One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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Dressrosa.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound echoed in the sky.

As many eyes turned toward the port, a bear paw-shaped shock wave rapidly approached from a distance.

With a "pop" sound, like a bubble bursting, a figure landed on the ground unharmed.

"Vice Admiral Garp, is that Fleet Admiral Akira?" the soldiers couldn't help but ask.

When the shock wave dissipated, the smoke and dust that followed completely obscured the view, preventing them from seeing the newcomer.

"Well, though the aura is a bit weak, it's definitely a copy of him," Garp, standing at the forefront, replied confidently.

Although the shock wave was fast and the person inside was still high in the sky, it was generally impossible to make out the figure. But that's just for ordinary folks. For someone like Garp, whose senses have been honed to the peak, his eyes were sharper and more accurate than most snipers.

Tread Tread.

As his voice trailed off, the sound of footsteps emerged from within the smoke.

A replica of Akira, bearing the Vice Admiral's insignia on the cloak of justice, stepped out.

"Is this Dressrosa?" 

"It's really a good spot for a vacation. I might have the original come and check it out sometime," the copy of Akira remarked as he adjusted his glasses, taking in the surroundings.

He had never ventured into the second half of the Grand Line before. The unique climate and differing social conditions made it distinct from the four seas and the first half of the Grand Line. Be it the landscapes, buildings, or people, everything had its own style.

However, Akira's clone was merely making small talk. He knew his mission well, so he proceeded forward without hesitation.

"Indeed, it's truly the Fleet Admiral himself who has come."

"I didn't expect Vice Admiral Akira to lead this next move—it's quite grand."

The soldiers watched as the figure approached, their eyes full of eager anticipation.

Garp took the lead, and everyone followed without a word.

"Fleet Admiral Akira!" 

"Fleet Admiral Akira!" 

When they reached Akira's replica, everyone immediately saluted and greeted him. 

Even though this was only the Vice Admiral version of Akira who had appeared a few months ago, and not yet a full Fleet Admiral, no one dared to show any disrespect. After all, in reality, the original was the rightful Marine Fleet Admiral.

"I thought you might replicate your current self," Garp said casually, standing to the left of Akira's clone as they made their way toward the warship in the port. "With your current strength, this sea area might be a bit dangerous."

"It's okay, I'm just here to provide support. This form is sufficient for now," the replica of Akira said, waving his hands dismissively. He then pulled out a large, oddly shaped leaf with his name written on it from his pocket.

After displaying it a few times, he added, "Besides, this method allows me to create multiple copies of myself quickly. I'll continue until my energy is depleted."

"I understand," Garp replied.

"Alright, let's move. We're short on time and need to assess the situation in the Kingdom of Bertomy Passion as soon as possible."

The group boarded the warship. Once on board, the soldiers immediately received their orders and set sail towards the horizon.

Standing on the deck, Akira's clone gazed at Dressrosa as it grew smaller in the distance. His eyes narrowed slightly, deep in thought.

"Is this the future kingdom of Rebecca?" he murmured.

Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, the staff department was bustling with activity. Many civil servants hurried about with documents and reports, their faces full of concern. Others at their desks were relaying orders from Akainu to officers stationed overseas.

"Rear Admiral Momonga, the Fleet Admiral has ordered you to deliver a large shipment of supplies to the Kingdom of Bertomy Passion on the Grand Line. This is a critical mission."

"Is this Rear Admiral Maynard? Headquarters has an order for you to bring a warship's worth of supplies to the Red Line and await the arrival of other Rear Admirals."

"Yes, the Fleet Admiral has instructed that you all proceed to the New World. The necessary supplies will be listed by the staff department. Please ensure this is executed carefully. Fleet Admiral Akira mentioned that the year-end bonuses depend on it."

"Hello, is this Dressrosa? This is Marine Headquarters. We need you to prepare specific materials to be sent to the unaffiliated Kingdom of Bertomy Passion."

"Vice Admiral, please continue maintaining the trade route, and use the clones to eliminate any pirates you encounter."

"Chief of Staff, the Shiki clone created by Fleet Admiral Akira, along with abilities like the Snip-Snip Fruit and other supportive transformation capabilities, should be utilized effectively."

"Don't worry; these auxiliary abilities aren't bound by the Three Laws. They'll follow orders, and even if they make a mistake, it won't cause significant problems."

It was clear that those present had been involved in various schemes a few months ago. Now, the civil servants, in terms of both mental outlook and enthusiasm, were far more motivated than they had been at that time.

The reason…?

"Fleet Admiral Akira mentioned that this operation could bring in substantial profits. I wonder how much bonus I'll get at the end of the year," a civil servant in the staff department said as he hung up the Den Den Mushi. Taking a sip of coffee, he looked up at the ceiling, his eyes full of anticipation.

"How much did you make after the last operation?" a colleague nearby asked quietly, curiosity in his voice.

The civil servant glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his head and raised five fingers. "This much. What about you?"

"Whoa..." The colleague gasped, then asked, puzzled, "I'm not even at half of that. How did you get so much?"

"Actually, I had a little help from the Deputy Chief of Staff. It's because a lot of my love stories got approved, and you know about the Big Mom Pirates, right?"

"Of course, who at headquarters doesn't know about them?" the colleague responded.

"Well, her second son, Katakuri, was involved at the time."

The civil servant straightened up, leaning back with a proud expression as he recounted the events:

"He was trying to rescue Roger, and I don't know how many calls he got from pirates, all wanting to help him."

"I was going to con him out of a few million berries and be done with it, but..."

The civil servant let out a cold snort.

"He threatened me! He actually had the nerve to threaten me, saying that if I dared to deceive the Charlotte family, they'd hunt me down no matter where I tried to hide."

"Are you kidding? Like I'm scared?" the civil servant scoffed. "Besides, I'm stationed right here at headquarters. Does he really think he can just march in here? I don't think he would have that courage even if he had ten thousand men backing him."

"But it was his threat that really ticked me off, so I stopped answering other people's calls and focused solely on him."

"To keep him from getting suspicious, I stayed up all night digging into the history between Charlotte and Roger, and the next day, I fed him a bunch of vague, half-true stories, pretending Roger had confided in me directly. I sprinkled in just enough old tales to keep him hooked."

"And with that, I managed to swindle half of their fortune."

"The Deputy Chief of Staff said if it weren't for our operations being so secretive, they'd have given me a 'Sales Champion Award' on the spot."

"Impressive, huh?"

The civil servant looked around, noticing that his colleagues were hanging on his every word.

They all nodded enthusiastically, praising him:

"Incredible!"

"You're amazing! I have to give you a thumbs up."

Defrauding half the wealth of the Big Mom Pirates with nothing but words—now that's something not everyone could pull off. It wasn't an exaggeration to call him the master of persuasion.

The colleague who had asked earlier now understood why he had taken so much. It all came down to skill. Any lingering resentment vanished, replaced with admiration in his eyes.

The civil servant basked in their adoration, his ego swelling.

"Oh, it's really no big deal. Just little tricks, you know?"

"Fleet Admiral Akira always says that if we can't fool anyone, then we're the ones failing. I keep that in mind."

"Though I'll admit, I never quite understood it. I could tell Katakuri knew I was conning him, but he'd still transfer the money whenever I asked. Each time, he'd just get angrier."

"It's strange, I couldn't quite figure out why he kept falling for it."

"Do you know?"

He turned to his colleagues, seeking an explanation. But they all shook their heads, equally baffled.

Seeing this, the civil servant lowered his head, lost in thought. Although they no longer needed to resort to such deceptions, his curiosity about Katakuri's behavior lingered.

As he pondered, he failed to notice the sudden quiet that fell over the room.

"Because of the cost!"

A voice cut through the silence from behind him.

"When someone has invested a lot of time, energy, and berries in something, they're reluctant to let it go. Deep down, they'll convince themselves to trust you and hold out hope for a reward."

"So it's not surprising you had those doubts. Not everyone can walk away from their investments, especially when they have a strong-willed mother like Katakuri does."

The civil servant mulled over the explanation for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

"You're right. That's exactly the mindset Katakuri seemed to have."

"Brother, your explanation really cleared things up for me. I'll treat you to a massage tonight as thanks—"

But when he turned around to see who had spoken, his words caught in his throat, and he nearly stumbled to the ground.

"Don't be nervous."

Akira stretched out his hand with a chuckle and helped the official up. "What's your name?"

"Report, Fleet Admiral! This subordinate's name is Leo," the civil servant replied loudly, standing at attention, his face drenched in sweat.

Leo's heart pounded like a drum. He never imagined that while he was bragging to his colleagues, the Fleet Admiral himself would be listening behind him. Not only that, but Akira had even answered his question directly. And to make matters worse, he had called him "brother"!

If he could go back in time, Leo would have slapped himself for his slip-up.

"Leo, huh? I'll remember you," Akira said, giving him a heavy pat on the shoulder to show he was someone important. "I need more talents like you around me."

Turning to the other civil servants, Akira continued with a serious tone, "In addition to the dividends you're due, for the next sales promotion, the top three performers won't just get a raise—they'll also get the chance to work directly under me."

Akira understood the importance of incentives. If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it. Although there was only one Akatsuki for now, and the commission model couldn't work with too many people vying for it, he knew that offering a position under the Fleet Admiral was a powerful motivator. 

Whether it was real power, dividends, salary, or promotion opportunities, working under the Fleet Admiral was far more appealing than staying in the General Staff.

The civil servants all grasped this instantly, and their breathing quickened with excitement. Especially Leo, whose eyes reddened with determination. In his mind, there was only one thought: I must win this sales champion position.

Akira observed their reactions—some eager for advancement, others eyeing the dividends. No matter the motivation, he had successfully sparked their enthusiasm.

Akira smiled to himself. "It's clear that offering dividends not just to the top ranks but also to the lower levels is essential."

To ensure that the Marine Bank remained under Marine control, Akira had decided that the dividend distribution model would not play favorites. At the meeting, he had distributed dividends not only to the officers but also to the staff, ensuring that everyone felt valued. After all, these civil servants had played key roles, whether in crafting love stories, passing on orders, or executing large-scale deceptions.

Though the rank might not be high, the dividends everyone received equaled half a year's salary at the very least. Of course, these payouts were small compared to Marine Bank's overall wealth. But it was worth it to ignite such initiative and dedication among the staff.

Snap.

Akira slapped a stack of contact information onto the desk. "Here's the contact info for 80% of the kings and nobles in the second half of the Grand Line, courtesy of CP."

"Before the feat of defrauding hundreds of billions of berries worldwide, I firmly believed that each of you was a highly qualified salesman."

"So I'm giving you the freedom to use the following words as you see fit."

"I have only one request..."

"Make the kings and nobles desperate to buy our Akatsuki. Within a month, they should be clamoring to visit and purchase."

As Akira finished speaking, he extended his right hand back. Little Robin quickly stood on her tiptoes and handed him twenty freshly printed newspapers.

"These newspapers contain information about our Akatsuki and will be distributed worldwide this evening. You have today to familiarize yourselves with the content and strategize."

"Tomorrow, when the kings and nobles receive their newspapers, that's when you'll shine."

The civil servants stared intently at the contact information and newspapers.

"Mission guaranteed, Fleet Admiral!" they shouted in unison before rushing out the door.