One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

"Miss Robin, Impel Down is coming into view."

On the clear blue sea, a small Marine warship sailed slowly.

As the thick and solid prison fortress appeared on the horizon, the soldiers on the deck in charge of steering immediately shouted.

A few moments after the announcement, two figures emerged from the cabin.

Little Robin looked at Impel Down, which was growing larger as they approached, and a happy smile spread across her face.

She shook her large hand and raised her head, saying, "Mom, brother is training inside."

The only person Little Robin called "Mom" was Olvia, who was deeply passionate about archaeology.

"This is my first time seeing Impel Down. It's truly spectacular."

Olvia gazed at the fortress that seemed to rise out of the sea, her mouth slightly agape.

Even for someone as well-versed in history as she was, the sight of this marvel, built entirely by human hands, left her in awe.

As the warship drew nearer, the overwhelming sense of dread and darkness, accumulated over Impel Down's 800-year history, hit them like a wave.

Even the seasoned soldiers who had been here many times couldn't help but wear grim expressions.

Olvia, a civilian facing this for the first time, reacted even more intensely.

Her face suddenly turned pale, as if something had crossed her mind.

"This place is suffocating. I don't know if it's just me, but I think I can hear the cries of many people."

"Mom, that's normal. A lot of people feel that way when they first come here. After all, this place holds all the worst pirates."

Little Robin was calm, her expression unchanged, and she even tried to comfort her mother with a soft tone.

Despite being only six years old, after a year of education and her mastery of her Devil Fruit abilities, she was more than a match for even a dozen grown men.

Olvia took several deep breaths, calming her nerves before regaining her composure.

"Robin, I'm sorry to have dragged you along with me on this trip."

Olvia gently patted Little Robin's head and sighed, "But I can only see Akira through you. His Den Den Mushi hasn't connected in a while."

"It's okay, Mom. I haven't seen brother in a long time either," Little Robin quickly replied, reassuring her mother. "I've been wanting to talk to him too."

Her words were not only meant to ease Olvia's guilt but also reflected her genuine feelings. Since Akira left the Marine headquarters, he had stayed in Impel Down and hadn't returned. 

Though a clone of him remained in the office 24/7, Little Robin couldn't accept it as her real brother.

So, in her heart, it felt like she hadn't seen or spoken to Akira in a long time.

Olvia hugged Little Robin affectionately and fell silent.

The massive doors of Impel Down loomed ever larger as they approached.

Finally, a group of people disembarked from the warship.

To reach Impel Down from Marineford, the warship had to pass through the massive "Gate of Justice." 

Normally, Marines coming from there would need to call ahead to inform the prison. At this moment, Marine soldiers were already waiting outside the gate.

"Miss Robin, may I ask what brings you here?" one of the soldiers inquired as he approached.

"I want to see my brother. There's something important I need to discuss with him."

"Is that so? Is it urgent? The Fleet Admiral doesn't like to be disturbed during his training."

Little Robin paused, glancing at her mother. She wasn't entirely sure why Olvia wanted to meet Akira; she only knew that it involved something only he could resolve.

The soldier quickly picked up on the situation. If this were truly an emergency, high-ranking officers would likely be accompanying them.

He turned his attention to Olvia. "Actually, most matters can be handled by Akira's clone back at headquarters."

His words subtly suggested that if the matter wasn't urgent, they could return to the Marine base and consult with Akira's clone.

"It was Akira's clone who sent us here," Olvia replied firmly.

After she had contacted Robin earlier, she was directed to meet with Akira's clone first. After some discussion, the clone had stated that only the real Akira could handle this matter, so she was sent to Impel Down.

The soldier's demeanor shifted at this, his expression becoming more serious.

"Please wait here. I will notify the Fleet Admiral immediately," he said.

Then, turning to his fellow soldiers, he ordered, "Woolley, escort these two ladies inside."

With that, the soldier hurried off, while Woolley led Olvia and Little Robin into the first floor of Impel Down, where they were seated in a waiting room.

Two hours passed.

Little Robin waited eagerly, while Olvia grew increasingly anxious. Finally, Akira himself appeared, looking as if he had just finished an intense training session.

He was bare-chested, his toned physique glistening with sweat, clearly fresh from a battle or strenuous workout.

"Brother!"

Little Robin's eyes lit up with excitement as she ran toward him, her short legs moving quickly. Ignoring the sweat on his body, she leaped into his arms and clung tightly to him.

"Hey, Robin, you've gotten heavier. You're a bit heavier than before," Akira teased, a smile spreading across his face as he lifted her effortlessly.

"Hmph! No way, I check my weight every day. You're lying, brother!" Little Robin pouted, retorting playfully.

"Hahaha, brother never lies. Maybe you just misread."

The two laughed together as they entered the lounge.

Upon seeing Olvia, Akira's expression shifted slightly. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't expect you to come to me directly."

Since their last encounter at the Sabaody Archipelago, Akira had assumed it would be years, if not a lifetime, before they met again. The unpredictable seas were dangerous, even for seasoned pirates, let alone for scholars like Olvia.

But Akira never expected to meet again so soon, and especially not with Olvia seeking him out on her own.

"What could possibly be so urgent that you'd step away from archaeology?" Akira asked, sitting down on a chair with Little Robin still in his arms.

Olvia stood up, took a deep breath, and bowed deeply, bending at a 90-degree angle.

"I need you to save Dr. Clover from Enies Lobby. Please."

The clock on the wall ticked slowly as Akira listened quietly to Olvia's explanation.

Soon, he understood the full story.

It all started with a Poneglyph.

That night, Akira had sold Dr. Clover information about the Poneglyph on Sky Island that had Roger's words engraved on it. Though Akira had forgotten about it afterward, Dr. Clover—who had spent his life searching for the truth of the Void Century—had stayed up all night, consumed by the discovery.

By morning, despite his old age, Dr. Clover set out on a dangerous voyage to Jaya Island, ignoring everyone's warnings.

What followed was a series of risky adventures.

Dr. Clover, with incredible luck, survived numerous perils and finally met up with Olvia and other explorers on Jaya Island. After several months in the now-frozen kingdom, they managed to reach Sky Island by riding the soaring current.

It's important to note that Marine's public promotion of Shandora, the "City of Gold," had turned Sky Island from a myth into a real destination. Pirates from all over were gathering at Jaya, waiting for the right moment to catch the soaring current and ascend to Sky Island. Even some infamous pirates from the New World had made the trip, though many of their ships disintegrated in the high-altitude ascent. However, a few made it.

This is where knowledge made the difference.

Compared to the pirates, the scholars seemed weak, but they had already calculated the complex factors—such as force, recoil, and tearing pressure—required for a ship to survive the soaring current. Thanks to their calculations, Dr. Clover's ship became one of the few that successfully reached Sky Island.

Once there, Dr. Clover led the scholars directly to the location Akira had mentioned. After moving a large rock, they uncovered the Poneglyph buried by Borsalino. The scholars were thrilled when they interpreted its message.

That night, Dr. Clover made a significant decision: the scholars would stop searching for Poneglyphs scattered across the world. Instead, their new goal would be to find Raftel.

This decision was logical and strategic.

Researching or searching for Poneglyphs is strictly forbidden by the World Government, and discovery would lead to catastrophe. While ordinary people understood this danger, scholars were well aware of the risks they were taking. But for the sake of uncovering history's hidden truths, they were willing to face those dangers.

With Raftel as their ultimate goal, they no longer needed to search for Poneglyphs across the globe, attracting attention. Instead, they could focus all their efforts on finding Raftel, blending in with the masses also searching for the legendary island. The World Government would have no idea that their true goal was the forbidden knowledge of the Void Century.

Even the Five Elders could never imagine that Roger had already gathered all the Poneglyphs at Raftel, making it a treasure trove of historical knowledge. The scholars planned to interpret it all upon arrival.

Akira couldn't help but nod in agreement as he listened. He thought to himself, 'Dr. Clover is as sharp as ever, even in his old age.;

But!

Though the scholars agreed on changing their target to Raftel, they were split on how to reach it.

Some scholars wanted to sail into the New World on their own, hoping to reach Raftel like Roger did, by navigating the Grand Line with an adventurous spirit. However, Dr. Clover, Olvia, and a few others knew the dangers that lurked in the New World. They understood that reaching Raftel wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Their plan was to align themselves with a powerful pirate crew and use their strength to reach Raftel safely.

This disagreement split the group. Unable to convince one another, they decided to pursue their separate paths.

After all, not everyone was willing to side with pirates.

Dr. Clover took advantage of the late night to secretly meet with a notorious pirate from the second half of the Grand Line. The two conversed throughout the night, and in the end, Dr. Clover managed to persuade the pirate to let the scholars join their crew.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Akira commented calmly, stroking Little Robin's hair. "If Dr. Clover chose this pirate group, they must be powerful, probably as strong as monsters."

Akira's tone was neutral, as his position as Fleet Admiral gave him a different perspective. He understood the scholars were driven by their passion for archaeology, not violence or piracy.

Olvia, however, looked uneasy. "We thought so at first, but things didn't go as planned..."

Her voice dropped as she continued, "When we returned to the sea, we encountered a Marine warship with the words 'Rehabilitation' on it. The Marine officer aboard recognized the pirate captain, and without warning, he unleashed a barrage of transformation leaves."

She paused, her expression troubled. "The figures summoned by those cards were incredibly strong. The pirate captain was captured before he could even put up much of a fight."

"Luckily, since none of us scholars had bounties, the Marines didn't target us directly. Most of us escaped, but..."

Olvia's voice grew heavy. "Dr. Clover wasn't so lucky. He was slower than the rest of us and was captured by the Marines. Now, he's being put on trial at Enies Lobby."

Akira leaned back thoughtfully, considering her words. A warship marked "Rehabilitation" was likely part of a special fleet used to distribute and deploy the transformation leaves from the Marine headquarters.

"Well, it's safe to say you were fortunate to escape," Akira said, shaking his head. "But the situation still seems grim."

He turned his gaze toward Little Robin, who had been listening quietly in his arms.

"Robin, do you think your brother should save Dr. Clover?"

Robin hesitated for a moment before answering, "Brother, I can't make that decision for you."

Akira chuckled, lightly pinching her cheeks. "That's alright. I just want to hear your thoughts."

After glancing at her mother, Robin finally spoke up, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, maybe you should save him. He's a good man, and he used to give me food. He's not really a pirate—he just needed their help."

She paused, remembering, "And the treasure clues he gave us before were all true... So, if you could..."

Akira nodded, gently patting her head before standing up.

"I'll go to Enies Lobby once I clean up a bit," he said, walking toward the door. "It's just saving an old scholar, after all."

In truth, Akira had another reason for helping. Olvia and Dr. Clover had once assisted him in deciphering the Poneglyphs of the Sleeping Ancient Town, leading him to obtain the Bat-Bat Fruit Model: Vampire. While Olvia had never asked for anything in return, Akira felt he owed her a favor.

"Time to settle that debt," he thought as he exhaled slowly, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

The warship soon set sail, and it wasn't long before they reached Enies Lobby.

As the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Akira faced no obstacles upon his arrival. Marine soldiers stationed as guards rushed to guide him without hesitation, clearing his path as he made his way toward the courtroom.

Finally, he arrived at the courtroom doors, just in time to hear the judge's verdict.

"You pirates, don't waste your time. Guilty! Take them to Impel Down."

"Next is Dr. Clover," the judge continued. "Though I am surprised you're not here for burning, killing, or looting, and not even for the pursuit of One Piece, the fact remains: you joined pirates. For that reason, I find you guilty."

Akira had just stepped one foot into the room when he stopped abruptly. His attention was immediately drawn to the judge's words.

"Not for One Piece...?"

Akira's brow furrowed as he repeated the word softly, his mind racing.

"One Piece...?"

For a moment, he stood frozen, murmuring to himself. Something about the mention of One Piece sparked a deeper thought within him.