At Marine Headquarters, Aokiji’s return did not attract any public attention.
The reason was simple—
An Admiral returning from a mission with injuries would cause far too much commotion.
Inside the Fleet Admiral’s office, however, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and the injured Aokiji were all gathered around the conference table.
No one spoke.
Each wore a grim expression.
The room was so tense that even breathing seemed unusually loud.
After a long silence, Sengoku finally stood up.
His deep voice broke the stillness.
"Aokiji, are you absolutely certain you didn’t see it wrong?"
Aokiji lazily raised his head.
"Ah la la... I’m certain."
Sengoku rubbed his forehead.
This was bad.
Very bad.
If Aokiji was correct, then Marine Headquarters was facing a threat capable of shaking the balance of the entire world.
"Things have become troublesome."
He turned toward Garp.
"Garp, don’t you have something to say?"
Garp stuffed the rest of his rice crackers into his mouth and chewed noisily before swallowing.
"Say what?"
"What exactly am I supposed to say?"
"Ace has always been stubborn and full of his own ideas."
"Besides, I wasn’t even there when he set sail."
"After that, he got the Flame-Flame Fruit and joined the Whitebeard Pirates."
"You all know what happened afterward."
"As for this Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix business?"
"I know just as little as you do."
Garp laughed heartily.
His expression practically screamed I’m enjoying the show.
Deep down, however, he was genuinely pleased.
That brat Ace can already fight an Admiral now.
Not bad at all.
Seeing his former mentor’s reaction, Aokiji could only shake his head.
Ace had surprised him as well.
"Hmph!"
Sengoku glared at Garp.
"This whole mess is your fault!"
Looking at Garp’s carefree face made him want to punch him.
"Two Devil Fruit Powers..."
Sengoku’s expression darkened.
"I never imagined the Whitebeard Pirates would produce someone like that."
Tsuru’s face became serious.
"The situation is extremely dangerous."
She began analyzing the available information.
"First, the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly abandoned their usual behavior and established a long-term base on a small island."
"They remained there for several months."
"Then those three mysterious beams of golden light appeared."
"Perhaps they already knew something existed there."
"And finally, Ace became a user with Two Devil Fruit Powers."
Tsuru narrowed her eyes.
"If you think those events are unrelated, you’d have to be a fool."
Sengoku nodded in agreement.
Looking out the window, he spoke calmly.
"Ace’s transformation is definitely connected to those golden beams."
He paused.
"Is it possible that some kind of scientific breakthrough allowed him to possess Two Devil Fruit Powers?"
Aokiji suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
He interrupted their discussion.
"When I fought them, they were obsessed with my blood."
"They were willing to get injured just to collect it."
"They kept shouting about becoming users with Two Devil Fruit Powers... or even Three Devil Fruit Powers."
The room instantly fell silent.
Sengoku shot upright.
His palm slammed onto the desk.
"That’s it!"
"I’m certain now!"
"The Whitebeard Pirates have discovered a method to create users with Two Devil Fruit Powers—or even Three Devil Fruit Powers!"
Tsuru’s brows furrowed even deeper.
"If that’s true, the consequences are unimaginable."
"We need a solution immediately."
"Otherwise the entire sea will fall into chaos."
Garp finally stopped smiling.
"It’s probably some scientist they recruited."
"This sort of thing never happened within the Whitebeard Pirates before."
Then—
"Wait."
Tsuru’s expression suddenly changed.
A frightening possibility surfaced in her mind.
She slowly looked around the room.
"Tell me something."
"What if Whitebeard himself has become a user with Two Devil Fruit Powers..."
"Or even Three Devil Fruit Powers?"
"What?!"
The office became deathly silent.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere grew suffocating.
Whitebeard was already one of the Four Emperors.
If he gained another Devil Fruit power—
The balance of the world could collapse entirely.
Sengoku frowned.
"Perhaps not."
"Using Devil Fruit abilities consumes stamina."
"Using multiple abilities would consume even more."
"Whitebeard’s current physical condition shouldn’t allow it."
Tsuru immediately shook her head.
"Don’t forget Ace’s Phoenix powers."
"The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix isn’t just a Zoan."
"It’s a Mythical Zoan."
"Its healing and recovery abilities are among the very best."
The more she analyzed the situation, the more alarming it became.
Aokiji rubbed his forehead.
"Ah la la..."
"If that’s true, things are about to get very interesting."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses.
"Marco’s Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix grants extraordinary healing and regeneration."
"Judging from Ace’s condition, Whitebeard almost certainly possesses the same power."
"His health may have improved dramatically."
Sengoku’s voice turned heavy.
"It’s even possible..."
"That he’s returned to his prime."
"Come on, Sengoku."
Garp laughed.
"Don’t be so pessimistic."
"Maybe Whitebeard doesn’t want the trouble and is still the same sick old man as before."
Even Garp didn’t sound convinced by his own words.
"The only way to know for sure," Sengoku said, "is to send someone else to investigate."
He reached for the Den Den Mushi on his desk and placed a call.
A few moments later, dragging footsteps sounded from outside.
Along with someone’s irritated muttering.
The office door creaked open.
"Nono no, Sengoku-san."
A familiar voice complained immediately.
"I’m currently on legally approved vacation."
"Interrupting my vacation like this requires compensation."
Kizaru dropped into a chair with obvious dissatisfaction.
Then he noticed the room.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
"Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"Aokiji?"
His expression shifted slightly.
Apparently something serious had happened.
"What happened?"
"Why is everyone gathered here?"
Then he noticed the bloodstain near Aokiji’s mouth.
His eyes narrowed.
"Aokiji..."
"You’re injured?"
"Enough, Borsalino."
Sengoku interrupted him.
"A situation has arisen."
He quickly summarized everything that had happened.
The mysterious golden beams.
Ace’s Two Devil Fruit Powers.
The possibility of Whitebeard possessing multiple Devil Fruit abilities.
The potential threat to the entire world.
As for Kizaru’s compensation?
Sengoku skillfully glossed over that part.
There would be compensation.
Eventually.
Probably.
Kizaru didn’t press the issue.
He still had years left before retirement anyway.
"How frightening."
He sighed dramatically.
"Even the rookies on the seas are becoming users with Two Devil Fruit Powers now."
After a moment of thought, he looked at Sengoku.
"So your intention is for me to investigate and verify the truth?"
Sengoku stared at him.
Wasn’t that obvious?
His gaze drifted toward Aokiji.
Kizaru followed it.
Both Admirals looked at the injured man.
Aokiji immediately waved his hands.
"Ah la la."
"I’m seriously injured, remember?"
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Cough... cough cough..."
Message received.
Kizaru’s face instantly fell.
He looked as though the world had ended.
He had been enjoying his vacation.
Now he was being dragged back to work.
Not only that—
The overtime compensation might not arrive until who knew when.
What terrible luck.