[TIOP] Chapter : 143

Back at G1 Branch...

“My Lord!” Lena’s eyes lit up the moment Jack arrived. She was thrilled—his presence meant they could spend more time together.

Jack chuckled, gently ruffling her hair. “Where’s Fujitora? Gambling again?”

“Nope,” Lena said, shaking her head. “He’s out patrolling with Vice Admiral Ryokugyu.”

“Ryokugyu? What’s he doing here?” Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

“I’m not sure either,” Lena admitted. “Ever since that sparring match with you, he just... stayed. Seems like he and Fujitora get along pretty well. They’re practically inseparable now.”

Jack grinned. “Alright then. I’ll lay low here for a while. On paper, Fujitora is still the commanding officer, and you’re the adjutant. Me? I’ll just be the guy blending into the background.”

Lena wasn’t surprised by Jack’s words. He was never one for trivial matters—his only real pursuit was strength and navy’s progress.

“Fujitora-san has returned,” she said softly. “Would you like me to have him come see you?”

Jack thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. Tell him to come by. I want to ask him about Ryokugyu.”

It wasn’t until dinnertime that Fujitora arrived, with Ryokugyu trailing behind. Before Jack could even speak, Fujitora began explaining the situation.

Though the two had been loosely acquainted before, Ryokugyu had remained stationed at Navy Headquarters. After losing his sparring match with Jack, he’d initially gone to find Fujitora just to talk. But after experiencing life at G1 and observing the camaraderie among the navy officers there, something clicked. For the first time, Ryokugyu felt he understood what a real navy should be.

He refused to leave.

Despite his injuries, he insisted on staying with Fujitora, practically forcing his way into the G1 circle.

Meanwhile, Aokiji had his hands full with the Akainu crisis and hadn’t even noticed Ryokugyu’s absence. As far as he knew, the man was still recovering in the medical ward.

When Jack finally sat down to chat with Ryokugyu, he quickly sized him up: The man had more brawn than brains, was headstrong to a fault, and not exactly the most flexible thinker. Still, Jack didn’t dismiss him. He gave Ryokugyu a few solo assignments to test his character before considering him a true ally.

At the same time, the conflict between Akainu and Aokiji reached its boiling point, and many neutral officers began requesting transfers—hoping to escape the political crossfire. Most chose to head to the G1 Branch.

Aokiji didn’t object.

As more and more personnel poured in, Jack had no choice but to assume full authority over G1. His first move was to relocate all civilians, converting the island into a fully operational naval fortress.

With the advancement of sea train technology, Jack also began laying tracks across all islands within naval territory, connecting them seamlessly. Though various kingdoms expressed envy, none dared interfere—Jack held full authority over the operation.

Even the first half of the Grand Line saw infrastructure development, with Alabasta and Water 7 serving as central hubs. Progress there was slower compared to the New World, but it was steady. Jack even reassigned Kalifa to handle G1’s administrative affairs, while Lena was transferred to the first half of the Grand Line to oversee the entire sea train system.

But with G1’s swelling ranks, the current territory became insufficient. Jack finally initiated expansion—but not randomly. His strategy was clear: reclaim everything Blackbeard had taken. The other Emperors, for once, turned a blind eye.

“Captain, the navy seems to be focusing all its efforts on us lately,” Lafitte, now the Fifth Ship Captain under Blackbeard, reported grimly. “We’ve already lost several territories along the border.”

“Oh?” Blackbeard’s expression darkened. “Just us? They’re not touching the others?”

“Correct. Kaido’s fleet, even though close to naval territory, hasn't been touched. The navy’s eyes are all on us,” Lafitte confirmed.

Blackbeard grimaced. He was supposed to have ten commanders, but the Champion—Chisas Basas—was killed by Jack during the Marineford war, leaving him with only nine. Now that he had grabbed Whitebeard’s territory, the cracks in his power were starting to show. That was the difference between a newly crowned Emperor and the old guard.

“Any ideas?” he asked, glancing around. Most of his original crewmates were present, but the convicts from Impel Down—while nominally under his command—were too independent to be truly reliable.

“This is fate’s will,” Van Augur, the sniper and Third Ship Captain, muttered with a prophetic air. “A destined clash between us and the navy.”

“I do have a plan,” Lafitte said with a faint smile. “But… it comes with a price.”

“Let’s hear it,” Blackbeard replied with growing interest.

“Whitebeard Jr.”

Just that name.

The man had raw strength but lacked intelligence, completely under the thumb of his so-called ‘mother.’ Manipulating him would be easy—they had a hundred ways to direct him toward clashing with the navy.

“Fascinating…” Blackbeard grinned.

“But,” Lafitte added with a knowing smirk, “there’s a downside. As a new Emperor, we should be making bold moves ourselves—delivering a decisive blow to the navy to establish our dominance. Letting Edward Weevil do the dirty work could damage our reputation.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Blackbeard said with a dismissive wave. “It’s not yet time to face Admiral Jack head-on. Still, we can’t sit back either. Stir the waters. Get the fight started. And begin gathering our forces. We won’t lose our momentum!”

He threw his head back in laughter. “Zehahahahahaha!”

At his command, the entire Blackbeard fleet began mobilizing. Even the Impel Down escapees responded to his call and started regrouping, marching toward the G1 Branch.

Simultaneously, Edward Weevil, who had been wandering around challenging former Whitebeard captains, also began heading toward G1—though no one could quite say why.

Back at G1...

Knock knock.

Kalifa opened the door to Jack’s office. “My Lord, Inspector Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp have arrived.”

Jack sighed, rubbing his temples. “What do those two old men want now?”

Since the last meeting, they’d been bothering him frequently. The fallout between Akainu and Aokiji had spiraled far beyond anyone’s expectations, shaking the Navy’s foundations. The two veterans, lacking the authority to command their successors, had no choice but to turn to Jack for help in finding a way forward.

“Sengoku-san, Garp-sensei!” Though Jack was clearly exasperated, he still welcomed the two old men.

“Don’t give me that look. We’re not here because of Kuzan and Sakazuki this time,” Sengoku said seriously. “It’s about Blackbeard.”

“Oh? So, you’ve already received word that Blackbeard has made a move?” Jack asked with a faint smile.

“Don’t take this lightly, boy,” Sengoku warned. “That man now holds one of the most fearsome abilities, stealing devil fruit abilities and granting them to this crew. He’s not someone you can underestimate.”

Jack pouted in mock annoyance. “Oh? Now you realize how dangerous he is? I told you from the start not to let him go!”