[TIOP] Chapter : 141

He had already come to terms with things, but that didn’t mean he’d stop probing Jack with questions.

Jack grinned. “He’s free to call for backup too, isn’t he? Not my fault if no one’s willing to fight alongside him. That’s still a fair three-on-one, if you ask me.”

“You weren’t planning an assassination?” Aokiji raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Come on. It’s Akainu. You think assassination would even work on him? Be serious. If you’ve got a method, by all means—teach me.”

He chuckled, the mood lightening. Aokiji’s tone had grown more relaxed too—it was clear he’d begun to see things from Jack’s perspective.

“Still,” Jack added after a moment of shared laughter, “even though Akainu seems to have calmed down, we can’t afford to get complacent. We should prepare—just in case.”

“What are you planning?” Aokiji asked, his tone turning more serious again.

“What else? Since you don’t agree with my plan, I’ll just lay everything out in front of him. Let’s see how he responds. He’s still a Navy man. If he realizes that tearing the Navy apart will make his position meaningless, maybe he’ll reconsider.”

“Alright then,” Aokiji said with a nod. “Let’s invite him tomorrow. But what about Borsalino? What’s your take on him?”

Jack blinked. “Borsalino? What about him?”

Aokiji gave a dry laugh. “He’s not one of us, remember?”

"Aren’t you also technically not my ally?" Jack smirked, curling his lips. "It doesn’t matter to me—as long as someone doesn’t get in the way of my ideals. With Borsalino’s personality, I know he won’t support me, but he won’t stand in my way either. He’s a Navy man through and through. As long as he sticks to the Navy’s code, I don’t see him as an enemy."

“Oh? I’m not your ally either?” Aokiji grinned. “Without my support, your entire plan might come to a halt!”

“You’re a collaborator, not a partner,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Partners share the same goals and beliefs.”

That finally made Aokiji laugh out loud.

"Then I'll wait till you reach the same rank as me!!"

Clearly satisfied with having one-upped him, Aokiji looked visibly amused. Not wanting to feed into his smugness any longer, Jack turned away and left with a sigh.

Later, back at the single-family villa the Navy had rebuilt for him, Jack was just about to start cooking when two familiar old men barged in—Sengoku and Garp.

“Don’t mind us, keep cooking! I haven’t tasted your food in ages,” Garp said, waving him off like it was his own kitchen.

From the kitchen, Jack called out casually, “What brings you here, sensei? And you too, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?”

“Drop the ‘fleet admiral’ already,” Sengoku waved his hand. “I’m just a headquarters inspector now. I didn’t even come for business—I just tagged along with your sensei for some good food and drink.”

Jack’s eye twitched. “Sensei... don’t tell me you finished all the sake already?”

“That sake was excellent—but there wasn’t nearly enough of it! Not even close!” Garp boomed with laughter, showing no shame.

Jack sighed. “If the energy content isn’t a concern, I could brew a similar batch with the same taste.”

“Huh?” Garp blinked. “You can? I thought you said the ingredients were hard to find?”

“I said that only if we want it to contain energy,” Jack replied with a smile. “If we’re just after taste, no problem. But if you want the version with actual energy benefits, it needs a lot of rare herbs and materials.”

“I don’t need the energy,” Garp said, casually picking his nose. “That little boost doesn’t do much for me anyway.”

Jack chuckled and nodded. In the world of One Piece, strong liquors were quite different from common drinks like sake or beer. Garp, having tasted his drink for the first time, had clearly developed a taste for it.

Still, Jack didn’t entirely believe Garp’s claim about not needing the energy. Sure, a little amount wasn’t much—but when you had a system that could produce it endlessly, it became a hidden advantage. Drinking it regularly meant recovering faster, training longer, and, over time, growing significantly stronger.

Not long after, Jack finished preparing the meal. Sengoku and Garp wasted no time—digging in without ceremony. Jack laughed and quickly joined them at the table. If he didn’t hurry, there’d be nothing left. After all, Luffy didn’t inherit his monstrous appetite out of nowhere—he got it from Garp.

After the three of them finished eating and drinking, Garp finally spoke up. “So... I heard you and Kuzan are planning to confront Sakazuki?”

Jack didn’t deny it. “Did Fleet Admiral Aokiji tell you?”

“With something this serious, even Kuzan wouldn’t make such a decision lightly,” Sengoku said gravely. “If it goes wrong, it could throw the Navy into chaos.”

Jack simply shrugged. “What do you two think? This wasn’t my idea to begin with—Sakazuki’s been pushing Aokiji into a corner. I’m just offering advice as a partner. If you believe it shouldn’t be dealt with openly, I can turn a blind eye. After all, even if Akainu’s in charge, he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me.”

There was a long silence before Garp asked, “So, you're not planning to make a move against Sakazuki tomorrow?”

“No,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “Fleet Admiral Aokiji didn’t agree with my... more decisive approach. So instead, I’ll confront Akainu directly and try to lay things out face-to-face. Personally, I think it’s pointless, but Aokiji is the fleet admiral.”

Both Sengoku and Garp visibly relaxed. As long as this didn’t escalate into open conflict, there was still hope for resolution. Whatever Aokiji decided to do was now his burden—as the one sitting in the fleet admiral’s seat.

Their role, as veterans, was no longer to steer the ship directly but to steady it from tipping over. The new generation needed to find its footing on its own.

Jack’s words reassured them. But as Jack himself sighed and shook his head, he couldn’t help but think that even with his intervention, events were still marching toward the same fate as in the original timeline. His presence had made a difference—Ace survived the war at Marineford—but that war still happened.

This time, too, all he could do was try his best. He wouldn’t compromise his position or values, and certainly wouldn’t sacrifice everything.

If things played out the same way, his priority would be keeping Aokiji in his camp. He couldn't allow him to drift into Blackbeard’s hands again—undercover or not. Having a banner figure like Aokiji on his side would strengthen their cause and bring them closer to their goal.

But convincing Aokiji to stay wouldn’t be easy. That was why Jack had backed him for fleet admiral in the first place. As long as Aokiji held that position, they remained allies. But if he lost—and chose a darker path—it would cause more harm than good.

“So, you really believe Kuzan is more suited to be fleet admiral than Sakazuki?” Sengoku asked, sipping from his cup with a smile.

Of course, it was just ordinary wine this time—nothing from Jack’s system. If it were, he’d have cried over every drop.

“I support Aokiji because his ideals are closer to mine,” Jack replied, raising his glass to Garp. “It’s not about who’s better suited to be fleet admiral. Honestly, either of them could do the job. They both have strengths. But Aokiji’s values align with mine, so of course I’ll back him.”

“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that!” Garp roared, downing his drink in one gulp.

The three of them laughed and chatted, but Jack knew the truth—Sengoku was deeply worried, even if he wasn’t saying it outright.

The next day, when Jack entered the fleet admiral’s office, he found Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru—the Navy’s Chief of Staff—already there. They greeted him with subtle smiles but said nothing.

“Oh my~” Kizaru drawled from a nearby seat, lazily trimming his nails. “So many big shots in one room? Something dramatic must be about to happen.”

“We’ll talk once Sakazuki arrives,” Aokiji replied calmly, barely glancing his way.

Kizaru shrugged. It didn’t matter to him who came out on top—Aokiji or Akainu. He had his own world in the Science Corps, and no intention of getting involved.

Before long, Sakazuki arrived. The moment he stepped into the room and took in the scene, he didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow. That confirmed Jack’s suspicions—Sakazuki already knew exactly what today was about.

And that only made Jack even less optimistic about Aokiji’s chances.

Sure enough, once everyone was present, Aokiji didn’t hesitate. He turned to Akainu and spoke plainly, directly confronting him—and asked that he remain in his post as one of the three admirals.