The moment Finn walked out of Marineford's Justice Fortress, a wave of heat struck him like a physical force.
Wow. The originally spacious Justice Square had transformed into a sea of celebration. Drums thundered, firecrackers exploded in bursts of smoke, colorful flags waved everywhere, and massive crowds pressed together despite the summer heat.
Fortunately, a large contingent of Marine Headquarters soldiers maintained order. Despite the overwhelming numbers, chaos hadn't erupted.
"I've been at Marineford for so many years, but I've never seen such a grand scene..." Finn said with genuine emotion.
Borsalino paused, then nodded. "Me too."
Although Borsalino had been a Marine at Marineford several years before Finn, he'd never witnessed the scene when Fleet Admiral Kong took office.
In fact, this was the first time most Marines had seen a Fleet Admiral's inauguration ceremony. The previous Fleet Admiral Kong hadn't done anything like this.
At the same time, numerous officers emerged from the Justice Fortress, greeting Finn and Borsalino with smiles as they walked toward the square.
Several designated areas had been cordoned off there. An open-air viewing platform had been erected, large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Finn and Borsalino didn't waste time, walking over while chatting casually.
The moment they left the secured perimeter, however, a swarm of reporters rushed forward. Spotlights blazed, nearly blinding Finn with their intensity.
He now regretted not wearing sunglasses like Borsalino.
"Mr. Borsalino, we've heard today isn't only Fleet Admiral Sengoku's promotion ceremony, but also your official inauguration as Marine Admiral. Is that correct?"
"Mr. Kizaru, you were once the most senior member of the new generation of Marines, yet you're the last to be promoted as Admiral. Do you have any complaints about this?"
"Admiral! Mr. Admiral! Could you please discuss who's more powerful—you, Admiral Finn, or Admiral Sakazuki? Many people are eager to hear the answer!"
As today's newest Admiral, Borsalino naturally attracted tremendous attention. Of course, numerous reporters also surrounded Finn, firing questions at him.
The questions these reporters asked were remarkably sharp, some deliberately divisive. They clearly just wanted to stir up drama and watch the chaos unfold.
Finn had no intention of entertaining them. He activated a subtle repulsive force from his Press-Press Fruit, gently pushing the crowd aside as he walked through.
Borsalino, however, answered a few questions with his characteristic lazy smile. After all, he was taking office as Admiral today. A few words were appropriate.
"First, I did indeed take office as Marine Admiral today. This isn't worth extensive discussion. It's simply normal personnel rotation within the Marines. As for the complaints you mentioned, honestly, there are none. The Marines are an army of justice. We joined the Marines not to fight for power, but to better maintain justice on the seas and protect nations and people. Therefore, the relationship between us three Admirals is excellent. Otherwise, I wouldn't have walked out with Admiral Finn just now, correct?" Borsalino stood there spouting diplomatic nonsense to the reporters with practiced ease.
Finn, who'd already walked away, found it somewhat amusing. He'd never expected that Borsalino, usually so lazy and unfocused, could be remarkably skillful when taking things seriously.
Soon, Finn reached the seating area arranged by the Marines. Garp, Zephyr, Chief of Staff Tsuru, Kuzan, Gion, and others were already seated.
At the same time, to promote positive relations, there were no factional camps segregating people. Queen Otohime, Queen Stussy, several members of royal families, some high-ranking Mary Geoise officials and nobles all sat here or mingled nearby.
On the surface, everyone appeared to be having a wonderful time, getting along perfectly, with hypocritical and polite smiles plastered across their faces.
Finn took a few steps forward and sat down beside Gion. He exhaled heavily. "Too many people. I nearly died from the heat."
Gion smiled as well. "Yes, especially in formal attire. Otherwise, why do you think I'm sitting with Kuzan?"
Finn blinked, then looked at Kuzan, who was emitting white frost vapor from his entire body like he was practicing some ancient art.
"Seriously? Do you have to be so dramatic?" Finn complained.
"I'm more susceptible to heat than you two, aren't I?" Kuzan shot Finn a flat look.
At that moment, Queen Otohime approached with a gentle smile, extending her hand. "Admiral Finn, it's been quite some time since we last met."
A flicker of warmth crossed Finn's eyes. He reached out and took Queen Otohime's hand, shaking it gently before releasing it. "It has been a while, Queen Otohime. I'm pleased to see you here at Marineford. This proves our efforts haven't been in vain, doesn't it?"
"Hehe, you're absolutely right. We're very grateful to you, especially regarding Jinbe." Queen Otohime's smile was genuine.
"It's nothing. This is simply what I should do." Finn waved his hand dismissively with a smile.
At that moment, another group of reporters rushed over and positioned themselves in front of Finn with their cameras.
Finn looked confused. There were so many important people here—why were they chasing him specifically?
"Admiral Finn, are you close with Queen Otohime of Fish-Man Island?" a reporter asked excitedly.
Finn paused, then smiled. "Your word choice is rather inappropriate. Queen Otohime and I have known each other for many years. We're friends who share common beliefs. You could say we're close. At the same time, I'm also very good friends with His Majesty Neptune of Fish-Man Island."
"Common beliefs? What does that mean?" another reporter pressed.
"Ah, regarding that." Finn's expression turned serious. "We both agree that mutual misunderstandings and discrimination between Fish-Man Island and surface society should be eliminated, promoting harmonious development for this world. I've always believed that many intelligent races exist in this world, and everyone should abandon their prejudices against each other. All intelligent races are equal. No one is born nobler, and no one is born humbler. So I've been promoting these ideals in my spare time. Queen Otohime is a person of great wisdom and perseverance. Among the friends I know, she's one of the most worthy of my admiration."
Queen Otohime, standing nearby, felt her eyes moisten with emotion. Admiral Finn was clearly supporting her publicly.
Sure enough, as soon as Finn finished speaking, the reporters concerned with these issues immediately began interviewing Queen Otohime.
Through their mutual praise, Queen Otohime generously commended Finn and the Marine officers led by him for their assistance to Fish-Man Island.
At the same time, she began promoting her own ideals, expressing hope that humans could coexist peacefully with the people of Fish-Man Island, elaborating extensively on the subject.
There was another group of reporters who were obviously targeting Finn specifically. They ignored his attempt to redirect and asked, "Mr. Admiral, we've heard you're in a relationship with Vice Admiral Momousagi here at Marineford. Is that true?"
Gion, standing nearby, blushed deeply and glared at the reporter with embarrassed irritation. Needless to say, that charming expression was immediately captured by multiple cameras.
Finn considered for a moment and concluded these reporters were probably from tabloid newspapers.
But he was genuinely in a good mood today, and he'd never particularly cared about gossip these people spread anyway.
So he didn't chase them away. Instead, he smiled and draped his arm around Gion's shoulders. "That's correct. I also spent considerable effort winning over our Marine Headquarters' beauty. You don't know how many suitors Vice Admiral Momousagi has, from Marineford to Mary Geoise. Fortunately, I'm handsome and talented, so I managed to get her attention..."
Gion looked stunned at first, then a genuinely happy smile blossomed across her face.
Finn's words completely electrified the gossip reporters.
"Admiral, Admiral! We've heard you're not only in a relationship with Vice Admiral Momousagi, but also involved with your adjutant, Hina. Is that true? We heard you and Hina traveled to Hot Spring Island together..." Another reporter asked with burning curiosity.
Finn looked mildly surprised. You know about that too?
Wait, no. I was at the hot springs with that rough guy Dragon. Now that I think about it, that's somewhat disturbing...
Therefore, Finn straightened his expression. "Of course not. However, as a man, I greatly admire Hina's beauty. But we're simply colleagues. Hina is extraordinarily capable. She was valedictorian at the military academy. My teacher, Chief Instructor Zephyr, personally recommended her to me. Later, I did keep Hina by my side to train her. She's an indispensable assistant in my work. To be honest, I'm quite careless. If she hadn't helped me identify gaps and correct mistakes, I don't know how many times I would've been reprimanded. Hahahaha..."
After Finn finished speaking, the reporter demonstrated incredible sharpness. He turned the microphone directly toward Gion and asked excitedly, "Vice Admiral Momousagi, Admiral Finn said he greatly admires Hina's beauty. What are your thoughts on this? And do you have any concerns about what was just mentioned?"
Damn it... Finn cursed internally. If there weren't so many people here, I'd send you into the sea to feed the fish.
Upon hearing this, Gion responded with a smile. "Everyone appreciates beauty. When Finn was pursuing me, he also said he admired my beauty greatly. I thought he was being a shameless flirt at the time. As for Hina's beauty, I naturally appreciate it as well. As for my opinion..."
She paused here, turned to Finn and smiled warmly, then said openly, "As long as he has me in his heart, that's enough."
The moment Gion finished speaking, even the reporters looked stunned. There was no doubt—Gion had just publicly stated she didn't care whether Finn was faithful or not.
Finn also looked mildly surprised, then smiled and shook his head without saying anything more.
In contrast, Chaton, not far away, looked like he was about to vomit blood in fury. He beat his chest and stamped his feet, immediately attracting reporters' attention.
"Vice Admiral Chaton, we've heard you harbored feelings for Vice Admiral Momousagi for many years. You confessed publicly multiple times and were rejected, yet you never gave up. What do you think of Vice Admiral Momousagi's remarks just now?" the reporter asked in an absolutely devilish tone.
Chaton nearly stood up to strike him. His expression was extremely grim, but he still forced a smile. "What's the big deal? As Gion said, everyone appreciates beauty. I also admired her beauty back then, and my motivation was the same as Finn's. As for why I didn't succeed in pursuing her, it can only be attributed to lack of fate. So naturally, I wish them both the best now."
"Is it because of lack of fate? Isn't it because of appearance?" the reporter asked with razor-sharp cruelty.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Chaton, we've heard that within Headquarters, the relationship between you and Admiral Finn is the most strained. Is that true?" another reporter piled on.
Just as Chaton's face grew increasingly dark, Finn stood up, walked over to him, draped his arm across Chaton's shoulders, and said to the reporters with a smile, "What do you mean by strained relationship? Chaton and I have been friends for many years. Don't you know we both graduated from the 6th Officer Training Camp? As for pursuing Gion, Chaton and I competed fairly, and it doesn't affect our personal relationship at all. As for the appearance question, honestly, at our level, when we recognize and interact with each other, what matters more is character and inner qualities. Vice Admiral Chaton is undoubtedly a true gentleman, and I admire him greatly for that. Moreover, although this guy didn't win Gion's heart and lost to me—who has superior inner qualities—he's also pursued by many beautiful women at Headquarters. Don't underestimate him, all right? Right, Chaton?"
Chaton reacted quickly, smiling at Finn. "Yes, that's correct. Finn and I have an excellent relationship. How could there be any strain?" After a slight pause, he added in the tone of good friends teasing each other, "Also, what do you mean by superior inner qualities? It's obviously that I'm more talented!"
"Hahahaha, you're still stubborn." Finn laughed, keeping his arm around Chaton's shoulders.
Soon, the reporters, realizing they couldn't extract any more drama, quickly dispersed. Only then did Chaton sigh softly. "Don't think I'll thank you..."
"Tsk, do you think I came here for your thanks?" Finn rolled his eyes at him.
Then they both laughed.
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