Sakazuki leaned back into his admittedly very comfortable seat in the captain's cabin, his feet resting on the desk in front of him. He let his eyes wander around the room, admiring the numerous graphs of intricate structures. Whether it was a house, bridge, or ship, the man seemed capable of building anything under the sun.
Though he made sure to keep his ears open as he cradled the receiver of the standard Marine communication Snail in his massive palm, listening intently as the man on the other side tried to use every excuse under the sun all at once to justify himself.
[it's absolutely unacceptable! This sort of treason and plotting is absolutely unforgivable in Goa Kingdom! I assure Honored Admiral that the Royal Family would not have stood idle had we known of this transgression!] King Sterry exclaimed.
Sakazuki brought the receiver closer to his mouth and rolled his eyes. "Now, now King Sterry, it was not my intention to accuse the venerable rulers of Goa. Your family has been a great ally to the Navy and the World Government for many generations."
[T-That is right! I have done nothing wrong! It's the peasants' fault! They were the ones who accepted those pirate scum!] The newly appointed young king of Goa Kingdom yelled in distress.
It couldn't have been easy for Sterry. Barely half a year into his reign, and he is already receiving a phone call from a Navy Admiral telling him that a tiny village in his kingdom was harboring dangerous criminals. And not just any criminals, mind you, but the type of dangerous criminals that required the intervention of the Navy's ultimate firepower.
Akainu almost felt sorry for the young man. Almost.
"We will get to who's guilty and who's innocent some other time, King Sterry,"Akainu spoke with an even tone, putting a semblance of authority into his voice. "For now, let us discuss how to proceed forward."
[Do you need me to send reinforcements?] King Sterry asked.
Sakazuki waved his hand in dismissal. 'That's not my point. I'm more than capable of dealing with them on my own, it's just that the battle is bound to cause some collateral damage.'
[It is absolutely acceptable! Burn that forsaken town with its peasants if you wish. It is their fault for tarnishing the kingdom's reputation in such a manner!] King Sterry declared.
"Easy now, King Sterry. It would not do to punish an entire village for the actions of what is clearly the fault of a few rogue elements," the Navy Admiral said patiently while stretching his arms. His body was not used to long periods of inactivity.
[E-eh? Ah! I-I- I mean that's right! We cannot blame the poor villagers. It's all the fault of the pirates! H-ha-ha..'] King Sterry stumbled over his words.
Sakazuki was sure he was going to develop a migraine from how many times he had rolled his eyes in the past couple of minutes. Sterry was so set on brownnosing that he could not go two sentences without tripping over his words and contradicting himself.
'Not that I would have it any other way. It makes it easier to deal with him,' Sakazuki thought to himself.
"In that case, I guess I can rely on Goa's treasury to pay for the rebuilding bill?" Akainu said, his words more of a declaration than an inquiry.
[A-A-Absolutely!' King Sterry nodded his head with a frightening ferocity. Akainu feared that Sterry might accidentally snap his neck. [No price is too costly for the comfort and safety of my citizens !]
"That is truly heartening to hear," Sakazuki told him with a laugh. "Do not worry about the materials; I've taken the liberty of bringing them with me. All that is left is for your majesty to foot the bill."
[..foot? Do I have to do something with my feet?] Sterry asked.
"No, nothing of the sort. It's an expression used by commoners, your majesty. It means to pay for something. You can use it when addressing your people. It'll surely make you seem relatable!"
[Really!? Very well, my feet shall take care of everything!] Sterry said with what appeared to be a puffed chest and a self-satisfied smirk.
Sakazuki nodded. "You have my gratitude, King Sterry. I will make sure to mention how accommodating you've been in my report."
[Of course! Please make sure to tell the esteemed Celestial Dragons that the Royal family of Goa Kingdom will always be an ally of the World Government!] Sterry yelled with glee, his intentions clear as the sky.
"Yes, yes, I will make sure to do so," Akainu said with fake cheerfulness as he hung up.
He would definitely tell them if he ever met any of them again, which was probably never. Because both Sengoku and the Gorosei were smart enough to know that putting Akainu as a guard for one of the Celestial Dragons was a bad idea and would only end in one outcome.
He patted the snail's head a couple of times before standing with a groan. He arched his back and stretched his arms behind him. His body was clearly not used to long periods of inactivity.
The admiral grabbed his distinctive coat and left the cabin. Immediately, Sakazuki was assaulted by the glaring sunlight and the sound of sailors running across the deck. It took a couple of seconds for his vision to adjust to the bright scenery, enough time for the actual captain of the ship to stand beside him.
"I take it all went well, Mr. Admiral?" the much shorter man said with a great grin while craning his neck as much as he could. The captain was a short man, even by normal human standards, barely reaching over Sakazuki's knee. His short stature, portly belly, and great braided brown beard reminded him of the dwarves of legends, Earth's dwarves to be exact, not the tiny mischievous creatures of Tontatta Kingdom in Green Bit Island.
Though the dwarf was small, it would be a foolish mistake to underestimate him. Sakazuki had seen firsthand the absurd strength and swiftness the man possessed. He would expect nothing less from one of the most excellent carpenters in East Blue.
"More or less. King Sterry assured me that 'no price was too much for his people's comfort,'" Akainu reassured the shorter man.
"SAW-SAW-SAW! What a reliable king. Shame most of 'em can't be like him." The dwarf guffawed with a deep voice. Sakazuki didn't bother correcting him on Sterry's character.
"You can start as soon as you arrive," Sakazuki informed with a nod before flashing the carpenter a smirk. "I've heard good things about your company. I expect you not to disappoint."
The dwarf smirked back, clearly relishing the challenge. "In that case, I'll make sure to tell the lads to make something grand! I will build you a town that puts Goa's capital to shame."
"I will be the judge of that," Sakazuki laughed.
"Don't worry. I never half-ass my work, especially this time. It's not always we get a client of your caliber," the smaller man replied with a laugh. He looked both ways before motioning for the Marine to lean closer. "By the way, Admiral, the lads in the back spotted a small boat trailing us. From the looks of it, they've been at it for a couple of days now."
"Yeah, they're probably following me," Sakazuki hummed as he knelt. It's not like he didn't notice them. They've been at it ever since he entered Goa's waters.
"Should we sink them? They're still within the range of our cannons," the carpenter whispered.
"No, there is no need for that," Sakazuki said while standing up. The ship was probably a navy-affiliated one tasked with monitoring him. They were perhaps reporting his whereabouts to either Sengoku or, most likely, Garp. yeah, it was definitely Garp's paranoid ass.
If only he put as much effort into keeping tabs on his brats.
"If that's what you want," the dwarf scratched the back of his head. "We should arrive at Foosha port before the night at this pace. We will start rebuilding as soon as we land."
"Good. By then, I will have finished my job by then," Sakazuki informed as he jumped onto the bow of this ship. "I will go ahead. Make sure to prepare the sign in the meantime."
"Aye, sir!" was the dwarf's reply. "Good luck on your secret mission, Admiral."
Sakazuki flashed him a thumbs-up behind his back. He looked at his feet and raised his right leg slightly.
'Let's see if this body still remembers how to do it.'
The Rokushiki, or Six Powers, was mostly a type of martial arts usually utilized by the Cipher Pol agents. It was still a part of the Navy officer's standard training regimen, but its mastery was not a must. It was a good skill set to possess.
The problem with the Rokushiki was that it was an obsolete fighting style. While it might be helpful when dealing with the average Paradise schmuck, it simply paled horribly when faced against even basic Haki.
For an admiral such as Akainu, it was simply too much of a hindrance to incorporate Rokushiki into his already lethal fighting style. Everything that Rokushiki offered, Akainu could replicate much better using Haki or his Magu Magu no Mi.
Still, desperate times called for desperate measures. His Red Launcher was simply far too flashy and loud to use in these calm waters. It would also be very counterproductive if he accidentally set the carpenter's ship on fire. He doubted the ship could handle his launching as well as Tsuru's ship. So, Sakazuki brushed off a move he hadn't used in some decades.
"Geppo."
His raised leg flickered as he kicked the ground over ten times in instantaneous succession. He ignored the loud exclamation of surprise that came from the crew behind him as his body rose into the air. He spared the captain a nod before he set towards the outline of Dawn Island. Using a combination of Geppo and Soru made traversing through the sea a walk in the park. The key to the mastery of these two skills was simply exceptional leg strength. Akainu, who was capable of stopping Whitebeard's Gura Gura-infused bisento with his foot, possessed that leg strength in spades.
Naturally, it was only a matter of minutes before Foosha Village entered his vision. With a slight flaring of his devil fruit to give him a boost in speed, Akainu's body blurred, and the air surrounding him shattered. Faster than a sniper's bullet, he crossed the remaining few miles.
His feet touched down on the wooden floor of the village port as he came to a sudden stop. The force and momentum of his movement caught up a second later, knocking anyone unlucky enough to be close on their ass. Amid the pained groans, Sakazuki threw his Navy coat over his shoulders and made his way out of the port and through the town's gates.
His senses expanded, and his eyes scanned the surroundings. The village was a lot smaller than he expected. Foosha Village fit the typical rural community stereotype with the small houses surrounding a dirt path, rustic wooden buildings, docks, and a few windmills scattered around the fields. He expected a bit more of a village located so close to the Goa Kingdom capital.
"Still better than being stuck on a ship for weeks," Sakazuki said as he took a deep breath. "Can't deny that these tiny villages have their own charm."
With an easy smile on his face, he sauntered deeper into the village. There were barely any people outside, not that he had expected to find any this early at dawn. Most folks were either asleep or in the warm comfort of their homes, preparing for the day.
Of course, not everyone seemed content to stay inside. Spotting an old man dragging a cart behind him several meters in front of Sakazuki, he hastened his pace to catch up.
"Mornin'," Sakazuki greeted as he caught up.
The old man stopped his march and turned his head upwards to look at him, showing Sakazuki the web of wrinkles that adorned his red, sweaty face. It was hard to pinpoint the man's age, but Sakazuki was confident to guess that he was old enough to be his father.
The man's wrinkled eyes widened a fraction at Sakazuki's sheer height. "Well, ain't you a big fella," he drawled in a country-side accent.
Sakazuki smiled and nodded his head toward the cart. "Need a hand?"
The old man looked at his load, then at the road extending in front of him, before finally turning his eyes to the Admiral. "I ain't gonna refuse if you're offerin'," he said with a smile that lacked more than a couple of teeth.
...
"So wassa marine officer like you doin 'round these parts, lad? Specially this early in the mornin'?" the old man, Sandler as he introduced himself, drawled from his seat on the cart.
"Hmm? Ah...Same ol' thing, uncle. Just makin' sure no pirate scum show their ugly mugs here," Sakazuki replied as he dragged the cart towards the market.
"Well, that's good to hear. Not sure you'll find any, though. Ain't nothin' worth plunderin'," Sandler said as he scratched his withered chin. "Much bigger fish in the capital."
"Nothing to lose from just checking around."
"Well you helped this old man, so even if you've found nothin', you could say that you didn't waste your time," Sandler said with a hoarse laugh that turned into a light cough at the end. "Bah...y'know, I almost joined the marines myself."
Sakazuki spared him a look behind his shoulders, judging his tiny and frail physique. "That's so?"
"Aie now, laddie. I might not look like it now, but when I was younger, people called me 'Sandler the Handler'. Not a livin' soul handled wild beasts like me. I reckon I could've been quite the navy. Might even give Garp a run for his money," the old man said with a puff of his chest.
Sakazuki snorted. "Well, it's a real shame the navy lost a man of your strength."
The rest of the walk was spent with the old man reciting what he considered the epic tales of his youth, and all the beasts he wrestled with, from the tiniest rodents to the mightiest of wild boars.
"Right here should be good enough, lad," Sandler told him with a smile a few minutes later. Gently, he got off the cart and patted Akainu's knee in gratitude. "You've been mighty helpful. I'll take care of it fro' here."
"You sure? I don't mind continuin' to your stall," Sakazuki reassured.
Sandler waved his hand. "No need to, kid. You've done more than enough. 'Sides, I still got my pride as a man. Can't exactly sit on my ass while others do my work."
"If you're sure…"
"Now, the place you're lookin' for is still a bit of a walk from here, but if you go ahead and turn left next to The Backlet family's mill and continue walkin', you'll find it. You can't miss it; not like we have any other bar." Sandler flashed him a toothless smile with a thumbs up.
Sakazuki smiled and returned the gesture. "Been a pleasure meetin' you, 'Sandler the Handler'."
"Same here, kid," the old man replied with a smirk as he started dragging his cart. "Aye, if those pirates of yours give you any problems, don't hesitate to come to me. This old man still got some fire in him. And I'll make sure to tell that uptight bastard, Woop Slap, that you're waitin' for 'im."
"Will do!" Sakazuki called after the retreating man before turning around and walking in the direction he was given.
The trip to the bar had admittedly taken him more time than he would have liked, both as a result of his unfamiliarity with the layout of the small town as well as his sense of direction being somewhat off. Though he was not even remotely as bad as Zoro, Sakazuki was not very good at navigating new places. Such tasks were always left to the lower ranks, so it had been many decades since he, himself, had bothered to do it. Instead, he had become reliant on both Observation and Advanced Observation Haki to navigate battlefields.
However, while that was useful when up against the monsters of the New World, it wasn't nearly as useful in Foosha with its peaceful, weak residents. So Sakazuki did something no man liked doing: he asked for directions.
Several times.
Fortunately, the few people he met were more than happy to help him out after a small conversation. He didn't know if it was because of his attitude or because Foosha's people were just that nice. Nevertheless, Sakazuki finally reached the mill Sandler had told him about after a series of turns. From there on, it was nothing more than a brisk walk.
Party's Bar was, like all things in Foosha village, underwhelming. It was small but well-cared for, yet it lacked the flair Sakazuki had come to expect from all the time he had spent in the Grandline and its bizarre structures. With his hands deep in his pockets, Sakazuki marched forward, his eyes set on the young lady unloading the numerous crates laying beside the door.
...
Makino stood at the back of the bar, sweating and panting as she struggled to unload the heavy crates of sake, liquor, and food from the delivery carriage. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, trying to catch her breath before lifting the next crate onto her shoulder. Entirely preoccupied with her manual task, the bar owner and its sole tender failed to register the 10-feet behemoth of a man until he stood mere feet behind her.
Makino's body froze, the crate still in her arms, as she noticed the shadow that was cast on her. Slowly, she turned around and found herself staring into a man's crotch area. Hesitantly, she craned her neck upwards. And upwards. And even more upwards until her eyes settled on the face of an older man. Even with the sunlight hitting from behind him and his hat concealing most of his features, Makino could still make out the outline of a frown carved on his face as his dark eyes looked down on her.
Makino gulped and tried to put on a smile. She attempted to take a step back and put some space between the two of them. The man's lips parted. She didn't understand the words that came out of his mouth, far too startled by his baritone voice that shook her bones. Her foot slipped. Makino shut her eyes and prepared herself for the fall, praying that at least the wine in the crate she was holding did not break. Makino felt her behind land on the...ground?
No, it was not nearly hard or wide enough. Slowly, she peered beneath her and was pleasantly surprised to find herself off the floor. The man's leg traveled between her thighs and disappeared beneath her long skirt, his foot acting as a makeshift seat, holding her off the ground.
'A marine...' Makino realized as she got a better look at the giant man, namely the white hat with a blue seagull etched on it. Suddenly, the marine's leg started moving up, with a surprised yelp, Makino brought her legs together to protect her decency.
"You good?" he said to her as his leg held her at eye level. The frown on his face disappeared and was replaced with an easy-going smile that clashed with his deep and commanding voice. Makino nodded, trying to calm her racing heart and hoping the pinkish taint of her cheeks did not betray her embarrassment. Though judging from the clear amusement in his eyes, she was not doing a good job at it.
"Thank you...?" she said as he lowered his leg, letting her regain her footing. Embarrassed or not, she needed to relay her gratitude.
"Sakazuki," he introduced himself with an extended hand. "A marine officer."
"I'm Makino, the owner of this humble bar," Makino said with a polite smile as she shook his hand, trying her hardest not to be intimidated by the drastic size difference between them. "A pleasure to meet you, Sakazuki-san."
A smile graced his face as his eyes admired the hanging sign above the entrance. "Hmm, so this is the famed Party's bar. Garp-san had nothing but good things to say about it; I just had to come and see it with my own eyes."
Makino's eyebrows rose to her hairline before she clapped her hands in joy, her nervousness disappearing at the mention of the familiar name. "Oh, you're a friend of Garp-san! In that case, welcome to Foosha village's number-one bar! Just give me a second to finish here…" She gestured to the remaining crates. "… And I'll serve you something."
"May I?" he asked, extending his arm towards the box in her arms. Makino shook her head. "It's fine, Sakazuki-san! You must be tired from your travels. You just go inside - Ah!"
"Nonsense," Sakazuki interrupted her by gently snatching the box from her and grabbing a barrel with his other hand. "Tired or not, it is a Marine's duty to help citizens, especially one as lovely as you."
"Well, I can't really refuse when you say it like that." Makino let out a small giggle behind her hand, a hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. She raised her arm and patted her barely noticeable biceps jokingly."With the two of us, we will finish in a jiffy."
True to her words, the duo made very short work of the load, though it would have been more accurate to say that it was Sakazuki-san who did most of the work. "Marine officers really are on a different level than your average person," Makino couldn't help but admire the man's strength as he casually lifted barrels that she would normally need a wheelbarrow to move.
As soon as they'd finished, Makino wasted no time in dragging the biggest chair available near the counter and offering the marine officer a warm meal and one of her drinks as a reward for his help. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled apologetically. "I'm not exactly the most capable chef, but please enjoy your meal."
"Nonsense, I would kill for a meal like this back on the ship." Sakazuki brought the fork to his mouth and let out a pleased noise as he savored the meal. He lifted his glass and knocked his drink back. "And with a fine drink too. Don't sell yourself short, Makino. You're actually spoiling me.
" Makino leaned on the counter and rested her elbows, her palms settling on both of her cheeks as she smiled warmly. While his words were much appreciated, Makino knew a white lie when she heard one. After all, she often used them with the children of the village. Still, his words got her wondering. Spotting the dreamy expression on her face, Sakazuki raised his brow.
"Looking awfully whimsical, Makino. A berri for your thought?" The barmaid shook her head lightly. "I was just thinking how rare it is for an outside Marine officer to come to this tiny village. I always wondered what it's like to be one."
"How does it feel...?" Sakazuki leaned back in his seat and let out a contemplative hum as he set his fork down. "I never really thought about it. There was never really much of a choice for me. Being a marine was the only way for me to achieve my goals."
"What kind of goals?" Makino asked. "Yeah, when I was young, the only thing on my mind was vengeance against a particular pirate; so, I joined the Marines. And I succeeded. Within a couple of years, I crossed paths with him and took his life. However, as I stood over his bloody mangled corpse, I realized something." Sakazuki spoke with an even tone. "I noticed that even after I attained my revenge, the hatred in my heart still burned brightly, and I realized that it wasn't the end of it... I realized that my goal was something far greater than just petty revenge. My goal...My destiny is to create a perfect world."
"Perfect...?" Makino repeated with a blink. "A world where no one will live in fear, where no one will experience the pain that I've experienced. I will create a world free of pirates." Sakazuki declared with a smirk that clashed heavily with the manic expression on his face, and the intensity of his words.
A moment later, he relaxed his posture. His eyes returned to Makino, and he blinked as he registered how intense his words came out. He let out a small reserved laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you off."
Makino broke herself out of her haze and shook her head in disagreement. "N-not at all! I think it's quite a lovely and noble aim to strive for." Sakazuki raised his cup as a sign of gratitude. "Moving from my rants and back to your previous question. Working for the marines has its ups and downs. While the never-ending barrage of pirates and criminals wreaking havoc can sometimes be quite severe to deal with, especially for newbies, at the end of the day, the fact that we are making the world a better place is worth the trouble."
Makino had to stop herself from gushing at his words. To think that the Navy was filled with such honorable men. It almost reminded her of the stories of heroes she read as a little girl.
She opened her mouth to ask the officer in front of her about a thousand other things when the bar's twin saloon doors burst open and cut her off. The mayor's hunched coughing form stood wearily, breathing heavily, and leaning on his cane. "Mayor!"
"Ha…Hah….hah… Finally made it. Oh, my back is killing me." The mayor groaned from his aching body as he tried to get his bearings together. After a while, his breathing settled down enough for him to fix his posture and approach the two of them. "Apologies for being late, Sakazuki-san. As you can see, age has not been gentle with me, and Makino's bar is not exactly close."
Sakazuki stood from his seated position to greet the new arrival. He offered his hand to the mayor, which the latter took gracefully despite the huge height difference between the two men. "Think nothing of it, Mayor Woop Slap. The fault lies with me for arriving unannounced. Furthermore, Makino has been very accommodating and welcoming while I waited."
Woop Slap spared a glance at the dishes atop the table. He turned towards Makino and gave her an approving nod. "Hmph, this much is the bare minimum."
Makino giggled behind her hand at the mayor's antics. Always trying to pass himself off as a stern man.
Joining Sakazuki, the mayor grabbed a smaller seat at the counter. Makino wasted no time in offering him a cup of tea, which he accepted with a nod.
Uncharacteristically, he didn't drink immediately. Makino noticed that the mayor seemed somehow even more tense than usual. A small part of her hoped that it was just her imagination, that it was nothing but another attempt by the dear mayor to seem more intimidating.
Sadly, Sakazuki's next words made it appear that the previous jovial atmosphere they shared had come to an end with the mayor's arrival. "You don't seem surprised to see me," Sakazuki noted.
"It was always a possibility that the navy might come here, seeing the nature of visitors our peaceful village receives. It was always a fear of mine. But... I never thought it would be a man of your caliber would be the one to come," Woop Slap said tiredly as he brought the tea to his lips. With a sigh, he set it down. Taking a deep breath, the mayor looked at the other man. "So, how can our humble village be of use to a Navy Admiral?"
'Admiral!?' Makino felt her knees buckle at the title. Weren't Admirals supposed to be the strongest there were? 'His rank is even higher than Garp-san'!
"Do not worry, mayor. I'm not here to punish Foosha village," Sakazuki offered the mayor a sympathetic smile.
"Truly?!" Woop Slap exclaimed, hope dripping from his voice.
"Indeed. Your first priority was guaranteeing the safety of your people. Expecting you to oppose an Emperor's crew by yourself is foolish." Sakazuki gave a resolute nod. "Quite the opposite, I am here to make sure that a repeat of Elegia's incident does not repeat itself."
"Elegia?" The mayor repeated, looking at the marine with a confused expression. "…I feel like I've heard that name before."
"I am not surprised. The incident had shaken the entire world at the time," Sakazuki closed his eyes in regret. His hand disappeared inside his coat and reappeared with a dated newspaper in it. He laid it on the counter for them to see.
A photo of seemingly angry Shanks with the title "ELEGIA DESTROYED!" above it.
"Yes, several years ago, a kingdom in the New World by the name of Elegia was burned to the ground, and all of its inhabitants were slaughtered, all at the hands of Red Hair Shanks and his pack of twisted misfits."
"No..." Makino's hands went to her gaping mouth. She could not believe her ears. Her eyes quickly went to the newspaper article, only to find the same thing written in clear ink. "There is no way that's possible. Shanks-san is not the type of person to commit such a crime!"
"Makino!" The mayor protested at her outburst, yet she could clearly see that he, too, was caught off-guard by the news. "Have you forgotten your manners!?"
To Woop Slap's relief, the admiral seemed not to take offense at the sudden interruption. He merely raised his hand in a placating gesture to calm them both. With a heavy sigh, he continued. "I am very aware of your doubts. The massacre had caught us off-guard as well. Red Hair had always been known for his unorthodox kindness towards civilians. He had made several previous visits to Elegria. He was loved by its people. To think that it had always been nothing more than a façade of a sick twisted man…" Sakazuki finished with a shake of his head.
"But… there might be an explanation…" Makino objected weakly, trying to come to terms with how different the kind man she knew, and the monster she was hearing about were one and the same.
"I am sure that this cannot be easy for the two of you to hear." Sakazuki put his hand atop hers and gave her a comforting squeeze. Makino forced herself to offer him a weak small smile, but to no avail. "But one does not gain a bounty of over 4 billion without committing the most heinous of crimes."
With shaking hands, the mayor cradled his teacup. "I see…So you fear that he is planning to do the same to our village?"
"Not just Foosha village, but the entirety of Dawn Islands. The kingdom of Goa has been under some attention lately with the recent coronation of the new king. It is a tempting target for him." Sakazuki replied with a nod. "I am here to ensure the Red-Haired pirates don't dare set foot here."
A wave of ease flooded through the mayor's aged body at Sakazuki's reassurance. "I don't know how we could possibly repay you."
Sakazuki smiled in return. "I am only carrying out my duty. No matter how small or insignificant an island may seem, it is still worth fighting for. Nevertheless, there is still a small favor I must ask of you."
"O-of course, what is it?" Woop Slap said, leaning forward.
"Due to the looming threat of Shanks and his numerous visits to this village, a not-so-small number of Goa's nobility are doubtful of this village's loyalty. They believe that some pirate loyalists are hiding within Foosha." The admiral spoke.
Woop Slap sputtered at the accusation. "That's nothing but a lie! We would never try-!"
"I know that." Akainu cut him off, putting his hand on the mayor's shoulder. "I managed to dissuade them from marching towards the village and leaving it to me. Mere words - even my own - would not be enough. They will expect some signs of fighting. I'm afraid I will have to destroy at least a portion of the village."
"…I guess that is still the best we can hope for." The older man's shoulders slumped in defeat.
Somewhat getting out of her latest slump, Makino tried to offer her own reassurance. "We can easily build again."
Sakazuki bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry for forcing you to go along with my unreasonable demands. It still would not make up for my actions, but I took the liberty of hiring a construction company to rebuild the village. Already paid for, of course."
The two Foosha inhabitants gasped in surprise, exchanging a surprised look between themselves.
"No, no, no, we're the ones who should be apologizing for being a burden! We'll let you destroy the town several times over if we must!" The mayor quickly waved his hands in protest.
Makino nodded in agreement. "That's right, Sakazuki-san! You have already done more than we could ever ask!" "Makino...Mayor… Very well, I will not betray your trust," the admiral said with determination. "Still, before you go, I heard that Red Hair had taken a particular interest in Garp-san's grandchild. Is it true?"
Makino exchanged a brief look with the mayor, who nodded to her. Makino was more familiar with Luffy, so he was letting her explain. "Yes… Shanks has always been very amicable with Luffy-kun. He was the one who inspired Luffy-kun to become a pirate." She hesitated for a second but quickly remembered the kind of man Shanks turned out to be. Sakazuki-san was already risking his reputation by helping them, so it would not do to hide anything from him.
"I see… This might be another ploy of Red Hair, trying to tarnish Garp-san's reputation by turning his grandson against him," Sakazuki said solemnly, interlacing his fingers together. He remained silent for some seconds before he spoke again.
"Is it possible for me to meet him?"
...
Sakazuki sat alone in his chair in Makino's bar, his leg bouncing up and down lightly, and his fingers drumming to a silent rhythm as he waited. The evacuation of the town had been a success. He didn't know how Woop Slap managed to convince the townspeople, but he had done it quickly and without any fuss.
Lying to Sterry was something, but these were honest people He disliked having to resort to deception, but he was running on a tight schedule.
Still, he could not shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Sakazuki shoved all his doubts and uneasiness to the back of his mind as the saloon doors of the bar swung open. A teenager - for it was far too early to call him a man - with a sleeveless red shirt and blue shorts, and a very, very distinct straw hat walked in, a huge smile plastered on his face
"Hey, Makino! Can I have some meat?"
The boy destined to shake the world, Monkey D. Luffy.
He wouldn't be Akainu, if he didn't try gaslighting people :/
The damn chapter kept getting bigger and bigger for no goddamn reason, but the time luffy appeared, it was already nearly triple that of the last chapter. So I decided to just cut it here, and include the rest in the next chapter
