Garp's sudden interruption unexpectedly eased the previously tense atmosphere in the room.
"Before we begin, I have something to announce. After confirming with Sengoku, both Sakazuki and Kuzan have officially reached admiral-level strength." Steel Bone Kong's deep voice resonated throughout the meeting room.
As his words fell, a wave of shock swept through the assembled vice admirals. With the exception of Garp, who remained nonchalant, and veterans like Dalmatian who had been informed earlier, nearly everyone else was stunned.
Kong's declaration was like a bolt from the blue—especially for those vying for the vacant admiral positions. Many had still been hoping that Sakazuki and Kuzan were just strong candidates but hadn't crossed the final threshold. That illusion was now shattered.
Up until now, the reason Sakazuki and his peers hadn't been promoted was simply because they weren't quite there yet. It was precisely that gap that gave some of the older, more seasoned vice admirals hope—hope that they too had a shot at the admiral ranks.
But now? Now two out of three possible admiral slots were effectively sealed, and the remaining one suddenly felt as distant as the stars.
"Sigh… You all still haven't grasped the gravity of the situation," Kong said gravely. "Sakazuki and Kuzan broke through during their battle with Rosinante. In other words, during the Buster Call operation, Rosinante stood alone against two admiral-level foes, crushed the operation, and left calmly. Do you understand what this means?"
Before Kong had even finished speaking, horror crept over the faces of every vice admiral in the room.
There were only a handful of people on the seas who could take on two admirals at once and live to tell the tale. Each and every one of them was a legend—a true king of the seas.
And now… Rosinante, not even twenty years old, had done just that? The very thought made their blood run cold.
Initially, when they heard Sakazuki and Kuzan had reached admiral level, most assumed it was a result of the battle—a post-fight breakthrough. That kind of progression wasn't uncommon after a life-or-death clash. It was believable.
But to grow in power during the battle? That bordered on mythical.
And when they first learned Rosinante had destroyed the Buster Call operation, the news was shocking—but not incomprehensible. After all, the operation didn't include a current admiral. To them, it still felt less intense than Garp's pursuit of the Pirate King, Roger.
But now that they knew Sakazuki and Kuzan had both achieved admiral strength in the heat of combat, and Rosinante still walked away… That was something else entirely.
"That's impossible!" one old vice admiral scoffed. "Two admirals? Their strength isn't just for show. That Rosinante brat—how could he possibly overcome such odds? Admirals represent the pinnacle of the navy's might!"
"Exactly! And these so-called Logia powers—turns out they're not so impressive after all," another veteran sneered dismissively.
Sakazuki's face darkened. Already seething from what had happened, this mockery tipped him over the edge.
He raised his hand, which instantly transformed into seething magma. The intense heat melted the edge of the conference table, and a crushing wave of killing intent erupted from him, pressing down hard on the two heckling vice admirals.
Sakazuki never had patience for mockery. Before, he might've endured for lack of absolute strength—but now, he was an admiral. Why tolerate anything?
Though he lacked Conqueror's Haki, his raw killing intent, honed through years of slaughtering pirates, was enough to terrify anyone. His body had already broken through human limits.
Even these battle-hardened veterans, used to braving hellish seas, broke into cold sweats under his pressure.
"Enough!" Kong's voice roared like thunder. "This is a naval meeting, not a damn marketplace! If you want to brawl, I'll set up a ring outside!"
He glanced sharply at Sakazuki and the two hecklers, and with that, the overbearing tension vanished.
The two old vice admirals finally realized what they were up against. No matter their seniority, they stood no chance against a true admiral.
"But what kind of ability does this Rosinante have to survive such a confrontation?" another vice admiral asked, much more respectfully now. After experiencing Sakazuki's might firsthand, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
"Hmm… It wouldn't be accurate to say he escaped," Kuzan spoke up. "Rather, he left—calmly."
All eyes turned to Kuzan.
"Rosinante, full name Donquixote Rosinante. Eighteen years old. Admiral-level strength. Possesses the Silence Fruit. It allows him to silence all forms of force, including Devil Fruit abilities. Most notably, he can absorb and store incoming attacks, then release them back in a devastating counterstrike. In simple terms—the stronger the attack he receives, the more powerful his retaliation becomes. Unless you can obliterate him in an instant, he'll turn your power against you."
As Kuzan spoke, a group of naval staff handed out Rosinante's dossier to everyone in the room.
Reading the file, many officers exchanged skeptical glances.
At first glance, it didn't sound like anything impossible to handle. His Devil Fruit ability was strange, yes, but it had its limits. Silence? Don't let him touch you. Absorb and retaliate? Just avoid direct hits or use non-fruit-based attacks.
To them, the real concern wasn't the power—just Rosinante's unnervingly young age and high battle power.
Seasoned by countless encounters with bizarre Devil Fruits, these vice admirals weren't easily frightened.
As long as Rosinante wasn't sporting a world-breaking power like Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit, there had to be a way to counter him.
"Don't underestimate him just because you think you understand," Sakazuki growled. "Whether it was my magma or Kuzan's ice, or any other force that struck him—he silenced it all. Then he condensed and redirected that power with terrifying precision. And don't forget—Garp's seen it too—that state of his… the one where he breaks his body's natural limits. In that state, he delivered a punch that shattered my full-force Meteor Volcano and Kuzan's Ice Age. That one attack… wiped out all of Ohara."
He paused grimly, then added, "As much as I hate to say it, that final blow—was on par with Whitebeard's."
"What?! You're exaggerating!" someone protested. "Matching Whitebeard? That's insane!"
"It's true," Kuzan affirmed. "But don't be too alarmed. That punch came at a tremendous cost. Even with admiral-level strength, he couldn't possibly launch a second one. But if given time to gather enough force, Rosinante can release a single attack comparable to Whitebeard's."
"That's horrifying enough," another muttered. "Whitebeard-level power from someone barely of age…"
As the room erupted into uneasy murmurs, Kong slammed his palm on the table to silence the chatter.
"No matter how strong Rosinante is, he alone wouldn't justify calling an emergency meeting. The sea is full of monsters—we've seen plenty stronger than him. No, the reason I summoned all of you today is this…"
His voice dropped cold as ice as he reached behind him, pulled out a letter, and tossed it on the table.
"Because someone… sent me a letter."