One Piece: Davy Jones, Captain of the Terror Ghost

Chapter 206 206: The Cursed Aokiji Kuzan

Kuzan walked along the blue-bricked road beside the newly reconstructed Marine Headquarters, lazily sidestepping carts loaded with sand and timber as he yawned.

Lately, he had been impossibly busy.

Marine Headquarters wanted him here, there, everywhere — as though expecting him to teleport.

Still, there was a silver lining: the temporary authority he'd been granted was extraordinarily high.

As long as he destroyed a pirate stronghold, Headquarters would allow him to "act first, report later."

As a result, countless pirates across the New World had suffered miserably.

But Kuzan was still human, not a machine — and even he grew weary.

At last, he'd been granted half a day of leave — a brief respite.

Returning to Marine Headquarters, he finally felt himself relax, but as his mind quieted, memories of recent events began to resurface.

It was hard to believe that the "Paramount War," which had shaken the entire world, had ended nearly three weeks ago.

To Kuzan, it felt more like several months had passed.

Though busy, he still had a few hours to sleep each night.

Yet he couldn't.

And even when he did, nightmares would jolt him awake — leaving his entire room encased in ice.

Kuzan figured it was an involuntary stress response — his body's instinctive reaction to perceived danger, even in sleep.

Thankfully, no one had entered his quarters during those episodes, or the consequences could've been dire.

He'd started wearing gloves.

In the center of his right palm was a black mark the size of a bowl — no matter what he tried, it couldn't be erased.

Kuzan had no choice but to believe that his nightmares stemmed from that black mark.

He was cursed.

To call them nightmares wasn't quite right — they were half-dream, half-memory.

Again and again, the same scene replayed: Davy Jones forcing him beneath the sea's surface, though each time, the details twisted and changed.

Sometimes Davy Jones transformed into a monster.

He'd already looked monstrous enough in reality, but in the dream, he was something far worse — truly terrifying.

After waking from one such nightmare, Kuzan had heard rumors that, before Davy Jones left the battlefield, he'd taken all the souls of the dead from Marineford — their spirits vanishing into the sea.

Marshal Sengoku had quickly suppressed those reports, but rumors always had roots.

There had been far too many witnesses that day.

Kuzan believed it was probably true.

To the Marines, Sengoku explained it away — that Davy Jones's power was simply a Devil Fruit ability, like Charlotte Linlin's.

When people were faced with the unknown, they felt fear.

But once they were told it was "just" another Devil Fruit, that fear diminished.

Yet Kuzan knew — Davy Jones was no Devil Fruit user.

So then… what was the true source of his power?

"Admiral Aokiji, sir!"

His thoughts were interrupted.

Without realizing it, he had wandered into the Marines' temporary encampment in Mary Geoise, where soldiers saluted him as he passed.

They had always saluted him before — but never with such enthusiasm.

Everyone knew that the next Fleet Admiral would be chosen between him and Sakazuki.

Kuzan didn't care much for the title itself.

What drove him was his determination not to let Sakazuki take it.

The two men's ideals — their interpretations of "Justice" — were irreconcilably different.

Kuzan believed that if Sakazuki became Fleet Admiral, the Marines would charge headlong down a path of extremism — pedal to the floor, with no brakes.

When an order for a "Buster Call" was proposed, both Sengoku and Kuzan would hesitate, would think twice.

Sakazuki, however, would not.

He would give the order without a second thought — even if it meant bombing innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Still, Kuzan had more supporters within the Marines than Sakazuki did.

He could win this contest.

Thinking of it only irritated him further.

He truly didn't wish to see Sakazuki again.

Yet the moment he stepped deeper into the camp, fate mocked him — standing before him, just as tall and broad, was his rival, "Red Dog" Sakazuki.

Sakazuki, wearing his trademark cap, shoved away Spandam — who had apparently weaseled his way into the Marines' logistics division — and strode toward Kuzan.

Their eyes met.

"So it's you…"

The two Admirals had never gotten along.

Now, their rivalry burned hotter than ever.

They walked toward each other, step by step, neither willing to yield.

Finally, they stopped barely a meter apart.

The surrounding soldiers held their breath — none dared to move.

Sakazuki pressed down the brim of his cap and spoke bluntly:

"You shouldn't be contending with me for the Fleet Admiral's seat. You'd make a poor commander."

"How would you know if we don't test it?" Kuzan crossed his arms, unwilling to concede an inch.

"Test it?" Sakazuki's voice turned cold. "For Marine Headquarters — for the entire world — a 'test' like that would be a catastrophe."

He stared hard at Kuzan.

"I'm more suited than you. Nearly every one of Whitebeard's wounds came from me — while you were crushed and drowned by Davy Jones."

Kuzan's expression hardened — Sakazuki had struck a nerve.

He retorted, voice sharp:

"Then by that logic, Whitebeard almost killed you too."

"That's different," Sakazuki narrowed his eyes.

"What's different about it?" Kuzan smirked. "If the Fleet Admiral were chosen by that standard, neither of us qualifies — it'd be Borsalino who wins."

Sakazuki disagreed instantly.

"He's never beaten Rayleigh."

"But he's never lost to him either."

Sakazuki could take no more.

They'd had this same argument countless times — every encounter ended like this.

He suddenly recalled Spandam's recent "suggestion" — a crude, violent idea, but one that would at least make every Marine see the truth for themselves.

"Kuzan, I have a proposal."

Sakazuki lifted his cap slightly, his tone icy.

"You know that island the World Government sealed off after Vegapunk's experiment explosion?"

"I know it — Punk Hazard. What about it?"

"I'm tired of words. This endless debate solves nothing. The world calls us the strongest forces of the Marines — yet between us, we've never decided who's stronger."

"The strongest should be one — not three."

Kuzan understood exactly what Sakazuki was suggesting.

He did not back down.

"Fine. Then let's settle it — on Punk Hazard."

Ace removed his hat and bowed deeply before Whitebeard's grave.

Like the other crew members, he came here at least once a day.

Of course, captains like "Diamond" Jozu and "Flower Sword" Vista were still fighting desperately on the front lines, protecting what little of Whitebeard's territories remained. They couldn't spare the time to visit — that was another matter.

After the Paramount War, Ace had been chosen as the new leader of the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants — a decision everyone had supported.

For one, Ace had strong connections with figures like "Red-Haired" Shanks, "Dark King" Rayleigh, "Clown" Buggy, Sabo, and Jinbe.

Among them, "Clown" Buggy was now a key figure in the Davy Jones Pirates.

It was Buggy who had convinced Davy Jones to rescue Ace during the war.

That bond between Ace and Buggy was now the crucial link ensuring continued contact between the Whitebeard Remnants and the Davy Jones Pirates.

Secondly, Ace's greatest "rival," Marco, had voluntarily stepped aside — choosing instead to support Ace, preserving unity above all else.

Marco would never endanger the Whitebeard crew's harmony.

And most importantly, Ace carried the blood of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger — and was the adopted son of Whitebeard himself.

He was fated for this role, his claim unquestionable.

With enemies closing in from every direction, if Ace and Marco had fought over Whitebeard's legacy, the crew's collapse would've been inevitable.

In the New World, far too many foes waited to tear them apart.

They could not afford such foolishness.

"Visiting Pops again?"

A familiar voice called from behind him.

Ace turned.

Marco approached on foot. Within several hundred meters of Whitebeard's grave, he would never fly — that would be disrespectful to their father.

"Marco."

Ace sighed, lowering his gaze.

"I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake — accepting the role of leading the Whitebeard Pirates."

Marco bowed before Whitebeard's tombstone.

He stayed silent for a long moment before turning back.

"What makes you say that?"

"Can't you see the state we're in?" Ace said quietly. "Under my command, we've lost most of Pops' territory. And now… even our one possible ally, Davy Jones, is gone — because of me."

Marco smiled faintly and shook his head.

"It's not 'we couldn't keep much' — it's 'we managed to keep this much.' Davy Jones wasn't our only ally. Don't let Jinbe's report get you worked up."

"You still know Buggy, don't you? There'll be more chances ahead…"

Ace looked down, fingering the string of red beads around his neck.

"I'll never have Pops' strength of spirit…"

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