One Piece: I'm not Roger

After leaving the island, Aether had no idea the two Admirals had reconciled. Otherwise, he might have turned back just to kill Aokiji himself.

A man bewitched by a woman's charm had no business remaining a Marine Admiral.

When Aether finally located Hancock and Tokikake in the middle of their battle, Hancock was clearly at a disadvantage. Although she could barely use Advanced Conqueror's Haki, her control was still unstable. Against an Admiral Candidate who was already close to Admiral level, those flaws became impossible to hide.

Tokikake constantly pressured her openings, steadily gaining the upper hand.

If the fight continued, Hancock would likely lose within two hours, and Tokikake clearly had the confidence to finish the battle.

However, the moment Tokikake noticed Aether appearing in the distance, his expression immediately changed.

Even from over two thousand meters away, Tokikake decisively disengaged and retreated toward the warship with complete vigilance.

At the same time, a ridiculous thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Damn… don't tell me Akainu and Aokiji are already dead? Does that mean I can become an Admiral now?"

The remaining Marine warships instantly entered full alert, treating Aether like a walking natural disaster.

But Aether had no interest in continuing the fight.

A streak of golden light was already approaching rapidly from the horizon.

Kizaru had arrived again.

"Hancock, let's go. We're done here."

"Mm."

If they remained trapped here, the Marines and even the World Government could launch a full-scale encirclement. Sengoku and Garp personally intervening was not impossible.

Aether had already achieved everything he came for, so there was no reason to stay any longer.

Quit while ahead.

That was his style.

At that moment, the system notifications appeared in his mind.

[Moderately changed the fate of SS Rank character Aokiji, reward: 20,000 Destiny Points.]

[Moderately changed the fate of SS Rank character Akainu, reward: 20,000 Destiny Points.]

[Current Destiny Points: 996,000.]

Besides the points, his biggest gain was the collection of recording Den Den Mushi he had prepared beforehand.

Aether made sure the entire battle had been recorded from multiple angles without missing a single detail.

The footage clearly showed him defeating both Admirals.

Soon enough, he distributed the recordings to Morgans and several major news agencies across the world.

The sea, which had only recently settled down, immediately erupted once again.

The Pirate King personally ambushing Marine Admirals in the Grand Line was simply outrageous.

Where was the dignity of a top-tier powerhouse?

If he could casually attack Admirals today, who knew whose doorstep he might appear at tomorrow?

…

Eight days later, North Blue.

The outside world remained chaotic, but none of it affected the two travelers enjoying themselves at sea.

For the past several days, Aether and Hancock had spent their time together like a couple on vacation.

If Hancock had not clearly stated she did not want children yet, Aether's relentless "training sessions" over the last week might have already produced results.

The two lounged lazily on the deck beneath the warm sunlight.

Aether occasionally glanced toward Hancock beside him.

Her purple bikini perfectly outlined her figure. Her long legs, slender waist, and full chest carried a dangerous kind of beauty that almost no man could resist.

Traveling with a beautiful woman really did make life more enjoyable.

Since his rebirth over three months ago, this was the most relaxed Aether had felt.

Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead.

A News Coo descended toward the small ship, dropping off the latest newspaper before flying away again.

Aether casually picked it up and immediately saw the headlines he had been waiting for.

[Marine Admirals Akainu and Aokiji Engage in Duel for Fleet Admiral Position. Pirate King Roger Launches Surprise Attack and Defeats Both Exhausted Admirals. Admiral Kizaru and Admiral Candidate Tokikake Join Forces to Repel Roger.]

Aether smirked.

As expected, Morgans still reported the incident in the end.

Although the World Government undoubtedly wanted to suppress the news completely, it was already impossible.

Aether had personally spread copies of the battle recordings everywhere.

If Morgans refused to report such a massive event while smaller newspapers covered it openly, his credibility as the King of News would collapse instantly.

Still, it was obvious Morgans had compromised with the World Government to some extent.

The "surprise attack" part was technically true.

But claiming Kizaru and Tokikake successfully forced him back was complete nonsense.

Aether had spent years watching Morgans slander others.

Now it was finally his turn to experience it personally.

At least the rewards were worthwhile.

The massive amount of emotional value generated from this incident had caused his experience growth to skyrocket.

It was even greater than when he killed Gild Tesoro.

If this continued, leveling up once or twice soon would not be difficult.

Of course, that depended on whether another major incident stole the front-page headlines first.

The second piece of news shook the world just as much.

[A New Era for the Marines. Admiral Akainu Officially Becomes Fleet Admiral, Becoming the First Female Fleet Admiral in Marine History.]

["Justice means allowing ordinary people to live peacefully and safely."]

The statement shocked countless pirates and Marines alike.

Anyone familiar with Akainu almost suspected the newspaper was fake.

The man once known for absolute justice and merciless executions was suddenly talking about protecting civilians and maintaining peace?

Below the headline was a photograph of Akainu in her new Fleet Admiral uniform.

Compared to her previous image, her current appearance looked far more refined and approachable.

The professional long pants had been replaced with a sleek skirt uniform, and the stern expression she usually carried was gone, replaced with a composed and mature smile.

Even Aether had to admit it.

Akainu was starting to understand how to play politics.

With that face representing the Marines publicly, the organization itself might genuinely begin changing.

The third headline was equally explosive.

[Fleet Admiral Akainu Announces Worldwide Military Draft.]

[For the sake of world peace and true justice, all powerful individuals are encouraged to join the Marines. One hundred thousand is not too few, one million is not too many.]

Another picture of Akainu appeared beneath the article.

This time she wore a fitted Marine recruit uniform, making Aether nearly choke on laughter.

"She's actually using herself as a recruitment poster now?"

Even he could not help feeling speechless.

"What exactly is Akainu planning?"

At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.

"So the World Military Draft is finally starting… too bad I still haven't found Fujitora."

A month earlier, Aether had already ordered his people to search for Issho across the seas.

Out of the future Admirals, Fujitora was the one he respected the most.

The old man possessed genuine principles and his own understanding of justice. Despite being blind, he saw the world more clearly than most people with functioning eyes.

As for Ryokugyu…

Aether honestly did not think highly of him.

The man was undeniably powerful, but he was also arrogant and blindly obsessed with Akainu.

Now that Akainu had become a woman, Aether suddenly became curious.

Would Ryokugyu become even more fanatical?

That thought alone sounded ridiculous enough to be entertaining.

…

Meanwhile, on Monster Island in the New World, six exhausted young pirates gathered around a giant bonfire.

Ace, Luffy, Ginny, Ulti, Page One, and Black Maria all looked miserable after a month of brutal training.

Their clothes were tattered, their bodies filthy, and they resembled survivors dragged out of the wilderness.

But compared to before, their spirits and strength had clearly improved.

At the center of the campfire sat an enormous roasted tiger over ten meters long.

The six of them devoured the entire beast like starving monsters.

Black Maria rubbed her slightly swollen stomach and sighed.

"I seriously can't keep eating like this. My stomach feels like something's moving inside it."

The woman who once cared deeply about maintaining an elegant image had completely abandoned that concern after surviving a month on this island.

Still, she did not actually dislike this lifestyle.

Especially not when spending time with these younger troublemakers.

Turning toward Ginny, her newest friend, Black Maria asked curiously,

"Who do you think is coming to train us after Rayleigh leaves?"

Ginny swallowed the last chunk of meat in her hand before answering casually.

"No idea. Probably Aether, Golden Lion, or maybe Marco."

Ulti immediately snorted after stealing another piece of meat from Page One.

"I doubt it'll be Marco. His Devil Fruit is amazing, but most of his strength comes from his regeneration. His Haki isn't anything special."

Marco constantly fought top-tier opponents, but he never had one overwhelmingly dominant strength.

He was simply balanced in every category.

A complete all-rounder.