew watched silently from the opposite side, ready to move at any moment. The Marines remained tense, their nerves stretched to the limit.

Then suddenly, a scream shattered the silence.

Boom!

A fist of magma exploded through the chest of the CP0 agent before anyone could react.

The man who had been provoking both sides instantly turned into ashes.

The sudden attack stunned everyone present.

A tall and imposing woman stood where the CP0 agent had been moments earlier.

Akainu.

Her crimson coat fluttered in the sea breeze while molten magma dripped slowly from her arm.

The battlefield fell deathly silent.

Then Akainu's cold and resolute voice rang across the sea.

"This man was a Revolutionary Army spy attempting to provoke a war between the Marines and the Pirate King."

"The decision to execute him was mine alone. I will bear all responsibility for the consequences."

Shock spread across countless Marine faces.

No one had expected Akainu to make such a move.

She slowly swept her sharp gaze across the battlefield before continuing.

"I refuse to believe the World Government would issue such a foolish order while Vice Admiral Gion remains in enemy hands."

"This benefits neither the Marines nor the World Government."

"All Marines are comrades. We do not abandon our own."

Silence.

An eerie silence covered the battlefield.

The words coming from Akainu felt almost unreal compared to her usual ruthless image.

But soon, many Marines could no longer suppress their emotions.

Cheers erupted from parts of the fleet.

Numerous soldiers looked at Akainu with admiration burning in their eyes.

Every Marine desired a leader who valued the lives of their comrades.

At this moment, the difference between Aokiji and Akainu became painfully obvious.

Garp silently observed everything.

Even the Vice Admirals had clearly been moved by Akainu's actions.

This old Marine veteran could already see the change taking place.

Akainu's prestige among the Marines had risen dramatically.

As long as she could withstand the pressure from the Five Elders, the race for Fleet Admiral would become completely unpredictable.

Garp suddenly found the woman in red far more pleasing to look at than before.

A faint grin appeared on his face as he sighed.

"Kuzan, you were slow again."

"Still, this old man doesn't hate this version of Sakazuki."

In truth, Garp had always disliked Akainu's excessively ruthless methods in the past.

But today was different.

Strong.

Decisive.

Charismatic.

Protective of her subordinates.

At this moment, she resembled the Sengoku of earlier years.

No.

Perhaps she had gone even further.

Even Sengoku had never openly disregarded the authority of the Five Elders like this.

Akainu had not only rejected their orders, she had directly reduced their messenger to ashes.

Akainu then turned toward Aokiji.

Her sharp eyes showed no emotion as she spoke.

"Aokiji, the rest is up to you."

"You are the commander here."

Aokiji's lips twitched slightly.

Now she remembered he was the commander?

She certainly had not considered his position before smashing the CP0 agent into dust.

Still, he could not deny that her actions had resolved the impossible dilemma before him.

At the very least, the burden of direct responsibility no longer rested entirely on his shoulders.

Aokiji exhaled slowly before looking toward Hina in Aether's arms.

A trace of apology appeared in his gaze.

"Roger, you've seen it yourself. This was clearly a scheme meant to provoke both sides."

"Do you still intend to continue this conflict and let those people achieve their goal?"

Aether listened quietly before smiling faintly.

"Since this is apparently your son's conspiracy, I'll give Garp some face and let this matter end here."

His tone remained relaxed, almost amused.

Then Aether turned and walked back toward his ship while carrying Hina in his arms.

Even Aether himself had not expected things to develop this way.

Akainu had taken an enormous gamble.

By killing the CP0 agent, she had undoubtedly earned the support of countless Marines.

But offending the Five Elders so openly came with consequences far greater than any temporary gain.

As Aether stepped onto the deck of his ship, he suddenly looked back toward Garp with a playful smile.

"Oh right, Garp."

"Make sure your son stops using these pathetic little schemes in the future."

"Otherwise, I might have to teach him a lesson on your behalf."

The veins on Garp's forehead bulged instantly.

This bastard kept bringing up Dragon purely to irritate him.

The corners of Garp's mouth twitched violently while his fists clenched so tightly that cracking sounds echoed from his knuckles.

Still, he restrained himself.

This was not the time to create another disaster.

Soon, both fleets slowly withdrew from the battlefield.

What should have become a massive war ended in an unexpectedly anticlimactic manner.

The only true casualty was the CP0 agent who had been completely erased from existence.

Even the two rescued Celestial Dragons cursed him endlessly afterward. They had finally escaped Aether's hands, only for that idiot to nearly drag them back into danger again.

Meanwhile, Akainu's actions had undoubtedly deepened the fracture between the Marines and the World Government.

As for Aether, another storm was already waiting for him.

Inside the ship, Rouge stood quietly before Aether and Hina.

Her beautiful eyes carefully examined the woman in front of her, particularly the slight curve of Hina's stomach.

Even without makeup or elegant clothing, Hina possessed a graceful beauty reminiscent of a blooming flower rising from water.

Now, with the faint maternal aura surrounding her, that beauty became even more striking.

Rouge smiled softly.

"She truly is a rare beauty."

"No wonder a certain playboy became so attached."

"And during this past month, it seems she has suffered quite a bit because of someone."

Hina blinked in confusion after hearing Rouge's words.

"Ma'am… who are you?"

Rouge glanced toward Aether with an amused smile.

"Why not let the man holding you explain?"

Only then did Hina suddenly realize she was still in Aether's arms.

A faint trace of embarrassment crossed her face as she immediately stepped away from him.

Then she looked toward Aether with questioning eyes.

For a moment, the three simply stared at one another in silence.