Chapitre 16: 16. World: What The Hell Is This Acting Fleet Admiral Doing?
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The jaws of the two women dropped in shock at this moment, nothing but shock.
No soldier, male or female, could be indifferent to this combination of tactics.
[Before Packaging]:
For the male soldiers: The Marines are offering you wives. As long as you fight the enemy bravely, you'll be introduced to the most beautiful women.
For the female soldiers: You're so lonely and helpless. If you fall in love with our soldiers and get married, we'll provide you with free food and accommodation.
[After Packaging]:
For the male soldiers: There are so many innocent women whose families have been destroyed by pirates. What are you waiting for? Fight with all your might, win their hearts, and embrace these beauties!
For the women: What a beautiful, epic love story between a Marine and an ordinary girl. Aren't you tempted by such a heroic and loyal Marine who also comes with board and lodging?
If Gion and Rouge hadn't been involved from the start and known Akira's true plan, they might have been genuinely swayed by the repackaged words.
"Of course, the introduction of wives must prioritize the soldiers who are still fighting on the front lines."
"As for those who leave and come back again, we'll make them wait in line or jump ahead if they've earned it. Just give them some motivation."
"So, Gion, would you help me? Help me persuade those helpless women to marry brave and fearless Marines."
Akira sincerely shook Gion's hand.
Gion seemed to be seeing him for the first time, swallowing hard.
"Wait, what about the money? Even if the introduction is successful, their small families still need funds to start."
"..."
Akira was silent for a moment, but then his eyes shifted slightly, and a gentlemanly smile appeared on his face again.
"I think that the soldiers who deserted basically forfeited their previous food and salary, so..."
"First, trick them into rejoining. Then, tell them that due to the high number of pirates and transportation issues, everyone needs to hold back one month's salary, and they'll be paid after the second month."
"Based on this, we have two months and enough troops to free ourselves up to make money."
"Since they are rejoining, they won't get their wives introduced first, so they won't need any start-up capital for a small family."
"Hiss..." Gion gasped, her body trembling slightly.
This was the first time she had encountered such unscrupulous tactics from a Blue Star capitalist.
If she didn't know that the man in front of her was acting for justice, she might have drawn her sword and struck him.
Akira didn't pause and continued: "As for the soldiers who are still serving, we can arrange single rooms at the base, allowing them to live with their wives and eat in the cafeteria together to build their relationships.
After two months, we'll give them double wages so they can buy property in the towns and cities."
Gion: "What if, after two months, we haven't raised enough berries to pay their salaries and pensions?"
Akira leaned back, frowning slightly: "Then the soldiers should go to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. What does that have to do with me, an ordinary Vice Admiral?"
Gion: "..."
Rouge: "..."
The room fell into silence again.
But Akira broke it with an expectant look on his face:
"So, Gion, will you help me with this task?"
"Akira, you are really... really smart!"
Gion struggled for a moment before finally agreeing, but she looked up at the sky with a worried expression and sighed, "But if my reputation gets ruined like yours, you'll have to take responsibility for me. Otherwise, I'll fight you."
"Of course, you can trust me," Akira replied confidently, a big grin forming as he patted his chest in reassurance.
*Ding!* [The series of plans the Host devised all night long are now being implemented—this behavior is helpful for Task Three, and you've earned 100 experience points.]
The small meeting in the Fleet Admiral's office lasted six hours, with many details added in...
Gion eventually left.
She looked back three times with a lot of hesitation before boarding the warship.
But even after Marineford disappeared from sight, she didn't receive the order to return.
In any case, the uncertain plan had quietly been set into motion.
With his hands behind his back, Akira silently watched the sea through the window.
After a long time, he muttered, "Sengoku, do you think your little tricks can stop me?"
"Let's see who's more resourceful."
"This is Marine Headquarters, after all. I'm confident."
Akira walked over to a chair, sat down, and wiped his glasses with a clean white cotton cloth, his eyes sparkling.
Although he no longer needed them for vision, Akira had grown accustomed to wearing glasses and didn't want to part with them.
Besides, wearing glasses had its perks—it gave him the appearance of a well-educated gentleman, which made a strong first impression.
In a place like the Marines, where most people were known for being straightforward and rough, this contrast made many people trust him more.
Knock knock knock!
Akira knocked on the table, calling for a soldier. "Go, summon all the civil servants for a meeting."
"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and hurried off to carry out the order.
While waiting for the civil servants to gather, Akira, with nothing else to do, picked up the morning newspapers and began reading through them.
I, Chaton Tokikake, apologize to Acting Fleet Admiral Akira for my previous actions...
*...*
In summary, the accusations of 'rewarding myself' from Akira's office were purely slanderous actions driven by jealousy on my part.
Here, I solemnly clear Akira's name through this newspaper and offer my deepest apologies.
Thanks to Akira's influence, the soldiers made sure this apology was prominently placed at the top of the newspaper.
"It seems this guy woke up last night and left the headquarters in a hurry, writing this apology letter on the warship."
"Aunt Tsuru's methods are still quite effective."
That jerk Tokikake wasn't known for being so compliant, at least not in Akira's experience.
He thought it would take a few days for this apology and rectification to be published, but the efficiency was surprisingly high.
This just goes to show that being genuinely kind and soft-hearted isn't so simple.
Akira smiled and casually set the newspaper aside.
At the same time, a system prompt chimed in.
Ding! [Congratulations, Host! Your lost reputation due to unwarranted slander has been restored—this behavior is helpful for Task Three, and you've earned 100 experience points.]
Half an hour later...
After finishing the last newspaper, Akira got up and headed out, checking the time as he did.
The conference room was already packed with civil servants.
In a corner sat a young man with short blond hair, blending in with the crowd, his expression focused.
His pen moved rapidly, leaving afterimages as he wrote.
His notebook even accurately recorded which foot Akira stepped forward with.
"Is everyone here? Let's start... hmm?"
Akira walked up to the podium and slapped a thick stack of manuscripts on the table.
Just as he was about to officially start the meeting, he caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
Huh?
Isn't that Rosinante, the future savior of Law and Doflamingo's younger brother?
Akira, who was well-versed in the original story, instantly recognized him and recalled all the information about him in his mind.
"It seems that during this period, he's been working in the staff department."
"That's right, with the power of the Calm-Calm Fruit, Sengoku wouldn't risk sending him to fight vicious pirates."
"So, should I let him go?"
Akira's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered.
He was now a competitor to Sengoku.
It was inevitable that Rosinante would inform Sengoku, who was far out at sea, of everything.
At that point, Sengoku would know all of his plans and actions.
After thinking it over for a long time, Akira finally shook his head.
No, let him stay.
If Sengoku hesitates at such a critical moment, it will only make it easier for me to become Fleet Admiral.
All my future plans are open strategies, and I don't have to worry about anyone scheming behind my back.
Moreover, if Sengoku doesn't see firsthand how hard I'm working for justice, how can he ever willingly step down from his position as Fleet Admiral?
Akira took another deep look at Rosinante, a smile creeping back onto his face.
"The meeting officially begins!"
---
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
Out at sea, a warship was sailing when a Den Den Mushi rang.
"I'm Sengoku."
Standing on the deck, overlooking the vast sea, Sengoku took out the Den Den Mushi from his coat and answered calmly.
"Admiral, Marine number 01746, Lieutenant Colonel Rosinante, code name Owl, reporting."
Sengoku's serious expression instantly softened as if an iceberg had met molten lava.
He glanced around to make sure no soldiers were paying attention, then held the Den Den Mushi closer and said softly:
"You stubborn boy, I've told you, you don't need to be so formal in private."
"You can just call me Dad."
Rosinante, once a Celestial Dragon from the Holy Land of Mariejois, had a complicated past. One day, his father decided to abandon their status as Celestial Dragons and moved the family to live in the Grand Line.
When Rosinante was young, he faced danger due to civilian retaliation, but he was rescued by Sengoku, who was then a Vice Admiral. After that, he joined the Marines and began serving at headquarters.
Over the years, Sengoku, who never married and had no children, had come to see the kind-hearted Rosinante as his own son.
The Den Den Mushi grinned widely at Sengoku's words, but when it spoke, the tone was serious and formal.
"Admiral, I have something important to report."
Sengoku sighed, but he was used to this.
Rosinante had grown up to be very mature, likely due to his childhood experiences.
Out of respect for Sengoku, he never let anyone know that he was Sengoku's adopted son after joining the Marines.
In his work, Rosinante was always serious and dedicated. Only during his off time would Sengoku occasionally hear him call him Dad.
"Alright then, tell me what's going on," Sengoku replied, shaking his head.
"This afternoon, Vice Admiral Akira convened a meeting with all the civil servants of the Civil Staff Department."
When it came to official matters, Rosinante's smile vanished, and he spoke clearly and precisely:
"He introduced a new plan."
"The main idea is to offer joint free assistance to all the women who have been victimized by pirates, then pair them with single soldiers under the Marine's authority, taking care of all the arrangements after marriage."
"At the meeting, he insisted that to reduce resistance from both the soldiers and the women, they should use official means to get popular celebrities from around the world to endorse the initiative."
"For example, the famous stage actress from West Blue, Victoria Cindry, was asked to cooperate with the effort and personally publish in the newspapers that she only admires heroic Marine soldiers."
"The plan elevates the status of Marines by portraying male celebrities as proud to be soldiers and ashamed of being rejected by the Marine."
"At the meeting, he also instructed all civil servants to temporarily set aside most of their duties and use their talents to become writers of emotional novels, responsible for crafting sweet and touching love stories and poems—"
"Praising the bravery of Marines, glorifying the greatness of love, and using these stories to convince women that true love is only found with soldiers."
"This plan is tentatively focused on the Vice Admiral, with all departments supporting it, collectively referred to as—"
"The Honey Plan."
Sengoku listened in a daze, and when he snapped back to reality, he couldn't help but let out a loud shout of surprise.
"Nonsense!"
Sengoku's loud shout echoed across the warship, startling the soldiers nearby. But he was too furious to care and continued with a livid expression, "The headquarters is already tight on funds. Where is he planning to get the resources for such a large expenditure?"
"Vice Admiral Akira said he would handle the problem himself."
"Did no one try to stop him?"
"Admiral, you're not here. The Acting Fleet Admiral is the acting commander. According to protocol, we have no right to question his orders and must carry them out unconditionally."
"Where's Zephyr? What's he doing?"
"Instructor Zephyr did go to the Fleet Admiral's office to speak with Vice Admiral Akira, but after an hour of discussion, Zephyr came out without saying a word and just instructed us to fully cooperate."
'Damn it!'
Sengoku was momentarily stunned before realization hit him.
'I've really shot myself in the foot with this one.'
He had transferred all the top generals, even Chief of Staff Tsuru, leaving Akira without any immediate superiors. This also removed any obstacles that could check Akira's authority.
Right now, in Marineford, Akira's command was absolute.
Even if he decided to host a gold-plated party in the Fleet Admiral's office, as long as Zephyr didn't object, no one else had the authority to stop it.
'Damn, if I had known, I would've left Tsuru behind. At least then I could rest easy.'
"Rosinante, is he really set on carrying out that ridiculous wife-making plan?"
"At present, it seems that way."
Rosinante noticed Sengoku's concern and, after a brief hesitation, decided to offer some reassurance. After all, Sengoku was like a father to him, and he couldn't bear to see him so worried while on duty.
"Admiral, in fact, you don't need to worry. This operation may seem unreliable, but from another perspective, it could work in your favor."
"If it turns into a fiasco, Akira will have a hard time explaining himself. And when the two-month period ends..."
Rosinante paused, not fully finishing his thought, before adding, "Besides, it's just spending some money on newspapers. It doesn't really matter."
Huh?
That made sense.
Sengoku, now more composed, thought it over and nodded in agreement.
Marine Headquarters didn't have the funds for Akira to cause real trouble, and no other generals besides Gion would follow his orders blindly.
At worst, it's just some free assistance for the women and leveraging Naval Headquarters' influence to get some celebrities on board.
Even if the wife-making plan blows up, apart from tarnishing his reputation, there isn't much actual loss.
After all, the situation in the seas is already chaotic; it can't get much worse.
With this realization, Sengoku's mind eased.
"Well done, Rosinante. Continue to follow his orders and keep me informed."
"Understood. I'll hang up now. I still have to write three Mary Sue-style love stories today," Rosinante added in a somewhat exasperated tone before hanging up.
Sengoku put away the Den Den Mushi, taking a deep breath of the sea air.
"Marine's future still depends on me."
"Fleet Admiral Kong, you've backed the wrong person."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone