One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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Shakky immediately recognized Akira's identity and quickly connected the dots.

Especially when Akira mentioned that he was specifically looking for Rayleigh, Shakky's face turned pale.

She subconsciously activated her Observation Haki, extending her perception to the maximum range.

But to her slight relief, aside from Akira, there were no other strong presences approaching.

"Fleet Admiral, are you here alone?" she asked, taking a deep breath to suppress her rising panic. She tossed aside the rag she had been using to wipe the goblet and reached under the bar for a new one.

But as soon as her hand moved, she froze.

Cold sweat dripped from her forehead.

'What's up with this Conqueror's Haki? It's terrifying. I'll die! If I do anything else, I'll die.'

Shakky could feel the intensity of the Conqueror's Haki radiating from Akira and couldn't help but panic.

Under that kind of pressure, she didn't dare make any further moves.

Akira's lips curled into a slight smile as he walked over to a chair in front of the bar and sat down.

"Asking me that kind of question, it seems you're quite the unprofessional informant, lacking basic common sense."

"Not necessarily," Shakky responded cautiously. "The former Fleet Admiral, Kong, used to enjoy relaxing in Sabaody alone."

Shakky straightened up slowly, and seeing that Akira didn't react, she hesitantly asked, "I just want to grab a new rag, is that alright?"

"Sorry, I don't really trust what women say," Akira replied, shaking his head.

Since Rayleigh wasn't around, Akira wasn't about to risk letting Shakky pass any information along. Whether she truly wanted a new rag or not didn't matter.

To Akira, it was just a rag—nothing would fall apart if she didn't get it.

Akira increased the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki a bit more, ensuring Shakky couldn't move, and then tapped on the table.

"When will Silvers Rayleigh be back?" he asked.

"I don't know, he's not a child. It could be a few months, or maybe even a few years," Shakky answered, swallowing hard.

Given that the Fleet Admiral had come in person and was asking directly for Rayleigh, there was no point in denying anything. So, she complied, though she exaggerated the timeline slightly.

But Akira wasn't in the mood to push further for now.

"That's fine, I've got plenty of time. I can wait here for a few days if needed."

Akira wasn't in any rush. There were replicas at Marine Headquarters managing all his duties, and capturing Rayleigh was a crucial part of completing his ultimate mission. He was more than willing to wait.

If Rayleigh didn't show up today, he'd wait another day. If it took a month, that was fine too—Fleet Admiral had more free time than Vice Admirals, after all.

Akira knew Rayleigh was likely in a casino or a slave shop somewhere. But launching a big search would only tip him off, so waiting for him to return to his usual spot was the smartest move.

Shakky remained silent, growing more anxious as Akira's calm demeanor convinced her this was no bluff. She secretly gathered her strength, trying to break free from the oppressive Conqueror's Haki.

'Just one chance!' she screamed in her mind. 'Give me just a second!'

But the overwhelming gap in power couldn't be bridged by willpower alone. Akira, who was on par with half of the Four Emperors, couldn't be resisted by someone like Shakky, who had retired early from the sea long ago. Her brief stint as a pirate had been cut short by a harsh realization of her limits compared to the real monsters of the world.

Akira noticed her futile struggle but merely smiled, watching her squirm. The wait could be boring, but at least Shakky's efforts provided some entertainment.

Time crept by, and soon, the night sky was pitch black, with only the soft glow of the moon illuminating the scene.

A drunken man, his face flushed and clutching a bottle, staggered down the street, grinning as he patted the thick wad of berries stuffed in his chest.

"Looks like today's my lucky day! Won a lot of money."

Weaving through dark alleyways, he approached a shop that still had its lights on.

"Still open, huh? Must be a big deal going on," he muttered.

Without breaking stride, he pushed through the curtain and entered.

"Shakky, I'm back!" Rayleigh called out loudly, expecting his usual greeting. But instead of the warm welcome, there was only silence, an invisible pressure filling the room.

"Huh? Shakky, what's going on?"

His gaze landed on Shakky behind the bar, her face etched with despair. Before he could ask, his eyes were drawn to a figure wearing the Marine's cloak of justice.

"Silvers Rayleigh!" Akira said, turning his head with a wicked smile. "I've been waiting for you all day."

Rayleigh instantly recognized the figure, even though only half of his face was visible.

"Fleet Admiral!? How did you—"

Not good.

Rayleigh's instincts kicked in, and in a split second, he bolted. Like a flash of lightning, he snatched Shakky, smashed through the wall, and made his escape.

As they fled into the woods, Rayleigh's mind raced.

"Strange... Fleet Admiral's aura was so strong, but why didn't he stop me?"

Moving swiftly through the forest like a cheetah, Rayleigh kept his focus. Shakky, now free of Akira's control, finally regained her composure. Hearing Rayleigh's confusion, she spoke up.

"Rayleigh, don't worry about me! You need to escape! The Marine Fleet Admiral's main target is you. I'm probably just being used to slow you down."

"Huh? That actually makes sense," Rayleigh muttered, narrowing his eyes as he picked up speed.

At this point, he wasn't concerned about conserving his strength. His escape was so fast that his movements left afterimages in the air.

"Put me down, Rayleigh," Shakky urged.

"No, Shakky. You know me—I can't just abandon you like that," Rayleigh refused firmly, even offering a smile to reassure her. "Don't worry. The Marine Fleet Admiral won't be able to catch up with us."

Rayleigh had complete confidence in his speed and strength. If it were Garp or Sengoku chasing him, maybe he'd be worried. But this Fleet Admiral wasn't known for physical prowess. Rayleigh didn't think Akira could stop him.

"As soon as we reach the harbor and jump into the sea, no one will be able to catch us," Rayleigh said confidently.

But then—

"Oh, is that so?"

A voice suddenly echoed beside him. Before Rayleigh could react, Akira appeared, moving even faster than him, with a smile playing on her lips.

In the next instant, a whip-like kick infused with Armament Haki lashed out.

Boom!

The sound of an explosion echoed through the area, and dark cracks spread out from the point of impact. Smoke and dust covered a hundred-meter radius.

A gust of wind swept through the center of the battlefield, clearing the dust and revealing the scene.

Akira stood with his hands in his pockets, his left leg raised high. Meanwhile, Rayleigh had blocked the kick with his Armament Haki-coated arm, standing strong like an unbreakable fortress.

"Your Armament Haki is impressive," Akira remarked, his voice carrying a hint of admiration. "You've mastered the ability to attack the internal body—you're quite the monster."

Though Akira's body remained uninjured thanks to his formidable defense, he had definitely felt Rayleigh's attack reach his muscles.

'If he had added Conqueror's Infusion, he might have been able to hurt me,' Akira thought, narrowing his eyes.

Rayleigh, for his part, was just as shocked. He hadn't held anything back in that block, and he could tell that Akira's Armament Haki wasn't as refined as his. Yet, despite his advanced technique, it hadn't even scratched her.

"You stole my line, Fleet Admiral," Rayleigh said, a serious expression settling over his face. "With your speed and defense, you could easily rise to the top on strength alone. Why keep up this weak image?"

Rayleigh began to realize that he might have underestimated Akira. If he'd known his strength was this high, he wouldn't have hesitated to use Conqueror's Infusion earlier.

He didn't believe that a Marine Fleet Admiral would come alone to capture him. There had to be reinforcements lurking nearby.

"I've already washed my hands of piracy. Can't I just live out my old age in peace?" Rayleigh sighed, trying to test the waters.

He didn't bother asking why Akira was trying to capture him. It was only natural for the Marines to pursue pirates. What baffled him was why the Fleet Admiral herself was here—it wasn't as though he posed more of a threat than the other dangerous pirates in the New World.

"Of course, my Marine has a special retirement home just for you," Akira said, his leg pressing down harder as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I guarantee it'll be quiet, with no one to disturb you."

"Figures," Rayleigh sighed, shaking his head again. Realizing there was no more room for negotiation, he dropped any lingering hope.

Boom!

Crackling!

Two immense Conqueror's Haki clashed, surging into the sky. The surrounding air filled with black and red lightning as the intense auras collided.

"Shakky, don't worry about me. Run!" Rayleigh said in a deep voice.

Akira's display of speed had made it clear to Rayleigh—there was no way both of them could escape. His pride and self-respect wouldn't allow him to abandon Shakky, so he decided to make a stand and give her a chance to flee.

He turned to face Akira, ready to buy time.

Shakky, protected by Rayleigh, gritted her teeth but knew better than to stay. She wasn't a naive girl anymore—remaining would only hinder his efforts.

"You must escape successfully. I'll wait for you at the old spot," she said before turning and fleeing as fast as she could.

Akira tilted his head slightly and tossed out a leaf. With a bang, a Sakazuki clone appeared beside him.

"Don't let her escape. I'm quite interested in her intelligence network," Akira ordered.

As Shakky fled, she felt a tremor of fear but trusted Rayleigh and kept running without looking back.

The Sakazuki clone moved to follow her, but before he could take more than a few steps, a sharp blade of light slashed the ground in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

The clone stared at the crack, barely a centimeter from his foot, his eyes flaring with killing intent.

"Sorry, but you're not getting past this way," Rayleigh said, holding his sword at the ready.

Akira grinned and shook his head. "Big talk for someone cornered, Rayleigh."

With a single motion, he threw out more deformed leaves, each one popping and revealing more clones—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—standing alongside him.

Rayleigh's eyes widened in surprise as the field filled with Marine replicas.

"So, Rayleigh," Akira said, smirking, "do you still think this road is impassable?"

Rayleigh grimaced but held his ground.

---

Elsewhere in the Sabaody Archipelago, Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tokikake were stationed with a thousand soldiers. Their orders were simple: wait for Akira's signal to move in and surround the battlefield. But the signal hadn't come all day, and both Zephyr and Tokikake were growing restless.

"Mr. Zephyr, do you know what signal the Fleet Admiral was talking about?" Tokikake asked, pacing back and forth anxiously.

"I don't," Zephyr replied, sitting on a rock and staring towards the inner parts of Sabaody with a serious expression. Though he appeared calm, the whiteness of his clenched fist betrayed his concern for Akira's solo mission to confront Rayleigh.

Tokikake muttered to himself, "With ten Sakazuki-level clones on him, he should've made hismove by now. Did something unexpected happen?"

Zephyr frowned, contemplating the possibility.

Suddenly, a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki surged in the distance, colliding with another. The air crackled with tension.

"It's them! Fleet Admiral Akira is fighting Rayleigh!" Zephyr shouted, his eyes lighting up. Without a second thought, he sprinted towards the source of the clash. "Tokikake, circle from the other direction!"

"Yes, sir!" Tokikake responded immediately, leading five hundred soldiers on a detour to surround the area from the opposite side. Both forces moved swiftly, determined not to let Rayleigh escape.

Ten minutes later, they reached the battlefield.

Rayleigh, holding his sword, was fending off multiple Marine clones while Akira was also engaged in the fight. It was clear Rayleigh was struggling—his breathing was erratic, and his Observation Haki wasn't sharp enough to keep up with the overwhelming pressure.

When Rayleigh spotted Zephyr, a look of shock crossed his face.

"Bringing Zephyr too?! You think too highly of me!" Rayleigh yelled, throwing his head back in frustration.

In the next moment, magma from a clone enveloped Rayleigh completely.

---

Ten minutes later, the battle was over. Akira, lighting a cigar, took a long drag as he watched Zephyr's men carry away the exhausted Rayleigh, who had been completely defeated.

Akira exhaled the smoke and muttered to himself, "Now, the only thing missing is the location of the Devil Fruit."