Inside the venue of the promotion ceremony, everyone was engaged in lively conversations.
And at the center of it all were undoubtedly the new Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals.
This was hailed as the strongest trio of Admirals in history.
Of course, that was just something people liked to say.
When it came to individual combat strength, which of the three Admirals would dare claim they could defeat Sengoku or Garp today?
Even on the battlefield, the massive AOE attacks that Logia users prided themselves on—Sengoku and Garp didn't lack any of that either.
The Buddha's Impact and the Fist Impact were already there for all to see.
If there was any real advantage, it had to be their age.
The oldest, "Kizaru" Borsalino, was only 40 years old.
The youngest, "Aokiji" Kuzan, was just 31.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would remain the Navy's highest combat power for many years to come.
...
"Ah, finally the day has come. The Navy is finally putting an end to the awkward situation of having only one Admiral."
"That's right, that's right. Ever since Admiral Zephyr retired to the sidelines and Vice Admiral Garp kept refusing promotion, the entire Navy's image has been upheld by Admiral Sengoku alone… Though he certainly never shamed the Navy's name or prestige, things aren't like they used to be anymore. The three Admirals must be refreshed to continue deterring the scum across the seas!"
As the most important personnel after the Fleet Admiral and Admirals, the Vice Admirals naturally sat at the very front of the viewing seats...
Except for the giant Vice Admirals, of course.
If they sat up front, what would the people behind them see?
Oh, right—just their asses...
So, although the giant Vice Admirals sat a bit awkwardly on the outermost seats, overall it worked out just fine.
As all the guests arrived, everyone began to take their seats.
The Vice Admirals sat side by side in the first row.
And while there was no real hierarchy among the Vice Admirals in terms of rank, it was still customary to let the elite Vice Admirals sit in the center.
Onigumo, Momonga, Strawberry, Yamakaji, Dalmatian, and other elite Vice Admirals sat closest to the center seats.
Five seats were left empty in the very center, and even the usually arrogant Onigumo didn't dare sit there.
Everyone knew those five seats were reserved in advance.
...
"Well, well, everyone looks full of energy today! Have you eaten yet? Eating well?"
A voice rang out among the Vice Admirals. Looking up, it was none other than "Chaton" Tokikake.
He had been wandering around the Grand Line for quite some time, and only took this chance with the promotion ceremony to finally return to Marine Headquarters.
Among the elite Vice Admirals, "Momousagi" Gion guarded the Sabaody Archipelago, while "Chaton" Tokikake was legendary "Firefighter Captain."
He had no fixed area to guard, no fixed duties.
Wherever he was needed, he went.
A fine revolutionary brick indeed!
And despite his pervy, sleazy uncle appearance, in all the places where he stayed during his "Firefighter Captain" career, he always left behind a good reputation.
Within the entire Navy, he was someone deeply respected.
In a sense, he was like a super-upgraded version of T Bone.
In every Navy faction—even the Regional Justice faction—he was highly regarded.
His only flaw… was his looks and the way he talked.
...
"Vice Admiral Chaton, you finally made it back."
Yamakaji and Strawberry, who were close friends with Tokikake, greeted him and led him to a seat.
Chaton glanced down, then sat at the very edge of the five empty seats.
The remaining four seats… naturally belonged to the Navy Headquarters' most important figures.
Aside from "Momousagi" Gion, who was similar in status to Chaton, there were also Vice Admiral Garp, the "Hero of the Marines," and the "Great Staff Officer" Tsuru.
As for the final seat…
Even though Onigumo and his group disliked Michael, even they had to admit that Michael fully deserved the center seat.
This was one of the rare moments when the radical combat faction and the conservatives agreed on something...
Michael's contributions to the Navy were simply too great—greater than what entire factions had achieved.
Just freeing the Navy from the World Government's manipulation over military funds, preventing them from forcing the Marines into committing atrocities against their conscience, was enough to speak volumes.
The radicals acknowledged Michael's strength, the conservatives acknowledged Michael's achievements…
And the slackers wanted to shout, "Michael's the best!"
In a sense, Michael was just like Chaton—welcome everywhere.
But most importantly, his strength spoke for itself.
Though few knew the details of his battle with Whitebeard, at Marine Headquarters, Michael had often sparred with Garp.
Especially when Garp got carried away mid-fight—those sparring sessions left lasting impressions.
Strength spoke louder than anything.
...
Not long after Chaton sat down, the others arrived together.
Leading the group was the constantly apologizing Marine Hero.
"Wa-hahaha! Sorry about that, Tsuru! Next time, I'll think twice before making a move!"
"Garp, you already have three grandsons calling you Grandpa! Can't you change that hotheaded temper of yours?" Tsuru sighed at the shameless old Garp.
"Reckless! You almost wiped out the warriors of Amazon Lily with one Fist Impact! You nearly scared those battle-hardened warriors to tears! Michael worked so hard to… persuade them into joining the Navy as a powerful new force!"
"That's right, Vice Admiral Garp, you really need to change your temperament a bit…" added "Momousagi" Gion, following beside Tsuru. "You're the Hero of the Marines, the Navy's face! Please show some dignity!"
"Sigh… Gion, why do you sound exactly like Bogard now?" Garp patted his chest, looking heartbroken.
"Shut up, Garp!"
Finally, even the ever-smiling Tsuru couldn't help the veins bulging on her forehead as she raised her voice!
...
Seeing this side of Tsuru, all the Vice Admirals instinctively adjusted their sloppy postures, suddenly sitting as straight as raw recruits fresh out of training camp...
They didn't even dare sit more than a third of the way onto their chairs.
This was Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer.
When she was truly angry, even Garp and Sengoku got chewed out like this.
Let alone them.
As for factions or no factions…
In front of the Great Staff Officer, that meant nothing.
...
Garp scratched his head, puzzled at Tsuru's expression.
"Tsuru, what's with you today? Did someone upset you?"
All the Vice Admirals: "It's you, you old fool!"
---
read +200 chapters on Patreon tambeerg