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What are the problems the entire Marine is facing at this stage?
1. Gangsters, mafia, and careerists emerge in endlessly every day to become thieves. On the surface, they are pursuing the illusory One Piece, but the real situation is a tacit plunder targeting ordinary people.
This phenomenon's scale and breadth are unprecedented in the last 800 years.
2. The big pirates who lived in the same era as Roger, led by "Devil's Descendant" Bullet, "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World etc, wreak havoc on the sea.
This kind of people have held back a lot of Marine Headquarters' energy due to their terrifying strength and their erratic voyage routes.
3. The maritime order during Roger's period is incomparable with the current situation of "all people are thieves".
Facing this chaotic era for the first time, many soldiers had obvious discomfort and panic.
Pirates on the sea are like endless leeks, they often pop up one after another. After the warship had just wiped out a wave of pirates, before it could be repaired, a new pirate ship appeared again.
The soldiers who were already exhausted still had to hold on and use their extremely exhausted bodies to fight with the pirates who were in full condition again.
In Akira's impression, three or four years later, when East Blue Nami's adoptive mother, Bell-mère, was fighting pirates, she was the only one who lived among all her colleagues.
With such a high death rate, those who survived without a strong heart would definitely not be able to bear it. There are many other problems like this, such as the very small number of soldiers compared to pirates, the issue of pensions for soldiers who died in battle, and the scarcity of Marine Base so that some small villages cannot be supported efficiently enough, etc.
Akira stayed up all night to sort out the priorities and how to address them. He is full of energy for his future. If the word "agent" in "Agent Fleet Admiral" is successfully removed, he will solve the problem that has plagued him for six years, and his safety will be greatly guaranteed. However, reality often hits hard.
The next day, Akira held a thick stack of manuscripts and asked the soldiers to call the generals for a meeting, hoping everyone would work together to end this chaotic era. Half an hour later, he entered the conference room, but it was deserted. Not a single person was there.
Akira's smile disappeared immediately. He thought for a while, then went to the general's office downstairs. Before reaching the door, he heard noise from inside. The soldiers assigned to inform the meeting were anxious and frightened, wanting to leave but blocked by a Vice Admiral. The Vice Admiral, known as Chaton for his love of brown clothes, is highly respected and feared. The messenger, drenched in cold sweat, didn't dare show disrespect but was in a dilemma as the acting Fleet Admiral awaited his reply.
"No one should come up with this door today. I don't believe you didn't hear the news last night."
Tokikake paid no attention to the small soldier's dilemma and instead addressed the Vice Admirals in front of him, "Let me be clear—Fleet Admiral Kong's decision is completely unreasonable, and I won't cooperate."
His words sparked immediate reactions.
"Exactly! I'll only take orders from Admiral Sengoku as the new Fleet Admiral. No one else has the right to command me," someone loudly echoed.
"If I had known about that ridiculous bet yesterday, I would never have allowed him to become Fleet Admiral, even if it's just as an acting one."
"This era of chaos, started by that bastard Roger, can only be ended under Admiral Sengoku's leadership, I'm sure of it."
"Are you all seriously still hung up on this? People are being slaughtered by pirates out at sea, waiting for us to send help. And here you are, infighting at a critical time."
"Gion, what do you know? You're just a woman. Look, even Sakazuki and the others aren't saying much."
"Akira isn't as bad as you think. At least go to the meeting and hear what his plans are. Why won't you give him a chance? After all, Fleet Admiral Kong appointed him as acting Marshal."
"He's too weak. Can't I refuse to accept him?"
"You... If you won't go, I'll go myself."
"Girl, how about staying quiet and giving Uncle a break?"
The office was filled with noise, dividing into three factions—those refusing to cooperate, those who were indifferent and observing, and those who put the people first. Among them, the "people first" group was small and isolated, seeming helpless and pitiful compared to the "refuse to cooperate" faction led by Vice Admiral Tokikake.
As time passed, the argument intensified.
Then, suddenly...
The office went silent.
All eyes turned to the back of Tokiake...
Even those in the "indifferent and watching" faction, who had been staring at the ceiling and avoiding the argument, straightened up to see what was happening.
"Huh? What's going on?" Tokiake wondered aloud, confused.
Before he could turn around, the trembling orderly in front of him stammered, "Fle-Fleet Admiral, I... this..."
"Ah! I couldn't wait for your return, so I came to check on things myself."
A voice, warm like the sun, echoed through the room, calming the soldiers' restless hearts.
"I understand the situation now. Thank you for your hard work—you can go back."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier, eager to leave, ran off immediately after offering a crisp salute.
Tokiake knew who had arrived.
He took a deep breath, bracing himself to face Akira, the acting Fleet Admiral.
But what happened next was unexpected.
Akira walked right past Tokiake, as if nothing had happened, slowly moving forward with his hands in his pockets. The only thing left in Tokiake's sight was the word "justice" emblazoned on the back of Akira's cloak.
The clear sound of leather shoes tapping the floor echoed through the office.
Under the curious gazes of the many officers and generals, Akira finally came to a stop.
"Hoo, hoo…"
In an office chair, Vice Admiral Garp, with his broad chest, muscular body, and a scar over his left eye, was sound asleep, a large snot bubble expanding and shrinking as he breathed.
With a casual grin, Akira picked up a pen from the table and aimed it at the snot bubble.
*Pop!*
The bubble burst.
"Is it all over? Who won?" Garp mumbled, opening his sleepy eyes and stretching lazily as he woke up.
No one answered him right away, and when he finally focused, he was startled to see Akira's smiling face inches away from his own.
"Akira, boy! What are you doing here? Bwahahaha! Just so you know, I've got nothing to do with this whole mess about you becoming Fleet Admiral," Garp said with an awkward laugh, scratching his head. "I didn't stir up any of this, so don't come after me!"
"Relax, I know your character well enough," Akira replied with a chuckle.
At Marine Headquarters, Akira had a decent relationship with Garp. While it wasn't as close as the brotherhood between Garp and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, they were far from being strangers or enemies. And with Garp's carefree personality, it was clear he wouldn't bother with petty schemes.
Akira and Sengoku were in a fair and open competition, and even Sengoku acknowledged that. Given this, there was no reason for Garp, with his generous and broad-minded nature, to get caught up in any dirty tricks.
"Putting that aside, Mr. Garp, do you have a moment?"
"What's up?"
"I have a task that needs your expertise."
Technically, as the acting Fleet Admiral, Akira's orders should be followed by all, including Vice Admirals. But Garp, with his special status as a Marine hero, couldn't be forced to follow orders if he didn't want to—not even by the Fleet Admiral. It was one of the perks of his legendary reputation.
So, Akira could only ask in a more respectful, negotiating tone.
"It just so happens that my bones are feeling a bit stiff lately…"
Just as Garp was about to stand up and agree, some unexpected movement behind him caught his attention.
Akira noticed it too, but chose to ignore it.
"So troublesome!" Garp muttered, though it wasn't clear whether he was talking about Akira's request or something else entirely.
But instead of getting up, Garp sat back down.
"Sorry, Akira boy, Sengoku asked me to stay at headquarters and wait for his orders," Garp said with a sigh. "Can't you find someone else for this?"
"It's not that easy. Can't you make an exception and help me out just this once?" Akira pressed.
"There are plenty of Vice Admirals here who can handle it. Why not pick one of them?" Garp replied, clearly reluctant.
Akira noticed a few quiet sighs of relief from the officers behind him.
He bit his lip. There might be many Vice Admirals at headquarters, but few would listen to his orders. And the task he had in mind wasn't something he could entrust to just anyone. It required someone strong, reliable, and trustworthy—qualities Garp had in spades.
"Good thing I came prepared," Akira thought.
He leaned in close to Garp's ear and whispered something in a barely audible voice.
As time passed, the expression on Garp's face was something to behold.
What started as indifference shifted to astonishment, then disbelief...
Everyone in the room watched with intense curiosity, straining to catch even a whisper of what Akira was saying, but they couldn't hear a thing.
Just as they exchanged puzzled glances...
Boom.
A powerful surge of energy burst from Garp, sending a gust of wind swirling through the room.
Garp, now completely shaken, grabbed Akira by the collar, his voice urgent, "Akira, are you serious?"
"Of course. I have no reason to lie to you," Akira replied calmly, adjusting his glasses with a slight smile. "There are too many ears here. Why don't we discuss this in private?"
"Fine! If you're not lying to me, I'll agree to your request," Garp said, quickly releasing Akira and heading toward the door without a second thought.
The "refusal to cooperate" faction watched in shock. These seasoned officers understood the gravity of the situation. Though they couldn't hear what Akira had said, it was clear that Garp—who had been steadfast in his loyalty to Sengoku—had just changed his mind and was now willing to follow the orders of the "Acting Fleet Admiral."
For them, this felt like a blatant betrayal.
"Master Garp, Admiral Sengoku is your brother. If you help Akira win this bet, how will you explain to Admiral Sengoku?" Tokikake stood up, blocking the door with a stern expression.
Garp paused, frowning.
Seeing this, Tokikake's eyes lit up, thinking he had managed to make Garp reconsider.
But before Tokikake could say another word, a fist the size of a sandbag crashed into his face.
Bang!
Tokikake was sent sprawling to the floor, nose bleeding, without even a moment to react.
"Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?"
"I'm in a hurry, and I don't have time to play games with you," Garp said flatly, then vanished from sight.
Akira, who had been smiling since he entered, followed close behind, stepping leisurely over Tokikake, who was still clutching his face.
From start to finish, Akira didn't spare a single glance at the generals.
He ignored their presence, dismissed their support, and paid no mind to their opinions...
The office was left in a chilling silence.
At that moment, every faction in the room—whether they had refused to cooperate, were indifferent, or prioritized the people—found themselves at a loss for words.