Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Admiral Candidates
Several months passed in the blink of an eye.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Reverie, Wright received news concerning the Donquixote Family. Whether it was due to Rosinante's involvement or Doflamingo's looming threat, Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru weren't about to let Doflamingo rest easy.
With the Reverie behind them, and no longer having spies embedded within each other's factions, Vice Admiral Tsuru resumed her pursuit of Doflamingo. Though her efforts had diminished in effectiveness, the major incident caused by the Donquixote Family in the North Blue during the Reverie couldn't be entirely concealed, despite their best efforts to suppress the details.
When Wright received Tsuru's latest report via Admiral Sengoku, detailing how Doflamingo had been duped by a mysterious figure whose true identity remained unknown—a figure who, under his very nose, had stolen the coveted Gold-Gold Fruit—he laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
"Still, Sengoku, the person who managed to snatch the Gold-Gold Fruit is no ordinary individual," Wright remarked with a grin. "It takes guts, skill, and cunning to outwit someone like Doflamingo. Mark my words, this person is destined for greatness!"
Of course, Wright knew exactly who had taken the fruit: Gild Tesoro. This man was as obsessive about money as one could be, and now armed with the Gold-Gold Fruit, he was even more formidable. What truly set Tesoro apart, however, was his extraordinary talent and relentless drive, which enabled him to awaken his Devil Fruit powers within just over a decade.
It was no surprise that Tesoro would go on to establish a vast empire, one even the World Government feared—though he was far from a good person.
Quietly giving Tesoro a mental thumbs-up, Wright returned to his demanding workload. Thanks to the frequent hints dropped by Vice Admiral Garp, he'd learned that Marine Headquarters had decided to establish three official Admiral Candidate positions to bolster its deterrence against the increasing influx of pirates into the Grand Line.
The title of Admiral Candidate signified a combat ability comparable to that of a Marine Admiral. However, due to the limited number of Admiral positions and other considerations, these individuals required a transitional phase. If a vacancy arose among the Admirals, one of the Candidates would be promoted directly.
At present, Marine Headquarters had only one active-duty Admiral: Sengoku. Managing the Navy's growing responsibilities was becoming increasingly difficult for him. During the Reverie, various representatives from allied nations had also voiced concerns about whether the Marines could handle the rising number of pirates.
Without sufficient strength to dominate the seas and provide adequate protection for its member nations, the World Government's authority would erode.
Thus, following the Reverie, Fleet Admiral Kong proposed increasing the number of Admiral positions, a motion that received enthusiastic support from Admiral Sengoku.
"If I don't get more help soon, I'm quitting!" Sengoku had declared bluntly, though not without humor.
As a result, the three "monsters" among the current Vice Admirals—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—were summoned to Sengoku's office.
After news of the Admiral Candidate selection spread, most Marine personnel were convinced that these three would receive the appointments.
By January of the Year 1513 of the Sea Calendar, Fleet Admiral Kong officially announced the decision within Marine Headquarters:
To deter piracy and inspire the Marines, the following Vice Admirals are appointed as Admiral Candidates, with the authority to be promoted to Admiral should a vacancy arise:
Vice Admiral Sakazuki, granted the title Red Dog (Akainu).
Vice Admiral Borsalino, granted the title Yellow Monkey (Kizaru).
Vice Admiral Kuzan, granted the title Blue Pheasant (Aokiji).
All personnel are expected to dedicate themselves to upholding justice!
The announcement caused waves within the Marines, even though it wasn't publicly disclosed beyond Headquarters. However, the news inevitably leaked, prompting speculation worldwide about the future of the Marines.
"Speculation? It's obvious," Wright said with a chuckle as he discussed the matter with Smoker and Rosinante, both of whom he hadn't seen in a while. "The three Candidates will eventually be promoted to Admirals. Sengoku will become Fleet Admiral, and Kong will move on to a higher position within the World Government. It's all but certain."
"That makes sense," Smoker nodded thoughtfully. "If Sengoku takes over as Fleet Admiral, I'll need to start considering leading my own ship instead of staying under Kuzan-sensei."
The now-Lieutenant Commander took a deep drag on his cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I originally planned to wait until I made Commodore before taking command of a ship, though. A junior officer's ship is nothing like a flag officer's vessel."
"Ha! Smoker, you don't seem that interested in promotions," Rosinante teased, puffing on his cigarette. "With your strength, it doesn't make sense for you to still be a Lieutenant Commander."
"Hey, that's because he treats Kuzan's ship like his personal training ground," Wright interjected with a smirk. "All he cares about is challenging Kuzan to sparring matches. And Kuzan? When he gets tired of being badgered, he sends Smoker off to hunt pirates for practice."
"Exactly! Smoker couldn't care less about accolades. If his achievements weren't so conspicuous, he'd probably still be an Ensign!"
Rosinante laughed. "As for me, my promotion to Commander is still a mystery to me. It's all thanks to intelligence work, not my strength."
"Don't sell yourself short," Smoker said seriously. "You risked your life to gather crucial information. That's a justice I deeply respect."
Rosinante smiled faintly, then changed the subject. "Speaking of Headquarters, I ran into Vice Admiral Tokikake today. He proposed to Vice Admiral Gion again."
"And got rejected, right?" Wright sighed. "What is that, his tenth attempt?"
"At least," Smoker replied, exhaling smoke. "Tokikake is well-known among civilians, but few at Headquarters know much about him. If it weren't for Kuzan-sensei mentioning him, I wouldn't even know there's a Vice Admiral dedicated to intelligence work besides Gion."
"Vice Admiral Gion..." Wright trailed off, recalling a recent interaction with Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had asked him to prepare a skincare treatment for her younger sister.
Only later did it dawn on Wright who Tsuru's sister was: none other than Vice Admiral Gion, the reclusive and formidable swordswoman.
"Ugh... Let's hope Tokikake doesn't kill me when he finds out I helped her," Wright muttered.
--------------------------------
If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:
patreon.com / juanpiece
I would greatly appreciate your support if you choose to join my patreon 🙏