No wonder that old asshole Garp doesn't care about the Celestial Dragons, and the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) can't do anything about it.
Rowen had previously thought that it was because Garp had done too many great deeds, and moving against him would cause a lot of trouble, making the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) cautious.
Now Rowen understood it was because Garp held a Second Grade Glory Medal!
After all, the Glory Medal is not only awarded by the government, as the long-mustached elder deliberately concealed but it's personally designated by Imu-Sama, who is above them.
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) don't have the power or the courage to act against a Glory Noble.
The same goes for the Celestial Dragons, and it's even worse for them.
It's not uncommon for someone on the government side to receive a Glory Medal every few decades, as every era has its pioneers.
It's likely that the current supreme commander of the entire military, former Navy Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong, is also a Glory Noble, as Roger was terminated in his era, making him a "trusted ally" in the eyes of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
As for the Celestial Dragons... it's a different story.
Not a single one of them has it!
Born with everything, they never knew what "effort" meant. Donquixote Saint Homing was already a strange anomaly that caused upheaval among the Celestial Dragons, and it would take several more decades to see if Lirisk could pull it off.
After saying goodbye to the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) and returning to the lower hall, Rowen was still a bit dazed.
"I suddenly became part of the privileged class?"
A round medal tied with a red ribbon and engraved with the government's cross flag was pinned to his chest.
The medal was made of an unknown metal, extremely hard, with golden wheat-like edges surrounding it. The matte surface shone with a faint dark gold sheen, making it both luxurious and understated.
A government official passing by the elevator saw him, nodded calmly to the recently prominent Marine Vice Admiral Rowen, and then his head stiffened halfway up as if creaking.
"Glo... Glory Noble!"
The officer shouted as if he saw a ghost and quickly stood at attention, saluting Rowen: "Vice Admiral Rowen, sir!"
"Yes, hello."
Rowen noticed a large number of followers behind him, indicating that the official also had a high status within the government.
But even such an important figure now bowed and scraped before him with a friendly smile.
"Being high-ranking doesn't necessarily make one a Glory Noble, but a Glory Noble is always high-ranking."
Rowen suddenly understood the meaning behind the Gorōsei's words.
With this medal, power comes naturally.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Vice Admiral Rowen."
The elderly Vic, dressed in English fashion, came up to Rowen, made a circular gesture with his gloved hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.
"Where to next? I'm free all day."
He called himself a "servant," but Rowen wouldn't really consider him a slave. Seeing the fearful and respectful officers around him, Rowen smiled and said, "Thank you, Vic San."
Not only was he in a good mood, but Rowen was feeling as refreshed as wearing new underwear on New Year's morning!
With this medal, many things he wanted to do now had a natural foundation. Many tasks he couldn't do because of his status now had clear support.
...
Mary Geoise is uniquely nicknamed "City in the Clouds" by its residents.
Not only because it's above the clouds, but also because much of Mary Geoise's architecture is white.
In building these structures, the Celestial Dragon families declared that only colors as pure as clouds were worthy of their divine lineage.
Passing through the cloud-like white streets, Rowen, led by Vic, arrived at a building not far from the Bubble Elevator stop in Mary Geoise.
If the towering government headquarters where the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) resides is the political center of the world, then this place is the military power center of the world.
The Commander-in-Chief of the three military branches, "Steel Bone" Kong, resides here.
In this world, the three military branches are not the traditional "land, sea, and air" forces. The Air Force, for example, is a unit under the flag of the Marine, not a separate branch; otherwise, it wouldn't fall to a Marine Vice Admiral like Rowen to command the "Air Force".
The three branches refer to the "Marines", the "Government Guard Army", and the "Allied Kingdom Members United Army".
The "Marines" need no further explanation, as Rowen is one of them.
The "Government Guard Army" is responsible for all policing in Mary Geoise and serves as the last line of defense, consisting of all mobilizable military forces within the Holy Land, such as the CP intelligence organizations that fall under the Guard Army.
The Allied Kingdom Members United Army consists of personnel sent annually to Mary Geoise by member kingdoms of the World Government for training and command. In times of need, they must fully support the government's military actions, much like a "UN peacekeeping force.
Kong's role in the Allied Kingdom Members United Army is similar to Yuan Shao's role as leader of the 18 warlords who fought against Dong Zhuo during the Three Kingdoms period.
Each of the three branches has its own commander, and Kong stands above them all!
Even when Sengoku retired as Fleet Admiral, he had to report to Kong, underscoring his authority.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the entire military, "Steel Bone" Kong is a true powerhouse, second only to one person.
At that moment, Steel Bone Kong was processing documents in an office with a glass wall resembling an aquarium when he heard a knock at the door.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
"Come in..."
"Supreme Commander, Naval Headquarters, Vice Admiral Rowen requests an audience!"
"So it's him..."
Kong, surprised, put down his pen, lifted his head with white hair shaped like the character for "mountain", and delicately covered his pen with arms as large as a normal person's head, then waved his hand.
"Let him in."
"Yes, sir!"
The Navy's rising star, "Soryu" Rowen.
Former Marine Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong.
Although they were meeting for the first time, they greeted each other like old friends, without excessive scrutiny, just casual greetings before sitting down, like neighbors visiting each other.
Placing a teacup in front of Rowen, Kong sat back down with his arms crossed.
"So this is also the intention of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)?"
"Half and half."
Rowen thanked him, took a sip of tea, and said, "The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) advised not to rush; a few days or months would make no difference."
"But I have admired Sir Kong for a long time, so I came to visit as soon as I finished."
"Admired... hmm."
Kong shook his head without further comment.
According to normal protocol, it was indeed appropriate for a rising Marine star like Rowen to proactively visit "Senior" Kong upon his first arrival in Mary Geoise.
However, as Commander-in-Chief, Kong usually avoided personal visits to avoid favoritism.
Allowing Rowen in was not only because they were both First Grade Glory Medal holders, but also because Kong was particularly interested in that name.
Ever since the Hell Island crab incident, Kong had been paying close attention to Rowen.
Although this was their first meeting, Kong was already quite familiar with Rowen.
Admired?
Based on this information, Kong wanted to ask Rowen: "Doesn't it hurt your conscience to say that?
So...
"Alright, if there's nothing else, please leave."
Without even warming his seat, Kong issued a dismissal order.
Rowen's mouth twitched. This... isn't according to the script!
He didn't come first because he admired Kong, but to be dismissed on the spot was quite unexpected.
A little mutual flattery goes a long way. How did you rise to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the entire military without even a basic sense of political etiquette?!
(End of the chapter)
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