At the door, Kai stood frozen for a moment.
The words spoken by the Marine Captain still echoed in his ears.
Rear Admiral?!
He was…
a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters?
Since when?
"Could it be…"
"The higher-ups have already issued my appointment?"
"And Fleet Admiral Kong appointed me as a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters?"
Kai opened his mouth but could not speak for a moment.
He had not expected this at all.
Originally, he thought the highest possible rank he might receive would be Marine Captain.
After all…
he was only five years old.
And he had only just graduated from the training camp.
Being promoted directly to Marine Captain would already have been an excellent result.
But he never imagined…
Kong's appointment for him would be…
Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters!
That was a rank only one step below Headquarters Vice Admiral.
Strictly speaking, a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters was already a high-ranking Marine officer, even possessing voting rights in certain major Marine affairs.
That alone showed how high the position was.
Above Rear Admiral was Vice Admiral.
Even in Kai's understanding, Marine Headquarters definitely did not have more than a hundred Rear Admirals at present.
Yet today, immediately after graduating from the training camp, he had become one of them.
This unexpected surprise left Kai slightly dizzy.
"Did I just use connections?"
He thought with a strange expression.
With his status as the grandson of the Marine Hero Garp…
using connections was not impossible.
Even Fleet Admiral Kong would have to give Garp some face.
That much was undeniable.
Being promoted directly to Headquarters Rear Admiral was so unexpected that Kai could not help wondering whether his background had played a role.
Otherwise…
why would the Fleet Admiral appoint him as Rear Admiral all at once?
Kai exhaled slowly, his thoughts temporarily scattered.
"Rear Admiral Kai, this is the appointment letter personally issued by the Fleet Admiral."
"And…"
"this is the uniform exclusive to a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters."
"From today onward, these belong to you."
"You are the youngest Headquarters Rear Admiral in Marine history."
The Marine Captain spoke with a tone full of shock and respect.
When he had first heard Fleet Admiral Kong's order, he had also been stunned.
A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral?
This completely overturned his understanding of common sense.
Because of that, even on his way here with Kong's order, the shock in his heart had not faded.
A five-year-old Rear Admiral was unprecedented.
Never before seen in history.
Unmatched in the past or future.
There had never even been a Rear Admiral under ten.
Yet the boy standing before him was only five years old.
All of this refreshed the Marine Captain's worldview.
It also filled him with admiration and respect for Kai.
Standing before Kai, he did not dare show the slightest doubt.
After all, over the past few days, Kai's name had already resounded throughout Marineford.
Fist Demon Kai.
A name famous across Headquarters.
Even inside Marineford, countless Marines had heard of him.
Because of that, even as a Captain, he did not dare act casually in front of Kai.
Not to mention…
this five-year-old boy had already been appointed the youngest Headquarters Rear Admiral in history.
That made him even more careful.
"The youngest Headquarters Rear Admiral in history?"
Kai finally came back to his senses.
His eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at the uniform and the appointment letter in the Marine Captain's hands.
With these two items…
it meant that from today onward…
Kai would become the youngest Rear Admiral in the history of Marine Headquarters.
A five-year-old Rear Admiral.
"I really didn't expect this…"
"Fleet Admiral Kong directly appointed me as a Headquarters Rear Admiral."
"This is honestly a surprise."
Kai silently sighed.
He did not know…
Kong had given him such a high position precisely because he was worried Kai might become disappointed in the Marines.
That alone showed how much Kong valued him.
Gradually calming down, Kai reached out and accepted the uniform and appointment letter.
The moment he held them, he felt their weight.
It was not merely the weight of clothing.
It was also the weight of becoming the youngest Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral in history.
After Kai accepted the items, the Marine Captain breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Kai with reverence, admiration, and curiosity.
No matter how he looked at him…
it was still difficult to imagine.
This five-year-old boy before him was a terrifying monster with Vice Admiral-level combat power.
He was even powerful enough to briefly clash with Admiral Zephyr.
Thinking about it, the Marine Captain could not help feeling deeply amazed.
What was a true genius?
This was.
"Rear Admiral Kai, since the items have been delivered, I won't disturb you any longer. I must return and report to the Fleet Admiral."
After a moment, the Marine Captain quickly spoke.
"Thank you."
Kai nodded.
Soon, the Marine Captain left.
Kai watched him leave before finally withdrawing his gaze.
Then he turned around and closed the door.
Holding the uniform, Kai returned to the hall.
First, he took out the appointment letter.
He carefully read the contents.
This was an appointment letter personally written by Fleet Admiral Kong.
Its value was undeniable.
"With this appointment letter, from now on, I am a true Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters."
"A high-ranking Marine officer, second only to Vice Admiral."
Kai sighed with emotion.
Gradually, his gaze moved away from the appointment letter.
Then he looked at the brand-new uniform.
With anticipation, he changed out of his current clothes and put on the new set.
After finishing, he walked to a mirror.
He quietly looked at his reflection.
A white outfit.
Still following the Marines' symbolic white, representing purity and justice.
It resembled a white suit.
Black trousers.
And finally, a coat that fit Kai perfectly.
After putting on the coat, Kai saw the two large characters written across the back.
Justice.
This was the coat only Marine officers were qualified to wear.
And now…
Kai had the right to wear it.
From today onward, he was a genuine Marine officer.
Not just any officer, but a high-ranking Headquarters Rear Admiral.
Below only Admiral and Vice Admiral.
Above Captain and Commodore.
Also above the Vice Admirals of the Four Blues branches.
And Kai was only five years old.
There were still seven or eight months before he turned six.
"Pretty cool."
Looking at himself in the mirror, Kai could not help smiling in satisfaction.
This uniform was indeed cool.
Especially on him, it did not look loose or bulky at all. Instead, it fit perfectly and highlighted his nearly perfect physique.
Even though he was only five, the uniform suited him exactly, bringing out the shape of his powerful body.
"From today onward, I am a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters."
Kai's eyes flashed brightly, and the corners of his mouth rose.
At only five years old, he had broken a brand-new record in Marine history.
The youngest Rear Admiral in Marine Headquarters history had been born.
A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral.
Never before seen.
Never to be surpassed.
…
The moment Fleet Admiral Kong's appointment for Kai was issued…
Marineford, whose shock had yet to fully settle, was hit by another massive wave.
This wave was even more intense.
Because…
a Marine record had been broken.
In the past, the youngest Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters had still been over twenty years old.
There had never been a Headquarters Rear Admiral under twenty.
In all the hundreds of years since the Marines were founded…
there had never been such a case.
But today…
that record had been shattered.
A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral had appeared.
In an instant, the news detonated across Marineford.
It caused an unprecedented shock throughout Marine Headquarters.
"My God!"
"Is this real?"
"A five-year-old Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters?!"
"Kai, that monster, was directly promoted to Headquarters Rear Admiral?"
"And personally appointed by the Fleet Admiral?"
"Am I dreaming? A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral has never existed in history."
"Forget five years old. Even a Rear Admiral under twenty was unheard of!"
"And now there's a five-year-old Rear Admiral!"
The atmosphere across Marine Headquarters was ignited again.
A five-year-old Rear Admiral had appeared out of nowhere, overturning everyone's understanding and shattering their worldview.
"A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral! Can you believe that?"
"I wouldn't even dare dream of it…"
"I never thought I'd live to see the birth of a five-year-old Rear Admiral."
"Doesn't this mean that in a few more years, he might even take the position of Admiral?"
"So this is the most terrifying monster in Marine history. Today, I've truly opened my eyes."
Countless Marines were boiling with excitement.
More than a hundred thousand Marines in Headquarters were shaken by the news.
One Marine spoke weakly.
"I remember the previous record for youngest Headquarters Rear Admiral was twenty-one."
"But today, that record has been completely broken."
Another Marine patted his chest and said firmly, "I guarantee that from now on, no one will ever break the record set today."
His words immediately received unanimous agreement.
A five-year-old Headquarters Rear Admiral…
could anyone in the future really break that record?
Impossible.
This record had opened a new chapter in history.
And at the same time, it had cut off any possibility of future generations surpassing it.
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