The moment Smoker finished speaking, Wright nodded repeatedly and said,
"That's why, back then, when I protested to Old Man Sengoku, he actually threatened to rename me something like 'Orange Cat'..."
With a dramatic wave of his hand, Wright scoffed,
"What the hell is 'Orange Cat'? Absolutely not! But I have to admit, this whole cat thing…"
Issho's face turned pale as he hurriedly stopped Wright.
"Admiral Wright! You're not seriously considering settling on a name with 'cat' in it, are you? You can't!"
"Uh… of course not!"
Wright chuckled helplessly, reassuring the sweat-drenched Issho.
"A cat wouldn't do, but a tiger… now that's something, right?"
"Hmm… That does sound quite powerful. But 'Purple Tiger'? It feels a bit odd…"
Rosinante traced the characters for 'Purple Tiger' on the table, deep in thought.
"It doesn't feel imposing enough, and the pronunciation is a bit off…"
"Then let's go with 'Fujitora.' 'Fuji' is still a shade of purple, and 'Fujitora' sounds way more badass, don't you think?"
Wright unveiled the title he had prepared in advance.
"What do you think, Issho?"
"'Fujitora,' huh… Excellent!"
Issho's face lit up with a satisfied smile. The 'Orange Cat' debacle had terrified him, but this—this was perfect.
"Thank you, Admiral Wright. I am truly pleased with this name."
"Alright then, I'll report back to Old Man Sengoku at Marineford—our new Marine Admiral shall be 'Fujitora' Issho!"
...
The transition of the Fleet Admiral wouldn't happen overnight. Although the Marine stronghold itself had remained unscathed during the Summit War, Oris Plaza suffered massive damage, and the inner bay's encircling wall needed repairs. Countless other matters also had to be addressed.
After all, they couldn't have the new Fleet Admiral ascend to power in a half-destroyed Marineford, could they?
Meanwhile, the workload at the Marine Hospital was significantly lighter—thanks to Admiral Wright, the Marines who fought in the war emerged virtually unscathed.
Of course, those who perished in battle could not be helped. But many Marines, shaken by Whitebeard's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, had suffered mental trauma despite Wright's protective aura. They needed time to recover.
Especially one Marine in particular.
"Koby! You're finally awake!"
Helmeppo shot up from his seat as soon as he saw Koby open his eyes.
"You've been unconscious for two whole weeks!"
"I… What happened to me?"
Koby held his head, his last memories replaying in his mind—the final moments of the Summit War, when the Marines pursued the Whitebeard Pirates.
Back then, he had heard countless voices screaming, shouting, and raging in his mind…
Especially with Admiral Wright's aura amplifying his awareness, the sheer number of chaotic voices invading his head had nearly driven him mad.
Then, as Whitebeard fell and the Marines continued their hunt, Koby distinctly felt those voices vanish—one by one.
Those voices… they were the pirates… but then, even the voices of Marines started to twist and fade…
Thanks to Admiral Wright's immense healing power and his miraculous aura, the Marines fought with fervor, yet they didn't lose control. But still, the death toll rose…
I… I was trapped in my own mind. The Marines, despite their overwhelming advantage, continued their pursuit. It was Admiral Sakazuki's order… and securing the victory was the logical choice…
But why… Why did it hurt so much? When I think back to those voices disappearing, one after another…
It's awful… utterly awful…
This is war…
If Whitebeard hadn't died, if Admiral Wright didn't have his ability, then… wouldn't most of those 'voices' have been Marines instead?!
And even now… I can still hear voices creeping into my mind… It's maddening…
"Oh! You're awake!"
Koby's attending physician approached, noticing how he clutched his head, his expression twisted with pain. With a chuckle, the doctor said,
"Still lingering in that moment? This is the sign of your Observation Haki awakening. To achieve this at your age is no small feat!"
"As expected from Vice Admiral Garp's disciple!"
Koby looked up at his doctor in confusion.
"Observation… Haki?"
Helmeppo gasped, grabbing Koby and shaking him wildly.
"You bastard! You mean you awakened one of the two Haki that only high-ranking officers, especially Admirals, can master?!"
"Why do I feel like you've left me in the dust again?!"
"I… I have no idea~"
Koby let out a wry smile. The experience had been excruciating, and he certainly didn't want to go through it again.
"More importantly… is Admiral Wright at headquarters?"
"I… I need to see him!"
After regaining consciousness, Koby learned that a new Fleet Admiral would soon be appointed.
It had been half a month since the war ended.
Finally, Koby found himself in Wright's office, where the Admiral was reviewing paperwork. Just like Sengoku before his promotion, Wright had already begun familiarizing himself with the responsibilities of the Fleet Admiral role.
Although he had only been an Admiral for a few years, when it came to handling administrative work, Wright was the most competent among the four Admirals.
Looking at Koby—the so-called 'cheat code' of the Navy in the original story—Wright chuckled inwardly.
In this version of the Navy, there are others even more broken than Koby…
Koby had awakened Observation Haki, and Wright could tell his ability was eerily similar to Enel's—his sensitivity to people's 'voices' was extraordinarily high.
During the Summit War, thanks to Wright, Marine casualties were remarkably low. The aura-enhanced Marines showed no signs of fear or desertion.
And when Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Sakazuki ordered the pursuit of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Marines did not descend into blind fanaticism—because the very concept of 'disregarding comrades' lives' had been erased from their minds.
As a result, Koby never lost control. However, due to his heightened sensory perception under Wright's aura, the impact of his Haki awakening had been overwhelming, causing him to pass out on the battlefield.
"Koby, there's no need to be so formal. Help yourself to some tea over there."
Since Koby and Helmeppo were Vice Admiral Garp's direct disciples, they were technically of the same generation as Wright. Not that anyone would actually see it that way.
In private, Koby greatly admired Wright, though the latter hadn't shown him any special treatment.
Old Man Garp's personal training sessions were more than enough.
"A-Admiral Wright!"
Koby tensed up. While Wright had never been the type to act superior, this time was different—Wright was the undeniable next Fleet Admiral!
After all, he had fairly defeated Admiral Sakazuki in a one-on-one duel to secure the position.
That held far more weight than a mere recommendation or appointment!
"I… I want to follow your sense of justice!"
Koby's sudden declaration made Wright freeze.
"Huh?"
"You idiot! What are you saying?!"
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