"Next up, it's your turn," Michael said, turning his attention to the top combatants of the SWORD Classified Special Forces—the four who had just been exceptionally promoted to vice admirals.
"Stella, you and Crocodile will head to Egghead Island to take charge of all affairs on the island. Protecting Vegapunk's safety is absolutely the top priority," Michael said seriously, looking at the two women who each had their own distinct charm.
"This was originally the job of Borsalino and Tokikake, but now it falls to you two... Do well, and make sure Vegapunk remains completely... our person from start to finish."
The moment Michael said this, everyone present couldn't help but smile.
He might as well have outright said, 'Keep those nosy World Government people away from Vegapunk.'
Stella and Crocodile nodded, but Stella's eyes clearly held a trace of reluctance...
"What is it, Stella?" Michael turned to her, those mesmerizing green eyes of hers gleaming like gemstones, making even him feel a slight tremor in his heart.
"Don't look at me like that... I might think you've fallen for me."
"...You stupid blockhead."
Stella muttered under her breath and then fell silent.
Her reaction not only left Michael utterly confused but also sparked heated discussion among their SWORD comrades.
"Wait, Stella still hasn't gotten through to Michael yet?"
"Who are you asking? I thought they'd definitely already... you know?"
"What do you mean by 'you know'?"
"You know, kissing! While flicking their tongues and everything!"
"Seriously, is Michael really trying to be a playboy? I remember when he was with Vice Admiral Momousagi—the way she looked at him, it was like she wanted to devour him whole."
"And it's not just Michael—what about Crocodile? Haven't you noticed how she just stares at Michael's back and face like she's in a trance?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, don't tell me you've all forgotten about Bellemere, who's currently raising kids right now?"
"Damn, when you put it that way... Michael's personal life is a real mess."
Michael suddenly stood up, his twin wings spreading wide as a benevolent smile crossed his face.
"Have I been... giving you all too much freedom lately?"
Before Michael could even finish speaking, everyone had already rushed out of the conference room.
In an instant, the room was left with only Michael, along with Hawkeye and Enel, whose next moves were still undecided.
Hawkeye calmly pointed at his own face and asked, "What about me? What should I do?"
"You? Obviously, you and Enel—one a bloodthirsty killer, the other a reckless fool—are coming with me! Did you really expect any other place in the Marine to tolerate the likes of you two!?"
Michael rolled his eyes, his tone laced with exasperation.
Hawkeye and Enel were actually the easiest to assign—their individual combat strength meant they could simply be thrown into the New World.
But then it occurred to him that the New World was primarily under Akainu's G-1 branch.
Given how these two already had a strong inclination toward violence, it wouldn't be good if they were further corrupted by Akainu's influence.
After some deliberation, he decided it was best to keep them with him.
"By the way, the timing's perfect. You two, come with me."
"I have to... play the role of a wedding officiant."
Ever since the main force and bulk of the Revolutionary Army shifted to the first half of the Grand Line, known as "Paradise," Baltigo had completely transformed into the true headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
No one would have guessed that this seemingly desolate island now harbored the revolutionary force eyeing the entire world with ambition.
However, the Revolutionary Army seemed to have hit a bottleneck.
After liberating all four seas, internal divisions had begun to emerge between them.
Some argued that since the four seas had been freed, they should simply settle down and live peacefully there—why continue advancing into the Grand Line, a place ordinary people would never set foot in?
And this sentiment wasn't rare—in fact, it had grown to represent the majority.
Most of these voices came from those who had joined the Revolutionary Army when their home countries in the four seas were liberated.
"Ugh, these people are just boosting the enemy's morale while dampening our own! Who ever heard of a revolution that stops halfway!?" Ginny fumed, sitting atop a table.
"At the end of the day, they're just scared after witnessing the bizarre weather of the Grand Line!"
"But Ginny, our revolution is about welcoming like-minded people... not forcing those who've joined us to blindly follow a path to the bitter end." Kuma's towering frame meant that even while sitting on the ground, he had to lower his head to meet Ginny's gaze.
"They're ordinary people. Wanting an ordinary life... is only natural."
Ginny was about to argue further when the door suddenly swung open, cutting her off.
"So you two really are here... I've turned all of Baltigo upside down looking for you."
"M-Michael!? What are you doing here all of a sudden!?" Ginny immediately leaped onto Kuma's shoulders.
"I heard the Marine's been holding some promotion ceremony lately... so did you get a promotion too?"
"Sort of?" Michael shrugged. "Still a Vice Admiral, but now with the additional title of Grand Inspector... Overall, I've pretty much reached the peak of power within the Marine."
"That means our backing is even stronger now?"
"What good is a strong backing?" Michael rolled his eyes. "You need to be strong yourself! If I weren't here today to officiate your wedding... I'd drag you out and beat you up first."
"W-what!? W-wedding!?"
"You didn't forget what Kuma said back then, did you?" Michael rolled his eyes again.
"He promised he'd propose to you once the four seas were liberated..."
"Yeah, he already proposed," Ginny replied blankly. "And I said yes."
"So... no time like the present. Today seems like a perfect day—why don't you two just get married already?"
Ginny and Kuma were so stunned by Michael's sudden ambush they could barely speak. Discover more novels at novelꜰire.net
Seeing this, Michael simply dragged the star-crossed lovers out of the room.
The whole of Baltigo was now decked out in festive decorations, bustling with excitement.
Their leader, the man with strange facial tattoos known as the "Torch of Revolution," Monkey D. Dragon, was directing everyone to prepare the venue at top speed.
"Uh... when exactly did you all start preparing this?"
"Right around the time you started inexplicably sulking..." Dragon walked up to Kuma and looked up at Ginny, who was perched on his shoulder.
"Fooling you two was way too easy."
Before Ginny could say anything else, she felt Kuma's hands gently lift her down from his shoulder.
"Ginny, just as Michael said... no time like the present."
Michael watched the scene with a doting smile forming on his face...
Hawkeye and Enel, two expressionless figures, suddenly appeared before him.
"Should we set off the fireworks now? The atmosphere seems just about right."
"Is there any fruit here? I'm hungry."
"Both of you, get the hell out of here! Don't ruin this touching moment for me, you bastards!"