One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

Marineford Residential District – Front Garden of a Modest Villa

Sengoku and Zephyr sat beneath a large sun umbrella, untouched teacups before them—silent witnesses to the heavy thoughts weighing on both men's minds.

"Zephyr, there's something I've been curious about," Sengoku finally broke the prolonged silence, his expression grave. "I find it difficult to believe you supported Xayuki solely because you trusted he would eventually capture the pirates who attacked the training vessel. There must be another reason."

"Perceptive as always, Sengoku." Zephyr nodded, taking a deliberate sip of his cooling tea. "Three years ago, while I was recuperating at home, Xayuki would visit me every few days. During these conversations, he recognized my disillusionment with the Marines and confided something extraordinary—he claimed to have glimpsed fragments of the future." Zephyr's voice remained steady, but his eyes hardened. "He told me that someday, the very pirate responsible for slaughtering our trainees would be invited to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"He further predicted that this betrayal would be my breaking point—that I would abandon the Marines entirely, taking Ain and Binz with me to establish an independent naval force."

Sengoku's expression shifted subtly. "And you believed such an outlandish claim?"

"Of course not!" Zephyr shook his head emphatically. "Xayuki anticipated my skepticism. To validate his assertions, he offered two specific predictions: within three years, Shanks, captain of the Red Hair Pirates, would rise to become an Emperor of the Sea alongside Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido. Furthermore, before achieving this status, Shanks would visit Elbaf and somehow subjugate Prince Loki of the Giant Kingdom."

Sengoku abruptly stood, his composure fracturing. "He told you this three years ago?"

Zephyr nodded gravely. "Not just these two events. Every glimpse of the future he shared three years ago has since materialized into reality. Shanks has indeed ascended to become one of the Four Emperors, and Prince Loki languishes in imprisonment in the Underworld."

Turning to face Sengoku directly, Zephyr's voice grew heavier. "If you were in my position, would you continue doubting Xayuki's abilities? Or would you accept that he possesses some extraordinary capacity to perceive the future?"

"I chose the latter. That's precisely why I've abandoned all illusions about the Marines."

"Your failure to apprehend those responsible for the training vessel massacre is something I can understand—effort doesn't guarantee success. But to elevate a mass murderer of young officers to the position of Warlord for the sake of some twisted 'balance of powers'?" Zephyr's voice trembled with barely contained fury. "What right does such an institution have to speak of Justice?"

Sengoku opened his mouth to respond but found himself without defense. Though the specific event Zephyr described hadn't yet occurred, the accuracy of Xayuki's other predictions—foretelling Shanks' ascension and Loki's fate three years in advance—lent credibility to his claims. It seemed entirely possible that someday, the perpetrator behind the training vessel attack might indeed be offered the protection of Warlord status.

But this revelation, disturbing as it was, paled in comparison to the more immediate implication.

Xayuki could somehow perceive events years into the future.

Sengoku couldn't begin to comprehend how such a thing was possible. While he knew that mastery of Observation Haki could grant glimpses of immediate future events, such foresight was typically limited to seconds or minutes—perhaps hours for the most exceptional practitioners. No one in recorded history had demonstrated the ability to see years ahead with such specificity and accuracy. Yet Xayuki had not only predicted events three years distant but potentially even further.

Most concerning of all, the emergence of a new Warlord would necessitate the removal of a current one—through death, defection, or dismissal.

BOOM!

Without warning, a deafening explosion shattered the air, originating from the direction of Marine Headquarters. The ground beneath them trembled as a devastating shockwave rippled outward, powerful enough to be felt even at this considerable distance.

Before either man could react, a massive pillar of crimson and obsidian energy erupted from the plaza before the main building, shooting skyward with such force that it tore through the clouds above, creating a vast, swirling vortex. The spectacle resembled nothing so much as a wound torn in the fabric of the sky itself.

Both Sengoku and Zephyr instinctively leapt to their feet, exclaiming in perfect unison:

"Conqueror's Haki collision!"

"Damn it—Garp has returned!"

Marine Headquarters Plaza

In response to Garp's sudden offensive, Xayuki stepped forward decisively, meeting the challenge head-on.

With a single, thunderous stomp that reverberated across the plaza, an even more overwhelming wave of destructive energy erupted from beneath Xayuki's feet. The sheer magnitude of his Conqueror's Haki crashed against Garp's with irresistible force, immediately beginning to overpower the legendary Vice Admiral's own formidable aura.

"Impossible!"

Garp's face contorted with shock as he witnessed his Haki being suppressed. "You've been concealing your true strength all these years! You even managed to deceive me!"

Refusing to yield, Garp planted his foot forward and unleashed the full, unrestricted power of his Conqueror's Haki—the same devastating force that had terrorized pirates across the Grand Line for decades.

As the two immense spiritual pressures collided once more, the ground beneath them fractured into an intricate network of fissures, resembling a massive spider's web carved into stone. The invisible but overwhelming force continued to compress the already damaged surface, causing sections to crumble and collapse inward, creating a steadily expanding crater beneath their feet.

Even Gion, with her considerable strength, found herself forced backward by the sheer intensity of the clash. The chaotic energy whipped her coat violently around her body and tore at her hair, leaving her appearance uncharacteristically disheveled.

Yet her personal dignity was the least of her concerns. If this confrontation continued to escalate, the structural integrity of not just the headquarters building but potentially all of Marineford would be compromised.

"Vice Admiral Garp! Fleet Admiral Xayuki!" she shouted above the roaring tempest of their clashing wills. "You must stop this immediately! Marineford itself will be destroyed if you continue!"

Xayuki's Residence

Inside Xayuki's home, Sakazuki had been maintaining a vigil at the bedside of the woman he now called "Mother," driven by years of accumulated guilt. At the sudden disturbance, he whipped his head toward the window, his expression darkening as he beheld the column of energy piercing the heavens.

"Garp has returned," he stated grimly to his fellow Admiral.

"Conqueror's Haki collision... How terribly frightening~" Borsalino observed with his characteristic drawl, though his eyes narrowed as he assessed the phenomenon. Rising languidly to his feet, he added, "You remain here with Mother. I'll investigate the situation."

Before his final word had fully left his lips, Borsalino had already transformed into pure light and vanished from the room.

Materializing atop the headquarters building moments later, he found Kuzan already present, having arrived via his own rapid means of transportation.

Borsalino's typically lackadaisical demeanor had evaporated, replaced by genuine astonishment as he observed the two figures locked in confrontation below. "Fleet Admiral Xayuki is... actually suppressing Vice Admiral Garp's Conqueror's Haki?"

Kuzan's expression was equally serious as he responded, "He has deceived all of us completely."

Holy Land Mariejois – The Pangaea Castle's Flower Room

Within a serene garden where butterflies danced among rare blossoms, a figure materialized without warning or sound. As this presence raised their head, a pair of distinctive crimson eyes with concentric ripple patterns gazed toward the distant Marineford.

Upon witnessing the pillar of chaotic energy rising from Marine Headquarters, a voice of cold disbelief echoed through the otherwise tranquil chamber: "No... this is impossible!"

Alerted by the outburst, a handmaiden hurried into the garden, immediately dropping to one knee in profound deference, her entire body trembling with reverence and fear. "Lord Imu..."

"Go!"

The command cut through the air like a blade.

"Summon Gunshi of the Holy Knights immediately. She is to proceed to Marine Headquarters with utmost haste. I must know the identity of the one who has unleashed this Conqueror's Haki!"

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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