Who told him to become the Pirate King!

Chapter 39 What is a Fleet Admiral anyway?! (Please read on! Please vote!)

Blue—Blue—

The Grand Line, somewhere in the sea.

A curly-haired young man riding a bicycle on the sea suddenly receives a Den Den Mushi (a type of Den Den Mushi) call.

Aokiji slowly took the Den Den Mushi out of his pocket and gently placed it on the handlebars of his bicycle.

The Den Den Mushi kept ringing throughout the entire process.

Aokiji pursed his lips before answering the phone.

"Moxi—"

Aokiji was about to speak.

A very polite and warm greeting came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"Aokiji, you bastard!!!"

"Ara la la..."

Aokiji picked at his ear and answered lazily.

"Oh, it's Marshal Sengoku. What brings you here?"

"Of course something big is happening!"

The Sengoku period's angry expression was perfectly captured by the Den Den Mushi.

"You bastard! Why did you recommend that Vongola Storm guy to the Blade Force?"

"Vongola Storm?"

Aokiji raised an eyebrow.

"He was a very interesting marine, and it was indeed I who invited him to join the Sharp Blade unit."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Vongola Storm has emptied Impel Down!!!"

"Actually, it was Professor Zephyr who recommended him to the Sharp Blade Squad!"

Aokiji very cleverly changed his tune.

"I don't know Vongola Storm at all, and I've only met him a few times."

"If Marshal has any questions, you can go directly to Teacher Zefa."

"You bastard! Don't even think about shirking responsibility!"

"Warring States period said angrily."

"You are the highest-ranking officer of the Sharp Blade Force!"

"The Sharp Blade unit has made a huge mess of things, don't think you can just wash your hands of it!"

"Oh dear, this kind of thing sounds so troublesome..."

Aokiji scratched his messy, frizzy hair.

"What exactly did Storm do?"

"Isn't 'Pushing the Sky' a bit of an exaggeration?"

"That was indeed an exaggeration on my part."

The tone of the Warring States period finally softened.

"However, although Vongola Storm did not wipe out Impel Down, he almost turned Impel Down upside down!"

"He executed more than 90 percent of the prisoners in the infinite hell."

"...He's really a very capable Marine."

After struggling for a while, Aokiji finally managed to squeeze out a response.

"Sakazuki will be very happy to hear this news."

"Now is not the time for you to tell lame jokes!"

"Warring States period," he coldly reprimanded.

"You still think of Vongola Storm as a Marine? He caused irreparable damage to Impel Down!"

"Marshal of the Warring States Period, I have a question."

Aokiji said solemnly.

"Aside from the prisoners held in Impel Down, has Vongola Storm harmed the lives of any other innocent people?"

Upon hearing this question, the Warring States side immediately fell silent.

"I just confirmed the information with Impel Down regarding this issue."

Sengoku paused for a moment, then continued.

"Aside from criminals, Vongola Storm did not kill any of the prison guards or staff of Impel Down."

"Isn't that enough?"

Upon hearing this, Aokiji secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It is inevitable that the Navy will kill pirates."

"Although what Storm did this time went a little too far..."

"But if the Fleet Admiral wants to convict a Marine on the grounds of 'killing too many pirates'..."

"I think you should send that ruthless killer Sakazuki to Impel Down first!"

The Warring States period was not fooled by Aokiji's little trick of changing the subject.

"Killing pirates in battle and massacring convicted prisoners in jail."

The Warring States period asked a pointed question.

Are these two the same thing?

"Those scum imprisoned in the Infinite Hell deserve to be executed!"

Aokiji responded firmly and forcefully.

"What I don't understand is why the government would deliberately spare their lives!"

Within the naval camp.

There are indeed groups categorized as "hawks," "doves," and "centrists."

Generally speaking.

Aokiji belongs to the "dove faction".

But even among the doves in the navy, not everyone is as kind-hearted as Zephyr.

Black Arm Zephyr, the "No Killing" General.

Throughout his life, he fought countless pirates, but never killed a single enemy.

Aokiji greatly admires Professor Zephyr's character.

But he didn't think that "killing pirates" was a wrong thing to do.

There is indeed some irredeemable trash on the ocean.

The criminals imprisoned in the Infinite Hell are truly the worst of the worst.

Aokiji felt that Storm's actions were indeed a bit excessive.

But it's not a big problem.

Honestly.

If the general commanding the elite troops wasn't Aokiji, but Akainu.

That guy might even lavish praise on Storm's actions!

"Kuzan, you..."

The Warring States period sighed.

Sometimes, I really can't tell the difference.

"You still hold onto the 'burning justice' after all."

"Or has it completely transformed into 'lazy justice'?"

"Ara la la..."

Aokiji chuckled lightly, without directly answering the question.

It is very difficult for people to fully understand themselves.

"Let's not talk about this anymore!"

The Warring States period also chose to skip this topic.

He was also a naval officer who underwent a change in mindset.

Only the individual knows the true taste of it.

"Warring States Period continued," he said.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Vongola Storm will definitely have a bounty on his head!"

"A bounty? Why?"

Aokiji asked in confusion.

"Isn't Impel Down home to Magellan, and that other guy, um, Shiryu?"

"Stromb should have been suppressed by Magellan, right? The [Venom-Venom Fruit] is still quite powerful."

The Warring States period made things sound so serious.

Aokiji thought that Storm had died before he could achieve his goal.

Before he even became a pirate, this "sharp blade" had already been imprisoned in Impel Down...

Aokiji was even mentally prepared to go to Impel Down to rescue people.

But now it seems he misunderstood?

"You underestimated Vongola Storm, and I underestimated him too!"

"Warring States" said in a strangely complicated tone.

"According to Magellan's testimony, Vongola Storm has developed the Clay Fruit to the Awakening level!"

"After nearly wiping out the entire Infinite Hell, Vongola Storm transformed into a white dragon and flew directly out of Impel Down!"

"This...you're kidding, right?"

Aokiji stared wide-eyed in astonishment and asked incredulously.

"Stromb only obtained the Clay-Clay Fruit a short time ago, and it's already awakened? And he can even fly?"

"That's the situation. Maybe Storm... he really is a genius."

The Warring States period explained.

"I just went to the General Staff and discussed the bounty on Vongola Storm with A-He."

"Given his actions and skill level, this guy's initial bounty might be shockingly high!"

"In any case, Vongola Storm is a 'pirate'—wait a minute."

"The phone is ringing..."

The voice of the Warring States period quickly became weak.

However, with Aokiji's keen hearing, he was still able to hear the conversation on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

What does it mean to conceal information?

"Such a major incident happened in Impel Down! Why are the government and the navy keeping it a secret?!"

"Damage the government's credibility... Are you kidding me!"

"I am the Fleet Admiral!"

Aokiji heard Sengoku's angry roar.

But what shook him even more were several other, fainter, aged voices.

"What's a Fleet Admiral?!"

"Your navy is nothing more than a facade for the government!"

"The Navy doesn't need to handle the Impel Down's endless hell situation!"

Immediately afterwards, the Den Den Mushi was disconnected.

Aokiji waited silently for a while.

The weary voice of the Warring States period rang out again.

"Sorry, Kuzan, you must have seen this funny... Let's just pretend nothing happened regarding the Vongola Storm incident!"

Aokiji realized that Sengoku wanted to hang up, and he suddenly asked.

"Marshal Sengoku, was the person you just spoke to one of the Five Elders?"

"You noticed it."

The Warring States period did not hide anything and answered directly.

"It was indeed the Five Elders; they demanded that the matter of Infinite Hell be kept secret."

"Therefore, Vongola Storm's bounty will be cancelled..."

Aokiji didn't care about any bounty or anything; he asked directly.

"In the eyes of the government, what exactly is our navy?"

"What do you mean by that? Haha."

Zhan Guo smiled.

"Kuzan, you can ask the Five Elders about that when you become a marshal someday..."

pat-

The Den Den Mushi from the Sengoku period ended.

Aokiji stood alone in the middle of the vast ocean, his heart filled with indescribable emotions.

After a long while.

Aokiji dialed a number again.

"Moshi Moshi, this is Kuzan."

"Admiral Kuzan! It's been so long since I heard from you. I thought you had left the Navy too!"

"Don't joke around, Storm."

Aokiji held up the Den Den Mushi and said very solemnly.

"I just received the news from the Warring States Marshal."

"You've done something truly remarkable!"

"I did everything according to your instructions."

Storm's aggrieved voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Didn't you want me to become a pirate?"

Is this how you act as a pirate?!

Aokiji rolled his eyes dramatically.

Storm didn't hold back in his criticism.

"Hey! Hey! Den Den Mushi can mimic its owner's expressions, I saw your eye roll!"

"Ara la la..."

Aokiji chuckled and got down to business.

"Do you still want to be a pirate?"

"Of course! I am the sharpest blade in the darkness! Remember my mission, never forget my original aspiration!"

Storm readily answered.

"I'm going to become the greatest pirate! I'll delve into the New World! I'll infiltrate the ranks of the Four Emperors!"

Aokiji pressed for an answer.

"So you're planning to enter the new world now?"

"Of course not!"

Storm denied it.

"To stand shoulder to shoulder with the Four Emperors' pirate crews on my own? I can't do that right now."

"To successfully infiltrate the ranks of the Four Emperors, I need to find some suitable allies!"

(End of this chapter)