One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

Marineford Port

"Bwahahaha! What a refreshing vacation that was!"

Hearty laughter boomed across the deck of a recently docked Marine warship.

Moments later, an eccentric figure leaped from the vessel—an elderly man wearing a dog-head mask and the distinctive white coat of a Marine Vice Admiral.

This was Monkey D. Garp, the legendary "Hero of the Marines." A man who had cornered the Pirate King Gold Roger numerous times and earned his place in history by suppressing the Rocks Pirates during the infamous God Valley Incident—a classified operation that had shaken the World Government to its core.

Upon landing, Garp immediately removed his dog-head mask and casually extracted a box of rice crackers from his bag, munching on them with evident satisfaction.

"Vice Admiral Garp, you've finally returned!"

A Marine soldier who had been waiting at the port rushed forward, his face alight with excitement. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku anticipated your arrival today and specifically assigned me to welcome you, sir."

"Eh?"

Garp blinked in confusion. "How could Sengoku possibly know I'd return today? That's impossible! I cut my vacation short—there's absolutely no way he could have predicted this!" He squinted at the soldier. "Wait a minute, who are you anyway? Where are my usual men?"

"Vice Admiral Garp," the soldier replied, looking slightly wounded, "I am one of your men, sir!"

"Really?"

Garp laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "I must be getting old if I can't even recognize my own subordinates anymore. Never mind—you're dismissed. I'll find Sengoku myself!"

With that, he casually tossed his dog-head mask to the bewildered soldier and strode purposefully toward Marine Headquarters.

The soldier maintained his pleasant expression until Garp was well out of sight. His smile then vanished instantly as he raised a Den Den Mushi to his mouth, his tone shifting to one of urgent formality: "Vice Admiral Garp is approaching Headquarters main building!"

"Understood!"

Marine Headquarters – Main Building Lobby

A Marine officer stationed in the first-floor lobby immediately reached for his own Den Den Mushi upon receiving the alert. Before he could relay the message upward, however, the elevator doors across from him slid open with a soft chime.

Xayuki emerged first, followed closely by Vice Admiral Gion.

Every Marine in the lobby instantly rose to attention, executing crisp salutes in perfect unison. "LOYALTY!" they proclaimed with disciplined fervor.

Xayuki acknowledged them with a slight nod but maintained his pace, heading directly for the main entrance.

As they stepped outside, the unmistakable figure of Garp immediately came into view, approaching with his characteristic swagger.

"Bwahahaha! Xayuki, my boy! The old man is back!" Garp called out, quickening his pace with evident excitement. "Surprised to see me? Bet you didn't expect me back so soon!"

As Garp drew near, Gion greeted him with formal politeness: "Vice Admiral Garp."

"Gion, what's been going on with you these past couple of years?" Garp gave her an appraising look, his tone playfully inappropriate. "You've already got that obsessive admirer Kizaru chasing after you—leave some opportunities for the younger female officers, like Tina... Speaking of which, where is she? I've been trying to reach her on the Den Den Mushi but couldn't get through!"

Gion smiled diplomatically, shaking her head slightly. "Vice Admiral Garp, haven't you noticed anything different about Headquarters since your departure?"

"Different?" Garp blinked, then quickly scanned their surroundings. After a moment, he nodded as if having made a profound observation. "Now that you mention it, there's a new human-shaped crater in the plaza!"

Hearing this, Gion exhaled quietly and exchanged a meaningful glance with Xayuki.

Xayuki, having no patience for circumlocution, addressed Garp directly: "I expected you to return several days from now. Since you've arrived early, there's no reason for pretense." His voice was calm but authoritative. "The situation is straightforward: I've executed a military takeover and assumed the position of Fleet Admiral. Marine Headquarters now operates under my command. All officers—including the three Admirals—have made the pragmatic choice to support this transition."

"?????"

Garp froze mid-chew, his expression cycling through confusion, disbelief, and incredulity. After staring at Xayuki for several long seconds, he burst into raucous laughter, spraying cracker crumbs.

"A coup? Bwahahaha! Kid, your sense of humor has certainly improved! But jokes of this nature aren't something to throw around casually. If someone like that snitch Onigumo overheard you, you'd find yourself facing serious charges!"

Xayuki's expression remained impassive. "Onigumo is dead," he stated flatly. "As are Doberman, Maynard, and others. They represented obstacles to my ascension as Fleet Admiral, and their elimination was necessary."

As the words left Xayuki's mouth, dozens of Marine officers emerged from the headquarters building with military precision, rapidly forming a perimeter around Garp.

More Marines followed, armed and organized in concentric defensive formations, completely encircling the legendary Vice Admiral.

The sudden tactical deployment caused the smile on Garp's face to gradually harden into something more calculating.

As the oppressive atmosphere intensified, Garp finally began to comprehend the reality of Xayuki's claims.

After a moment of tense silence, he deliberately placed his rice cracker box back into his bag. When he raised his head again, his eyes had transformed—sharp, focused, and radiating the intensity that had made pirates across the world tremble.

"Xayuki," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous register, "what exactly is your intention here? Are you planning to eliminate me as well?" His fists tightened at his sides. "If that's your aim, you'll need considerably more than this display to subdue me!"

Xayuki raised a hand in a simple gesture of command.

With that single motion, the assembled Marines immediately withdrew in perfect order, retreating with the same discipline with which they had appeared.

Observing this display, Garp's expression shifted subtly. The level of discipline and immediate response to Xayuki's non-verbal command spoke volumes. It had been years—perhaps decades—since he had witnessed such impeccable military cohesion within the Marines.

But this observation was secondary to the more pressing reality: Xayuki wasn't joking. Marine Headquarters had indeed fallen under his complete control.

Yet Garp's mind teemed with questions.

He had always held high expectations for Xayuki. From the moment the young man had entered officer training, Garp—along with Sengoku and Zephyr—had recognized his exceptional potential. Xayuki had validated their faith, rising from a raw recruit to a formidable Vice Admiral in just six years.

But never had Garp imagined that this promising officer would stage a successful coup during his absence—and apparently secure the compliance of the entire command structure, including the three Admirals.

Suppressing his confusion, Garp asked the question most pressing on his mind: "What about Sengoku? He's still alive, I presume?"

Xayuki nodded. "The old man is likely enjoying afternoon tea with Instructor Zephyr as we speak."

Garp's eyes widened incredulously. "Tea? At a time like this, he's sipping tea?!"

Realizing his momentary loss of composure, Garp quickly cleared his throat and adopted a more measured tone. "So, what fate have you planned for me? Confinement? Demotion? Or perhaps you'll simply shuffle me off to join Sengoku and Zephyr for their little tea party?"

Xayuki met his gaze steadily. "Garp, the modern Marine Headquarters no longer has a vessel capable of bearing your weight. You've all served admirably, but your era has passed. It's time for retirement."

"You think I'll simply walk away from this, boy?"

Garp stepped forward, his legendary fists clenching as his voice deepened with resolve. "The Marines aren't a plaything for anyone's ambition. Let me see if you truly possess what's required to shoulder this burden!"

As Garp's overwhelming battle intent surged outward, Gion quickly moved to intervene, her voice urgent but controlled: "Vice Admiral Garp, please reconsider! Fleet Admiral Xayuki chose to meet you personally precisely because he wishes to avoid conflict! The transition is complete—fighting now would serve no purpose beyond needless destruction!"

"Stand aside, Gion!"

Garp rolled up his sleeves, his expression hardening. "It's disappointing enough that Xayuki has chosen this path, but I expected better judgment from you! Have you forgotten that Sengoku, Zephyr, and I all recognized this boy's potential? Even without this coup, he was destined for an Admiral's position! Don't speak to me of 'completed transitions.' As long as I draw breath, this farce ends here!"

Without further warning, Garp lunged forward. A terrifying shockwave erupted from beneath his feet, cracking the stone plaza. In the next instant, waves of crimson and obsidian Conqueror's Haki exploded outward from his body, intertwining in deadly patterns as they surged toward Xayuki. The raw power caused the air itself to vibrate with a low, ominous hum as an invisible tide of overwhelming pressure engulfed everything in its path.

But—

Just as Garp's Haki was about to envelop Xayuki, an even more formidable pressure erupted from the younger man, clashing head-on with Garp's assault.

BOOM!

The collision of these two titanic forces produced a thunderous detonation that echoed across Marineford. A devastating shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact, shattering the ground beneath them and sending tremors through nearby buildings. The very air seemed to distort as the conflicting pressures created a localized hurricane, uprooting trees and scattering debris in all directions—a cataclysmic display reminiscent of the world's end.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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