One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

In the Ryugu Palace, Roman and Shirahoshi finalized their engagement. They agreed that once Shirahoshi came of age, they would hold a grand engagement ceremony and announce it to the world. Naturally, Neptune had no objections to Roman's request.

After spending a night on Fish-Man Island, Roman departed, boarding a coated warship to return to Marineford. However, just as the journey began, his Den Den Mushi rang again.

"Brrru~ Brrru~"

"Fleet Admiral, the mission has been completed. I'm preparing to return to Marineford."

"White Dove, I've always had full confidence in your capabilities. But now a highly urgent mission has come up. I need you to return at top speed!"

Roman's eyes gleamed with sharpness.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral."

He narrowed his eyes, intrigued by what could be so urgent that even Sengoku was pressing. Without delay, Roman activated "Illusion Phantom Clones" to steer the battleship at top speed toward Marineford.

Since they were surfacing, the speed was quicker than before. In less than a day, they reached the open sea.

As for the sea dragon Roman had tamed, he had left it behind to guard Fish-Man Island. After all, his fiancée was still there—he had no intention of letting any reckless individuals disturb her.

Guiding the ship toward Marineford, Roman approached the island.

As they got closer, the three aboard saw signs of chaos all over the port. Various sea fish had washed ashore and were being gathered into baskets by kitchen staff, destined to become delicious meals. Shipyard workers were busy repairing vessels damaged in the chaos.

Roman instantly realized this must've been the result of his underwater slashes. He scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed—he hadn't meant to cause such a mess.

Stepping onto Marineford, Roman made a beeline for Sengoku's office, while Ain took Stella back to her quarters. Knocking once, Roman entered.

"Fleet Admiral, what's the matter?"

Sengoku's expression relaxed considerably upon seeing Roman return.

"You're back. Good. Sit and rest for a bit. Aokiji and Kizaru will join us shortly."

Roman gave a small nod and casually picked a seat, leaning back to nap. At their level, they could go days without sleep as long as they managed their stamina.

Soon, the office door opened again, and walking in were Aokiji and Kizaru, the other two Admirals.

With Roman, the three Admirals were now all present. Opening his eyes, Roman nodded and smiled in greeting. Internally, he was excited—what kind of task required all three Admirals?

But then, he noticed how utterly exhausted Aokiji looked.

"Hey, Aokiji, did you just finish a mission? You look dead tired."

Aokiji sighed. "It's nothing… Just a small thing."

He didn't plan to bring it up—it was kind of embarrassing.

But Kizaru, ever the pot-stirrer, chimed in lazily, "It's because of that undersea volcanic chain reaction. Aokiji used Ice Age more than twenty times. How could he not be tired?"

Roman's lips curled up.

'Sorry, Aokiji... Next time I'll hold back a little so you don't have to work so hard.'

If Aokiji knew the person responsible was sitting right next to him, who knows how he'd react…

A fake cough from Sengoku brought everyone's attention back.

"Alright. We have an emergency mission that requires you all."

"Oooh~, how scarrry~ What kind of mission needs all three Admirals gathered here?" Kizaru said in his usual drawl.

Sengoku pulled out a wanted poster from his drawer.

The image showed a pirate wearing a wide pink dress, a pirate hat, heavy makeup, and lavender eyeshadow.

Aokiji immediately blurted out her title: "BIG MOM!"

"That's right. One of the newly risen Four Emperors in the New World—Charlotte Linlin—is planning to hold her first tea party. A lot of underworld forces are invited. We'll strike hard and disrupt her very first event. If we're lucky, we might even defeat BIG MOM."

Sengoku paused, then added, "Roman, you must go on this mission. As for your partner, choose either Kizaru or Aokiji."

In Sengoku's eyes, Roman was the strongest Admiral. With him leading, success was more likely.

Roman nodded slightly. If he completed this mission, he'd overtake Aokiji and Kizaru in military merit. Kizaru had no interest in becoming the Fleet Admiral, which made him the perfect partner.

Yes—ever since he accepted the Oathbound Pact, Roman had made up his mind to aim for the Fleet Admiral position and use it to launch reforms for Fish-Man Island. Thinking this through, Roman smiled and said, "Fleet Admiral, I'll take Kizaru. Aokiji looks far too worn out—he should rest at headquarters."

Each Admiral had a 4-month rotation of guarding Marineford.

Usually, Kizaru was the one goofing off during his shift. Roman had never done one—he wasn't the type to sit still.

Sengoku nodded. "In that case, Aokiji, you're dismissed. Go rest and refine your abilities."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral."

Aokiji agreed. After all, getting exhausted from twenty Ice Ages meant he needed to get stronger, just like Akainu had after their clash. Thanks to Roman's "friendly" help, Aokiji now felt more motivated than ever.

At that moment, Sengoku began laying out the mission details...