One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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The incident where Enies Lobby released Dr. Clover was easily resolved.

The system in the One Piece world is neither transparent nor fair.

Basically, the higher-ups still operate in an era where connections and ranks are what matter.

The mighty Marines came to see you personally, little Judge Enies Lobby, just to release an old scholar who had gone astray.

It's not a big deal at all.

It's like CP0 Captain Graeme personally traveling to East Blue to meet a Marine Base chief and asking him to release an ordinary old man.

As long as someone's head isn't completely broken, no one would dare offend the higher-ups over such a trivial matter.

So, after understanding the reason for Akira's visit, Judge Enies Lobby overturned the previous guilty verdict, changed it to not guilty, and released him immediately.

Since Judge Enies Lobby showed such wisdom, Akira naturally wouldn't remain silent.

Counting the time he helped Lu Feld, Judge Enies Lobby had now helped him twice.

So Akira took the time to sit in his office for an hour, drinking tea and having a pleasant conversation.

Before leaving, Akira even left his private Den Den Mushi number, telling him to call directly if there was anything he needed in the future.

Finally, under the excited and respectful gaze of Judge, Akira boarded the warship and departed.

The warship sailed directly back to Marineford.

At the port, Akira grabbed little Robin and quickly said, "I'll leave your mother and Dr. Clover's arrangements to you. I have to head out."

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for a reply, Akira disappeared on the spot, impatient to leave.

Akira moved at lightning speed.

Soon, the surrounding scenery blurred like a double-speed slideshow, and the day flew by.

He arrived at the door of the Fleet Admiral's office.

…

A gust of wind suddenly swept through the corridor, causing two orderlies to instinctively close their eyes and raise their hands to shield themselves.

"Huh? Why is there such a strong wind all of a sudden?"

"It shouldn't be. The windows are clearly shut."

After the gust disappeared, one of the messengers opened his eyes, scratching his head in confusion.

This strange occurrence left them both puzzled.

It wasn't a typhoon day, and the windows at the end of the corridor were still closed for ventilation.

Logically, even if there was wind, it should only have been a gentle breeze.

But the gust just now felt like someone had passed by at high speed.

Suddenly...

"Huh? Main body, you're back already?" came the voice of the replica from inside the office.

Inside the room, Akira rested his hands on the desk, the cloak of justice fluttering behind him, carried by the wind that hadn't yet dissipated.

"Soldier, shut the door and withdraw," Akira ordered, turning his burning gaze toward the two messengers.

"Yes, sir!" The orderly, caught off guard by Akira's intense stare, immediately closed the door without hesitation and retreated.

"What's going on?" asked the replica, its pupils narrowing slightly, sensing the unusual tension in the air.

Akira licked his lips before replying, "I just came back from Enies Lobby, and something the judge said woke me up."

"What did he say?"

"He mentioned that it seemed odd to him why Dr. Clover went to sea. He wasn't involved in burning, looting, or seeking One Piece."

"Of course, it's for the Poneglyphs... wait, what?" The replica's head tilted as it subconsciously followed Akira's words, but then stopped abruptly, pupils shrinking in realization.

"One Piece? The spark that set off the Great Pirate Era... we've completely overlooked it."

"Exactly! If we truly want to curb the Great Pirate Era, that's the problem we have to address," Akira said, nodding in agreement. He wasn't surprised that the replica arrived at the same conclusion.

Aside from the difference in strength, they were essentially the same person. If Akira had been awakened by a simple remark at Enies Lobby, the replica would naturally catch on just as quickly.

With a snap, Akira lit a cigar. Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, he continued, "I was so focused on the pirates themselves that I forgot about the root cause of the Great Pirate Era—this illusionary pursuit of One Piece."

"The system's task is to stop the Great Pirate Era, but it doesn't specify how."

"Do we kill the pirates until they're too afraid to continue, preventing criminals from taking to the seas? Or do we stop people from going to sea by addressing the lure of One Piece?"

"Or maybe we need to do both?"

Akira pondered for a moment, narrowing his eyes behind his glasses. "After thinking it over during my trip back, I'm convinced—both approaches are necessary."

When faced with a challenge of this scale, the safest way to address it is from all angles.

The rise of the Great Pirate Era stems from two main factors.

Externally, it's the surge of violent, locust-like pirates who appeared simultaneously, wreaking havoc, and collectively giving birth to this age.

Internally, however, the root cause of everything lies in Roger's final words about One Piece before his execution, igniting a greed in people that drove them to the seas.

Akira took another drag from his cigar. "The plan is already in motion—our replicas, like swarms of locusts, are decimating pirates and criminals, instilling fear, and drastically reducing their numbers. At the same time, we're preventing potential criminals from even taking to the seas."

"But," he continued, "we've been ignoring the allure of One Piece."

"This is a problem we must solve as well. Otherwise, it's inevitable that people will continue to set sail in pursuit of it."

The world of pirates is unique. Those driven by belief—especially the belief in finding One Piece—are far more dangerous and determined than those who simply engage in crime for selfish reasons like burning or looting.

And their potential for growth is far greater.

"It's clear," Akira added, voice darkening, "that if a pirate sets sail with the dream of finding One Piece, they're more likely to rise into a major threat."

"Even if we capture ninety-nine out of every hundred, if one slips through the net, can we ever truly contain the Great Pirate Era?"

If Akira were to rate it, he would believe that solving the external factors—taking down most pirates—would be enough. A few who pursue One Piece and become major threats, even like Kaido, are just some problems for the Marines. Handling that would be far easier than dealing with a world where every pirate is after treasure and chaos.

But unfortunately, it's the system that does the scoring.

"It should be like that," the replica agreed. "Whether or not we're overthinking it, it's always smart to address this side of things."

Akira nodded. "So, how do we resolve this One Piece problem? Any ideas?"

"Let me think."

The office fell into silence. Akira, sitting on the sofa, puffed out smoke clouds, emptying his mind. Meanwhile, the replica, chin propped on its hands, stared at nothing, deep in thought.

Time passed, and both were frowning. Solving the "internal cause" of the Great Pirate Era was proving far more difficult than handling its "external manifestations."

External issues were clear-cut—enforce the law and destroy pirates. But internal motivations? You can't just shout to the world that One Piece is a myth and expect everyone to believe it.

"How about we go to Raftel and prove that One Piece doesn't exist?" the replica suggested.

"Even if we did that, and even if the Five Elders allowed it, if there's no treasure on Raftel, wouldn't people just think it's hidden somewhere else in the world?" Akira replied.

"True... what if we announce that the Marines have already found One Piece?"

"That would just make us look foolish. And what would we say? How do you invent something as grand as One Piece?"

"Err... then maybe we get Rouge, Roger's wife, to say he made it up to deceive people?"

"Rouge's identity isn't widely known. Roger never declared her to the world. If you were a pirate, wouldn't you just assume the Marines hired an actress?"

"Exactly, and even Roger's crew wouldn't believe it."

Akira nodded subconsciously, then suddenly stopped. Something clicked in his mind. He let the idea settle, following the train of thought, and finally caught it.

"Wait, say that again," Akira urged.

"It makes sense. Even Roger's crew wouldn't believe it."

The replica repeated the words, but as they left his mouth, realization hit him too.

The corners of Akira's mouth curled into a smirk as he watched the replica's face light up with understanding.

The replica let out a long breath, eyes gleaming. "We capture Rayleigh at Sabaody and broadcast it live to the entire world. Have him deny his captain's words."

Akira nodded, agreeing. "If Roger's most trusted right-hand man, the Dark King Rayleigh, publicly denies One Piece, its credibility will be shattered—perhaps even destroyed entirely."

But then, both paused, realizing the next challenge.

"How do we get Rayleigh to cooperate once we capture him?" they asked in unison.

Silence fell once again.

Rayleigh wasn't just anyone—he possessed Conqueror's Haki and was a powerful figure. Capturing him might be easy, but forcing him to betray Roger's legacy on live broadcast? That was nearly impossible.

Even if Rayleigh were willing to help, Akira had his doubts. What if Rayleigh, like Whitebeard during the Paramount War, took the opportunity to shout the truth to the world? Whitebeard's declaration that One Piece was real had been a devastating blow.

The memory of Sengoku stepping down after Whitebeard's announcement still loomed. That single sentence had hit the world with the force of a meteorite.

Akira's plan couldn't afford a repeat of that mistake.

The Great Pirate Era, which had been raging for over 20 years, was nearing its end. However, Whitebeard's final words during the Summit War had reignited the flames, plunging the world into further chaos. If it weren't for his declaration, the Marines could have claimed victory in every regard, yet Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, resigned right after.

In the original story, there was no hint of such a massive event unfolding, and if Akira hadn't known the consequences from the original work, he might not have realized the risk. But knowing what could happen, he wasn't going to let Rayleigh make a statement like Whitebeard's in front of the entire world.

"Fortunately, this is the world of pirates, with all sorts of strange and unpredictable Devil Fruit abilities," Akira broke the silence suddenly. "We just need to find someone with a Devil Fruit that can compel the truth."

"Exactly!" the clone nodded in agreement. "I recall that there is indeed a record of such a person. I'll leave the task of finding them to you."

Akira stood, crushed the cigar in the ashtray, and opened the door. Just before stepping out, he turned and said, "Time is of the essence. I'll head to Sabaody Archipelago first."

"Got it!" The clone watched as Akira disappeared from view. Immediately, he picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~." The line connected.

"Bring someone from the News Department to my office," the clone commanded. Within a minute, someone arrived.

"Fleet Admiral-sama, reporting as ordered," the civil servant saluted.

"There's a task I need your News Department to handle," the clone said.

"Please give the order."

"We need to locate a Devil Fruit user with the ability to force truth-telling. Draft a recruitment notice that says something like, 'We are offering big money, if you make people honest!'"

"Recruitment?" The civil servant was confused.

"Of course. If the Marines openly search for such a person, they might get scared and hide. We need to lure them out carefully."

The clone sighed internally, missing someone like Rosinante, who wouldn't ask such questions. After this whole ordeal, he planned to transfer him back. Marine really lacked capable minds.

"My apologies, Fleet Admiral-sama. I understand," the civil servant responded.

"If that Devil Fruit is already owned, buy it. Offer 5 billion berries."

"5 billion?!" The civil servant gasped, surprised by the staggering amount. But upon seeing the clone's calm expression, he quickly composed himself.

Money was just paper to the Marines. With access to the entire Marine Bank, if it weren't for other considerations, the clone might have offered 10 billion. Achieving their goal was worth any cost.

"Oh, and one more thing." The clone retrieved a report from the pile of documents.

It detailed an event in the Bertomy Passion Kingdom, where a simple croupier had been caught cheating by the king's guards. The report emphasized the need to maintain Marine's and Akatsuki's reputation by prohibiting casino staff from winning money through cheating, which could hurt future casino profits.

"Also, find someone who can wield the Luck-Luck Fruit. Offer the same—5 billion berries."

After confirming that the civil servant understood his instructions, the clone dismissed him. As he left, the clone pondered aloud, "I should ask the CP0 to check Mariejois. The Celestial Dragons may have a collection of Devil Fruits. To be thorough, I need Commander Kong to cooperate."

With that, the clone set the next phase in motion.