Aftermath

Kong was staring at Percy who was sitting in a chair opposite of him. He was feeling a migraine coming on again and started to rub his forehead,

"So your telling," Kong started as he was reading the report "that you somehow turned a vacation into a world government crisis, is that correct?"

"Not really, fleet admiral" Percy said as he tried to put puppy dog eyes on, it didn't work. "The intention was really to take an easy mission and relax, how would I know that not only cipher pol was involved, but two rival families from the same division?"

"I doubt that" the fleet admiral said as he picked up his cup of tea. "I know you well enough to know that you may be new to being a vice admiral, but your not stupid. Somehow, your involved with all this. I just want to know how."

"Fleet admiral I-" Percy started before he got cut off by Kong,

"no. I want to real story, not the one you wrote in the report. Why was the Trimm family and the Pakattik there? What were they looking for?"

"..."

"Nothing?"

"It's not like I don't want to tell you sir, it's just that the people involved..."

"So someone higher than me"

[Could it be the elders, or maybe even the celestial dragons?]

"Alright, alright, you don't need to tell me anymore. At least you captured a notorious pirate, this captain Dio of the Fur pirates, is that correct?"

"Yes sir I did."

Kong rubbed his chin, "for Kaidou to send one of his confidants to South Blue in such a hurry, there must have been something worth his effort" the fleet admiral finished staring at Percy trying to say with his eyes, 'finish the sentence'.

Percy inwardly chuckled to himself,

[if only he knew, he might smash everything in this room] Percy said as he peered around the room.

"as me and my subordinates reports state sir, he was looking for Gabba. Him being a ancient zoan user attracted Kaidou's interests."

Kong nodded and looked at his vice admiral, he couldn't trust him fully, there were too much holes in his story. It was obvious that something major happened in South Blue, but him and cipher pol were reluctant to tell anyone anything.

"Well, this case should be over and done with."

"Good" Percy said as he started to stand up

Kong stretched out his arm, "I'm not finished yet."

Percy stopped, and slowly sat back in his seat, [nothing good ever happens when I get stopped mid standing].

"The Trimm family may have said nothing about the incident, but they are pressuring us to punish you, the patriarch of the family even called me asking for me to fire you from the navy."

Black lines appeared on Percy's face as he listed to what Kong said, after a brief moment Percy started to speak,

"Oh, did he now?"

"He did, he basically demanded that I reprimand you and threatened to take this up with the world government if I don't give them a proper response."

"...and?" Percy said as he was figuring how how to slaughter the Trimm family without being discovered.

"I told them to shove their threats up their ass, or he can speak to me in person. Needless to say, that the patriarch was not to happy and threatened to take my job away. I laughed and told him to try, which he cursed a few more times before hanging up" Kong said as he started to laugh.

After Kong stopped laughing he put on a serious face again,

"that's the good news"

"What good news?" Percy asked in confusion.

"That officially, you are not to be reprimanded and are clear of any misconduct by both the marines and the world government."

"And the bad news?" Percy asked as he braced himself

"The bad news is that the Trimm family does hold some influence in the world government after all. They are one of the main families in cipher pol and have many connections with government officials. They somehow pulled some strings and someone very high up called me a couple of hours ago."

Kong paused and Percy tried to process the information,

[that must be either the gorosei, or a world noble]

"In the end, I couldn't save you completely" Kong started as he looked at his subordinate. "I somehow convinced him not to have you removed from the navy, but... there are going to be some changes with your authority."

Percy nodded his head, he didn't expect to escape sot-free, especially since the skirmish between the two families resulted in a civil war in a country supported by the world government. They needed a scapegoat and Percy was the best option.

"Don't worry, your still going to be a vice admiral, your devil fruit is too powerful for the marines not to utilize you. Unfortunately, you won't be able to make admiral anytime soon. Zed was going to step down and he recommended you to replace him, but because of this incident... that won't be possible."

"So I'll be stuck a vice admiral forever fleet admrial?" Percy asked as he tried to figure out my options.

[Should I just leave the marines and start the revolutionary army ahead of Dragon? Or should I become a pirate? I don't want to be stuck as a vice admiral forever.]

"No, you'll be up for promotion, just not anytime soon. Officially, your a vice admiral, unofficially your now a admiral-in-waiting. So it's kind of like an upgrade, but isn't. There are other vice admirals in a similar situation as you. As I said before, you would have jumped directly to admiral if not for South Blue, now, you need to get in line with everyone else."

"How long?"

"Minimum of 3 years" Kong said decisively. "That's the best deal I could negotiate with that person."

"So what now?" Percy asked as he felt lost. He could wait 3 years, after all he was only 20 years old. But he needed combat experience or time to get stronger. If he was stuck on Marineford the whole time... that would be the worst case scenario.

"For now, part of your punishment is that you'll be stuck in the New world until 3 years are up. However, you won't be earning any merits for your arrests, and, you won't be able to set foot in a marine base until your punishment is up."

"So I'm a slave?!" Percy said as he felt rather indignant. "You want me to put my life on the line for nothing, who decided this?"

"This was the conclusion me and 'that person' came up with" Kong said as he stared into Percy's eyes. "It was that or be forced to leave the navy, but let me warn you. Because of your ability, if you leave now, the world government will try to track you down."

Percy inwardly cursed, [this whole ordeal was not worth. The footage was not worth all this sacrifice, if I ever saw any of the Trimm family again; well, I'm going to send their family members back piece by piece.]

Percy didn't say anything as he got up to leave, his expression on his face was ugly.

"Hold on now" Kong said as he tried to sooth his vice admiral, "it's not all that bad"

Percy felt his blood boil, every pore was opening up and black smoke was pouring out of his body as his head was still in the doorway.

"And what is that?" Percy asked in a low voice

Kong frowned as he stared at Percy. He was leaking black smoke out of his body and it looked he would explode at any moment,

"At least Orange will be reassigned to you" Kong said as he tried to make Percy laugh.

It did not work. The emotions that was being suppressed by Percy throughout the meeting was coming to a boil and in an instant Percy shouted,

"AHHHHHHH!!!!"

That day, at that moment, as Kong stared at Percy's face... the vice admiral awakened conqueror's haki.