The heavy atmosphere in the conference room eased slightly as the discussion came to a temporary end.
"Refine the above meeting points into actionable plans and submit them as soon as possible. Meeting adjourned."
The officers rose one after another. Sengoku also organized the report in front of him, preparing to leave.
"Sengoku," Admiral Kong's voice rang out again, "stay for a moment."
Sengoku paused briefly, then sat back down.
The other officers filed out, and the conference room doors slowly closed, sealing off the outside noise.
In the vast room, only Kong and Sengoku remained.
Kong did not immediately return to his seat. Instead, he walked over to Sengoku's side.
He reached out and placed a hand lightly on Sengoku's shoulder, pausing for a moment.
"This incident… the losses were too great. It has dealt a significant blow to the Navy's reputation. Originally, the General Staff had already proposed that, given your outstanding deployments and achievements in the South Blue and the Grand Line in recent years, it was time to promote you to Rear Admiral. But now…"
"That proposal will likely have to be put on hold for the time being. Of course, this is not a denial of your abilities, Sengoku. On the contrary, it is precisely because expectations for you are so high that we cannot promote you so easily after such a heavy failure. Moreover, we must provide an explanation—to those within the Navy, and to the outside world. Do you… understand?"
Sengoku raised his head and met Kong's gaze calmly. There was no trace of dissatisfaction over the delayed promotion—only acceptance and understanding.
"I understand, Admiral Kong. This mission's failure falls squarely on me as the highest on-site commander. Whether I am promoted or not is a minor matter. What matters is how we make up for the losses and prevent such a tragedy from happening again. Personal advancement must yield to the greater interests of the Navy."
Seeing Sengoku's composed response, a flicker of approval—and regret—passed through Kong's eyes.
He patted Sengoku's shoulder and walked to the window, turning his back to him.
"It's good that you think this way. I've watched you grow, Sengoku."
Kong gazed out at the dense structures of Marineford and the warships anchored in the distant harbor.
"Your ability, your temperament, your commitment to justice—I've seen it all. A temporary setback means nothing. The Navy needs minds and resolve like yours. Your future achievements will be no less than mine."
"Thank you for your trust, Admiral Kong." Sengoku stood and gave a slight bow toward Kong's back. "I will continue to do my duty."
"Mm." Kong did not turn around, merely waving his hand. "You may go."
Sengoku strode out of the conference room.
Only after his figure had completely disappeared did Kong slowly turn back and return to his seat.
He raised a hand and rubbed his temples. For once, his resolute face revealed a trace of deep fatigue and concern.
In recent years, nearly all of the Navy's burdens had rested on his shoulders.
At that moment, a side door to the conference room was quietly pushed open.
"What's wrong? Still getting headaches over our great cause of justice? Cough, cough."
Kong looked up. Upon recognizing the visitor, his tense expression eased slightly, though his brows remained furrowed.
"So it's you, Padel. Finished your mission? How have you been feeling lately?"
The man who entered wore the standard Admiral's coat, but his face carried a sickly pallor.
He was one of the Navy's current Admirals—Padel.
Hearing Kong's question, he coughed twice more, then casually walked over and sat in the chair opposite him, waving a hand dismissively.
"Cough, cough… Nothing more than escorting a few 'esteemed' World Nobles to Spring Island so they could enjoy their plain and simple vacation. As for my health? Same old problem. Won't kill me."
His tone was indifferent, but when mentioning the Celestial Dragons, a trace of mockery curled at the corner of his lips.
"But you, Kong. You've been running everything lately, haven't you? Busy to the point your feet barely touch the ground. At this rate, the position of Fleet Admiral will fall to you sooner or later."
Kong did not respond directly to the remark. His brows tightened further.
"It has been exhausting. With one Admiral position vacant, and missions piling up from all sides, the pressure is indeed far greater than before."
"Hmph!" Padel snorted, lowering his voice slightly. "You mean that Admiral who climbed up by licking the floors of Mary Geoise? While he was in office, aside from tasks involving the Celestial Dragons and the World Conference, what else did he ever handle? The dirty work—wasn't it always you and me? Now he's gone, and we're still the ones cleaning up the mess."
"Padel!"
Kong raised his eyes, glancing toward the tightly shut doors.
"Watch your words. We are the Navy. Maintaining peace and order under the World Government is our duty—including safeguarding the safety and interests of the World Nobles. Words like that are not to be spoken once you leave this room."
Padel met Kong's gaze without backing down, but ultimately did not pursue the topic further. He coughed twice more, the mockery on his face fading into fatigue and indifference.
Silence lingered between them for a moment, broken only by Padel's occasional suppressed coughs.
After a while, Padel spoke again.
"That aside, the Admiral position has been vacant for quite some time. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Kong leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a faint, wry smile.
"You and I both know that the appointment of an Admiral is no longer purely an internal Navy matter. The World Government… the Five Elders… their opinions are what matter. I'm just an Admiral myself. Even a Fleet Admiral only has the right to recommend."
Padel nodded, clearly unsurprised.
Then he shifted the topic.
"I've been out on assignments all year. As soon as I came back, I heard you've been running things. The Fleet Admiral's condition… how is it, really?"
At this question, Kong's expression grew complicated.
He instinctively checked the room's soundproofing once more.
"The Fleet Admiral… is advanced in age. The old injuries from years of battle have begun to flare up again. His energy is no longer what it used to be. Most likely… within the next year or two, he will formally step down."
Padel showed little surprise.
"Is that so? Then perhaps I should congratulate you in advance—future Fleet Admiral Kong?"
There was little joy in his tone—only a hint of teasing.
"When you take that seat, for the sake of my years of diligent service, take care of me a bit. Those 'pleasant' escort missions for the World Nobles—could you assign them to me a little less often?"
Kong looked at Padel's pale face. In the end, he made no promises, only speaking slowly:
"The Navy… requires everyone to fulfill their duties in their respective positions. Whether facing pirates or responding to the World Government's demands. As for the future—we'll deal with it when it comes. For now, you should focus on getting some rest."
Padel tugged at the corner of his mouth in acknowledgment and said nothing more. He stood and moved to leave.
His hand rested on the doorknob—but he suddenly paused, without turning back.
"Oh, right. I heard about Hake. Next time… send me."
With that, he opened the door and disappeared.
Kong remained alone in the empty conference room.
The setting sun streamed through the tall windows, stretching his shadow long across the floor.
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