103 Chapter 102: Suspicions
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Chapter 102: Suspicions
***
Gion was a Vice Admiral with bright brown eyes, black hair, and a spider tattoo on her thigh. She was quite strong even amongst others of similar rank. And that same woman glanced at Max with suspicion
Normally she wouldn't have been so skeptical of him but she saw it, in the war… She saw him murdering Admiral Aokiji.
Well, she didn't directly observe the scene, but she saw Aokiji appearing close to Max and encompassing the place with a frosty fog. In the end, only Max left the mist the Admiral wasn't seen anywhere else until his deceased body had come into view.
She also hadn't seen Max lave the cold mist dome. But Gion assumed that he had either moved too fast or somehow gone underground.
**
After the meeting was finished, she stared at Max and asked him. "Admiral Higuma, can I talk to you?"
He didn't pay any attention to her and instead reminded Kizaru to get up now as the meeting was over.
*cough*
She coughed awkwardly and got close to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Excuse me, Admiral Higuma. Can I talk to you for a second?"
Max looked at her in confusion, but then realization filled his eyes. "Oh! Right. Sorry, I am still not used to my nickname. It sounds strange."
Gion felt relieved talking to him, he seemed like someone easy to speak to.
"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"
"Can we speak in private?"
"Sure."
Both of them walked out of the meeting room and went towards one of the balconies. Max looked down at the construction crew, some of them were working even at night.
"They should rest, this isn't healthy," mumbled Max under his breath. So quietly that unless one had good senses they wouldn't be able to hear him. But she was able to discern what he had said.
Now that the time came, she couldn't say anything and looked at the same place Max was looking at.
He seemed kind, so Gion wasn't used to this kind of situation. After all, he was nonetheless her superior and if it came to his word against hers then it was clear who would win in the end. But Gion would never let such actions, like murdering a comrade, go unpunished.
"Isn't it amazing?" Asked Max, interrupting her train of thought. "How the world works. We fight and they help us."
He pointed at the workers. "People consider them useless, but in my opinion society is like a mechanical clock. So even with the smallest part missing, it wouldn't work."
If the strong people didn't have someone to build the things they destroy or mow the fields. Then it would be senseless, even to the strong and society would collapse as he said it.
"Yeah…" Gion found herself agreeing with him. But she then summoned her courage and asked. "Did you kill Admiral Aokiji?"
At her words, Max's body jerked.
'I knew there was something suspicious.' Gion noticed his body language and already made her assumptions.
"What gave you that idea? Why would I ever kill him?" Max inquired calmly. "Also if I and Aokiji fought, the battle would be very destructive and noticeable. Even I wouldn't be 100% sure that I would win, much less kill the man."
"No, I saw you in the war, you killed him," she claimed resolutely.
He sighed, disappointed. "I don't know what you saw, but I can assure you, I cannot kill Aokiji. Plus why would I kill him in the war? I had no motive to do so."
"I…" even Gion couldn't come up with an answer to that. Why would Max kill Aokiji?
The man who she was accusing also had a gentle smile on his face as he gazed at her. He seemed innocent, everything suggested that he was innocent. But Gion just had this feeling that something was wrong.
"How about you travel with me then?" Suggested Max, settling his hand on her shoulder. "You could tail me wherever I go and see if I was the one who did it. Then you can come to your own conclusions. How about that?"
"Hmmm…" Gion considered it at first, but the decision was obvious. "Yes, I will do that then. I hope I won't be a bother."
"No, no, I am glad that there still exist marines out there willing to chase after justice, no matter what," he glanced at her before walking off. But he suddenly stopped and stared her in the eyes one last time. "I admire your honesty."
***
-Max POV-
As I walked away from Gion, I was a little relieved. When she told me why she wanted to talk, I contemplated killing her right there and then and eating her body. Essentially there would be no trace of her left, and planting evidence to frame her death on someone else wouldn't be so hard.
I heard that Tokikake liked her. So blaming him wouldn't be so hard, I would also plant evidence that he raped her. It would add such disgust toward him that no one would defend the man. Why? Because it's easier to stay on the side that had the moral high ground. Nobody would defend a rapist.
Though I don't think that plan will be needed now.
***
A week passes and Gion keeps following me around. I spent the whole week helping the workers move heavy stuff, this was incredible training, especially with the diluted Seastone bracelet. It weakened me exponentially, yet I kept working with that on. No matter how small, any increase in strength would be helpful.
I made some small conversation with Gion and we learned more stuff about each other. Also, she is being considered to become the next Admiral. So she was quite strong. Currently, the only Admirals are me and Kizaru. So the Marines were searching for another one.
*
It was another day of work as I helped carry a chunk of stone that was as big as a small ship. Gion helped too and she carried some wood, though only about a quarter the size I was carrying.
"Admiral Max." A marine came towards us and saluted. "You have been summoned to Mariejois."
"On whose orders?" I inquired.
"The Fleet Admiral's."
Well, I couldn't refuse those orders. Or else I would have to start over to build my army. I don't think he would immediately demote me, but these things would eventually add up.
Now that I was an Admiral, these years spent in the Marines would have been a waste of time if I left now. Also, there was someone I wanted to meet in Mariejois too.
Dropping the huge stone on the ground, made the ground shake as an earthquake had hit it. I brushed off my hands against each other and casually put them in my pockets. "Welp, Gion, wanna come with me?"
"Sure," she shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do."
I looked her in the eyes and tried to sense any deception in them. But nope, Gion was just naive. Why? Because she hadn't even noticed the rumors.
Since she hasn't told anyone about her suspicions but kept following me around. People see that the wrong way and assumed she had feelings for me. She doesn't, or at least I think she doesn't. But to others, it appeared like she did harbor feelings for me.
**
Akainu looked at the transponder snail in his desk like he wanted to kill the small creature. He had just finished talking with the Five Elders and they had given him a certain order, one that he didn't like at all.
"Tch, those bastards, who do they think they are?!" Akainu shouted madly.
"Sir, Admiral Higuma is here," a marine said from the other side of the door.
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A/N: Each Admiral has a nickname/codename. Though they are also called by their names by people close to them. Like Sakazuki (Akainu), Borsalino (Kizaru), Kuzan (Aokiji).
Kizaru = Yellow Monkey
Akainu = Red Dog
Higuma = Brown Bear
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