One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

"Clatter..."

On the restless sea.

A large warship bearing the flags of the World Government and Marine slowly made its way toward Jaya Island.

Above deck, Marine elites moved with precision, each carrying out their assigned tasks.

At the bow.

A middle-aged man with a determined expression stood tall. He wore a white suit, a Marine cloak of justice, and a Marine hat adorned with a seagull emblem. His arms were crossed, and his expression was cold as he gazed silently at the sea ahead.

Thoughts churned within him.

As the leader of the new generation of hawks in Marine, Akainu maintained close ties with Onigumo, Dauberman, and other radical generals.

The three had trained together under the former Admiral of Headquarters, Black Arm Z, after his retirement to the second line. Z became the Chief Instructor at the Marine Academy, nurturing the next generation of Marines.

Sharing similar ideals of justice, they formed a deep bond of camaraderie. Known for their unwavering dedication to their cause, they were feared for their powerful abilities and unyielding resolve.

However, Sakazuki often criticized Admiral Sengoku, believing that his idealistic approach and political views were too naive and insufficiently pragmatic. 

Akainu longed for a higher position, driven by a desire to eliminate pirates and enforce absolute justice at all costs.

But he never anticipated the downfall of Onigumo, one of his closest comrades, at the hands of a young, inexperienced pirate.

"Sakazuki Vice Admiral..."

As the warship neared the island—now a looming "black spot" in the distance—Akainu's adjutant saluted and reported, "Jaya Island is ahead!"

"We've received intelligence that a BIG-MOM pirate ship has been stranded near the port of Jaya Island for days with no signs of movement."

"BIG-MOM Pirates, Charlotte Wilhelm, the twenty-second son of the Charlotte family..."

A reward list appeared in Akainu's hand, seemingly out of nowhere.

His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the young, extravagantly dressed figure of silver and white displayed on the sheet.

A cold snort escaped him: "The so-called natural monster who perfectly inherited Charlotte Linlin's talent—the trembling nobleman… hmph."

"As the heir to that woman's bloodline, his existence is already a sin. His latest crimes are unforgivable, and I will deal with him personally."

Akainu's eyes burned with cold, murderous intent.

His right hand, covered by a black glove, immediately turned red as smoke billowed from it. In an instant, the reward list was reduced to ashes.

"Sakazuki Vice Admiral, the intelligence we received before the fleet led by Vice Admiral Onigumo lost contact stated that they had vanished into the sea. The attack was swift and mysterious..."

Akainu's adjutant spoke with a serious tone, his expression tense. "Marine Headquarters suspects there may be a special Devil Fruit ability involved, possibly even the power of the 'trembling nobleman'..."

He warned, "They may attempt to escape if they realize you're coming. We must be fully prepared to prevent their escape!"

Akainu's brow furrowed deeply. He had already read the detailed reports from the 7 warlords of the sea area before setting sail. However, without understanding the opponent's specific capabilities, devising an effective countermeasure was proving difficult.

This truly is a serious issue.

"Sakazuki Vice Admiral, movement detected in the sky..."

At that moment, from the mast, a Marine on the observation deck responsible for monitoring the sea surface shouted, "A massive eagle is approaching us... and there's a figure riding it!"

"Really?" 

Sakazuki and the others couldn't help but glance upward, their expressions darkening.

In no time, they saw it.

A colossal vulture flapped its wings toward them from the direction of Jaya Island.

Above it, a shadowy figure became visible against the sky.

"That's—"

Sakazuki quickly grabbed his binoculars to get a clearer view of the giant eagle vulture and the person atop it.

His adjutant suddenly shouted, "It's him! The one who killed Vice Admiral Onigumo—Charlotte Wilhelm, the trembling nobleman!"

"Everyone on high alert! Prepare for battle!"

"Beep-beep-"

The sharp sound of the battle siren pierced the air.

Marine personnel began to form defensive lines on the battleship.

Meanwhile, logistical staff hurried to supply ammunition from the ship's hold.

"It's just in time!"

Akainu's expression grew colder as he spoke in a low voice.

His eyes remained locked on the massive eagle vulture rapidly closing the distance.

Suddenly, something shifted within him.

His instincts screamed.

Without hesitation, he released his powerful Observation Haki, scanning the surroundings. However, nothing unusual appeared.

"What's wrong, Sakazuki Vice Admiral?" 

His adjutant quickly became alert, nervously surveying the area, but found nothing amiss.

"Nothing," Sakazuki muttered, frowning in confusion.

Was that sudden, unsettling feeling just an illusion?

"Woo hoo hoo…"

A powerful gust of wind tore through the sky.

Wilhelm's towering figure loomed proudly atop the massive eagle vulture.

His feet seemed rooted to the spot, unwavering despite the strong winds.

Stepping firmly onto the back of Finley's wide, snow-white bird, which had transformed into a vulture, Wilhelm galloped forward.

His silver hair whipped in the wind, and his robes flapped as he moved.

"Admiral's candidate truly is terrifyingly strong…" 

Wilhelm's gaze locked onto Sakazuki, who stood on the warship ahead, his eyes cold and unwavering. Though Wilhelm had attempted to activate his Devil Fruit power earlier, he soon realized the futility. 

"This kind of opponent is like a 'monster.' No matter how careless I am, with my current strength, I still can't disregard Haki and simply throw such a powerful person into the sea!" 

For a strong fighter like Sakazuki, Haki training is leagues above his own. It's no surprise that he can defend against Wilhelm's Devil Fruit abilities—this outcome was expected.

He had tested this against Charlotte Linlin.

During that time, Linlin's immense Haki acted like an automatic defense mechanism. Early warning and crisis resistance had merged with instinct, instinctively rejecting the fruit transfer ability.

However, the strength and efficiency of Devil Fruit powers evolve with the user's growth. With continued development, even the awakened stage of the fruit could push beyond current limits.

If Wilhelm's strength were equal or superior to Sakazuki's, with his Devil Fruit awakened, the transfer ability would surpass even Haki, throwing Sakazuki into the sea without resistance, assuming the Vice Admiral's Haki isn't as strong as his own.

This wasn't a theory—it was the result of years of experimentation using members of the Charlotte family as test subjects.

"Swaggering and flying right into my path… Do you intend to flaunt your power? Such arrogance..." 

Wilhelm glared at the hawk soaring towards him, hundreds of meters away at the very least.

In Akainu's eyes, cold and filled with murderous intent, a fiery red flash flickered.

"Grumbling…" Smoke began to rise from his entire body, and the temperature around him steadily increased.

His adjutant's expression shifted, and he quickly moved aside.

In an instant, Sakazuki's arms turned bright red.

Suddenly, magma surged forth, with black smoke billowing from it.

The heat was unbearable.

"You brat of the Charlotte family, I'll send you down right now. Apologize to Onigumo!" 

Endless magma continued to erupt from his fists.

Sakazuki's fists, now entirely molten, bulged with veins as he accumulated tremendous force.

Locked onto the approaching massive eagle, carrying a terrifying wave of heat, he unleashed a fierce punch: "Meteor Volcano!"

"Whoosh—"

Streams of magma poured out in torrents.

His fists created afterimages, heating the surrounding air.

"Hey, hey, hey…" One after another, the magma bombs erupted in brilliant, fiery reds, simulating volcanic eruptions. They soared through the air with tremendous force, exploding in mid-flight.

In no time, countless volcanic bombs—each larger than a human head—ripped through the sky, bombarding Wilhelm and the vulture beneath him with scorching fury.

The heat wave surged relentlessly.