"Fleet Admiral, Commodore Ain has arrived."
Wright, who was reviewing documents, looked up to see Captain Brannew standing at attention. Behind him, a familiar figure entered the office—Ain, clad in the white "Justice" coat of the Marines, someone he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Fleet Admiral!"
Ain saluted formally.
"Haha… Commodore Ain, it's been a while. Welcome back!"
Wright stood up and approached Ain, taking a moment to observe her with a smile.
"It's been years, Ain. You've grown even more graceful—thank you for your hard work!"
"For Justice!" Ain responded with a smile, carefully assessing the man before her—now dressed in the Fleet Admiral's white suit, wearing a high-collared "Justice" coat, and donning the Marine cap adorned with a blue seagull emblem. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
…The bird that once sat atop Fleet Admiral Sengoku's head had been decisively removed by Wright.
Years had passed, and the once Vice Admiral Wright had now risen to the rank of Fleet Admiral. Having been away from Marine Headquarters for so long, Ain had missed several world-shaking events.
"Ain, from now on, I'll be relying on your support in handling all these matters… Only after becoming Fleet Admiral did I realize how much more there is to deal with compared to when I was an Admiral."
Wright let out a long sigh.
"I can't believe how Sengoku managed all this, especially with Garp causing trouble all the time."
Ain stifled a laugh—was it really okay to roast your predecessor like this?
Over the years, affairs at Gran Tesoro had been running smoothly under its development program.
With a massive trade agreement with Germa and a collaboration with the world's top media tycoon, Morgans, Tesoro now controlled nearly a quarter of the world's wealth!
Thanks to the continuous flow of resources from Gran Tesoro, both Watcher's Island and the Moon Base had seen significant advancements.
Additionally, Judge had already informed Wright that the custom-built aerial fortress for Kuina was nearing completion. Within half a year, it would officially enter service!
Kuina had spent years training elite forces in the New World. Combined with Dr. Vegapunk's personally designed war machines, the "Song of the Azure Sky" legion—years in the making—was finally about to step onto the world stage!
Meanwhile, Fish-Man Island's ancient ark, "Noah," had undergone secret restoration and was now outfitted with cutting-edge scientific enhancements.
Jinbe, now the Commander of the "Fang of the Sea Beasts" unit, was training an elite underwater force composed of Fish-Men and Merfolk.
With Whitebeard gone, nothing stood in the way of the Marines establishing absolute underwater supremacy!
Kuina's swordsmanship had reached new heights after her relentless battles in the New World and Wright's dedicated mentorship. If the green-haired swordsman training under Mihawk wanted to catch up, he'd have to push himself even harder.
Ain, meanwhile, would serve as Chief Strategist for both of these elite Marine special units, responsible for developing battle strategies and coordinating operations.
Wright had originally considered assigning newly promoted Commodore Ace to lead a special unit as well, but given his tendency to charge into battle headfirst, solo operations seemed more suited to him.
Captain Tashigi, having obtained a Devil Fruit, dedicated herself to swordsmanship training while adapting to the formidable physical enhancements brought by her Zoan-type powers.
During Wright's recent training sessions with Tashigi, he could clearly sense her immense progress. Though she lacked Kuina's raw talent, Tashigi had nonetheless grown into a remarkably powerful swordswoman.
Currently, Tashigi—whose strength had surged—was stationed at G-10 Base alongside Vice Admiral Hina, while Smoker had been deployed to the front lines, overseeing the newly established Marine G-11 Base, right in the heart of the territory once ruled by the Whitebeard Pirates!
Meanwhile, Rear Admiral T. Penn continued to refine his fusion of the Moa Moa no Mi and swordsmanship, while also assisting Smoker in holding the line at G-11.
Soon, the Marines would officially reveal the full extent of the Moa Moa no Mi and the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit's capabilities—two rising stars set to shine brightly in the Marine ranks!
Captain Cavendish, having rejected a Devil Fruit that he deemed "unattractive," dedicated all his efforts to honing his swordsmanship.
It was undeniable—this man was a swordsmanship prodigy, no less talented than Kuina. Through sheer determination, he had achieved a level of mastery that placed him squarely between Kuina and the now-Devil Fruit-enhanced Tashigi.
With his "White Horse" persona enhancing his abilities, "White Horse" Cavendish had become the most outstanding Marine recruit after "Flying" Kuina and "Fire Fist" Ace!
However, his narcissistic tendencies often landed him in trouble, frequently earning reprimands from Admiral "Red Dog" Sakazuki, who oversaw Marine discipline.
Though Wright had granted him special permission to ride his beloved steed, Farul, a few disciplinary sessions from Sakazuki had significantly curbed his arrogance—something for which Wright was quite grateful.
Among the four Admirals, Issho had taken over Borsalino's responsibilities, assuming leadership of the Marine Science Division and maintaining direct communication with Dr. Vegapunk.
With his ties to the Science Division severed, Borsalino had been stationed permanently in Mary Geoise to silence the World Government's critics—
After the complete annihilation of CP9, the World Government had yet to train a replacement strong enough to fill Rob Lucci's role.
The Revolutionary Army, viewed as a thorn in the government's side, had launched a daring raid on Impel Down before the Summit War, successfully rescuing Commander Ivankov. The incident had left the World Government both enraged and fearful, prompting them to demand that the Marines intensify their efforts against the Revolutionary Army while also stationing an Admiral in Mary Geoise.
And who better suited for such a cushy, nine-to-five job—one that rarely required combat—than Borsalino?
Sakazuki had taken full charge of Marine discipline, ensuring that every soldier underwent rigorous training before stepping onto the battlefield. After all, experiencing hardship in training was far preferable to facing it in combat.
With Wright now Fleet Admiral, opportunities for him to engage in direct combat were rare. His immense healing abilities meant that Marines often needed to survive the battlefield first to appreciate the full extent of his power!
Even the formerly lax Kuzan had finally gotten serious. Alongside Issho, he played a crucial role in defending and expanding the Marine's foothold in the New World against the Four Emperors.
With Wright overseeing Marine Headquarters, and Admirals Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Issho rotating deployments in the New World, the newly established G-11 Base had solidified Marine dominance over their territories.
Meanwhile, Rosinante continued to manage the intelligence network in the New World. With the situation stabilizing, his next focus was shifting toward the Marines' next target—
The Kingdom of Dressrosa. The Warlord of the Sea, "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo—Rosinante's elder brother, one of the rulers of the New World's underworld, and a key ally of Emperor Kaido known as "Joker."
A former Celestial Dragon with secret ties to the World Government, Doflamingo had operated unchecked for too long. Now, thanks to intelligence from Gran Tesoro's Tesoro and Morgans, the Marines had finally gathered enough evidence of his crimes.
All that remained was the right moment—
The moment when the royal family of Dressrosa would finally speak out!
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