One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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Fleet Admiral's residence.

The door of the bathroom was pushed open, and steaming mist flowed out.

Stella, wearing loose pajamas, stepped out while drying her hair.

Due to the long bath, her cheeks were slightly flushed, giving off a gentle, alluring warmth.

"Is sister Rouge already asleep?"

She glanced towards the master bedroom, and upon seeing the lights had been turned off, she muttered to herself.

Over time, she had grown close to Rouge.

During Akira's absence, the bond between the two, living together in the mansion, had strengthened significantly.

In the past, after every shower, she would often visit Rouge's room for a chat, sometimes even falling asleep there together.

She had made plans during dinner to talk with Rouge tonight.

But now that the lights were off, waking her up by knocking on the door seemed inconsiderate.

"Maybe because the baby's due soon, she's getting tired more easily."

Stella speculated to herself.

Through the quiet hallway, she made her way back to her room.

Squeak.

She pushed the door open, not bothering to turn on the light, and walked to her bed by memory.

Lifting the blanket, she lay down.

But in the next moment, a shadow pressed down on her and silenced her with a kiss.

"Mm!"

Stella's eyes widened, her face turning pale.

'Isn't the mansion under constant surveillance, with numerous guards protecting it?'

How could a man have gotten inside? It's impossible!

Though frightened, Stella carefully slipped her right hand under her pillow.

There, several specially prepared transformation leaves from Akira awaited.

She believed that with those, any danger could be dealt with swiftly.

"Relax, it's me."

At that moment, the shadow spoke.

The familiar, magnetic voice dissolved all of Stella's fears.

"Fleet Admiral, you're back!"

Her hands reached up to touch the sharp, familiar features above her, and her eyes softened with relief.

At this moment, Stella realized why Rouge had missed their meeting and gone to bed early.

It was obvious.

Rouge, being in an inconvenient state, couldn't accommodate Akira's needs, so she likely encouraged Stella to return to her room quickly.

"Stay quiet."

"Mm!"

Several hours passed.

"This Devil Fruit, I want you to eat it."

On the bed, Akira handed her a Devil Fruit, its swirls unmistakable.

"Huh? Isn't this a fruit the Marines value highly?"

Stella instinctively took it, confusion clear on her face.

During this time, she had kept up with the news and understood the significance of this specific Devil Fruit.

But now, her man wanted her to eat it.

"Yes, you should eat it. When the time comes to put Rayleigh on trial, you'll make sure he tells the truth."

"Fleet Admiral, may I ask why?"

Stella tilted her head, puzzled. In her mind, even giving it to a regular soldier would have a better effect than someone like her, who had no combat skills.

"Because you're one of my own. This fruit will be of great use to me in the future."

Akira pulled Stella into his arms, his eyes gleaming with intent.

If the Truth-Truth Fruit was judged solely for combat, its abilities would seem insignificant, barely comparable to a standard Zoan fruit.

But as a Fleet Admiral, its value was undeniable.

The Marine forces were riddled with spies, hidden so deeply that unless they revealed themselves, uncovering them was nearly impossible.

But with the power of the Truth-Truth Fruit, that would change.

No matter how well hidden these spies were, they wouldn't stand a chance against its truth-compelling ability.

Its use extended beyond just making Rayleigh confess—it could cleanse the Marines from within.

For that reason, Akira decided his own people had to wield its power.

If an outsider consumed it, there would always be the risk of losing control.

At this stage, the only ones he trusted implicitly were the women in the mansion.

The twin princesses, Cameron and Jamena, were far away in the Grand Line, making them unsuitable.

Rouge was pregnant, and Akira had high hopes for her.

Although the butterfly effect he caused had prevented her from delaying Ace's birth for over a year like in the original timeline, her strength of will was undeniable.

In this pirate world, willpower was akin to belief, a crucial trait of the strong.

In other words, Rouge had great potential.

And because Akira saved Rouge and her child, she became a devoted and loyal wife. Asking her to consume the Truth-Truth Fruit would be a waste of her potential.

That left only one choice.

Stella.

A clever woman, completely loyal to Akira after he rescued her from slavery.

"Eat it, and I'll guide you on how to develop this ability," Akira said.

"Alright."

Without further hesitation, Stella opened her mouth slightly and took a large bite under Akira's watchful eyes.

"Ew, it tastes awful."

As soon as the fruit touched her tongue, Stella's face turned pale. It was easily the most disgusting thing she had ever eaten.

"Finish it," Akira said sternly, without a hint of sympathy.

Even though just a small bite would grant her the fruit's powers, he had a gut feeling that consuming the entire fruit might offer greater benefits than just a piece.

Of course, this was only speculation.

But he had already asked Sakazuki and the others—when they ate their Logia fruits, they consumed the whole thing.

So, eating it all had no downside, just temporary nausea.

Seeing Akira's serious expression, Stella didn't dare to refuse. Despite the overwhelming disgust, she forced the rest of the Truth-Truth Fruit into her mouth.

"Good girl."

Akira watched her swallow and sighed in relief. He stroked her hair gently, his tone soft.

"As a reward, I won't be sleeping tonight."

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Akira bid farewell to both Rouge and Stella and headed to his office at Marineford.

The clone he had used the previous night had exhausted itself and disappeared.

Now, Akira had to focus on an important matter related to completing his ultimate mission. He had no desire to train in Impel Down for the time being.

So, he decided to stay at Marine Headquarters.

"Soldier, have Sakazuki and the others returned?" Akira asked, lighting a cigar as he sat behind his desk.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral. The three have all returned this morning."

"Good. Have them report to me."

"Right away!"

The soldier quickly left, and soon, the three towering figures of the Marine monsters could be seen approaching through the corridor.

"Fleet Admiral."

"Ah, it's been a while, Fleet Admiral Akira."

The trio entered the office and saluted in unison.

Akira gave a light nod, glancing over at them.

Among the three, Kuzan and Borsalino appeared unscathed, their presence unchanged.

But Sakazuki stood out.

He was clearly injured, his energy noticeably weaker than the other two. A bandage wrapped around his head still showed signs of blood seeping through.

'Compared to the others, Bullet was too much for him,' Akira thought to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly.

To become Admirals, each of the Marine monsters had to defeat a famous pirate, and Sakazuki's opponent had been chosen beyond expectations.

But there was no other way.

Bullet had an enormous reputation, known to terrify even the toughest foes, a name that could silence a room. Moreover, Akira had an interest in Bullet's Clank-Clank Fruit, which was incredibly powerful.

Among the three, Sakazuki had the strength to face such an opponent.

Even though they hadn't fought a decisive battle between them, the original story had already revealed their rankings.

After the Summit War, Kuzan lost a leg in the competition for Fleet Admiral, while Sakazuki emerged unscathed, with only a few more scars at most. It was clear who was stronger.

With great strength comes great responsibility.

Only someone as formidable as Sakazuki could handle a terror like Bullet.

"Let's move!" Akira stood up from his chair, heading for the door.

Having risen from the ranks himself, he understood that what the three men needed now wasn't meaningless praise from their superior but the reward they had earned for their hard work.

"To Mariejois!"

"Meet the Five Elders!"

"Become Admirals!"

With those words, the three Marines froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back to reality.

Their eyes lit up, full of excitement and anticipation.