บท 51: 51. Marine Is Not About Fighting And Killing, It's About Understanding The World!
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When deciding to vigorously promote the Marine Bank, Akira considered Berries storage.
If Marine branch banks were allowed to store the received berries locally, it would inevitably attract pirates from all over, leading to eventual robberies.
After all, while there are always strong Marines, there are thousands or even tens of thousands of branches.
It's unrealistic for a strong person to be stationed at every branch.
Even though a branch could be compensated sufficiently after being robbed, the public's trust in the Marine Bank would undoubtedly be shaken.
Therefore, it's crucial to store the berries of people worldwide in Marineford and only send them out when needed.
This idea can only be realized with spatial abilities.
Of course, in the One Piece world, there are space-type teleportation abilities.
For example, the Mirror-Mirror Fruit, Book-Book Fruit, and Door-Door Fruit all come to mind.
But after experimenting with these abilities for a few days, Akira encountered a significant problem.
The physical exertion is too high!
Using these three abilities daily to move berries in and out of different spaces would quickly exhaust the users.
Akira would need to replicate these abilities every day, leaving no time for anything else.
So, with the three advantages of "long-lasting use," "multiple uses," and "easy to move," the only viable option Akira could think of was the Summoning Scroll from the Naruto world.
The Summoning Scroll can summon people or objects from distant places or different spaces.
After testing, Akira found that copying objects consumes less energy than copying characters.
Additionally, objects naturally deplete much less energy than characters.
Akira speculated that this might be because objects are inanimate, while characters have their own thoughts and constantly consume mental and physical energy.
Therefore, when neither side is using their abilities, objects naturally have a much longer lifespan.
After confirming that the Summoning Scroll would be used to collect berries from around the world, Akira listed all the Naruto characters in his memory.
He eliminated those who couldn't seal, didn't understand enchantment, or couldn't be summoned at this stage.
In the end, Toad Fukasaku was chosen.
He is the old toad master who taught Jiraiya the Sage Art on Mount Myōboku.
Akira asked Toad Fukasaku to modify the scroll formula and write it according to his requirements.
Finally, three types were written—main scroll, sub scroll, and service scroll.
The main scroll is a super-large scroll, as large as a villa, with densely packed spells inside like locusts.
It's currently placed in Marineford with maximum security.
The sub scroll is a large scroll, the width of an ordinary house, which can transfer berries to the main scroll and also receive berries from the main scroll.
These are placed at each Marine branch base.
Conveniently, if the bank of an island branch runs out of cash, a powerful admiral can lead a warship to escort it there.
The service scroll is a scroll the height of an average adult. It only has the function of transferring berries to the main scroll, and nothing else.
These scrolls are large, and each branch bank typically has seven or eight for emergencies.
The combined use of these three scrolls is enough to ensure the safety of the berries.
After studying the scroll for a long time, Vice Admiral Tsuru finally breathed a sigh of relief as she sat on the sofa.
"Your Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon ability is quite impressive," she remarked with a touch of emotion.
"There's no such thing as a useless Devil Fruit, only useless users."
"Don't try to fool me with that nonsense."
Tsuru looked at Akira with exasperation.
It's one thing to deceive others with such words, but there's no way she, a seasoned advisor, would fall for it.
Can an ordinary Zoan ability even compare to a Mythical Zoan?
Liar!
"Your ability has a lot of potential for growth. You should focus on developing it, and if you need assistance, I can help as a strategist."
"Alright, I'll make sure to ask for your help if needed."
"Good! I'll be on my way then."
Tsuru stood up and started walking towards the door.
"Oh, by the way, Auntie Tsuru!" Akira suddenly called out to her.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"The conversation we just had about the circulation of berries—let's keep that between us. Don't tell anyone else, even if it's..."
Akira subtly shifted his gaze upward, pointing with his finger.
The implication was clear.
Tsuru squinted her eyes and studied Akira's face seriously.
After a long pause, she suddenly chuckled silently. "I only came by today to ask for documents from the crime bureau, and I don't know anything else."
Akira smiled in return.
"When you have time, you should visit Auntie Tsuru, have some tea, and chat."
Tsuru waved her hand and disappeared down the corridor.
Akira leaned back in his seat, relaxing.
Rouge quietly approached, extending her fingers to continue the massage.
"Fleet Admiral-sama, don't worry, I didn't hear anything just now."
After hesitating for a moment, Rouge finally spoke softly, offering her reassurance.
Akira opened his eyes, gazing at her pretty face for a while, then smiled.
"Did you understand?"
"Uh, no!"
"So, are you interested in this?"
"Not really."
"Then I guess in a few minutes, you'll forget everything I said."
Akira yawned lazily. "Even if the Five Elders interrogate you, you probably wouldn't be able to explain anything."
"Only someone like the great strategist Tsuru would obsess over unknown information, always wanting to know everything.
"Don't be fooled by her calm demeanor—she's likely to stay up all night thinking about it after work."
"The world moves forward because of the persistence of smart people, but the boss might find such persistence a bit troublesome!"
"But as long as you give her a heads-up, everything will be fine."
Rouge pursed her lips.
This is too blunt, isn't it just saying she's not as sharp-minded?
But she dared not say anything more and simply continued her duties as a secretary.
"More pressure!"
"Okay."
Suddenly!
Tread, tread...
Bang, bang, bang.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, followed by the crash of a vase hitting the ground.
Akira looked up.
He saw Rosinante scrambling up from the floor in a panic, not even noticing his hands bleeding from being cut by the shards.
"Fleet Admiral Akira..."
He rushed in as if flying, slamming his hands onto the table.
"Admiral Sengoku, he... he's fighting Gage the Heavy Axe in the New World."
Rosinante's face was full of worry and fear as he trembled, "Please order the fleet to support him!"
"Gage the Heavy Axe?"
Akira sat up straight, his expression turning serious.
"Heavy Ax Gage," he began.
"A bounty of 3.356 billion berries."
"A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user with the ability to manipulate gravity at will."
"He's a major pirate from the same era as Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki, and has controlled the New World for ten years."
"He clashed with Sengoku back when he was still a Vice Admiral, and Sengoku took a heavy loss in that battle."
In the meeting room, Rosinante stood at the podium, pointing to a bounty poster projected on the wall as he spoke rapidly.
Below him sat a few high-ranking Marines: Kong, Akira, Garp, Tsuru, and the three Admirals—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
Even though this was a small meeting, everyone present had the power to shake the entire Marine organization with a single decision.
"The Heavy Ax Pirates not only have Gage but also the infamous 'Three Swords' under his command," Rosinante continued.
"They also have around 1,000 pirate crew members of varying strengths."
"Sengoku only took a few Vice Admirals and a handful of warships to confront them. It's a risky move."
When Rosinante finished, Kong immediately asked, "Which Vice Admirals accompanied him?"
"Vice Admirals Archibald, Gore, and Arlo," Rosinante replied.
The room fell silent.
Garp, who had been calm, suddenly looked tense upon hearing those names. Even Kong frowned deeply, while Tsuru shook her head in concern.
"Did Sengoku take them on his own initiative?" Tsuru asked suspiciously.
"According to what the soldiers told me, those three Vice Admirals approached Sengoku and convinced him to take action," Rosinante hesitated but eventually added, "in an effort to prevent Akira from taking charge as an Fleet Admiral."
"Why?" Tsuru pressed.
"Perhaps they couldn't accept taking orders from someone 30 or 40 years younger," Rosinante explained.
A cold light flashed in Sakazuki's eyes, and even Borsalino and Kuzan frowned in disapproval.
Akira crossed his arms, remaining silent. He knew the Marine was a bureaucratic system, and it was common to encounter old-fashioned superiors who resisted change.
Reasoning with such people was often futile. He'd seen similar issues countless times back when he was on Blue Star.
"Give me Sengoku's location, and I'll go support him right away," Garp declared, standing up.
Rosinante, prepared for this, quickly pulled out a Log Pose from his pocket.
"Mr. Garp, let me join you," Kuzan stood up, volunteering. It wasn't that he doubted Garp's strength; he simply believed that with one more person, the situation could be resolved more quickly.
And if the Three Swords fought together, it would be challenging. Kuzan could handle one of them, leaving Garp to deal with the other two.
Sakazuki and Borsalino remained silent, seemingly in agreement that Kuzan alone would be enough. Sending more would be overkill.
"Alright, let's go together," Garp agreed without hesitation.
But just as Kuzan was about to leave, a large hand stopped him.
"I'll go!" Akira stood up slowly, holding his glasses in his left hand, his face calm and resolute.
Everyone stared at him in surprise, filled with doubt.
Sakazuki immediately objected, "As an acting Fleet Admiral, Akira, it's not suitable for you to engage in combat. Leave this to Kuzan."
Borsalino pinched his chin, nodding in agreement. "I agree. It's safer for Kuzan to handle this."
Akira's current strength was formidable, likely at the upper level of a Vice Admiral. But the Three Swords were notorious in the New World, each of them monsters in their own right.
Facing them required Admiral-level power, or at the very least, an Admiral candidate. If Akira were to fall in battle, it would be a tremendous loss for the Marine.
The possibility of that happening was high.
Despite only having been acting Fleet Admiral for a few weeks, Akira had already earned the admiration of the top Marines.
After all, it wasn't every day someone could address the morale issues of soldiers and solve recruitment problems while simultaneously earning three trillion berries to provide extra salaries for everyone.
Yes, even the Admirals and their three monsters had received those extra salaries.
Akira's status within the Marine Headquarters was such that, while he was still officially an acting Fleet Admiral, most already regarded him as the true Fleet Admiral.
Although he might be the weakest Fleet Admiral in history, he was also the smartest.
Akira was well aware of their concerns, but he remained resolute.
"No, I have to go," Akira insisted, his tone firm as he looked directly at Fleet Admiral Kong.
Kong was silent for a moment, clearly reluctant to agree with Akira's departure. He seemed to be considering how to gently dismiss the idea when Tsuru spoke up.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, I believe it would be beneficial for Akira to take on this mission to finalize his position," Tsuru said, her voice measured and thoughtful. "Successfully escorting Sengoku back will allow them to discuss important matters on the way. You've been recovering for quite some time, and it's about time you were promoted to the commander-in-chief of the entire army."
Her words seemed to jolt everyone present into realization.
Kong nodded slowly, understanding the implications. The agreed-upon two months had already passed, and Akira's accomplishments were more than sufficient to prove himself. With Kong's likely promotion to commander-in-chief of the World Government army, a new candidate for Marine Fleet Admiral would need to be decided.
Akira glanced at Tsuru, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. Having someone so astute on his side was invaluable. There were things he couldn't say himself, but Tsuru, as his subordinate, could voice them perfectly.
"Alright, then," Kong finally said, standing up and placing a firm hand on Akira's arm. "Go, but talk to Sengoku—keep things from escalating too much!"
"And when you return, accompany me to the Holy Land to meet the Five Elders."
"Understood," Akira nodded, then followed Garp as they left the room.
As their figures disappeared from sight, Sakazuki stood up, his expression determined.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, allow me to accompany Akira. I'll ensure his personal safety."
Kong nodded in agreement. "Good idea. Yes, you go and protect him."
He then turned to Kuzan, who had been about to sit back down. "Kuzan, you should go too. You'll be responsible for handling the Three Swords under Heavy Ax Gage's command."
Kuzan sighed slightly but didn't protest. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.
---
The warship sailed toward the New World.
On the deck, Akira pulled out a cigar from his pocket, bit off the end, and offered one to Sakazuki, who was standing beside him.
"Want one?"
"Thanks," Sakazuki replied, taking the cigar and lighting it.
They smoked in silence for a while, both gazing out at the vast blue sea stretching endlessly before them.
After some time, Sakazuki broke the silence. "You didn't have to take this risk. The position of Fleet Admiral is practically yours already."
He continued, "Fleet Admiral Kong supports you, the soldiers respect you, and the other generals and officers don't oppose you. Garp isn't interested in these matters, and Zephyr holds you in high regard. Even though Tsuru and Sengoku are close friends, after these two months, Tsuru seems inclined to back you as well. Unless Sengoku makes an extraordinary contribution, there's no real competition."
"There's no need to put your life on the line. With your abilities, you can achieve much more in the name of justice."
Akira chuckled, understanding Sakazuki's reasoning perfectly. He took a deep drag of his cigar before responding.
"Marine isn't just about fighting and killing; it's also about navigating the complexities of the world."
He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke dissipate into the air. "Sometimes, it's not about whether something must be done, but whether it's better if it is done."
"This is the way of the adult world. In an organization as large as the Marine, you have to pay attention to how you conduct yourself."
Akira glanced at Sakazuki, his tone thoughtful. "Sakazuki, you might want to consider this when dealing with your colleagues in the future. Don't be so extreme in everything. It's good to communicate more and find common ground while respecting differences."
He flicked the ash from his cigar, his words hanging in the air with a deeper meaning.
"Living in this world? Finding common ground?" Sakazuki's eyes flickered with a hint of contemplation as his gaze shifted to Kuzan, who was lounging on a nearby deck chair, a blindfold covering his eyes as he napped.
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