Sengoku fell silent the moment Fleet Admiral Kong challenged him directly.
Off to the side, Garp and Zephyr watched him with silent amusement, as if this whole meeting had nothing to do with them. Clearly, they were enjoying the show.
Kong noticed their detached attitude and their barely hidden anticipation of drama. Lifting his head, he turned to Zephyr and asked,
"Zephyr, you're Yoriichi Tsugikuni's mentor. You tell me, what kind of reward should the Navy give him for such achievements?"
"But don't say something absurd like promoting him to Admiral. You know very well, that's absolutely impossible."
"The World Government is already turning a blind eye to a lot. If Yoriichi were to be suddenly promoted to Admiral, things would spiral out of our control."
"Give me a realistic suggestion."
Right now, Kong was in quite the bind. On the one hand, he was genuinely pleased by Yoriichi's accomplishments. He wasn't getting any younger, and it made him glad to see exceptional young men rising within the Navy.
But on the other hand—why did it have to be him? Of all people, it just had to be Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the one who recently killed CP0 agents!
Yes, what Yoriichi did was in the name of "justice." But the Navy wasn't a purely "just" organization, and politics ran deep.
If not for that incident, Yoriichi would have been celebrated openly. Any form of reward would've been justified. But because of that incident, they couldn't afford to reward him too publicly.
Handing out lavish praise could send the wrong message to the other officers. But giving too little would also leave resentment festering within.
After all, this was the man who, single-handedly, annihilated the infamous Flying Pirates.
If such a feat wasn't recognized, who would bother risking their lives for the Navy again?
At last, Zephyr couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing. His laughter was loud, bold, and completely uninhibited.
While everyone stared, Zephyr praised with zero restraint,
"Excellent! Yoriichi did exceptionally well!"
"Golden Lion Shiki! The Flying Pirates! What a joke!"
Zephyr laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, clearly delighted by the entire affair. Everyone in the office turned toward him, watching as Kong massaged his temples in irritation and urged,
"Alright, alright, no one is denying his contributions."
"But now tell me, what do we do with him?"
Zephyr's laughter slowly faded. Straightening up and crossing his arms, he looked directly at Kong and said firmly,
"Promote him to Vice Admiral. Allow him to establish his own branch unit. Grant him full authority over personnel appointments from Rear Admiral and below."
"That should shut up the naysayers."
Kong's pupils constricted slightly at those words. Was that reward excessive? Compared to an Admiral's post, it was definitely modest. But considering the scope of Yoriichi's accomplishments, this reward felt justifiable. It wouldn't make the Navy look stingy either.
After all, not all Vice Admirals were created equal. The disparity between them wasn't merely in strength—it was in authority.
Within Marine Headquarters, many so-called "honorary" Vice Admirals held rank without any real power. They didn't command their own units or appoint officers. True authority was reserved for the Fleet Admiral, the Admirals, and a select few Vice Admirals who held real operational power.
Zephyr's suggestion was for Yoriichi to leapfrog straight into the ranks of those few—an actual powerful Vice Admiral.
Being authorized to form his own branch meant Yoriichi could easily command several thousand troops without it being considered excessive.
And if he had the authority to appoint Rear Admirals, his influence in the Navy would be nearly unmatched. Only the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral would outrank him, and even then, not by much.
Very few Vice Admirals had such privilege. You could count them on one hand.
Hearing this, Sengoku and Tsuru turned toward Zephyr with sharp looks. Their old comrade certainly wasn't pulling any punches—he was demanding the moon.
If Kong agreed, how would Yoriichi be any different from an Admiral? Aside from not being stationed at Marineford or able to appoint Vice Admirals, there'd be little distinction.
Garp also glanced meaningfully at Zephyr, then chuckled and said,
"I think Zephyr's idea is solid."
"For accomplishments like that, even Vice Admiral is underselling it!"
Fanning the flames, Garp grinned while Zephyr calmly held Kong's gaze, waiting for his decision. Sengoku and Tsuru kept silent, neither agreeing nor objecting.
They were waiting for Kong's choice.
"Promotion is acceptable. With accomplishments like his, a Vice Admiral's rank is more than warranted."
"But granting him the right to form a unit and appoint Rear Admirals—isn't that a bit much?"
"Yoriichi's strength is beyond question, but isn't he a little… too young?"
"I know he's a genius. But military leadership isn't something talent alone can master."
"His experience is still lacking."
Kong paused for a long moment before voicing his concerns. He wasn't opposed to Yoriichi holding power per se—he was worried about the broader implications.
Handing such enormous authority to a child not yet sixteen? That was asking for trouble.
Best leave command to seasoned, older officers who wouldn't be overwhelmed by it.
"Hmph. So what you're saying, Fleet Admiral, is that for all those achievements, he's only getting an honorary Vice Admiral title?"
"Military management, you say?"
"Tell me, can 'military management' wipe out Golden Lion Shiki?"
"Can it crush the Flying Pirates?"
"Don't make the backbone of the Navy lose faith!"
Zephyr leaned back on the sofa, legs crossed, and shot back with biting sarcasm.
He wasn't holding back anymore. Not even for Kong's sake.
Garp laughed heartily and added, "He's right, you know."
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged glances, then lowered their heads again in silence.
Kong caught the sarcasm and scowled, but didn't reprimand Zephyr. Instead, he turned toward Sengoku and Tsuru. Seeing them still avoiding eye contact, he couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration.
Those four… had already come to an agreement behind his back.
After a long silence, Kong finally slapped the table and made his decision:
"Summon Yoriichi Tsugikuni. We'll hold a commendation ceremony at headquarters and award him the First-Class Medal of Honor. Promote him to Vice Admiral."
"Approve the formation of a branch unit, but only in the New World. Limit it to no more than 3,000 personnel."
"As for authority over Rear Admiral appointments… that's too much. Not even I can authorize that."
"He'll be granted authority to appoint officers from Commander and below."
"That's final. Sengoku, notify the G-ICE branch and have Yoriichi return."
"Oh, and he's not to come straight to Marineford. He'll first stop at G-1 in the New World. Zephyr, you'll go meet him there. No detours at Sabaody Archipelago—head straight to headquarters."
Kong gave his final orders. Zephyr and Garp didn't look disappointed at all. On the contrary, they stood up cheerfully, nodded at Kong, and left the office.
Sengoku and Tsuru followed, quietly trailing behind the two veterans.
Once they were gone, Kong picked up the battle report again and casually flipped through it. Seeing line after line of pirates with bounties over 100 million, he groaned softly.
"He could've been a perfect seedling… if only those two lunatics, Garp and Zephyr, hadn't raised him crooked!"
"The future of the Navy…"
"If we leave it in his hands, this sea… might never know peace again."
Kong walked to the window, gazing out at the night sky with a deep sigh.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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