A killer in the navy? I’m just trying my best to survive Chapter 010

Marine Headquarters—Marinford.

Communications Department.

“Tell Kuzan!”

“What I saw is the truth!!!”

“Click.”

The Den Den Mushi was roughly hung up.

The communications soldier held the receiver, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

Captain Smoker’s report was completely different from the content transmitted by the urgent Den Den Mushi earlier…

One report claimed a Lieutenant Commander assaulted his superior and murdered an officer.

The other claimed the officer colluded with pirates, fought amongst themselves, and the Lieutenant Commander cleaned up the mess and turned the tide?!

Which one… which one is true?

Forget it, just submit it directly to the highest level!

Let the Fleet Admiral and those few big figures headache over it!

……

In the high-level conference room, the atmosphere was heavy.

Sengoku sat in the main seat, his face ashen.

Vice Admiral Tsuru sat beside him, her expression calm.

Marine Headquarters Admirals “Akainu”—Sakazuki and “Aokiji”—Kuzan were seated.

Sengoku surveyed the high-ranking Marine officers present, his voice suppressing anger.

“The situation, I presume, is clear to everyone.”

“Lieutenant Commander Raine Hawke of East Blue’s 16th Branch openly killed his direct superior!”

“Rat was corrupt, colluded with pirates, and exploited civilians. The evidence is conclusive.”

“Such a parasite must be eliminated.”

“However!”

“The method of elimination was wrong!”

“The Marines have rules and regulations! There’s an Inspector Department!”

“When did it become the turn of a branch Lieutenant Commander to overstep his authority and resort to private execution?!”

“If that’s the case, where is Marine discipline?!”

Sakazuki, who had been silently flipping through the report, slowly raised his head at this moment.

“Fleet Admiral Sengoku.”

His voice was cold and hard, like solidified magma.

“I don’t believe this young man named Hawke made any mistake.”

“A Marine like Rat, who consorted with pirates, had long ago defiled the name of ‘Justice.’ His death is not to be regretted.”

“Hawke used the most direct and effective method to purge internal evil.”

“This, in itself, is the embodiment of justice!”

Sakazuki’s eyes grew fervent, his tone resolute.

“Absolute Justice means completely incinerating all evil, whether from within or without!”

“I admire Hawke’s actions.”

“This is the kind of decisive action the Marines should take!”

“Sakazuki!”

Sengoku’s eyes widened in fury, staring directly at Akainu, “Are you condoning insubordination?!”

“If everyone acts this way, where will the Marine command system be?!”

“Hmph,”

Sakazuki met Sengoku’s gaze without flinching, “If the Marine command system is filled with parasites like Rat…”

“Then such a system is better off without!”

“Sakazuki…!”

Sengoku was seething with rage, “You… you’re too extreme!”

The two stood their ground, and the air in the conference room immediately ignited, the temperature rising sharply.

“Tap-tap—”

Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had been sitting quietly, gently tapped the table.

The crisp sound interrupted the fierce argument between the two men.

“Alright, both of you say less.”

Her gaze did not linger on the arguing pair but slowly turned to the other end of the conference table.

There, an exceptionally tall figure was leaning crookedly against the back of his chair.

Admiral Aokiji.

He had his eyes closed, feigning sleep, his breathing steady and long, as if he had already drifted off into dreamland.

Marine Headquarters Admiral, “Aokiji” Kuzan.

Kuzan felt Vice Admiral Tsuru’s gaze.

His head moved almost imperceptibly, and his eyelids fluttered.

Asleep?

What a joke.

He wasn’t like Borsalino, who openly slacked off at work.

He just couldn’t be bothered to get involved.

The Ohara Incident… changed too many things.

Including his once-held “Burning Justice.”

Now, this “Lazy Justice” was quite good.

Just then.

“Knock—”

The conference room door was gently knocked, and a soldier from the communications department quickly entered.

“Report!”

The soldier saluted, “Regarding the death of Captain Rat from East Blue’s 16th Branch…”

“Headquarters Captain Smoker has just sent… his on-site investigation report.”

Sengoku said in a deep voice, “Speak.”

The soldier dared not delay, reporting quickly: “Captain Smoker reports that when he arrived at the scene.”

“He found Captain Rat engaged in a fierce firefight with the pirate Arlong over the distribution of ill-gotten gains.”

“Ultimately, Rat and Arlong perished together.”

“Lieutenant Commander Raine Hawke of the 16th Branch arrived with his team in time, annihilated the remaining pirate crew, protected the civilians, and upheld justice.”

“Report complete.”

The soldier’s voice fell.

The conference room fell into a brief, eerie silence.

“……”

A vein on Fleet Admiral Sengoku’s forehead throbbed violently.

Smoker!

That scoundrel!!!

To so brazenly fabricate facts!!!

“Hmph—”

Sakazuki’s previously rigid facial features softened slightly for a moment.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, then quickly vanished.

“Hmm—?”

Kuzan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them at this moment.

His gaze fixed on the communications soldier, clearly showing a strong interest in what Smoker had said.

“Admiral Aokiji…”

The communications soldier felt Kuzan’s gaze and recalled Smoker’s final words, stammering slightly.

Kuzan saw his difficulty and motioned for him to continue.

The communications soldier steeled himself and crisply repeated: “Captain Smoker’s last words were… ‘Tell Kuzan, what I saw is the truth!’”

“Ha—”

Kuzan’s lips curved into a smile, and he let out a low chuckle, muttering, “Smoker, that guy.”

Interesting…

Raine Hawke, huh?

What did a branch Lieutenant Commander do to make Smoker bother to send him a message?

He knew his old friend was very proud and wouldn’t easily speak up.

Since Smoker spoke, then he…

Would help.

“…”

Vice Admiral Tsuru held her teacup, her peripheral vision glancing at Kuzan.

Every high-ranking Marine knew that Smoker was Kuzan’s long-time friend.

His ability to repeatedly defy his superiors, causing a heap of trouble, and ending up merely “exiled” to the gateway of East Blue—Loguetown—was undoubtedly due to Kuzan’s subtle influence behind the scenes.

This clearly biased report of his was very likely to sway Kuzan’s attitude.

Indeed…

Kuzan stood up and looked at Fleet Admiral Sengoku in the main seat: “Well, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it sounds like this matter isn’t so simple…”

“That Smoker guy might be a scoundrel, but his judgment isn’t bad.”

“He said Lieutenant Commander Hawke came in later to clean up the mess, perhaps… that’s true?!”

“Kuzan!”

Sengoku looked at his always unmotivated Admiral, who was now even speaking up for him, and the vein on his forehead throbbed even more fiercely.

Sakazuki alone was enough to give him a headache, and now even Kuzan was getting involved!

He surveyed the conference room; Sakazuki clearly expressed his admiration, Kuzan was now obviously biased, and even Tsuru leaned towards clarifying the facts rather than immediately condemning.

Even if he, as Fleet Admiral, was furious, he couldn’t ignore the opinions of two Admirals and a Chief of Staff.

“Hoo—”

Sengoku took a deep breath, suppressing his surging anger, and said in a deep voice: “Since Smoker has submitted a different report, we cannot condemn based on one side’s story alone!”

“Headquarters will send a special investigator to East Blue’s 16th Branch to thoroughly investigate this matter!”

“We must uncover all the truth!”

As soon as his voice fell.

“I’ll go.”

Sakazuki’s cold voice immediately rang out. He looked at Sengoku, his eyes burning, “Fleet Admiral, assign this mission to me.”

He made no secret of his interest: “I am very interested in this young man named Raine Hawke.”

“I want to see with my own eyes what kind of ‘Justice’ he upholds.”

“……”

……

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