One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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After finalizing the details with Akira, Lu Feld left with a few boxes of transformation leaves.

Akatsuki's share model, he accepted after some thought.

No way!

Whoever can provide special leaves has the right to negotiate.

In fact, even if he only takes 30%, he can still earn a lot.

Even if the villas in the first half of the Four Seas and the Grand Line can't be sold at a high price, the profit from one villa will still be around a billion berries.

The Marine takes 700 million, and he takes 300 million.

Ten villas bring in 3 billion, 100 villas bring in 30 billion, and 1,000 villas bring in 300 billion.

That's way more than he earns in the underground world.

And it's all legitimate business that can be done in the open.

Overall, he didn't lose money; in fact, he made quite a bit.

It's just that things will be tougher in the future.

The warship moved forward.

Soon, it stopped in front of the first level of Impel Down.

The gate that had been smashed by the warship earlier had already been replaced and looked brand new.

"Welcome, Fleet Admiral-sama!"

Many Marine soldiers who had been informed in advance greeted them at the door early.

When they saw Akira disembark, they greeted him loudly.

Akira nodded lightly and walked inside.

The leading general followed closely behind: "My lord, is there anything I can assist with?"

"Any issues with the rehabilitation mission in Impel Down now?" Akira asked casually.

"Rest assured, my lord, no problems at all."

The officer patted his chest and confidently assured, "The pirates are very cooperative. To avoid work and suffering, they don't even need us to push them—they're working until they're exhausted before they go to eat and rest."

Impel Down is not a pleasant place.

The various beatings and tortures the pirates endured daily were unimaginable to ordinary people.

Now, because of the existence of Rehabilitation, they not only eat well every day but also avoid those tortures.

Moreover, to motivate them, the Marines have implemented reward systems based on performance standards.

Therefore, most of them have no complaints or resistance when helping the Marines transcribe documents.

"En!" Akira nodded.

A group of people quickly walked into Impel Down.

The massive door of level closed behind them, completely blocking out the light.

Due to the presence of the rehabilitative envoy Kang, Impel Down felt a little different from before.

In addition to the suffocating wailing being gone, another big change was how much more orderly the place had become.

The pirates were all locked in their cells, quietly writing down the names of strong fighters they remembered on the deformed leaves with pens. 

Every so often, Marine soldiers would pass by each cell, collecting the leaves while delivering food.

Everything was running smoothly.

It felt just like a 996 factory.

"Where's Magellan? And the jailers—why haven't I seen them?" Akira asked, glancing around suspiciously.

Throughout the entire journey, apart from the Marines he had stationed there, he hadn't seen a single jailer.

If it weren't for the fact that he knew this was Impel Down, he might have thought he had walked into a prison run exclusively by the Marines.

This situation was highly unusual.

No matter what had happened with Magellan and the others, it was impossible for the Marines to treat this place like their home.

Normally, the jailers should be actively involved, making it clear that they were the ones in charge here.

"Hmm... Fleet Admiral-sama, they don't know how to face you, so they've all hidden," the general said quietly.

Akira continued walking slowly.

But after some thought, he understood.

Marine breaking through Impel Down, even though it had been suppressed by the higher-ups, left a lasting impact that couldn't be entirely brushed aside.

Especially for the jailers who considered Impel Down their home.

It made sense.

If Marineford were breached by the Cipher Pol, and Fleet Admiral was beaten by one of the CP captains, the response from the Marines would be even worse.

In that scenario, every officer and soldier in the Marine would react strongly whenever they saw a CP agent.

It's only natural to avoid them, let alone engage in any conflict.

So, Magellan, as the deputy director, likely ordered the jailers to keep their distance to avoid further tension.

And honestly, the jailers probably welcomed that order.

"My lord, Deputy Director Magellan also mentioned that you're the highest-ranking official here, and you can move freely," the general added.

"I'm in charge, huh? Magellan still hasn't been promoted to Director?" Akira asked.

"That's right."

"Hah!"

Akira smiled.

This made things even more convenient for him.

If Magellan had become the director, he would've had to negotiate with him to access the fifth floor, Freezing Hell, for some time.

But since Magellan was still just the deputy director, Akira declared in his mind: 'From now on, Impel Down is my territory.;

The door to the sixth floor, Eternal Hell, creaked open, breaking the silence on the level.

Several notorious pirates who had been writing on their Deformed Leaves raised their heads.

"Huh? Didn't they just come here? Why are they back again?"

"Something's off... it's not the usual soldiers and jailers."

"Wait... isn't that the guy who fought on the fifth floor last time?"

"Does that mean it's that Fleet Admiral?"

Hearing that the Fleet Admiral had arrived, the pirates put down their pens and approached the cell bars.

During their time here, they had overheard things from the soldiers and jailers, gaining some understanding of the situation.

Naturally, they had learned who had been fighting Desmond.

To be honest, when they first heard that the Fleet Admiral was fighting the Director of Impel Down, they found it rather unexpected.

In their minds, they thought only the pirates would stir up that kind of trouble between two powerful forces.

But they never imagined that the Marines, known for their discipline, would be the ones to start it.

Naturally, everyone was curious about this very different Marine.

Tread. Tread.

Akira strode forward, ignoring the curious glances around him, until he stopped in front of a particular cell.

"Hmm?"

In the dimly lit cage, a figure slumped in the corner stirred, lifting his head in confusion.

"What is it, Fleet Admiral?" the figure asked.

"I want you to do me a favor, Katakuri," Akira responded calmly.

The news that Big Mom's second son had been captured was, of course, something Akira, the Fleet Admiral, knew well.

To be honest, when he first heard about it, he was quite surprised.

Who is Katakuri, after all? The strongest of Big Mom's crew, a future Emperor's most trusted fighter.

Yet, due to Akira's influence and the ripple effect of events, Katakuri had been captured and thrown into Impel Down far earlier than expected.

One thing was for sure—the Shock-Shock Fruit was very effective, especially in naval battles. Its ability to cause chaos was unmatched, especially for Devil Fruit users who couldn't fly.

When the Vice Admiral from G-5 had caught Katakuri, they had immediately called for instructions, knowing the danger of provoking Big Mom.

After all, she wasn't just any ordinary pirate. If enraged, even a Marine base couldn't withstand her fury, and it could very well spark a major conflict.

But Akira had made the decision to send Katakuri to Impel Down without hesitation.

As for Big Mom's revenge, Akira wasn't worried. He had already made preparations, creating a ton of high-level transformation leaves, and instructing the G-5 Vice Admiral to evacuate the base immediately if they couldn't hold off her forces.

"I'm a pirate," Katakuri replied flatly, his tone making it clear that he had no intention of cooperating.

Akira, however, wasn't fazed.

He chuckled, lighting a cigar and taking a long puff before responding, "Right now, you're a prisoner. And it's only natural for prisoners to cooperate with the Marines, isn't it?"

Katakuri frowned slightly, clearly irritated. But after giving it some thought, he asked, "What do you want?"

After all, he was in no position to argue. If Akira's request was minor, there was no need to cause unnecessary trouble. Katakuri had grown up in Totto Land, and he knew when to be flexible. His sharp mind matched his prowess in Observation Haki, after all.

"I've heard that your Observation Haki is refined to the point where you can see short glimpses of the future," Akira said, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. His eyes glinted behind his glasses. "I want you to tell me the key to that level of mastery."

The moment those words left Akira's mouth, it stunned everyone in Impel Down.

"Wait, hold on! He's trained his Observation Haki to the point where he can predict the future? Is that real?"

"Can Observation Haki even do that? I've built my whole career on it and I've never heard of such a thing!"

"Forget predicting the future, I'm more shocked that the Marine Fleet Admiral would lower himself to ask for advice."

The big pirates were all taken aback by both Katakuri's abilities and Akira's bold request.

"That kid is so secretive."

Katakuri muttered to himself, ignoring the many eyes cast on him.

After a brief silence, he raised his head and asked, "What will you give in exchange?"

"Oh? So you've agreed?" Akira, slightly surprised, thought Katakuri might refuse or try to conceal his knowledge.

He didn't expect Katakuri to be willing to trade. But upon reflection, Akira realized that dealing with someone as sharp as Katakuri often made things easier.

"Tell me what you want, and I'll see if I can provide it," Akira said.

"I want freedom. I want to leave Impel Down and return to the sea," Katakuri replied without hesitation, staring directly at Akira with resolve.

Katakuri knew that this might be his best chance at freedom.

A long silence followed.

"Anything else?" Akira finally responded, knocking the ash from his cigar, his voice calm.

Hearing the refusal in Akira's tone, Katakuri leaned back into the shadows, closing his eyes. "That's all I ask. If you can't grant it, then I'll have to decline."

Akira licked his lips, his eyes flickering with thought, but he didn't press the matter. Without another word, he turned and left decisively.

Katakuri opened his eyes slightly, puzzled. It was clear Akira really wanted to know the secret behind his future sight ability. Yet, after being turned down, Akira didn't attempt to negotiate further. This odd behavior left Katakuri with an unsettling feeling.

Katakuri watched in silence as Akira left, taking one of the big pirates with him. Before heading to the fifth floor, Akira whispered something to the soldier guarding the door.

'Too far away, I can't hear,' Katakuri strained to listen but couldn't make out the words. Akira had spoken too softly, close to the soldier's ear. All Katakuri could observe was the soldier's reaction—his pupils dilating with surprise and an odd look as he glanced back at Katakuri.

Then, they left, and the gate was closed.

Darkness and silence once again engulfed Eternal Hell.

Time passed—maybe half a day, maybe longer.

Squeak.

The unsettling sound of the door creaking open echoed through the chamber. The big pirate who had left with Akira earlier was now being dragged back, exhausted and bruised.

But instead of returning him to his own cell, the Marine soldiers locked him in the same cage as Katakuri.

At the same time, a female from Pleasure Street entered with the soldiers.

"Fleet Admiral-sama said this is a special reward for helping him train," the soldier explained. "He has one request: that you two put on a show in front of this young man." He pointed at Katakuri.

The big pirate's eyes lit up. "What a perk! Of course, I don't mind at all."

The female worker, shy and giggling, lowered her head. "It's a little embarrassing, but Marine offered so much money I couldn't refuse."

She began to remove her clothes, approaching the injured pirate on the floor.

Soon, the room filled with sounds Katakuri would rather not hear.

Katakuri's eyes slowly glazed over, his mind slipping further into disbelief and frustration.