One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

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Marines Headquarters, Marineford.

Inside the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha.

When news first came that Akainu's ship had been ambushed by Charlotte Wilhelm, both Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru had been closely monitoring the situation.

Reports from surviving Marines detailed the battle as it unfolded, and the two high-ranking officers waited patiently, confident that the confrontation would end with Wilhelm's capture.

After all, Akainu was no ordinary Vice Admiral.

He was a monster—a candidate for Admiral with overwhelming power and the destructive abilities of the Lava-Lava Fruit, one of the most fearsome Logia-type Devil Fruits.

But as time dragged on, both Sengoku and Tsuru grew uneasy.

Updates from the battlefield, relayed via Den Den Mushi, revealed that Wilhelm possessed a Devil Fruit ability capable of instantaneous teleportation. The more they learned, the more their confidence wavered.

Even though they weren't physically present at the scene, they maintained constant communication with the surviving Marines to follow the battle's progress.

However, they never anticipated the final outcome.

Not only had Wilhelm escaped, but the fight had ended in a draw, with both combatants suffering severe injuries.

It wasn't just the fact that Wilhelm had managed to flee—his teleportation ability made such an escape almost inevitable. Even a powerhouse like Akainu couldn't easily pin down an opponent with such a versatile ability.

What truly shocked them was the aftermath.

Akainu, the iron-willed enforcer of justice, had contacted Marineford directly after the battle to admit he had been seriously injured.

The news was staggering.

Unbelievable.

"I'm deeply sorry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," the Den Den Mushi mimicked Akainu's gravelly voice. "It was my failure that caused such heavy losses."

Akainu, known for his unwavering pride and strict adherence to Marine justice, was voluntarily admitting fault—a rare moment of humility from the Basil Hawkins Vice Admiral.

But Sengoku shook his head, his voice calm yet firm. "Sakazuki, this isn't your fault. You gave it your all. We underestimated that monster from the Charlotte family…"

The reports from survivors on the battlefield painted a vivid picture of the clash—a brutal, high-stakes battle that tested both Akainu and Wilhelm to their limits.

Sengoku, a seasoned strategist and a veteran of countless wars, understood the situation all too well.

The fault didn't lie with Akainu.

If anything, the environment had worked against him. Fighting on the open sea meant Akainu couldn't fully unleash his power, leaving him at a disadvantage despite his immense strength.

And Wilhelm, with his unpredictable abilities and Big Mom's monstrous genes backing him, proved to be an opponent unlike any other.

Even so, Sengoku knew one thing for certain: this encounter was just the beginning.

The opponent's ability was simply too strange and unpredictable.

Even Sengoku himself, as Fleet Admiral and one of the strongest in the Marines, wasn't confident he could handle it any better than Akainu had.

"You should rest on Jaya Island for now," Sengoku said gravely through the Den Den Mushi. "I've already ordered the G-8 Fortress near Jaya Island to dispatch warships to pick you and the survivors up."

Akainu, using Moonwalk, had already reached Jaya Island after the fight. He had commandeered a pirate ship to rescue the few surviving Marines.

Out of the thousands of Marine elites that had started the mission, only a handful—barely a few dozen—were left alive. The losses were catastrophic.

Now, those survivors were gathered on Jaya Island, tending to their wounds and trying to recover from the traumatic battle.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Akainu's voice came through the receiver, sharp and determined, "please allow me to continue the pursuit."

Sitting at Jaya Island's port, his uniform in tatters and his body wrapped in makeshift bandages, Akainu's face was a mask of focus. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"This has nothing to do with personal grievances," he stated firmly. "That boy… his potential is too dangerous. We must eliminate him before he grows any stronger, or he'll become a threat on a scale we can't control."

Sengoku's voice was steady but firm. "Sakazuki, I understand your concerns. But for now, your priority is to rest and recover.

Even you know it's almost impossible to capture that Charlotte Wilhelm. His abilities make him nearly untouchable, and we can't afford to waste resources on a futile chase. We'll need a long-term strategy."

Sengoku's tone was heavy with concern.

He fully understood the threat posed by Wilhelm.

Even Akainu, a candidate for Admiral and the wielder of the fearsome Lava-Lava Fruit, had been seriously injured in the encounter.

The details Akainu had reported were shocking.

Wilhelm had withstood multiple Dark Hound attacks—direct hits—and escaped with only minor injuries. His resilience was terrifying, no doubt a result of the monstrous genes inherited from his mother, Big Mom.

That steel-balloon body, impenetrable to most attacks, made him an out-and-out monster.

And he was only fifteen years old.

The potential he carried, paired with his teleportation-based Devil Fruit, was unfathomable.

If left unchecked, there was no telling how powerful he could become in the future.

Sengoku sighed. "You're right about his threat level, Sakazuki. But chasing him recklessly won't change the outcome. We must regroup and plan carefully."

Akainu clenched his fists, frustration evident in his posture. But he said nothing more. He understood Sengoku's reasoning, even if he didn't like it.

From the clash between Akainu and Wilhelm, Sengoku had confirmed one thing:

The Charlotte family boy was even more cunning than Big Mom herself.

If the fight turned unfavorable, Wilhelm would retreat without hesitation, using his strange teleportation ability to escape.

In such a situation, even someone as strong as Akainu couldn't ensure victory.

"What a terrifying little brat," Sengoku muttered, rubbing his temples after putting down the Den Den Mushi. "If even Sakazuki suffered this much trying to stop him, taking him down won't be easy."

It had taken considerable effort to reassure and console Akainu, the Marine's future Admiral candidate, after the bitter battle.

Sengoku fully understood the gravity of the situation.

Wilhelm wasn't just a powerful young pirate; his ability to teleport made him nearly impossible to corner or defeat. No matter how many forces they sent after him, the odds of success seemed slim.

"If we're serious about catching him," Sengoku said, his voice heavy with thought, "perhaps only Kizaru has a chance."

Sitting across from him, Tsuru Vice Admiral rested her chin on her interlaced fingers. "Even with Borsalino's speed, there's no guarantee," she said, her tone laced with resignation.

Borsalino, better known as Kizaru, was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user like Akainu. His Sparkling-Sparkling Fruit gave him the power to move and attack at the speed of light.

He and Akainu were among the first graduates of the elite training program launched after the former Admiral "Black Arm" Z stepped down to become an instructor. Both had become Marine Vice Admirals with overwhelming strength and had the qualifications for Admiral candidacy.

In the Marines, Kizaru was considered the fastest.

With his incredible speed, granted by his ability to turn into photons, Kizaru could move far beyond the speed of sound. Although it wasn't true light speed, it was fast enough to overwhelm most opponents.

Pirates rarely stood a chance against him. Often, they didn't even see his signature Light-Speed Kick coming before it was too late.

If anyone in the Marines had a chance of catching the "trembling nobleman," it was Kizaru. But even that wasn't a sure thing.