Marine cafeteria at the G5 Branch, two days later.
Smoker sat down with a tray and glanced at Taro, who was burying his head in food opposite him.
The latest issue of the newspaper was also on the dining table.
On the front page of the newspaper, in large bold font, it read,
"The Marine's strongest combat power, the 'ink dragon' Taro completely explodes!"
The accompanying photo was a "Haoshoku clash" between two dark figures,
the style bore a striking resemblance to the popular character whose catchphrase is "There is only one truth"!
Taro knew it was him and Katakuri, but their faces had been deliberately obscured; thinking about it, he knew it was the World Government's intervention.
Newspaper tycoon Morgans seemed to know the severity of this incident and had no intention of defying the World Government.
The copy was still signed by "Absa," that leopard man, and the description of Taro in the text was filled with extreme flattery and praise.
The content did not directly mention Doflamingo and Katakuri's names, only stating that Taro faced a battle of attrition against two top-tier powerhouses simultaneously and still appeared to handle it with ease, as if strolling through a garden.
With a raise of his hand, he caught the opponent's attack;
With a step, he neutralized the opponent's force;
With a swing of his blade, he unleashed an earth-shattering Slash!
When Taro saw this report, he almost coughed up three liters of blood,
this damn Absalom must have actually eaten the "Catch-Neutralize-Release" Fruit!
He truly inherited the legacy of Master Ma!
Damn, is this the professional ethics of a freelance writer?
The secondary section of the newspaper was about the public execution of "Disaster" Jack,
"Gekko Moriah's resurrection, 'Disaster' Jack's massive defeat!"
The text vividly described Jack having his two ivory tusks broken and finally being "thrown" into the sea.
At the same time, it also solemnly depicted the "great battle" between Moria and Jack.
The accompanying illustration was hand-drawn, signed by that girl named Wan Shi.
At that time, Wan Luo hadn't left an energy marker, so no on-site photos could be captured of the battle after Lucci and the others appeared.
This issue of the newspaper made Taro's mouth twitch,
this kind of news, half-true and half-false, is hard for outsiders to distinguish, and it surprisingly suits Morgans' taste!
Smoker had naturally read these things too, and they made his scalp tingle.
Suppressing his disgust, Smoker shifted his gaze from the newspaper to Taro,
"Hey, Mr. Taro, the Marine's strongest combat power, how much longer do you plan to stay here? The command from headquarters arrived yesterday!"
Taro swallowed the food in his mouth and looked up,
"If it's disgusting, why were you just staring at it? Fake news ruins the appetite, you know?"
Smoker frowned, his expression somewhat stiff,
"I didn't ask this; Vice Admiral Tsuru did!"
A command came from Marineford yesterday: the former G5 Base commander Vergo has left the Marine, and the position of Base commander is now temporarily held by Vice Admiral Tsuru.
So, Grandma Tsuru is essentially Smoker's direct superior now.
Taro looked at Smoker with a strange gaze,
"Hey, I say, are you disappointed about not becoming the Base commander, Smoker?"
Smoker's breath hitched, anger welled up on his face, and with a dark expression,
"Taro, are you insulting me? I didn't join the Marine for some position!"
Taro only intended to make a joke, but seeing Smoker's serious face, he knew he had misspoken.
With a solemn face and a sincere tone,
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that!"
Smoker's face softened slightly; he puffed on his cigar and said no more.
"Wait a bit longer." After apologizing, Taro continued, "It's not enough yet!"
Smoker raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you waiting for?"
Taro finished the last of his food, packed up his utensils, and said with a smile,
"It should be soon. Anyway, just waiting is the right thing to do!"
...Marineford, New Marineford.
In the Fleet Admirals Office, Akainu roared with a dark face,
"What does Taro want by lingering at G5? I've already agreed to the islands he wanted; what more does he want?"
Kizaru kept his eyelids low, neither clipping his nails nor speaking, legs crossed, leaning lazily on the sofa.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes flickered slightly, her tone faint,
"Garp said Taro was seriously injured, and this has been confirmed by many Marine Soldiers at G5. Perhaps he just needs a few more days to recover!"
Akainu grew even more furious and slammed his fist onto the newspaper on the desk,
"Didn't you see today's newspaper? Does this look like someone who is seriously injured?"
"My, how scary, Sakazuki!" Kizaru suddenly spoke up, sounding like a total Yin and Yang master as soon as he opened his mouth,
"After all, he's the Marine's strongest combat power; it's understandable if he has a bit of a temper!"
Akainu's fists cracked as he turned to glare at Kizaru,
"Borsalino, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Kizaru shifted his body to lean back more comfortably,
"Taro has earned face for the Marine, and for you too, Sakazuki!"
"Aren't you going to propose Mr. Issho for the position of Admiral? The stronger Taro's strength is, the easier it will be for the person he recommends to be recognized! The tougher he acts now, the more beneficial it is for you and the Marine."
Vice Admiral Tsuru crossed her hands under her chin and glanced sideways at Kizaru without speaking.
Akainu's expression calmed slightly as he furrowed his brows in thought.
The World Conscription has ended, and now only the final confirmation remains,
He recommended those two experts, whose strength had been confirmed by Taro and Kizaru, to fill the vacant Admiral positions,
This matter has been reported to the Fleet Admiral Kong, but no reply has been received yet.
"My resignation from the post of Great Staff Officer to be succeeded by Taro has been rejected!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke calmly at this moment.
Akainu's face, which had just calmed, darkened again.
He was actually quite uncomfortable with the idea of partnering with Taro.
The thought of discussing major Marine affairs with Taro in the future gave him an urge to cough up blood.
Hearing that Vice Admiral Tsuru's resignation was rejected, he felt a flash of joy followed by dissatisfaction.
This showed that those old fellows still didn't care about Marineford's position, or even held it in contempt.
At this time, Vice Admiral Tsuru added another sentence,
"They only agreed to establish the position of vice chief of staff, to be held by Taro!"
What kind of position is vice chief of staff?
Akainu was dismissive; why did the Marine need so many staff officers?
Kizaru's gaze behind his sunglasses shifted slightly, wondering what he was thinking.
Perhaps he was envious of having an extra title and an extra salary!
The office fell into silence for a moment.
Many people in the Marine who were not in the inner circle only vaguely felt that the atmosphere at headquarters was off, but they couldn't figure out why.
Until Zephyr, the former Admiral and current Marine Chief Instructor who had been leading the "Pirate Guerrilla Force" abroad in recent years, returned to Marineford.
Zephyr is leaving the Marine!
The spread of this news made many Marine officers realize that things were not simple!
Vice Admiral Taro had the momentum of a great victory but did not return to headquarters,
the results of the World Conscription were also delayed in being announced,
and Zephyr was leaving the Marine at this time!
This series of abnormal events all indicated that an undercurrent was surging!
For a time, the Marine officers with complex networks of relationships were restless and began to reach out in all directions to gather internal information!
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