The farce concluded.
The news of the Marine's fourth admiral's unprecedented promotion swept across the seas like a hurricane, spreading through various channels.
At the G5 Base, Vergo, a Marine Vice Admiral, was the first to receive the appointment notice from Headquarters. He quickly entered a secret room and dialed the hidden Den Den Mushi.
"Vergo, is something special going on? You're using this Den Den Mushi at a time like this."
Doflamingo's surprised voice came from the Den Den Mushi.
Vergo, as a pawn he'd placed within Marine Headquarters, had climbed his way to the rank of Marine Vice Admiral step by step.
Before becoming a Warlord, Doflamingo had used Vergo to learn about many extremely confidential operations within Marine Headquarters.
"Young Master, I just received news that Marine Headquarters has suddenly nominated a newcomer trained by Garp as the fourth Marine Admiral. He's called Taotie Luoyu."[TL/N:Taotie (饕餮) is a mythical creature from ancient Chinese mythology, often depicted as a monstrous figure with a gluttonous appetite]
"The Fourth Marine Admiral? Taotie? What does that even mean?" Doflamingo's expression faltered, his hand tightening slightly on the Den Den Mushi.
The Marines had always struggled to produce even two Admirals.
The current three Admirals were even hailed as the strongest generation in history.
Now, a Fourth Admiral had appeared. This meant the power of Marine Headquarters would be strengthened like never before, wouldn't it?
"Young Master, I also don't know what this 'Taotie' means. I heard it's a so-called ancient beast. However, it's rumored that this Fourth Admiral, Taotie Luoyu, is very fond of money, and is a strange person obsessed with going to and from work. He also has mastered the Three Types of Haki and defeated Marine Instructor Zeff and Akainu Sakazuki, ultimately taking the position of Fourth Admiral," Vergo relayed the information he had just received.
"Fond of money, obsessed with going to and from work?" Doflamingo paused, then said with amusement, "It seems every Admiral in the Marines is a talent."
"Originally, I planned to help you find a powerful Devil Fruit, so you could become an Admiral at Marine Headquarters. I didn't expect someone else to get there first."
"If Kaido's Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit hadn't been secretly eaten, the Donquixote Family would probably be ruling over the black, white, and gray worlds already."{TL/N: "ruling over the black, white, and gray worlds already" evokes a sense of control and dominance, suggesting a state of affairs where one entity has influence or power over different aspects of existence, possibly including both literal and metaphorical "worlds]
"Young Master, I have disappointed you!" Vergo said in a low voice.
As a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Black Bamboo/Demon Bamboo Vergo was considered one of the best among the Vice Admirals.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been appointed as the base commander of the G5 Base on the front lines in the New World.
"Vergo, you don't need to blame yourself. The position of Admiral isn't that easy to hold," Doflamingo chuckled.
"To secure that position, he not only needs to accumulate military achievements, but many people will also be eyeing his head. If he's just a newcomer hyped up by Marine Headquarters, his life might be in danger.
"It seems this sea will become very lively in the future."
New World, in an unknown sea.
A massive pirate ship, resembling a whale, cut through the waves.
Whitebeard looked at the photo in his hand, a look of surprise on his face.
"The Navy's Fourth Admiral, Taotie Luoyu?" Marco raised an eyebrow, also looking surprised.
"This guy looks really young, about the same age as Ace. To become an admiral at such a young age, breaking the ironclad rule of the Three Admirals, he must have some skill."
"Gur-ra-ra-ra, a young punk that Sengoku took a liking to, he must have some weight. I heard he was personally trained by Garp, don't forget Ace also ran from that guy." Whitebeard said with a hearty laugh.
"It seems Marine Headquarters is quite lucky, having gathered four admirals. Are they planning to stand against the Four Emperors head-to-head?"
"If that's the case, they're underestimating us old-timers."
The captains present swiftly took the photo from Whitebeard, their faces etched with surprise.
"Pops, can this guy really live up to the title of Admiral? Ace made a name for himself on the sea much earlier," Diamond Jozu said urgently.
"If there's a chance, we could arrange for Ace to meet him. He might just be able to outmatch him and uphold the reputation of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"You're right, Jozu."
"It's been a while since Ace left. I wonder how he's doing now."
...
Onigashima, Wano Country.
Four figures, each as imposing as a mountain, sat together.
Leading them was a grim-faced Kaido, the scent of alcohol heavy in the air.
Looking at the photo in his hand, he raised an eyebrow and laughed scornfully.
"Hahaha, is Marine Headquarters desperate? They're just grabbing some brat and planning to make him an admiral? Seems like the Navy's getting weaker and weaker."
"If he wants to find a place to kill himself, let that little brat run into me, he'll probably be devastated!"
"You're right, Boss Kaido. A little brat who's only as tall as my leg, I doubt he can even take a punch from me. I really hope to run into him on the sea and let him understand the cruelty of pirates." Jack, standing to the side, echoed in a deep voice.
As the legendary ship-breaker, in Jack's eyes, he would definitely follow any order given by Kaido, no matter how reckless.
King and Queen, who were standing to the side, were silent.
Compared to Jack, who was drunk and had a head full of muscle, they were clearly thinking more.
An admiral who was promoted abnormally should still have some strength, right?
Of course, this assessment is limited by the fact that he seems to have some actual strength, considering how young the person in the photo looks.
Meanwhile, on a deserted island in the Calm Belt.
Red-Haired Shanks, one of the newly appointed Four Emperors, also received the news about the Marine Headquarters' fourth admiral at the first opportunity.
Looking at the photo and the information in his hand, Ben Beckman, with a cigar in his mouth, spoke first.
"The fourth admiral of the Marines, Taotie Luoyu. I didn't expect the Hero of the Marines, Garp, to have hidden this chess piece."
"He looks about the same age as Ace. To become an admiral at that age, he's probably got some strength."
"Shanks, we shouldn't be wrong about this, right?"
Shanks silently looked at the photo in his hand, and finally said, "Don't worry. Luffy has already started to dismantle the Seven Warlords, and we're not far off from our plan now."
"But, have you found Whitebeard? I don't want anything to happen to that guy. Luffy still needs time to grow, don't forget what that Devil Fruit represents."
"Don't worry, Captain. We just got news about Whitebeard. But, is it really okay to send a rookie to deliver the message? Don't forget, Whitebeard has always been arrogant," Lucky Roux added after taking a bite of the roasted meat in his hand.[TL/N: calling him "always arrogant" is a simplification. He was known for his strength and his loyalty to his crew, whom he considered his sons.]
As fellow Four Emperors pirate crews, they had crossed paths with Whitebeard many times during their rise, so they knew his way of doing things.
Ignoring the gazes around him, Red-Haired Shanks grabbed the hilt of his sword and stood up abruptly.
"Then, let's go ourselves!"