Upon arriving at Marineford, I headed toward Headquarters to give my report, accompanied by Sigma, who was now wearing a regulation Marine cap perched atop his head.
Along the way, we ran into the three Vice Admirals widely considered destined for the rank of Admiral: Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino.
"Oh myyy~ What have we here? What's with that little fellow?" Borsalino drawled.
"Should we just start calling you a one-man zoo from now on?" Sakazuki grunted.
"Oh? So you didn't bring back your daughter this time, but a wife instead? Ow! Hey! You didn't have to kick me with Haki!!" Kuzan yelped as I delivered a sharp, low kick to his shin.
"Shut it. I found her mother, so they're back together. And quit it with the 'one-man zoo' talk; I'm starting to think it myself," I muttered. "Also, Kuzan, I'll kick you again."
"It was just a little junior-to-senior joke... though calling me a junior after kicking me is a bit much..."
"Kuzan, you were in the wrong on that one," Sakazuki cut in. "More importantly, Krieg—I heard the news. You recaptured the Golden Lion, didn't you?"
"I suspect that's what this is about," Borsalino added. "Admiral Sengoku said to send you to his office the moment you arrived~"
"Got it. We'll catch up properly later. If I'm being summoned, I'd better not keep him waiting."
I parted ways with the trio and led Sigma to Admiral Sengoku's office. I gave a crisp knock on the door.
"Admiral Sengoku, sir! Captain Krieg reporting as ordered!"
"Ah, Krieg. Come in."
"Excuse me, sir!" I stepped into the room, only to be met by Sengoku's utterly flabbergasted expression.
"…Captain Krieg," Sengoku began, rubbing his temples. "What... is that bear? Or rather, that thing that resembles a bear?"
"Sir! He is a new Marine apprentice! I am currently giving him a tour of the base for his professional development!
Sengoku's face contorted into a look of profound complexity. He let out a long, weary sigh. "...Fine. I'll set that aside for now.
More importantly, Krieg, in recognition of your capture of the Golden Lion and the numerous pirates your Independent Company apprehended at Merveille, there is a proposal for your promotion. Will you accept?"
He continued, "If you accept, you will be promoted to Commodore. However, you would be required to remain here at Headquarters for six months for officer training."
Six months of training... I really wanted to get to the East Blue first.
"Admiral, if I am promoted, what happens to my Independent Company?"
"Hmm. It would likely be disbanded in its current form. You would then be assigned to lead a proper fleet to patrol the Grand Line, or perhaps be given command of a branch base. If you prefer to serve at Headquarters, we can arrange a position for you here. What do you say?"
So I can only keep this specific crew while I'm a Captain...
"Sir, may I request to postpone the promotion? There are a few lingering matters I wish to settle while I still hold the rank of Captain."
"I see. The offer isn't going anywhere. It's understandable that you'd have unfinished business after such a sudden development. We can revisit this later."
Perfect. Once we finished resupplying, it was finally time for the East Blue. But first, I had a dinner date with three specific monsters to discuss the state of the world.
The Secret Summit
That night, at my suggestion, the usual group gathered in the mess hall of the Beatrice. The room was cleared of all crew members; this was a strictly confidential meeting between Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan, and myself.
"So," Kuzan started, leaning back. "What's the situation with the various kingdoms?"
"It's grim," I replied. "There are a few well-run nations, but they're the minority.
Most kings are just playing at being Celestial Dragons—imposing crushing taxes, oppressing their people, and acting as if their tyranny is a divine right."
"It figures," Borsalino said, spreading several documents on the table. "I did some digging into the 'Heavenly Tribute' paid by member nations. The quotas have been steadily increasing year after year."
"The rise in piracy hasn't helped," Sakazuki added, laying out his own reports. "The rate of attacks on Government transport ships carrying the Tribute is higher than ever. It's creating a vacuum."
"And the number of World Nobles has increased since the beginning," Kuzan noted. "There were nineteen families after the Nefertari stayed in Alabasta, right? In 800 years, that number hasn't just doubled—it's exploded."
"Between the Tribute and the kings' own greed, some nations are on the verge of collapse within the next few years," I said. "It's no wonder this 'Revolutionary Army' is starting to move."
"Even so," Sakazuki grunted, "their methods are too radical. Declaring the overthrow of the World Government is one thing, but you can't just tear it down and expect a peaceful 'happily ever after.'"
"Even if they tried," Borsalino mused, "the Government's military strength is troublesome. Setting the Navy aside, you've still got the 'Seven Warlords' and the Cipher Pol agents to worry about."
"And the 'bomb' the Government holds that could turn the world upside down," Kuzan added quietly. "We still don't know the details of that power."
I turned to Borsalino. "Speaking of the Warlords, how is that proposal for 'Sanctioned Pirates' coming along? The idea of recognizing pirates who focus on adventure and treasure-seeking rather than plunder?"
"I'm screening candidates," Borsalino replied, "but the sheer volume is massive. It'll take more time."
"And the special currency for the World Nobles?" I asked. "The idea to issue unique tender to make the Tribute easier to transport and less tempting for pirates?"
"That's a no-go," Sakazuki said. "I brought it to Fleet Admiral Kong, but the response from the top was: 'Isn't dealing with transport attacks the Navy's job?'"
"I thought they'd love the 'special treatment' aspect," I sighed. "Guess we drop that for now."
"Since the Tribute arriving at Mary Geoise is decreasing because of the attacks, the Nobles just demand more from the kingdoms to make up the difference," Kuzan summarized. "It's a death spiral. Shouldn't we start by increasing the escorts for those transport ships?"
"That seems to be the only way to stabilize the situation for now," I agreed. "You three need to push Sengoku and Kong for more escorts. I'm still just a lowly Captain; I don't have the weight."
"What? You didn't get a promotion for bagging the Golden Lion?" Sakazuki asked.
"Did it fall through because you brought a bear to the office?" Kuzan teased.
"No, the offer is there. I just postponed it because I have things to do. Honestly, though... it would be a lot easier if someone just attacked Mary Geoise and thinned out the number of World Nobles a bit."
"Ohhh~ Let's try to keep the talk a bit less' explosive,' shall we?" Borsalino cautioned.
"Yeah, besides," Kuzan added, "no one exists with the means or the madness to actually attack that place."
"I'll suggest the increased escorts to Kong," Sakazuki concluded. "As for you, quit making things difficult for us and hurry up and become a Vice Admiral."
"Yeah, yeah... Promotion is up to the brass. I'm just going to keep doing my job one step at a time."
The night went on as we discussed the abolition of slavery, the illegality of ancient research, and the other rot within the system.
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