"Red-Haired Shanks?!"
Akainu and the others sprang to their feet, adopting defensive stances.
Tsuru's brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding growing in her heart.
"How dare you be so rude! Standing before you is Celestial Dragon Shanks!"
A CP0 agent, clad in a pristine white mask, rose and addressed Akainu and the others with an authoritative tone.
Despite their premonitions, the sight of Shanks, once one of the Four Emperors now turned into a Celestial Dragon, standing before them caused an indescribable sense of unease among the Navy personnel.
The first to react was Aokiji. He glanced at the figures opposite him and inquired, "I'm sorry, but I didn't know Shanks was Celestial Dragon. Anyways, What brings him to the Navy Headquarters?"
The CP0 agent, showing no sign of respect toward the Admiral, stepped forward and replied, "I am here on the orders of the Five Elders to deliver some announcements."
Aokiji and the others frowned but remained silent, waiting for the CP0 agent to continue.
The agent continued, "Firstly, from this moment on, Celestial Dragon Shanks is the new Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters."
"Impossible! I will never agree to this!!"
Before the CP0 agent could finish, Akainu roared in outrage, stepping forward with a firm stance.
The CP0 agent's tone turned icy as he responded, "Admiral Akainu, please understand, this is not a matter of seeking your approval, but merely informing you!"
Akainu's eyes blazed with fury as he bellowed, "As long as I am an Admiral, Shanks will never become a Fleet Admiral of the Navy while being a pirate!"
The CP0 agent coldly retorted, "Sakazuki, understand the situation! The Navy has deteriorated to this extent, and we are indifferent to whether one more or one less Admiral makes any difference!"
He added, "The Five Elders have made it clear before our arrival. You are expected to comply, or they will have no qualms about replacing the entire Navy if necessary!"
At these words, the expressions of everyone present in the Navy grew grim and their faces darkened.
The CP0 agent stood before them, making an audacious declaration that he intended to replace all of them. Such arrogance was palpable!
However, the CP0 continued with a cold, disdainful tone, "Understand this clearly: the reason your Navy exists is solely due to the World Government's recognition! Without their approval, you're no better than those pirates!"
The faces of the Navy personnel grew increasingly dark with each word.
The CP0 agent wasn't just insulting them; he was relentlessly dragging their faces through the mud!
To equate their esteemed Navy with pirates was an insult of the highest order!
"You~~~"
Akainu clenched his teeth in rage, his right hand transforming into molten magma with ominous black smoke billowing from it.
Seeing this, the CP0 agent with the pure white mask showed no sign of fear. Instead, he stepped forward and said, "Sakazuki, are you planning to rebel?"
"Sakazuki!"
Akainu's hand twitched, and the apprehensive Aokiji quickly moved to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Tsuru also stepped in, urging, "Sakazuki, don't act impulsively! This matter isn't settled yet!"
Akainu struggled to control his breathing, fighting to manage his intense emotions.
The CP0 agent with the pure white mask dismissed the attempts at mediation from Aokiji and Tsuru, saying, "No, this matter has been settled!"
"There are now only two choices before you: First, Shanks becomes the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, and the World Government will allocate substantial resources to help the Navy recover swiftly!"
"Second, Shanks remains the Fleet Admiral of the Navy, but you are no longer part of it!"
The CP0 agent's stance was nothing short of haughty, showing complete disregard for the Navy officials present.
"How can it be! This is just purely ignoring our opinions!" Akainu exclaimed in frustration. Unable to hold back any longer, he broke free from Aokiji's grip and delivered a powerful punch to the pure white-masked CP0 agent!
"Ice Age!"
Seeing this, Aokiji's eyes widened in alarm. Ignoring everything else, he exerted all his effort to encase the unsuspecting Akainu in a massive block of ice.
Aokiji knew that if Akainu attacked CP0, no matter the outcome, Akainu's chances of becoming a Fleet Admiral would be destroyed! The Navy might even struggle to recover from the loss!
With the current Navy forces being so limited, losing another Admiral would spell serious trouble for their future!
"Crack, crack, crack."
Despite being frozen by Aokiji's attack, the battle between Akainu's magma powers and Aokiji's ice powers was intense. Even with the surprise attack, it was impossible to determine a clear victor in such a short time!
In no time at all, Akainu emerged from the ice!
"Enough, Sakazuki! Do you want to waste the last of the Navy's strength here?" Tsuru shouted urgently, trying to stop Akainu before he could launch another attack.
"I will take the others to patrol the Grand Line!" Akainu gritted his teeth in frustration but eventually lowered his hand and walked away with an annoyed expression.
A few of the more radical senior Navy officers, who were present, silently followed Akainu.
Tsuru sighed softly, stepping forward to address the pure white-masked CP0. "Everyone, making Celestial Dragon Shanks a Fleet Admiral is a significant issue. After all, he was a pirate before. Even if we accept this decision, it's unlikely that the people below and the world at large will accept it!"
The pure white-masked CP0 agent shook his head and replied, "No! Celestial Dragon Shanks was never a pirate. He has been an undercover agent since childhood, sent to serve aboard Gol D. Roger's ship, and played a crucial role in the fall of Gol D. Roger!"
"On this matter, our World Government will issue a formal announcement to the world!"
An undercover agent on Roger's ship?!
Upon hearing this, the navy members exchanged incredulous glances at Shanks, their expressions a mix of disbelief and amusement. Their eyes were filled with incredulity.
Who would believe this?
An undercover agent rising to the level of one of the Four Emperors, and still floating around without taking any action?
What could he possibly be planning?
Ignoring the strange looks from the crowd, the CP0 Agent continued, "Given the current state of your navy, having one of the Four Emperors join forces would undoubtedly be a huge boost, helping to stabilize the situation on the seas quickly."
The navy fell silent. It was true that Shanks becoming a Fleet Admiral would be immensely beneficial.
The CP0 Agent paused, then asked, "Does anyone have any objections?"
The navy remained silent. With the current circumstances, they had no grounds to protest, yet it was also unlikely that they would openly support the decision.
Seeing the lack of opposition, the CP0 Agent acknowledged the tacit agreement and respectfully bowed to Shanks. "Lord Shanks, please."
With a wry smile, Shanks responded helplessly, "Ah, you've really gone and fucked me!"
**********
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