Shortly after Momousagi declared her defeat, the live broadcast of the battle came to a halt. The square fell into silence, and after a few breaths, the deafening detonation of cheers filled the entire venue!
"We won! Vice Admiral Rowen won!!"
"No! My heart is broken, Vice Admiral Momousagi actually lost!!"
"Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit), what a terrifying power!!"
Although Momousagi's popularity at the headquarters was by no means comparable to Rowen's, her fans didn't make excuses for her defeat.
Forcing Admiral Aokiji to personally step in to stop Rowen's continued assault, those who watched the live broadcast at the headquarters might not have felt it, but the situation was definitely quite dangerous.
So, no matter how many disappointed fans there were, the ultimate winner of this battle was Rowen. This was an undeniable fact!
"Haha! Well done, my disciple! Haha!"
Zephyr laughed heartily with a overjoyed expression on his face. Garp glanced at him faintly, remembering that Zephyr himself hadn't been this happy when he became an Admiral candidate.
Becoming an Admiral candidate meant, without a doubt, becoming a future Marine Admiral.
For Zephyr, his disciple receiving such an honor was the highest affirmation of him as a Sensei. It was like parents and children; no matter how high the parents' achievements, the children's achievements were even more worthy of pride.
"Let's go, Ain! I'll treat you to a banquet at the recruit camp tonight!" Zephyr stood up, laughing heartily, and with equally excited eyes, Ain followed him as they left. Garp watched them walk away and then turned to Kizaru, who had been sitting behind him, silent.
"Did the Gorosei agree to Rowen becoming an Admiral candidate?"
This was a thought-provoking question, and if heard by the wrong person, it would surely cause a commotion. The Marine Hero wanted to know Gorosei's stance, and the person he asked wasn't Sengoku, but Kizaru!
In response to this question, Kizaru squinted his eyes behind his sunglasses and shook his head. "How could they possibly have any objections? You're well aware of Rowen's relationship with the Nibelung Household."
If Lirisk had intentions to suppress Rowen, he would have taken care of him after that duel. His continued silence was the strongest support for Rowen!
On this point, even the Gorosei didn't dare to casually interfere with the affairs of the Nibelung Household.
"Damn… the little guy's got some skill!"
Garp took a deep breath. Although he wasn't afraid of Celestial Dragons and even dared to say in front of the Gorosei that Celestial Dragons were garbage, they despised him even more. They wished he were dead, and they certainly didn't support him like Lirisk supported Rowen.
"Times are changing for the Marines!"
Shaking his head, Garp stretched lazily and stood up. Trane saw him rise and ran over from a distance to leave with him.
…
A few days later, news of Rowen's victory over Momousagi and Chaton, officially promoting him to an Admiral candidate, spread rapidly worldwide.
The selection of the Admiral candidate, a matter concerning the strongest combat force in the Marines and the unparalleled prestige in the sea, had always been the focus of attention for various factions!
Among the two known Admiral candidates, Momousagi, as the current strongest swordsman of the Marines, had once cut through the entire primeval forest of the Nine-Snake Island with a single sword, showcasing unparalleled strength. It was perfectly reasonable for her to become an Admiral candidate.
As for Chaton, though he hadn't displayed the formidable combat power of Momousagi, those who investigated him discovered that he was a mysterious individual with a mission completion rate of 100 percent! No matter what mission it was, as long as Chaton took action, success was almost guaranteed!
The immense power of Momousagi and the enigma of Chaton both commanded respect.
Now, for the third Admiral candidate, could he rival the two?
For the past few years, the fact that the Marines had only two Admiral candidates was well-known. Moreover, a few well-informed individuals knew that the man the World Government referred to as the "most wanted in history," Dragon, was also an Admiral candidate.
Whether this third candidate could shake the sea like Momousagi and Chaton had always been a question of great concern for countless factions.
And now, the results were in…
Grand Line, Kuraigana Island.
"Heh, it's indeed him!"
The world's Greatest Swordsman, "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, sat alone in a burgundy room in Castle. He wore a thin white long-sleeved shirt with velvet trim, crossed his legs, and held a newspaper in his hands.
Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) ability user, Marine Headquarters's super rising star, Aircraft Force's overall commander, G-10 branch's Base Head, a Marine with substantial power and influence— Rowen. This was a name that Mihawk had heard the most from many old friends in the past two years.
It even made many old friends feel uneasy!
Now, in front of his various identities, he could finally bear the iconic emblem that represented the Marines' strongest combat force.
"Soryu (Azure Dragon)…"
Boom Rumble…!
The depressed thunder resounded, and the sky outside City Castle was covered in leaden heavy clouds, with silver snakes surging within.
"A fitting code name!"
Clang!!
A brilliant sword light broke through the window, Sword Energy in a thousand meters of blue and white seemed to split heaven and earth, carrying endless sharpness, directly cutting through the dark clouds.
A heavy rain was thus stopped. When the sunlight shone through the tattered curtains into the room, only a newspaper remained on the ground.
"'Soryu (Azure Dragon)' Rowen! Marine's third Admiral candidate!"
New World, Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew's Nameless Island.
The fierce and wicked Kaido roared loudly, a wolf-toothed club ruthlessly smashing down. Accompanied by a huge roar, the massive mountain was smashed into pieces by him!
"Soryu (Azure Dragon)!!!"
"I'll kill you!!!"
"Like Hughes Moore, like Dragon, I'll kill you both!!!"
Kaido's roar formed a terrifying shockwave, and the earth trembled wildly. The entire island was gradually collapsing.
As time passed, Water 7, Gourmet City, Sabaody Archipelago, one island after another received the news of Rowen becoming the Marine's third Admiral Candidate.
As a Marine powerhouse who single-handedly killed Jack in the war against the Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew and sank Kaido, his ascent left countless people shocked and apprehensive.
Grand Line, Marineford.
Ain carefully helped Rowen trim his long-neglected tousled hair. With a crew cut complementing his tall and imposing figure, Rowen looked even more spirited.
But Rowen still felt a bit awkward. He looked left and right in the mirror, pursed his lips, and finally noticed something different. He asked somewhat strangely,
"Ain, where's my black suit?"
Today, he was wearing a gray-blue suit, which made Rowen, who was used to black suits, feel quite uncomfortable. Although those suits were all custom-made by Ain, and it was clear from the ten sets she had ordered that Ain wasn't the type to keep fussing about.
"You're now an Admiral candidate. Your status is different from before. Always dressing like a government agent, what does that look like? Do you see any Headquarter Vice Admiral who likes to dress all in black?" Ain rolled her eyes, efficiently tidying up the clothes. She walked over holding a brand new Justice cape.
Rowen let her do as she pleased (no mistake), thinking to himself, "Didn't you play a part in me dressing like a government agent before?"
"Done, you're good to go!"
After finishing up, Ain stepped back and looked at him with self-satisfaction. Dressing up was a woman's nature, regardless of age… or even if it was for themselves.
The light cyan stripes on the deep blue lining and the gray-blue suit made Rowen look less boyish and more serious and dignified. The Justice cape hung down to his ankles, and the broad shoulders spread the cape open, with the word "Justice" clearly visible.
After a moment of silence, Rowen's gaze locked onto a gray round hat in the corner…
"Should I wear a hat?"
"Hmm? Why?" Ain asked in surprise.
"Because that way I'll look even more like the old boss of the underworld!"
Zi Zi!
He took out a cigar, ignited it with an electric current, and held it in his mouth with a mocking look in his calm eyes.
Ain: "…"
"Get lost!"
Chased out of the door, Zephyr waved to him from a distance. Rowen tidied his hair a bit and walked over.
"Soryu (Azure Dragon)… it was once a code name prepared for Dragon," Zephyr said without astonishment, carrying a hint of reminiscence and anticipation in his eyes.
"But it was never officially announced to the world. On the same day the candidacy challenge was passed, he left the Marines."
Rowen, who had taken the cigar out of his mouth, bit it again and swallowed it. Zephyr took a deep breath.
"Don't disappoint Fleet Admiral, Rowen!"
Nor will I disappoint myself…
After a moment of daze, Rowen looked at Zephyr's slightly aged back and clenched his fist.
Absolutely not!
(End of this chapter)
You can read up to 70 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395.
(Hey Guys
I have just posted the last chapter of my novel Galactic Garbage Station on my Highest tier on Patreon, which means that GGS has been completely translated.
I hope you guys can come and read it.
You can join my Patreon on GGS at- www.patreon.com/GGS6395)