Inside the venue of the promotion ceremony, everyone was engaged in lively conversation.
At the center of attention were undoubtedly the new Fleet Admiral and the Three Admirals of the Marine.
This trio was hailed as the strongest in history.
Of course, such claims were best taken with a grain of salt.
In terms of individual combat prowess, which of the Three Admirals could confidently claim to defeat the current Sengoku or Garp?
Even on the battlefield, the large-scale AoE attacks that Logia users prided themselves on—Sengoku and Garp, those two old monsters, had their own equivalents.
Buddha Impact and Galaxy Impact were right there.
If there was any real advantage, it had to be their age.
The oldest, "Kizaru" Borsalino, was only 40.
The youngest, "Aokiji" Kuzan, was just 31.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, they would serve as the Marine's supreme military force for many years to come.
"My, my, the day has finally arrived. The Marine can finally move past the awkward phase of having only one Admiral."
"Exactly! Ever since Admiral Zephyr stepped back and Vice Admiral Garp kept refusing promotions, Fleet Admiral Sengoku has been the sole face of the Marine's prestige… Not that he's disgraced the Marine's name or reputation, but times have changed. The Three Admirals must be renewed to continue intimidating the scum of the seas!"
As the most important personnel in the Marine aside from the Fleet Admiral and Admirals, the Vice Admirals naturally occupied the front rows of the viewing seats…
Except for the Giant Vice Admirals.
If they sat up front, those behind wouldn't see a thing.
Well, they'd only see their backsides…
So, though the Giant Vice Admirals sat somewhat grudgingly on the outermost edges, it worked out perfectly overall.
As the attendees settled in, everyone began taking their seats.
The Vice Admirals sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the first row.
Though there was no official hierarchy among Vice Admirals, it was an unspoken rule for the elite to occupy the center.
Elite Vice Admirals like Onigumo, Momonga, Strawberry, Yamakaji, Dalmatian, and Maynard sat closest to the middle.
Five seats in the very center remained empty—even the usually arrogant Onigumo didn't dare sit there.
Everyone knew those seats were reserved.
"Oh-ho, everyone's in high spirits today! Have you eaten? Did you eat well?"
A voice rang out beside the Vice Admirals.
Looking up, they saw "Chaton" Tokikake.
"For a while, I had been wandering aimlessly along the Grand Line, and it was only thanks to this promotion ceremony that I finally returned to Marine Headquarters."
As the elite Vice Admiral closest to the Three Admirals, "Momousagi" Gion guarded the Sabaody Archipelago, while "Chaton" Tokikake was the legendary "Firefighter Captain."
He had no fixed jurisdiction or duties.
His motto was simple—wherever he was needed, he would go.
A true revolutionary brick!
Despite Tokikae's somewhat sleazy, eccentric uncle appearance giving him a unique flair, the truth was that in his "Firefighter Captain" career, wherever he stayed for long, his good reputation spread.
Within the entire Marine organization, he was a highly respected figure.
In a way, he was like a super-enhanced, plus-version T-Bone.
In any Marine faction—even the Regional Justice Faction—he was held in high esteem.
The only flaw… was his looks and tone of voice.
"Vice Admiral Chaton, you've finally returned."
Yamakaji and Strawberry, who were on good terms with Tokikake, greeted him and guided him to his seat.
Tokikake glanced down and took the outermost seat among the five empty ones.
The remaining four seats... naturally belonged to the most important figures in the current Marine Headquarters.
Aside from Gion "Momousagi," whose role was similar to Tokikake "Chaton," there were also Vice Admiral Garp, the "Hero of the Marines," and Tsuru, the "Great Staff Officer."
As for the final seat...
Although Onigumo and his faction disliked Michael, even they had to admit that Michael unquestionably deserved to sit in the center.
This was one of the rare moments when the radical militarists and the conservative faction could agree...
Michael's contributions to the Marines were simply too great—greater even than the combined achievements of their entire factions.
Just the fact that he had freed the Marines from the World Government's financial blackmail, preventing them from being forced into morally reprehensible missions, spoke volumes.
The radicals respected Michael's strength, while the conservatives acknowledged his accomplishments...
As for the slackers, they were practically shouting, "Michael is awesome!"
In a way, Michael was like Chaton—well-liked everywhere.
But above all, it came down to his sheer power.
Though few knew the details of his battle with Whitebeard, within Marine Headquarters, Michael had sparred with Garp countless times.
Especially when Garp got carried away mid-fight—those bouts left a lasting impression.
Power determined everything.
Shortly after Tokikake "Chaton" took his seat, the others arrived together.
Leading the group was the Marine Hero who's still apologizing profusely.
"Wahahaha! My bad, Tsuru! Next time, I'll think twice before acting!"
"Garp, you already have three grandsons calling you grandpa! Can't you change this hotheaded nature of yours?" Tsuru sighed, eyeing the shameless old man.
"Reckless! You nearly wiped out the Amazon Lily warriors with a single strike! You almost made those battle-hardened elites cry! It took Michael considerable effort to coax—no, recruit—them into the Marines!"
"That's right, Vice Admiral Garp... You really should temper your personality," Gion "Momousagi" chimed in, walking beside Tsuru.
"You're the Hero of the Marines—the face of our organization! Please act with some dignity!"
"Tch... Gion, why do you sound just like Bogard?" Garp clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak.
"Enough, Garp!"
Even Tsuru, who always wore a smile, finally snapped, veins bulging on her forehead.
Witnessing this rare display, all the vice admirals instinctively straightened their previously casual postures, sitting as rigidly as fresh recruits...
They barely dared to occupy a third of their seats.
This was Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Chief of Staff.
When she truly lost her temper, even Garp and Sengoku would be scolded into submission.
Let alone them.
As for factions...
Before the Chief of Staff, they meant nothing.
Garp scratched his head, puzzled by Tsuru's expression.
"Tsuru, what's gotten into you today? Did someone upset you?"
All the vice admirals mentally screamed.
'It's YOU, you old bastard!'
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