Chapter 541: Licking Their Wounds (Part 3)
"In this battle against the Marines, we successfully resisted their ambitions in the New World. Although the ending was somewhat imperfect, the overall outcome was good. You have all successfully proven the strength of the Rockefeller Pirates to the world."
It was a rare word of praise from Charlotte. Hearing it, many of the younger children in the room beamed with pride. Robert's group, in particular, held their heads high.
"However, this battle also revealed many problems," Charlotte continued, his tone shifting. "For instance, our command structure is too thin. Most of the commanders just charge ahead recklessly, paying no attention to the warriors under their command. This makes it difficult to organize effective, large-scale maneuvers, which is why, despite being the victors, our losses were on par with the Big Mom Pirates."
As he spoke, the smiles vanished from everyone's faces, replaced by serious expressions.
"I have decided to expand the number of commanders in the Rockefeller Pirates and establish three new divisions. The captains of these three divisions will be appointed from among you. Those who are not chosen will serve as their deputies."
At these words, Robert and the others looked at their father with unconcealed joy. He was planning to let them lead independently. This was fantastic news. Many of them sat up ramrod straight, trying to attract Charlotte's attention.
Seeing the actions of these young ones, Charlotte smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Robert, Sif, Deidara!" Charlotte called out.
The three whose names were called stood up instinctively. "Yes!"
"I now declare Rockefeller Robert as the captain of the 4th Division. The 4th Division of the Rockefeller Pirates is hereby established!" Charlotte announced from his seat at the head of the table, looking at the standing Robert.
Although he had been mentally prepared, hearing his father say the words still made Robert tremble with excitement. "Yes!" he cheered, striking a playful pose.
Charlotte shook his head again. "You've grown up. You're eighteen now. It's time to be more mature, not act like a child," he advised.
"Yes, sir!" Robert immediately wiped the smile from his face and stood solemnly. Deidara, standing nearby, curled his lip in disdain.
"Sit down," Charlotte said with a wave. He then turned his gaze to Sif. "Rockefeller Sif, I hereby grant you the position of captain of the 5th Division. The 5th Division of the Rockefeller Pirates is hereby established."
"Understood," Sif replied calmly, showing little emotion. Her personality had been greatly influenced by Esdeath. Ever since Esdeath had formed the 1st Division, Sif had been by her side, fighting with her and helping her manage the division's affairs. She was not surprised to be made captain of the 5th Division.
Esdeath looked at Sif and nodded, a gratified smile on her face. This little sister of hers, five years younger, was finally about to show her own fangs. Sif returned the smile.
Charlotte nodded in satisfaction. After Sif sat down, only one name remained. By now, everyone had a good idea who it would be.
"Rockefeller Deidara, I hereby grant you the position of captain of the 6th Division. The 6th Division of the Rockefeller Pirates is hereby established," Charlotte announced directly.
Without a doubt, these three had been the most diligent members of the crew in recent years, aside from Esdeath, Caesar, and Tesla. They spent their days either fighting or helping to manage the crew's internal affairs. They had also demonstrated impressive combat strength during the great war, so no one would object to their promotion.
With the establishment of the three new divisions, there was both joy and sorrow. Robert, Sif, and Deidara were certainly happy. But the children who were not promoted were somewhat disappointed. One of them stood out in particular: Eve, who was the same age as the new captains. The other three had all been given positions by their father, but she had not been mentioned.
However, Eve knew why. Compared to her three older siblings, she disliked fighting and rarely took the initiative to participate in combat or manage affairs. As a result, she appeared rather unremarkable next to them. Compared to fighting, Eve preferred to tend to flowers and plants. She was a quiet girl. It was for this reason that Charlotte had not granted her any position.
"The rest of you shouldn't be disappointed," Charlotte said, looking at those who were feeling down. "When you have achieved great merit, I will also promote you to division captain. Six divisions are far too few for the Rockefeller Pirates. The Whitebeard Pirates have thirteen! We cannot have fewer than them."
He then added with a smirk, "And look at my memory. The Whitebeard Pirates suffered heavy casualties this time. I heard they lost five division captains, which means they only have eight now. You all better work hard!" he said, looking at Julie, Logan, and the other young, aspiring members.
"Yes, Father! We won't let you down!" Logan, Julie, and the others declared in unison.
"Hahaha!" Charlotte laughed. "Alright, that's all for today's meeting. Everyone, get back to your duties. Let's get the Rockefeller Pirates back on track. There probably won't be any major wars for the next year or two." He clapped his hands.
With the war over, a great weight had finally been lifted from his heart. Charlotte felt a sense of ease in both body and mind. The commanders and his children slowly filed out of the room, leaving Charlotte alone at the head of the table, motionless.
He raised his hand, and the Seven-Star Sword appeared in his palm.
"Is my strength enough to protect all of them?" he murmured to himself.
This great war had made Charlotte aware of his own shortcomings. He felt as if he was in a phase where he was better than those below him, but not quite good enough to challenge those above. No one could kill him, but he couldn't kill any of his top-tier opponents either. He seemed to be missing a decisive, fatal blow.
A Great Swordsman, top-tier three-color Haki, a perfect physique... what else was he missing? Could it be a Devil Fruit?
Charlotte recalled the final moments of the war. Whitebeard's furious attack. The punch that tore apart the sky and the sea. The image was still vivid in his mind. Charlotte could feel that the attack posed a threat to him, but it was only a threat. At his level, it was incredibly difficult for any attack to kill or even injure him in one blow. And for him to get any stronger felt as difficult as ascending to heaven. It was as if his strength had reached its limit, and he had no idea how to break through. It felt as if the world itself was restricting him. He believed that Whitebeard and the others must feel the same way.
He looked at the Seven-Star Sword in his hand, its eerie green light captivating and unsettling.
"Perhaps," he murmured, stroking the blade, "it's time I gave myself a power-up of my own."
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