One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

Gion was momentarily taken aback by Xayuki's response. Her wide, beautiful eyes blinked in surprise before she shook her head with a wry smile. As expected, the Xayuki she knew hadn't fundamentally changed, even after seizing control of Marine Headquarters through a military coup.

From his first arrival at Headquarters until the day of the uprising, Xayuki had always presented himself as a charismatic young man with a disarming sense of humor. Even when facing the stern questioning of the presiding judge during his trial, he had casually remarked, "I like lighting my cigarettes with Belly notes"—a statement so absurd it had left everyone struggling to maintain their composure.

"Is everyone present?"

Xayuki moved past the topic without lingering, his gaze sweeping across the assembled officers. With measured confidence, he began: "Before we commence this meeting, there's something critical I need to share with you all."

"As anticipated, the Revolutionary Army and Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, have already learned of our coup and begun mobilizing their respective forces!"

"Of course, their rapid acquisition of this intelligence isn't due to the exceptional skill of their spies within our ranks. It's because I deliberately engineered it."

Pausing briefly, Xayuki glanced meaningfully at Admiral Borsalino before continuing, "The Revolutionary Army likely received the information even before Doflamingo, as their operatives within the Marines hold considerably higher ranks."

"As for Doflamingo's informant—who isn't stationed at Headquarters—I strategically leaked details of our coup through a branch vice admiral. Or rather, I forced this vice admiral to make a calculated choice!"

Hearing Xayuki address the matter of spies so directly before the meeting had even formally begun, Sengoku, seated among the observers, looked up with undisguised surprise.

As the former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku was intimately familiar with the reality of infiltration within the Marines. Though he had quietly neutralized numerous spies during his tenure, he remained certain that others continued to operate undetected, even by his vigilant eye.

Xayuki's casual discussion of these matters indicated he had not only identified these operatives but had developed a comprehensive strategy regarding them.

While Sengoku maintained his thoughtful silence, several vice admirals couldn't contain their reactions.

"Doflamingo has planted spies within our ranks?"

"Who exactly is this informant? If they're not at Headquarters, could they be commanding one of our branch bases?"

"Fleet Admiral, why not expose and eliminate these infiltrators immediately?"

Raising a hand to restore order, Xayuki maintained his composed smile. "Exposing spies isn't always the optimal strategy. Often, allowing them to remain in place while feeding them carefully curated information yields far greater benefits than elimination."

"And now, we're beginning to see the fruits of this approach."

"We've just received intelligence from Sabaody Archipelago: upon learning of our internal coup, all five divisions of the Revolutionary Army have mobilized simultaneously. I can state with certainty that if the Holy Land responds to our actions with military force, the Revolutionary Army will seize this opportunity to expand both their territorial holdings and ideological influence."

"Meanwhile, Doflamingo—after receiving this intelligence through his network—will immediately alert Kaido, one of the Four Emperors who dominates the New World. Yes, you heard correctly. Beyond his public role as a Warlord, Doflamingo operates under the codename Joker. He's not merely an underworld broker but maintains intimate connections with Kaido himself!"

"Once Kaido learns through Doflamingo that relations between the Marines and the World Government have fractured, what action will someone take who has consistently expressed a desire to see the world burn?"

"Although news of our coup will eventually circulate globally through various publications, there exists a critical time differential. During this window, the Holy Land would typically launch an overwhelming offensive, seeking to crush our resistance before external factors could complicate the situation!"

"I wouldn't have initiated this coup without preparing for potential conflict with the World Government. However, the central question remains: should hostilities erupt between us and the Holy Land, how will other major factions respond? The Revolutionary Army is unlikely to move against us during such a crisis. Their fundamental objective remains the overthrow of the World Government—they might even dispatch emissaries to establish diplomatic channels, viewing this as an unprecedented opportunity to turn the Marines against their former masters."

"For the Revolutionary Army, the World Government represents their ultimate adversary. But for countless other factions—particularly the lawless pirates who roam the seas—the Marines remain their most formidable obstacle!"

"Therefore, I deliberately accelerated the destabilization of the current power balance—creating a situation where the Holy Land would recognize that all parties must proceed with caution, thus compelling them toward diplomatic engagement rather than military confrontation."

After delivering this comprehensive analysis, Xayuki suddenly turned toward the three legendary observers—Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr. With a knowing smile, he remarked: "I imagine you're all quite eager to meet the shadowy figure I've referenced—the true power behind the World Government, Imu."

"Naturally, I suspect many others present share this curiosity!"

"Provided the Holy Land proves amenable to negotiation, that meeting may occur sooner than you might expect!"

"Because after I sent those Holy Knights hurtling back to Mary Geoise, Imu's existence ceased being a secret to us. Unless Imu wishes to risk a war that would inevitably benefit both the Revolutionary Army and the bearers of the Will of D., you'll soon have your opportunity to meet this enigmatic figure."

Buru-buru-buru~

Just as Xayuki concluded, the Den Den Mushi positioned before him suddenly activated.

Moments later, a now-familiar voice emerged from the communication device: "This is Gunshi."

At those words, every gaze in the room converged on the snail. Even Sengoku and Garp, so engrossed in the proceedings, unconsciously reached for their respective boxes of senbei crackers and began munching with focused intensity.

"Miss Gunshi, I'm relieved to hear you've suffered no lasting injury from my Conqueror's Haki," Xayuki remarked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "That's reassuring. After all, we haven't yet reached the point of irreconcilable hostility. Who knows? Perhaps circumstances will eventually position us as allies."

On the other end of the transmission, standing within the grand throne hall of Mary Geoise, Gunshi nervously glanced toward the imposing figure seated before the Empty Throne. Not daring to engage in pleasantries, she proceeded directly to her message: "Lord Imu wishes to meet with you."

"Acceptable," Xayuki replied without hesitation. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

Xayuki nodded decisively. "Then I expect to see Spandine and his son when I arrive at the Holy Land."

With that, he terminated the connection and looked up at the room full of attentive faces. With a slight shrug, he observed: "It seems the Revolutionary Army and Kaido will have mobilized their forces for nothing!"

Holy Land of Mary Geoise, World Government Headquarters.

In the office of the CP9 Chief Director, Spandine sat at his desk, his face ashen and his eyes vacant as they fixated on the Den Den Mushi before him.

Moments earlier, he had received catastrophic news.

The warships he had dispatched from Enies Lobby to Marine Headquarters had been completely destroyed—sunk without warning, with no survivors.

The loss of these men was tragic enough, but the implications were far more dire. Marine Headquarters had unhesitatingly attacked vessels flying the banner of "Justice"—a clear declaration that the conflict between Xayuki and himself had escalated beyond reconciliation. One of them would not survive this confrontation.

Judging by the Holy Land's measured response, Spandine—ever the calculating politician—had already deduced that the World Government would not immediately engage Xayuki's Marines in open warfare. At least, not yet.

The absence of immediate military action could only mean one thing: compromise and concessions.

And such compromises invariably required sacrifices—specifically, the sacrifice of a high-ranking official whose actions had precipitated the crisis. As Chief Director of CP9, Spandine recognized with growing dread that he was the most logical candidate.

"Father! FATHER!"

Suddenly, the panicked voice of Spandam echoed through the corridor outside. Before Spandine could fully process this interruption, the door burst open as his son stumbled into the office, his face contorted with terror.

"The Holy Knights are coming here! They're on their way RIGHT NOW!"

Upon hearing these words, Spandine collapsed back into his chair, his eyes reflecting the absolute despair of a man who suddenly understood his fate was sealed.

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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