One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Kizaru sat on top of a rock, two dying fishman lying beside him.

He sighed as he watched the struggling fishman who continued to hurl curses at him and the Marines.

Shaking his head, he remained silent.

These two fishmen had risked everything to come to this island after their families were captured and killed by slave traders.

They had torn the traffickers apart with their bare teeth.

Kizaru had actually arrived on the island long before and witnessed the entire scene.

Yet, he chose not to intervene.

Instead, he waited until the fishmen had exacted their revenge before attacking them.

To put it simply, these two fishmen were his mission targets—allegedly friends of Fisher Tiger.

Whether that was true or not didn't matter.

The higher-ups had ordered the elimination of these potential threats, so he carried it out without question.

Though Kizaru didn't know much about the fishmen, he was well aware of the slave traders they had killed.

One of those traffickers had a particular fondness for pouring scalding water down slaves' throats using a long, thin tube—ensuring their faces wouldn't be burned from struggling while maximizing their torment.

He also enjoyed wedging toothpicks between their nails and flesh, enjoying their screams...

In short, he specialized in methods that inflicted agony without leaving obvious external damage.

But because this man was responsible for providing the Celestial Dragons with slave every year, Kizaru had been explicitly ordered not to kill him—even though his slave prison was less than 1,000 meters away from the nearest Marine base.

This time, the fishmen had killed the trafficker barely 200 meters from Kizaru, yet he still hadn't lifted a finger to stop them.

Ignoring the two fishmen who were now on the verge of death, Kizaru exhaled slowly and walked towards the other side of the island where his battleship was docked.

To shield his subordinates from such grim realities, he often completed missions alone.

As he liked to say: "Young people don't need to know too much."

Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring—Brr Brr Brr!

Kizaru pulled it out, and upon seeing the familiar face it morphed into, the weight in his chest lightened slightly.

His lips curled unconsciously as he drawled.

"How strange~ Jake actually remembered to call me~"

Hearing Kizaru's exaggerated, drawn-out tone, Jake knew he was being teased—a reminder that he rarely called unless he needed something.

"Borsalino-sensei, I'll call more often from now on. But this time, there's a real problem. Tom and Franky spotted a ship from the Yonko—Big Mom's—near the first route of the Sea Train. And according to Franky, the one leading them seems to be Katakuri."

At Jake's words, Kizaru's expression darkened.

A ship from one of the Yonko appearing in such a place?

And with a core member like Katakuri leading them—what were they planning?

However, Jake's next words cleared up the confusion in Kizaru's heart.

"According to the map, the Big Mom Pirates seem to be heading towards Gourmet Town, Pucci. They're most likely going there to search for food for Big Mom."

"Oh~ That explains it~ Big Mom often visits various islands in search of food. If they're here for the same purpose, there's no need to interfere. They'll naturally leave after taking what they want.

You can send the warships over then, but don't take any action—just make your presence known as a statement. As long as they don't slaughter civilians, simply watch them depart."

Listening to Kizaru's words, Jake nodded.

This aligned with his initial thoughts, but for safety's sake, he asked one more question.

"What if they start harming civilians because Pucci Island can't provide the food they demand?"

After a brief silence, Kizaru replied.

"That would be beyond your jurisdiction. Stay calm, don't take any action and report to your superiors. We'll handle it."

"Even if they've already begun causing civilian casualties, we still do nothing?"

Kizaru's answer left Jake with mixed feelings, but he refrained from criticizing the Vice admiral's approach.

To prevent his comrades from dying in vain or disrupting the delicate balance with the Yonko through reckless actions, silence was necessary.

"Jake, I know what you're thinking, but I can't give you the perfect answer. My answer may not be the best for you, but it's certainly the safest."

"Yes, Borsalino-sensei. I understand."

"I'll return for a visit. Until then, don't take any action—this is my order. Tell T-Bone to obey it absolutely. Sakazuki is currently in the New World and can't return in time. Be careful."

As Kizaru gave his final instructions, a warmth stirred in Jake's heart.

After repeated reminders, he ended the Den Den Mushi call.

Beside him, Monet spoke with concern.

"Jake, you know T-Bone-san temperament. If the Big Mom Pirates really harm civilians, he won't stand by idly—even if it means disobeying orders. Can we really persuade him?"

Rubbing his temples wearily, Jake sighed.

"That's probably why Borsalino-sensei chose to come personally. Right now, we can only hope those damned pirates are just here for food. As long as they don't kill civilians, the situation remains manageable."

"Let's hope so."

The two gazed at the disconnected Den Den Mushi, their hearts heavy with worry.

****

Night fell.

Lying in bed, Jake felt his mood gradually settle as cold air seeped steadily from the neighboring room.

Staring at the slightly mottled ceiling, he began piecing together the sequence of events.

Big Mom needs food → Pirates arrive at Gourmet Town to obtain it → Tom witnesses it accidentally → Franky relays the message...

But something important seemed missing.

Gradually, Jake began noticing inconsistencies.

As one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom's crew would draw attention wherever they went.

Their arrival couldn't have gone completely unnoticed by intelligence networks across the seas.

And currently... the most prominent force in the underground black market was undoubtedly the Donquixote Family.

At this thought, Jake suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.