254. Admiral
Naval Headquarters in Marineford.
"You naughty kid! Didn't I tell you to get pure gold? Why did you capture two pirates?"
Sengoku smacked the newspaper onto the desk, making the entire office tremble for a moment.
For him, Atlas found pure gold and was promoted to the fourth Admiral in the Marines was his plan.
Boosting Marine's strength at sea is way more crucial than anything else.
Ever since Roger initiated the Great Pirate Era, the caliber of Marine recruits has been declining.
Apart from Atlas, he never witnessed another extraordinary talent joining the Marines.
Several years later, there seems to be a sense of culture.
Anyone with a hint of talent desires to set sail and become a pirate!
It can be stated that Roger's final words act like a key, unlocking and greatly magnifying the darker aspects of human nature.
In the end, giving in is much simpler than holding back.
"Pure gold? I forgot," Atlas said, his expression unchanged as he sat across from him.
"As for those two pirates, we just happened to come across them and caught them."
"...And what about your Admiral position?"
Upon hearing this, Sengoku's forehead veins bulged, and he fought the urge to give this guy a beating.
"The Five Elders have approved the document, and the position of one of the Three Admirals is no longer yours."
"That's fine, but your inauguration ceremony might need to be delayed," Atlas casually shrugged, appearing as if he didn't warrant a scolding.
"...That pirate under Whitebeard?!" Sengoku suddenly frowned.
Honestly, he's not eager to initiate a war with Whitebeard at the moment.
He's on the brink of being promoted to Marine Fleet Admiral, and the maritime forces currently keep a fragile equilibrium.
Marine, Sanko, Shichibukai.
Three pillars.
The world government resembles an emperor, firmly seated on the throne, and intends to persist in this role to uphold a temporary peace.
"Yes, I trust you grasp Whitebeard's character better than I do, don't you?"
Atlas was aware of that.
In the past, much like the dynamic between Garp and Roger, Sengoku frequently pursued Whitebeard across the globe, and their relationship was a mix of foes and allies.
Naturally, he can comprehend Whitebeard quite thoroughly, especially when compared to the so-called ideals of dreams and freedom.
Family and hometown carry more significance for Whitebeard.
"You troublesome kid, you're just making things difficult for me."
....
Mariejois, Pangaea Castle.
The five old men assembled once more, standing with knives in hand or sitting closely with squinted eyes. It appeared they would perpetually maintain this unchanging posture.
Saint Saturn, sporting a black hat and white hair, was the first to break the silence: "Have the documents for appointing the Admiral position reached Marine?"
"Sengoku has been informed, and a ceremony will be held in three months."
"Both the positions of Marine's Fleet Admiral and three Admirals have been vacant for quite a while. Marine's control has been done for too long, and pushing too hard may not be good," Saint Warcury, with a shiny bald head and a thick mustache, spoke in a deep voice.
"As for Hakuryu..."
As soon as the name was mentioned, the other four fell into silence.
They harbor quite complex feelings towards Hakuryu.
They have thoroughly looked into the his background. From his ancestors to the present, they have ruled out the possibility of him being [D], and naturally, there is no perceived threat.
Therefore, the five of them still maintain a certain level of trust in Hakuryu, even if the other party possesses ridiculously potent talents.
But judging from Hakuryu's actions, his allegiance to the World Government is evidently not very strong.
Certainly, the same applies to many senior generals in Marine, and the Five Elders are well aware of this.
Even Sakazuki, who appears to be the most devoted, still holds less loyalty to the World Government compared to Marine and his own sense of justice.
Atlas's minor issue is, at most, a smaller version of Garp.
There might be losses in smaller areas, but no substantial losses in larger ones.
So, they are willing to offer Atlas a chance, and they only require a certain attitude from him, irrespective of whether the pure gold is retrieved.
However, that guy actually prioritized capturing pirates over the mission assigned by the World Government!
"We've already granted him an opportunity. If he doesn't value it, he'll lose the Admiral position," Saint Nusjuro, gripping the long sword, snorted coldly, evidently highly displeased with Atlas' conduct.
Each of the Five Elders has a distinct personality. Among them, Saint Nusjuro embodies a proper warrior demeanor. It's evident from the fact that he constantly wields a cursed sword, possibly the Shodai Kitetsu. His approach is natural, and he is extremely resolute.
"Yes, Admiral is the highest combat power in the Marines, but strength isn't the sole benchmark, and..."
"Sakazuki and the other three are no less than Hakuryu!!" Saint Saturn nodded in agreement.
After all, the Marines are just the outward face of the World Government, if its a force that they cannot entirely control, they would not utilize it.
"Then it's settled. I'll prepare to bestow him the honors in three months."
It must be acknowledged that the Five Elders' Machiavellian techniques are unquestionably top-notch in the One piece world. They consistently seek balance at sea and have never abandoned the idea of suppressing the Marines.
After several years of suppressing the Marines, the position of Fleet Admiral became vacant, and only one of the three Admirals remained in office. The apparent power of the Marines had declined significantly.
You see, this is the age of the great pirates.
Sanko stand in the New World, heroes emerge from all corners of the world, and the pirates of the Grand Line are even more ambitious.
But upon closer examination, it's nothing more than a grain of sand, even if it's the Sea Emperor of the New World.
Even the title of Emperor of the Sea was likely released by them following Morgans' instructions, intending to instigate constant infighting among the pirates, competing for the emperor's throne.
While suppressing the Marines, they haven't forgotten to seek a new balancing force.
The Shichibukai system was conceived.
When the Shichibukai candidates are nearly ready, they will commence recruiting the suppressed Marines. Surely, there will be numerous voices of gratitude among the Marines.
Later on, Whitebeard II was cleverly maneuvered into becoming a Shichibukai, and Zephyr was seemingly forced out of the Marines with a cunning scheme. There wasn't much subtlety in it.
During that period, Akainu and Aokiji were vying for one position. The Admirals in the Marines included Kizaru, Fujitora, and Ryokugyu. Akainu was resolute in charging directly into the New World. The strength of the Marines had truly reached an unprecedented peak, and it was inevitable to diminish their power.
Zephyr became a victim of political intrigue.
If Zephyr, who dedicated decades of silent service to the Marines, could be sacrificed, then the same could be done to Atlas.
"Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~!!"
On the expansive desk, the initially quiet den den mushi suddenly rang, interrupting the conversation among several individuals.
Kachak! !
After picking up the phone, the den den mushi's appearance swiftly transformed into one donning frog glasses and a mustache, and a deep voice slowly spoke:
"Hello? I am Sengoku."
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