Kuzan walked on the green brick ground next to the rebuilt navy headquarters, bypassing the tricycles piled with sand or logs, and yawned lazily.
Recently, he has been very busy. The Navy Headquarters asked him to appear here and there, as if he was expected to teleport.
However, the good thing is that the authority he temporarily obtained is quite high. As long as he can destroy the target pirate's lair, the Navy Headquarters allows him to kill first and then follow up.
As a result, quite a few pirates in the "New World" suffered.
However, Kuzan is a human being after all, not a machine, and he will get tired.
Finally, he got half a day off to take a short rest.
Kuzan returned to the Navy Headquarters. After calming down, he began to remember what happened before.
Unexpectedly, nearly three weeks have passed since the "War on the Top" that shocked the world, but Kuzan felt as if months had passed.
Although he is busy, he actually has a few hours of sleep at night.
But he couldn't sleep... Even if he did, a nightmare would wake him up, and he would see the whole room frozen into an ice sculpture by him in his dream.
Kuzan believed that this was a stress response to the danger he perceived in his dream.
Fortunately, no outsiders entered the room at that time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
He started wearing gloves because a black spot the size of the bottom of a bowl appeared on the palm of his right hand, which he couldn't clean off no matter what.
Kuzan had to think that his nightmares came from the black spots on his palms and that he was cursed.
It was said to be a nightmare, but in fact the content of the dream was half true and half false. The scene where he was pushed into the sea by Davy Jones reappeared over and over again, and many details changed.
For example, Davy Jones turned into a monster... He already looked like a monster enough, but in the nightmare he was even more terrifying.
After Kuzan woke up, he also heard that before leaving, Davy Jones took away all the souls of the "War on Top" and let them swim into the sea.
Although this statement was quickly suppressed by the Warring States Marshal, there is no smoke without fire, and there were too many witnesses that day. Kuzan believed that it was probably true.
Marshal Sengoku could only tell Navy insiders that it was Davy Jones' Devil Fruit ability, just like Charlotte Lingling.
People often feel fear when facing the unknown. This fear is greatly weakened when they know that its entity is a commonly seen devil fruit.
But Kuzan knew that Davy Jones was not a Devil Fruit user.
So, what is the origin of Davy Jones’ ability?
"General 'Qing Pheasant'!"
His meditation was interrupted. It turned out that he had unknowingly walked to the temporary camp set up by the Navy Headquarters in Maryford, and the soldiers were saluting him.
Soldiers had saluted him before, but they were not as enthusiastic as now.
Because they all knew that the future Admiral of the Navy would be one of them between him and Sakaski.
In fact, Kuzan is not very obsessed with the position of Navy Marshal. The reason why he fights is more because he does not want to see Sakaski become Marshal.
The two of them have different ideas and actions regarding the justice of the navy.
Kuzan believes that if Sakaski becomes marshal of the Navy, he will put the Navy headquarters on an extreme chariot and step on the accelerator all the way to the end.
For example, when issuing the "Demon Slaying Order", both the Warring States Period and Kuzan would think twice before taking action.
But Sakaski could execute his orders without hesitation, even if there were innocent civilians among the targets of the bombardment.
In addition, Kuzan already has more supporters in the Navy Headquarters, so he still has the possibility of defeating Sakaski.
Thinking of this, he was a little irritated, and he really felt like he didn't want to see Sakaski again.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the camp, he met a competitor who was as tall as him - "Akainu".
Sakaski, wearing a peaked cap and with an unhappy expression, drove away Spandam, who had been confused as an official of the Navy Headquarters Logistics Department, and then walked over, and then met Kuzan's eyes.
"It's you……"
The relationship between the two generals was not very good before, and now they are even more tit for tat.
They approached slowly, staring at each other without giving in.
Finally, they stopped one meter apart, and the soldiers around them did not dare to breathe.
Sakaski pressed his peaked cap and said bluntly: "You should not compete with me for the position of marshal. You will not be a good leader."
"How will you know if you don't try?" Kuzan crossed his arms, never willing to give up just like that.
"Try? For the Navy Headquarters and the entire world, trying will be a disaster."
Sakaski stared at Kuzan.
"I'm more suitable than you. Almost all of Whitebeard's serious injuries were caused by me, but you were pushed into the sea by Davy Jones and you were completely defeated."
Kuzan's expression turned cold. This really touched his sore point, so he retorted: "So, 'Whitebeard' almost beat you to death."
"This is different." Sakaski narrowed his eyes.
"What's the difference?" Kuzan sneered, "If the Admiral of the Navy were selected according to this standard, none of us would be qualified. On the contrary, Porusalino would be qualified."
Sakaski disagreed: "He didn't win against Reilly."
"But he didn't lose either."
Sakaski couldn't bear to continue arguing with Kuzan. They had repeated this conversation many times, almost quarreling when they met.
He couldn't help but think of the idea that Spandam proposed to him. It was simple and crude, but at least it could make everyone in the Navy Headquarters who didn't trust him see the truth clearly.
"Kuzan, I have a proposal." Sakaski raised the brim of his hat slightly and said coldly, "You know the island that was banned by the world government after the Vegapunk experiment exploded, right?"
"I know, that 'Punk Hassad Island'. What do you want to do?"
"I'm tired of the war of words. If this continues, it will be endless. Don't the world often say that we are the strongest combat force in the navy? However, there has never been a winner between us."
"The strongest combat power should be only one, not three."
Kuzan understood what Sakaski meant, but still refused to give in: "Okay. Let us compete on Punk Hassad Island."
——
Ace took off his hat and bowed towards Whitebeard's grave. Like the rest of the crew, Ace came here at least once a day.
Of course, captains such as "Diamond" Jozi and "Foil" Bista are trying their best to protect the few remaining territories of "Whitebeard" and cannot retreat from the front line. This is another story.
After the "War on the Top", Ace was elected as the leader of the remnants of the "Whitebeard Pirates" and was widely expected.
On the one hand, Ace gets to know big names such as "Red-haired" Shanks, "Pluto" Rayleigh, "Joker" Bucky, Sabo, and Jinping.
Among them, "Joker" Bucky is a key figure in the Davy Jones Pirates. It was Bucky who persuaded Davy Jones to come to rescue Ace.
With the bond between Ace and Bucky, it is possible to ensure the connection between the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Davy Jones Pirates.
On the other hand, it was his most important "rival". Marco took the initiative to withdraw from the competition and chose to assist Ace, ensuring the cohesion of their group to the greatest extent.
Marco definitely doesn't want to destroy the unity within the Whitebeard Pirates.
More importantly, Ace has the blood of "One Piece" Roger and is the adopted son of "Whitebeard" Newgate. It is simply destiny and even more convincing.
The enemy is now strong, and if Ace and Marco fight over who is the successor of "Whitebeard", then the disintegration of the pirate group will be a certainty.
There are too many enemies in the "new world" who are eyeing them, and they will never do such stupid things that hurt their relatives and make their enemies happy.
"Are you coming to see dad again?"
Suddenly, Marco's voice came from behind Ace, and he turned to look.
Marco walked here on foot. Within a few hundred meters of the "Whitebeard" cemetery, he would never use his ability to fly unless necessary. That would be disrespectful to his father.
"Marco."
Ace sighed, eyes lowered.
"I started to wonder if it was a wrong decision when I agreed to lead the Whitebeard Pirates."
Marco bowed to Whitebeard's tombstone, then was silent for a while before turning around.
"Why do you think so suddenly?"
"Marco, can't you see the current situation? Under my leadership, there are few pieces of dad's territory left. Now even my only possible ally, Davy Jones, has been taken away by me."
Marco smiled and shook his head.
"It's not 'there are not many pieces to keep', it's 'to keep these pieces'. Davy Jones is not our only ally. Don't be upset just because of Jinbei's call."
"Don't you know Bucky? There will be another chance in the future..."
Ace shook his head and fiddled with a string of rubies on his chest.
"After all, I don't have the courage of my father."
(End of chapter)
