One Piece: New Order-Chapter 68: Aftermath

Evening came.

After sending off the many officers who had come to visit, and going through a full examination by the doctors with no issues found, Sakazuki packed up and returned home.

The lights inside his house were bright. As he pushed open the door, he found Carlo, Enel, and Vice Admiral Morris already waiting for him. A table full of steaming dishes had been carefully set out.

For a moment, Sakazuki stood frozen, caught off guard by the warmth of the scene. But the feeling passed quickly. A faint smile touched his lips as he stepped forward and took his seat at the table.

Dinner passed in relative quiet. Afterward, he asked about everything that had happened during the past six months.

Carlo gathered his thoughts before responding.

"Over twenty thousand were lost in the Battle of Sgri. Because of the manpower shortage at headquarters, recruitment was pushed forward early this year. The elite training program was also launched ahead of schedule.

"Admiral Zephyr suffered severe injuries during his battle with Roger. He was left with permanent internal damage. On top of that, he has to take care of his child every day, so he stepped down from his position as admiral. He's currently serving as the chief instructor at the headquarters academy.

"As for Admiral Sengoku, he went missing after the war." he paused, then continued, "But recently, there have been reports that his whereabouts might have been discovered. Vice Admiral Garp has already set sail to search for him. That's basically everything on the headquarters' side."

Sakazuki gave a slight nod. "What about the pirates?"

Carlo went on. "They've been quiet lately. Whitebeard is dead, and most of Shiki's fleet was wiped out. Over the past six months, pirate activity around the world has dropped off significantly. The Roger Pirates' location is unknown. The remnants of the Golden Lion and Big Mom crews are licking their wounds and trying to recruit new members.

"Meanwhile, the number of countries applying to join the World Government has doubled. Some of the weaker nations have even made public pleas through the newspapers, begging to be accepted as member states."

Sakazuki let out a low "Mm" as he sank into thought. The three people around him stayed silent, not disturbing him.

After a brief moment, he looked toward Morris.

"Vice Admiral, do you think Zephyr will affect the mindset of the marines?"

Morris let out a sigh. "Not much at all. After what happened... he changed a lot. Besides, combat training and education courses are now handled separately. His old ideals no longer reach the marines. It won't affect the bigger picture."

Sakazuki nodded again. "That's good."

He then turned to Enel and rose from his seat, walking toward the door.

"We set sail tomorrow. Time to patrol the seas. Enel, let's see what your training has accomplished."

Carlo took out a Den Den Mushi and began issuing orders. Enel, visibly thrilled, followed Sakazuki outside. Morris came along behind them.

Out in the courtyard training grounds, Sakazuki faced the energetic young man across from him. He activated Armament Haki in his hands for a moment, but then decided to withdraw it and stood with his arms at his sides.

"Come at me with everything you've got."

Enel twirled the golden staff in his hand. His entire demeanor suddenly shifted into something cocky and playful as he spoke in a mocking tone.

"So scary~ Uncle~ Have you ever been struck by lightning~?"

As he said that, his body transformed into pure lightning, crackling with power as he prepared to strike.

But the instant the words left his mouth, something in the atmosphere shifted.

Sakazuki's face darkened as he turned toward Carlo and Morris. Their expressions were equally grim, just as shocked by what they were hearing.

A dangerous aura began to spread from Sakazuki as his eyes locked onto Enel. The Armament Haki he had withdrawn surged back to his fists without warning.

"Enel... Who. Taught. You. That."

Each word landed like a hammer, burning with suppressed anger.

Enel instantly realized something was very wrong. The situation just got serious. He quickly dropped the cocky act.

"Ah... uh... this... well..." He stammered and looked desperately toward Carlo and Morris for help. But to his horror, the two of them had quietly disappeared from where they were standing.

He turned around quickly, only to find them both now behind him. Carlo had drawn the sword from his waist, its blade coated in dark Haki. Morris's fists were also wrapped in the same jet-black sheen.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound sliced through the air, snapping Enel's attention forward. Sakazuki had appeared right in front of him. The three of them had completely surrounded him.

Enel lowered his head in despair. He slowly let go of the golden staff in his hand and crouched down with his arms over his head.

"Help meee!!!"

According to incomplete statistics... that night, nearly fifty percent of Marineford's residents heard bloodcurdling screams echoing through the air.

Some of the braver ones stepped outside to investigate, but none could figure out where the screaming came from. It became one of Marineford's most puzzling unsolved mysteries.

And Sakazuki, who was originally scheduled to set sail the next day, changed his plans. Instead, he decided to visit the Marines Headquarters Academy to personally guide the cadets.

It was said that the stronger a student was, the more guidance they received. Especially one student of this class—nicknamed a monster—was a Logia-type user of the Glint-Glint Fruit: Borsalino.

Rumor had it that after training under Sakazuki, Borsalino spent three days in the hospital. But when he emerged, his strength had grown tremendously. Even Zephyr couldn't help but offer rare praise.

He later invited Sakazuki to return and instruct the students more often.

...

The next day, at the Marineford port.

Vice Admiral Morris stood alongside a thoroughly bruised and battered Enel to see Sakazuki off.

They waved as the ship departed.

For many of the marines who hadn't seen Sakazuki in over half a year, it felt like their backbone had returned. They were unusually fired up. After Sakazuki announced there would be a banquet that evening, their training spirit soared even higher.

On the deck, Bullet's frame had grown bulkier. He was beginning to show signs of the man he would become in the future. Though still quite young and raw.

Sakazuki gave him a nod and smiled. "Come on, Bullet. Let's go train." freёnovelkiss.com

Bullet blinked in surprise, then grinned with excitement.

"Yes, sir!"

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