"I... will withdraw as well."
Tokikake reluctantly tore his gaze away from Gion and sighed helplessly.
"Being an Admiral Candidate suits me just fine. Besides, the responsibilities I oversee are not so easily replaced."
"If both of you are stepping down, then how do we determine the new Admiral?"
Sengoku furrowed his brow. He knew that Gion and Tokikake were indeed not the best choices for Admirals, but...
The room suddenly fell into a contemplative silence. Then, everyone seemed to arrive at the same thought.
"Hah... Fleet Admiral Sengoku, how about my old friend? What do you think?"
Tokikake adjusted his hat and continued:
"Issho gained explosive fame during the Summit War. As the Chief Instructor aboard the Dawn, he is undoubtedly one of our own. His contributions in defending Marineford are undeniable, and his combat prowess is unquestionably at Admiral level."
"I believe this is a feasible decision."
Tsuru nodded slowly. "Issho is indeed an excellent candidate. However, while he has held an instructor position, he has never had an official military rank..."
"Hahaha! That's hardly an issue! The Marines aren't so rigid that we can't make exceptions. Promoting him directly to Admiral isn't a big deal. He has the achievements, the reputation, the connections, and the strength—there's no reason why not!"
Garp waved his hand dismissively. As long as everyone present agreed, and the two Admiral Candidates had no objections, who else could possibly protest?
"Strictly speaking, Issho was recruited into the Marines by Wright because he was too powerful yet unknown. There was no way to grant him a rank that matched his strength at the time, so he was placed as an instructor to give him freedom while still aligning him with the Marines."
Zephyr hit the crux of the issue.
"Now, as Garp said, the timing is perfect. I doubt the World Government would oppose this—they would never allow such a powerful fighter of Admiral caliber to remain outside their control."
"After all, an Admiral is much more constrained by the World Government than an instructor with no official rank."
"Arara... that's true. Being an Admiral sounds exhausting... makes me want to take a nap."
Kuzan adjusted his eyepatch and let out a big yawn. Seeing Sakazuki defeated by Wright had actually relieved him. He had no issue with Borsalino becoming Fleet Admiral, but Sakazuki? Absolutely not!
The incident at Ohara was still a thorn lodged deep in Kuzan's heart. He rarely showed it, and his relationship with Sakazuki had slightly improved thanks to Wright, but that one event? Unforgivable.
As for Issho, Kuzan found him to be an interesting guy. If he were to take Wright's place as Admiral, at least he wouldn't let Sakazuki run rampant.
"Mmm~ I have no objections~"
Borsalino glanced at his watch.
"Perfect timing~ Let him take over at the Science Division~ My kohai is Fleet Admiral now~ I certainly don't want to deal with Vegapunk alone~"
A few chuckles rippled through the room. Gion gently rested a hand on the hilt of her blade and smiled slightly.
"I agree as well. If Wright values him, then Issho must be trustworthy."
With that, the decision was unanimously passed.
Sengoku nodded, slowly rising to his feet before offering a crisp salute to the room.
"Then, the final act of my tenure shall be this."
"Issho shall be promoted directly to Marine Headquarters Admiral!"
"Everyone, under Wright's leadership, I hope you will dedicate yourselves to suppressing the seas!"
"In the name of Justice!"
In unison, the room stood and returned the salute:
"In the name of Justice!"
At the G-5 Branch in the New World, Wright had already received Sengoku's notification.
While he had anticipated this outcome, he hadn't expected the high-ranking officials to reach a decision so quickly.
Gion and Tokikake had outright declined the Admiral position. Wright hadn't expected such a straightforward refusal, but upon further thought, it aligned with their personalities.
"Issho-san, the decision from Headquarters is in. Congratulations... you are about to be promoted directly to 'Admiral.'"
Issho sat across from Wright, with Rosinante, Smoker, Ace, and Cavendish also present.
After securing several key islands previously under Whitebeard's control and using them as footholds to stabilize the surrounding sea territories, Issho had successfully repelled an advance force from the Beasts Pirates. Wright had then summoned him back to the G-5 Branch for urgent discussions.
"This... is quite overwhelming..."
Issho was taken aback. He had expected to formally join the Marines after his "grand debut" during the Summit War, but at most, he had anticipated a special exception to grant him the rank of Vice Admiral. He never imagined he would be catapulted straight to "Admiral."
"Wait... is it even possible for the Marines to promote someone directly from civilian status to Admiral?"
Issho's question was on everyone's mind. While Wright and Ace had both started at commissioned officer ranks upon enlisting, jumping straight to Admiral? That was unheard of!
"Desperate times call for exceptional measures."
Wright waved off the concern.
"Sengoku and Garp are retiring, so we must maintain four Admirals. With Gion and Tokikake stepping down, Issho-san, you have everything needed—strength, connections, reputation, and merit—except the formal rank."
"Even if the World Government were reluctant, they wouldn't risk you walking away from the Marines. They have no choice but to accept it."
"With full approval from Marine Headquarters, this Admiral position is set in stone."
"Sensei, in that case, what will Issho-san's Admiral title be?"
Ace raised a seemingly minor yet undeniably significant question.
"Since he never went through the Admiral Candidate phase, he doesn't have a codename yet!"
"It has to be something that stands out!"
Cavendish twirled a rose with a look of admiration.
"You know, in the public eye, many people don't even know the Admirals' real names, but they always remember their codenames!"
"A single title can command fear across the seas! That is the essence of a Marine Admiral!"
Cavendish suddenly struck a dramatic pose, swooning.
"Ah~ When will people utter my name in awe..."
He cast an envious glance at Wright. White Horse. Orange Horse. Tsk, what a coincidence.*
My popularity...
Seeing Cavendish sink into melodramatic despair, Wright rubbed his temples. He already knew what was on the flamboyant swordsman's mind.
Two powerful Devil Fruits, and he turned them both down. There's no saving this guy...
"Traditionally, Admiral codenames are based on a color and an animal related to their abilities."
Rosinante stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"For Issho-san, the color is undoubtedly purple. His clothing and ability both align with it."
Smoker took a deep drag from his cigars, his expression filled with disdain toward Marine Headquarters.
"So what do we have now? A dog, a chicken, a monkey, a horse, a pig, and a rabbit?!"
"I still don't get how these animals are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of pirates."
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