Chapter 130: Momousagi's Decision
Momousagi's words carried enough resentment to make the air tremble.
Axel silently offered Vice Admiral Tokikake an apology in his heart.
Poor man.
His road to confession had somehow become even steeper, and he was not even present to defend himself.
In the Marines, people did not normally address someone by rank unless they were unfamiliar, deeply respected the person, or were the type to follow regulations down to the last comma.
Momousagi and Tokikake had known each other for years.
Respect?
That was laughable.
To Momousagi, Tokikake was more like a persistent nuisance that refused to be swept away no matter how many times she kicked it into the sea.
As for being strict about regulations, that was even more impossible. After all, she had just kicked Admiral Kizaru in front of an entire group of Marines without so much as blinking.
So when she deliberately said "Vice Admiral Tokikake," each word sharp enough to cut rope, Axel immediately understood.
She was furious.
"And you," Momousagi said, turning her gaze back to Axel. "You are a Marine officer. How dare you openly attack other Marines? Did I teach you nothing?"
Her tone was no different from an elder scolding a disobedient child.
Axel lowered his head slightly and wisely kept quiet.
The injured Marines lying near him were too obvious to ignore. Their faces were pale, their bodies stiff, and the moment Momousagi revealed Axel was one of their own, their expressions had turned from fear into disbelief.
He had clearly beaten most of them down.
Now they were being told he was a Marine?
Their worldview looked as if it had been kicked in the ribs harder than Axel had been.
Technically, Axel wanted to mutter, I'm not even a full Marine yet.
But saying that right now would be suicide.
A person had to know when to pick a battlefield.
Arguing with Momousagi while injured, surrounded, and guilty of far worse things than merely hitting Marines was not bravery.
It was handing her the shovel for his own grave.
Seeing Axel's obedient silence, Momousagi's anger eased a little.
In her view, the greatest responsibility for this mess did not lie with him.
It lay with Tokikake and that friend of his.
If Tokikake's friend had not taken Axel away, then this child would still be growing properly under her guidance. He would not have been dragged into some inexplicable incident and forced into a battlefield where Admirals were throwing attacks around like loose change.
In the end, it was still Tokikake's fault.
He should have stayed and watched Axel himself, not irresponsibly entrusted him to someone else.
If Tokikake knew that he had somehow taken the blame again—and that his image in Momousagi's eyes had fallen another level—he would probably have cried until the sea rose by an inch.
Momousagi exhaled.
"Enough. I'll deal with things here. You return to Marine Headquarters and have your wounds treated."
Axel opened his mouth, wanting to refuse.
But before he could speak, Kizaru's lazy voice cut in.
"Oooh… Momousagi, what exactly are you doing?" His tone was no longer as playful as before. He had even dropped her title. "Shouldn't you explain the situation?"
Momousagi was not someone who clung rigidly to hierarchy, but Kizaru was still an Admiral. Out of basic respect for a superior officer, she gave a brief explanation.
"This is Axel," she said. "A new recruit assigned to me by Vice Admiral Tsuru. He went missing a year ago. I request permission to bring him back."
Her report was simple.
She only described Axel as missing after being taken away by Issho.
She did not add anything unnecessary.
Kizaru's expression shifted.
Behind his orange sunglasses, his eyes widened slightly.
The name that truly made him cautious was not Axel.
It was Tsuru.
Vice Admiral Tsuru was a veteran among veterans, one of the senior pillars of the Marines and the current head of strategy. Her position in the organization was unique. When Kizaru had first joined the Marines, Tsuru had already been a high-ranking officer.
More importantly, her stern manner had left Kizaru with one lasting impression over the years.
She was someone best not offended.
In the Marines, there were troublesome people, dangerous people, and people who would make your life miserable with paperwork alone.
Tsuru somehow managed to be all three.
"What a shame," Kizaru said, his mouth stretching into that familiar lewd curve. "I didn't even get to teach this nasty little brat a proper lesson."
The expression on his face was supposedly regretful.
Unfortunately, on Kizaru, regret only made him look even more suspicious.
He dragged out the silence for a moment, then said, "Since he's Vice Admiral Tsuru's recruit… let's call this a misunderstanding."
"Old Man!"
Sentomaru immediately objected.
"How can you call this a misunderstanding? He attacked Marines! And those techniques of his—he showed no mercy at all!"
He would not forget who had left him covered in bandages.
Nor would he forget who had thrown the Marine forces into such a miserable state.
Even if Axel really was a Marine, it did not change the fact that he had attacked his comrades. In the Marines, that was treason. How could it be brushed aside with a single sentence?
"Enough, Sentomaru," Kizaru said. "It was a misunderstanding. Isn't that a nice ending?"
His gaze shifted slightly toward Issho.
"Besides… the truly terrifying monster here is that one."
His meaning was clear.
Sentomaru followed his gaze and gradually calmed down.
He was still unwilling, but he was not a petty man. As he had said before, he had no personal grudge against Axel. If the old man had decided this was a misunderstanding, then continuing to cling to it would only make him look small.
Axel, however, did not feel reassured.
Quite the opposite.
His fate had somehow been decided in a few casual sentences.
Did this mean he had to return to Marine Headquarters?
Going back now was no different from marching into his own execution.
From the moment he disappeared during training a year ago, he could already be counted as a deserter.
During his journey, he had attacked nobles more than once.
After arriving at this island, he had participated in the plot to murder Celestial Dragons, unlawfully freed slaves, attacked fellow Marines, and injured a Marine Admiral.
Any one of those charges would be troublesome.
All of them together?
Even Garp would not be able to protect him.
Especially the matter involving the Celestial Dragons.
That was not a simple crime. It touched the World Government's face, its authority, and the fear it relied upon to rule.
For the Celestial Dragons, allowing someone involved in the death of one of their own to live freely was equivalent to declaring that their lives were not untouchable.
It was a blade hanging over their necks.
It told the world that the so-called gods could bleed.
The World Government and the Marines would never allow that message to spread. The seas were not stable enough for such a disturbance. If sacrificing one child could appease the Celestial Dragons' fury and preserve order, they would choose that option without hesitation.
Axel understood that too well.
He looked at Momousagi and asked carefully, "Do you know what I've done?"
As he spoke, his body shifted backward by instinct.
If necessary, he would run.
Even if Momousagi was on his side, there were some matters that could crush personal feelings beneath the weight of the greater good.
Even Garp had to bow his head before certain realities.
Let alone her.
Momousagi looked at him.
"I don't."
Axel's heart sank.
Sure enough.
The next instant, he retreated.
His body shot backward, trying to create distance as quickly as possible.
But he had not gone far when Momousagi vanished.
Soru.
She appeared in front of him and cut off his path.
"Move aside, Momo-nee!" Axel said urgently. "I can't go back now!"
Momousagi frowned.
"Why not?"
Axel knew she would not let him leave without an explanation.
So he stepped closer and lowered his voice until only she could hear.
"I participated in the murder of Celestial Dragons."
Momousagi's expression changed.
It was not shock in the ordinary sense.
It was worry.
Deep, immediate worry.
Her brows drew together, making her look like a beautiful woman in the prime of her youth troubled by a sudden blemish on her cheek.
She understood how serious this was.
Precisely because she understood, she fell silent.
Axel waited.
For a few breaths, the battlefield around them seemed strangely distant.
Then Momousagi said, "I understand."
Axel's tense shoulders eased slightly.
"You can leave," she said.
Axel let out a quiet breath.
That was the best possible result.
If he left first, Issho should also be able to escape. Even with Kizaru and Momousagi present, leaving would not be impossible for someone like him.
Axel turned.
Then his vision went black.
A Haki-coated chop struck the back of his neck, breaking through his reflexive defense before he could react.
His thoughts cut off.
His body fell.
Momousagi caught him before he hit the ground.
She looked down at the unconscious Axel in her arms and murmured softly, "Don't worry."
Her grip tightened slightly.
"I'll talk to Tsuru. She'll find a way."
.....
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