章節 63: 63. Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon Being Upgraded, Being Transcended...
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Archibald and the veteran Vice Admirals are gone.
In front of tens of thousands of people, he left Marine Headquarters with a lonely expression.
Akira stood on the high platform, watching their departure without showing any emotion.
Although the departure of these elder Vice Admirals does thin out the ranks, to be honest, Marine's overall strength won't be weakened by it.
The power of time is absolute.
As long as someone is human, they can't escape the effects of time.
Maybe they were formidable figures in their youth, but now, in their seventies and eighties, their strength is nearly gone.
Their energy and vitality have declined so much that even when several of them joined forces, they couldn't gain any advantage against Rear Admiral Huouoin.
To be frank, keeping them in the position of Vice Admiral would be more about honoring the pirates rather than serving justice, and it would just be uncomfortable for Akira.
It's better that they leave.
At least now they can enjoy a peaceful retirement.
As for holding Archibald and Vice Admiral Arlo accountable for their previous actions, Akira decided there was no need.
Whatever their past may have been, they have dedicated their lives to justice and have worked hard, even if they didn't always succeed.
Moreover, the final outcome of chasing the Heavy Ax Pirates turned out well for Akira.
Firstly, it gave him a legitimate reason to dissuade them, and secondly, the incident helped ease his relationship with Admiral Sengoku, while also gaining him a very powerful Press-Press Fruit and a Kilo-Kilo Fruit.
No matter how you look at it, it's a win.
Discouraging the old Vice Admirals won't tarnish Marine's reputation, but if he pushed them too hard, it could have backfired.
It could have made the world misunderstand his character and Marine's justice.
[Ding, log update!]
[Host successfully persuaded the disobedient old Vice Admirals to leave the headquarters, ensuring the implementation of his orders and motivating the Rear Admirals to work harder—this behavior has earned 100 experience points as a reward.]
Good news came from the system.
Even it recognized the value in persuading the veteran Vice Admirals to leave.
"Hey hey, Sengoku!"
Garp nudged Sengoku beside him, and when Sengoku looked over, Garp pouted and said:
"When I was at sea, I heard that new officials often make a big impact when they first take office."
"Doesn't this look like one of those times?"
Sengoku frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It should be a coincidence. This just happened last night."
Though he denied it, he couldn't help but feel the timing was suspicious, almost like Akira was making his first move to eliminate dissent.
"Well, maybe. I hope it's not true. If it is, the next target might be you."
Garp said bluntly, scratching his nose.
New leaders often establish their authority by challenging strong opponents.
At this point, Marine might need another shake-up, and Sengoku was the only one left in that position.
But Garp believed Akira wouldn't go that far.
After all, Sengoku is an Admiral with significant combat strength—it wouldn't make sense to remove him as easily as the older Vice Admirals.
No reasonable person would do such a thing.
But then, unexpectedly, Akira turned his head and confirmed Garp's suspicion.
"Mr. Garp, I heard you."
"But it's true, the second fire will be on Admiral Sengoku."
Seeing everyone's eyes widen in surprise, Akira chuckled and said, "But don't worry, it's just a new position at most."
"Huh? A new position?" Garp asked, surprised. "Is it like the Vice Admiral position I have?"
Not only Sengoku, but even Sakazuki and the other Admirals turned to look at Akira.
Akira's eyes flickered slightly. The establishment of the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau was already inevitable, so it was better to reveal it now to prepare them mentally.
With this in mind, Akira looked over at Tsuru and asked, "Aunt Tsuru, have the regulations and scope of authority for the Criminal Investigation Bureau under the General Staff been finalized?"
"Yeah, it's in my drawer. I'll show it to you when we get back," Tsuru nodded.
The General Staff has plenty of talent. Tsuru sets the general direction, and her team handles the details. Within two or three days of Akira's order, they can compile a comprehensive set of rules and regulations for the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau.
And this efficiency is just a glimpse of the Marine's true power.
Akira nodded and walked to the edge of the platform, facing the tens of thousands of Marines below. But before addressing them, he turned to Sengoku and the others and said:
"The three Marine Admiral positions have been vacant for too long. Under my leadership, the Marine must fill them as quickly as possible."
Sengoku wasn't the most surprised by this statement—instead, it was the three Admirals.
"Does Fleet Admiral Akira intend to transfer Admiral Sengoku?" Kuzan asked.
"Ah, Admiral! Doesn't that mean the pirates we'll face in the future will be even more terrifying?" Borsalino mused.
"It's truly decisive," Sakazuki added.
The three Candidate Admirals exchanged glances, each displaying different emotions—surprise, delight, and motivation.
The title of Admiral carries enormous power, far beyond that of a Vice Admiral. Even though the three of them had been acting as substitute Admirals, it was more of a title than true authority. The real power they wielded was only slightly more than that of a Vice Admiral.
If the Admiral positions are to be filled, who else but them could take those spots? Akira's words were clearly directed at them.
Sakazuki's breath quickened; he couldn't deny how excited he was. Only by becoming an Admiral could his vision of justice and ambition be fully realized.
Kuzan and Borsalino lowered their heads, their thoughts racing.
"It just so happens that everyone is here," Akira said loudly, catching the attention of everyone in Marineford. "I have an important announcement to make."
"In order to prevent incidents like last night's, where a superior oppresses their subordinates, from happening again…"
"I've decided to form a new department called the Marine Crime Investigation Bureau!"
"The main purpose of this department is to ensure that lower-ranking soldiers and officers are not mistreated by their superiors. It will also protect the purity of absolute justice, preventing any corruption within the Marine that could tarnish our reputation."
Akira's voice rang out clearly as he announced his decision.
The soldiers listened carefully, quickly understanding the purpose of this new department.
In addition to handling reports from the public and Marines at all levels, the department will be responsible for investigating, convicting, and arresting criminals and corrupt Marines—regardless of their rank, except for the Fleet Admiral.
In other words, even if an Admiral were to commit a crime, the director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau would have the authority to demand their cooperation.
"Wow, this new department holds a lot of power!" Rear Admiral Jonathan was the first to react, sucking in a breath.
An Admiral is the face of the Marine, second only to the Fleet Admiral, with immense authority. Typically, only the Fleet Admiral or the World Government could hold them accountable.
But now, there's a new department with similar authority.
"Then who could possibly be qualified for this role?" he muttered to himself.
Many people instinctively turned their gaze towards Admiral Sengoku.
If anyone in Marine Headquarters had the qualifications to take on such a powerful new role, it was him.
Sengoku himself was taken aback. He hadn't expected Akira to establish a department with such immense authority so soon after taking office. Given Akira's earlier statements about giving him a new position, could it be that he was being offered the role of head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau?
And at that moment…
"Justice shall prevail!"
"Justice shall prevail!"
Tens of thousands of Marines cheered in unison.
The creation of this new department was seen as a hugely positive move for the soldiers. It was clear that once the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau was fully established, officers with significant power would have to think twice before abusing it. These rank-and-file soldiers, as long as they adhered to military regulations, would no longer have to fear unreasonable oppression from their superiors.
It wasn't hard to imagine that this would reduce the number of soldiers who, out of frustration with the Marine hierarchy, turned to piracy each year. With this new safeguard, such defections would likely decrease significantly.
The soldiers now looked at Akira with more than just respect—they were genuinely enthusiastic about his leadership.
Twenty minutes later, the Marines assembled in Marineford began to disperse as ordered.
As Akira made his way back to the office building, Sengoku walked half a step behind him. Akira turned and asked, "Admiral Sengoku, do you have any concerns about becoming the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau?"
"Do you really want me to take that position?" Sengoku asked, still processing the idea.
"Absolutely," Akira replied with a firm nod.
There's an unwritten rule within the system: unless an officer has committed an error, they generally cannot be demoted. Sengoku, having a career full of achievements and no faults, could only be promoted or transferred. But since there's no rank above Admiral besides Fleet Admiral, and no equivalent lateral position to an Admiral, Sengoku couldn't be promoted in the traditional sense.
Thus, like Rear Admiral Huouoin, Sengoku would be "promoted" in a sense by taking on a significant new role. As the head of the Crime Investigation Bureau, though his official rank would be Vice Admiral, his authority would be considerable—akin to that of Vice Admiral Tsuru as Chief of Staff. In this role, even Admirals wouldn't be able to treat him as a subordinate.
In this way, Akira's decision wasn't a demotion for Sengoku but rather a strategic reassignment, befitting his experience and standing. Sengoku's strength and reputation would ensure that this new department could actually hold even Admirals accountable—something that would resonate throughout the ranks.
Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan, who were closely following behind, had no objections. This arrangement was advantageous for everyone. Without it, one of the three might have had to continue as an Candidate Admiral without full authority, which wouldn't have been ideal.
Moreover, as long as they conducted themselves properly, they wouldn't need to worry about the Crimie Investigation Bureau.
"If you're certain, then I have no objections," Sengoku replied without hesitation after taking a deep breath. Akira trusted him enough to assign him this vital department, and Sengoku wouldn't undermine that trust. The title of Admiral had been his for decades, but the position of Marine Admiral had indeed been vacant for too long. Filling those slots would greatly benefit the Marine, boosting the morale of both the public and the soldiers.
"Hahahaha, Sengoku! Experience the freedom of Vice Admiral with me!" Garp laughed heartily, slapping Sengoku on the shoulder.
Sengoku shook his head with a sigh. Even as a Vice Admiral, he knew he wouldn't be as carefree as Garp, given his temperament. If he did become the head of the Crime Investigation Bureau, he'd likely be traveling all over the seas.
"By the way, Fleet Admiral Akira, you've lit two of the three fires for the new administration. Who do you plan to target with the last one?" Sengoku asked curiously.
"Of course, it'll be the pirates," Akira said, the corners of his mouth lifting into a grin as he revealed his white teeth. "We can't burn all the fires on our own people; otherwise, the whole world might think I, as Fleet Admiral, only know how to point the blade at our own."
"Hahahaha, then the last fire should be a big one," Garp laughed.
"It's indeed time to strike at the pirates," Tsuru said gently, smiling. "As the new Fleet Admiral in a time of crisis, Marine and the world are waiting for you to present a new strategy to finally end this era of piracy."
"The pressure's on now," Akira said, clenching his fists and exhaling deeply.
Akira was well aware that all of Marine, and even people across the world, were closely watching the new Fleet Admiral's plan for this era of great pirates. The first move he made would be crucial.
Akira himself understood the importance of this moment.
This would be the first major decision he would make as Marine Fleet Admiral, and it would impact his reputation and the way he was perceived. He knew he had to handle it with care and couldn't rush into it.
After parting ways with the group downstairs, Akira returned to the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Fleet Admiral, you've worked hard," Secretary Rouge greeted him as she stood up from the sofa. She quickly took his Justice cloak, carefully hanging it up before closing the office door.
"Why are you closing the door?" Akira asked curiously.
"To help you concentrate," Rouge replied.
"Oh, as you like," Akira said, brushing it off as a minor detail.
He sat down in his chair, focusing his mind inward.
"Let's check out the novice gift package that the system gave me."
The package was prominently displayed, glowing on the first page of his system interface.
With a slight mental nudge, Akira activated it.
[Hum!]
The gift package trembled, and three items immediately floated out.
[Please choose one of the three options.]
"Only one?" Akira frowned slightly but kept his focus.
[1. A full set of skills: monster-level two-color Haki, master-level swordsmanship, Six Styles, life return, Devil Fruit ability awakening (standard version)]
[2. Fruit Ability: Upgraded Detached Version]
[3. Receive the completion reward for "Ultimate Mission 3" in advance]
Akira took a deep breath. "Is this really a novice gift package? It seems more like a high-level reward."
His surprise was justified. Before today, he had been most frustrated with the system for only giving him experience points, without offering the skills he truly needed. But now, this gift package seemed to contain everything he could wish for.
The first option offered a complete set of skills that encompassed nearly everything one could learn in the world of One Piece, with each at a near-peak level. These included monster-level Haki, master swordsman skills, the Six Styles, life return, and Devil Fruit awakening—all skills that could rival those requiring many experience points to upgrade.
And at the end, the option even included Fruit Ability Awakening, which was a rare and powerful enhancement. Although the awakening of Mythical Zoan fruits like his wasn't as flashy as that of Paramecia fruits, it was still incredibly valuable. To upgrade a Devil Fruit from standard development to awakening would normally cost around 11,100 experience points—a massive amount.
"So, normal awakening versus an upgraded detached version?" Akira mused, his eyes narrowing.
The system hadn't provided any explanations or hints for the three options, clearly leaving the choice up to his judgment.
But Akira was decisive.
He quickly made up his mind, bypassing the other two options and focusing on the second one.
[Ding, are you sure you want to choose the gift package "Fruit Ability: Upgraded Detached Version"?]
"Yes!" Akira responded without hesitation.
[Scanning the fruit ability in the host, please wait a moment...]
[Ding, scan complete! The Devil Fruit consumed by the host is Mythical Zoan Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon]
[Upgrading fruit ability... Fruit ability is being transcended...]
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票