BOOM!
Momonga, thrown backward, slammed heavily into the conference room wall. He let out a muffled grunt as a thin trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
Yet, Momonga did not fall. Using his long blade to brace himself against the floor, he forced his body to stand. Despite his deathly pale complexion, his face bore a look of pure, unadulterated excitement. In that single strike just now, he had seen the absolute limit of swordsmanship—the very peak of the Way of the Sword!
He had also seen death.
In truth, he should have died under Rowan's blade. But he was alive. He knew that at the final moment of the strike, Old Man Rowan had forcibly altered the trajectory of the slash.
Behind Momonga's back, carved into the reinforced wall, was a slender, hair-thin sword mark that had completely penetrated the thick structure. This mark was the handiwork of Rowan.
Outside the conference room, countless Marine soldiers stared blankly at the sky. For some reason, a sudden chill had washed over them, as if a cold blade had been drawn across their spines. Then, they saw it: the clouds across half the sky had been split clean in two by an invisible force!
Back inside, a deathly silence gripped the room. Everyone stared at Rowan in the center, their expressions frozen in shock.
Momonga, a Vice Admiral of the Headquarters with exquisite swordsmanship, had lost? And lost so utterly? It wasn't just a defeat; it was a total bypass of his defenses. Was a slash of that caliber truly possible through human strength alone?
Even though the target had been the wall behind Momonga, every officer in the room had felt the terrifying weight of that strike. If that horror had been aimed at them... several weaker Rear Admirals involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. They couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences.
"Little Gion."
Rowan held Kinpira in a reverse grip and beckoned to Momousagi. She immediately rose and walked over, taking the blade back. However, instead of sheathing it, she held it out to Rowan with both hands.
"Mr. Rowan, Kinpira suits you so perfectly. Why don't you..."
Clearly, she wanted to gift her companion of decades to him. Rowan, however, shook his head.
"What are you doing, brat? The Old Man hasn't fallen so far as to take things from his juniors. Besides, my strength isn't defined by a single weapon. Put it away."
Seeing his resolve, Gion didn't insist and hung Kinpira back at her waist.
At that moment, Momonga, still leaning against the wall and nursing his internal injuries, took a deep breath. He sheathed his sword and limped toward Rowan with the utmost reverence. He snapped a sharp, solemn salute and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Momonga welcomes Vice Admiral Rowan back to the Headquarters!"
As if a dam had burst, every Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral in the conference room stood up simultaneously, saluting in unison:
"WELCOME BACK, VICE ADMIRAL ROWAN!"
The roar was deafening, threatening to blast through the ceiling. Even the three Admirals—Akainu included—stood up and offered a salute. After all, while Rowan's rank before retirement was "only" Vice Admiral, he was still their Grand-Master.
[Host gained Vice Admiral Momonga's admiration: Prestige +19][Host gained Vice Admiral Onigumo's admiration: Prestige +16][Host gained...]
Hearing the constant chime of notifications in his mind, a smile played on Rowan's lips. At this moment, the entire upper echelon of the Marine Headquarters had acknowledged his identity. There was no longer a single voice of complaint. His prestige in the Navy had reached a peak—even higher than it had been when he left decades ago!
Looking at the faces full of respect, Rowan nodded. His legendary reputation as the "Marine Godfather" was finally, truly justified.
Standing beside him, Momousagi's face was like a blooming flower, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Alright, that's enough. Everyone, please take your seats," Sengoku announced, standing up and waving his hand. The officers slowly settled back into their chairs. Gion skipped back to Tsuru's side.
"Since there are no more questions," Sengoku declared, "I officially announce: Vice Admiral Rowan is formally restored to the rank of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and is hereby appointed as an Honorary Admiral of the Headquarters!"
"Now, in my capacity as Fleet Admiral, I shall perform the commissioning ceremony!"
Sengoku walked to the front. Behind him, Garp stood with a wide grin, solemnly holding a silver tray. On it lay a crisp Marine "Justice" coat, adorned with two special honorary medals.
Looking at Rowan's weathered face, Sengoku felt a surge of emotion. He took the medals and pinned them to Rowan's chest, then draped the Justice coat—featuring the gold stars of high rank—over the old man's shoulders.
Even though Rowan was wearing a casual shirt and high-end shorts underneath that looked somewhat comical, no one laughed. Every face was etched with solemn respect.
Marine Vice Admiral. Honorary Admiral. He was the real deal.
Once the coat was settled, Sengoku gave Rowan a massive hug. He finally let out a breath and laughed. "Master, you are officially a glorious Vice Admiral of the Headquarters once again!"
Rowan patted Sengoku's shoulder as they walked back. "It's thanks to the hard work you and Kong put in over these past few days."
Sengoku smiled. "It is my honor to serve my teacher. Besides, you earned this yourself. I only gave it a small nudge."
Garp chimed in from the side, "Exactly! Pops, you're so amazing—forget being a Vice Admiral or Honorary Admiral, if you wanted to be Fleet Admiral, Sengoku here would vacate the seat for you in a heartbeat!"
"Alright, that's enough out of you two," Rowan joked. "Are you free tonight? The Old Man is treating you all to a feast at Chuck's place on Sabaody. Consider it a celebration for my return."
"Master, I..." Sengoku started, but Rowan cut him off with a glare.
"Don't you dare say you're busy! I finally come back after all these years and you won't give me face? I'm telling you, even if the Four Emperors attack tonight, you're coming with me! Or don't blame me for disowning you as a student!"
Sengoku could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Fine. Tonight, I'll set aside my title as Fleet Admiral and drink my fill with you, Master."
Rowan grinned. "That's more like it."
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