Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: p@treon.com/CosmicKaminari
----------
On the warship cutting through the waves, Sakazuki stood at the bow, facing the sea breeze.
At this moment, his thoughts were consumed by Akira.
Initially, he was quite skeptical about Akira being nominated as the next Fleet Admiral.
In his mind, Akira was just a clever but physically weak colleague.
If a Vice Admiral could compete with the distinguished Admiral for the position of Fleet Admiral, why was it Akira, an ordinary Vice Admiral, and not him, an Admiral candidate?
Who wouldn't want to be Fleet Admiral?
He too desired that position to demonstrate his ambitions.
But unfortunately, he lacked the necessary qualifications and knew he couldn't compare with Sengoku.
His original plan was to become an Admiral first and then compete for the Fleet Admiral position when Sengoku eventually retired.
Thus, when Akira became Acting Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki didn't support him but also couldn't be bothered to oppose it.
After all, even if he did object, it wasn't his turn to compete with Sengoku.
When Akira took office as Acting Fleet Admiral, his first order was for the hero Garp to find a Devil Fruit to boost his strength.
Sakazuki was disdainful of this.
Even though Akira managed to defeat Tokikake the day he ate the Devil Fruit, it didn't change Sakazuki's opinion.
At most, it shifted from "a clever but weak colleague" to "a clever colleague who develops his abilities well." That's it.
In the following meeting, Akira proposed the so-called plan to provide soldiers with wives, which only made Sakazuki more impatient.
If the Marines were really led by someone like Akira, wouldn't they be doomed?
Anyone with basic common sense could see that the real issue at sea was how to curb the surge of pirates and restore order to the world as soon as possible.
Once the World Government collected taxes, the Marines would have berries.
With berries, they wouldn't lack soldiers.
So that day, he rarely expressed his opinion and strongly voted against the plan.
However, after the meeting, when the assassination attempt occurred, Akira revealed his "king qualification," which was even stronger than many of the monsters in the New World.
Although Sakazuki began to respect Akira, he still didn't believe that the plan to get soldiers wives was good or effective.
Instead, Admiral Sengoku's plan seemed more effective to him.
But...
In the past month, under Sengoku's orders, he personally killed no fewer than ten notorious figures, yet the number of pirates hadn't decreased at all.
On the contrary, the soldiers were fighting less and becoming weaker.
It wasn't their strength that had diminished, but their morale and will to fight. What he saw in their eyes was a despair that seemed endless.
Facing this situation, even someone as strong as Sakazuki was at a loss, forced to take things one step at a time.
But the group of soldiers he encountered today surprised him.
However, within a month, their mindset had changed so much that they were eager to face more pirates.
Even many retired and deserted soldiers returned voluntarily.
All of this was due to the "Honey Project" that Akira continued to implement steadily.
To ordinary soldiers, the focus might just be on the prospect of marrying a beautiful wife arranged by headquarters after bravely fighting enemies.
But Sakazuki saw much more.
Arranging marriages was clearly just the first step, designed to spark comparison and competitiveness among the soldiers.
To gain recognition in the newspapers, to be praised by people back home, and to earn the coveted "Brave Soldier" Medal of Honor, the soldiers fought pirates with increased determination and bravery.
He examined the Medal of Honor and found it… well, seemingly useless.
It was just a form of spiritual respect, given by raising public awareness and subtly brainwashing ordinary people through newspaper propaganda.
But in reality, it wasn't entirely without value.
Marine soldiers with the "Brave Soldier" medal were more popular among the public than many high-ranking officers.
While some smart individuals might not buy into this, ninety-nine percent of the soldiers did.
And they truly loved it.
The second step after arranging the marriages was to completely bind the soldiers through emotional ties.
No longer would they serve the Marines just out of duty; they would come to oppose pirates from the depths of their hearts.
He used his authority to have the staff investigate further.
To his surprise, the women chosen for these marriages were all victims who had suffered at the hands of pirates. These women naturally harbored deep hatred for pirates.
Living with soldiers day and night, they would inevitably instill this hatred in them.
Under these circumstances, which soldier would show mercy to pirates or flee during a battle?
If they did run, how could they face their wives?
Their parents and communities?
There were also numerous heartwarming love stories, but ninety-five out of a hundred were fabricated by civil officials and edited by Akira.
These short stories drove young women mad with excitement and, in turn, boosted the Marines' popularity.
As for the news about "a famous male star giving up an annual salary of 100 million berries just to join the Marines"... it was all fake, just a ruse to elevate the soldiers' sense of honor.
The third step was quite easy to see.
Once the promise of "getting a wife when you earn the medal" was fulfilled, the soldiers would subconsciously overlook the "acting" in Acting Fleet Admiral and put full trust in his future directives.
For example: "Let's tighten our belts and endure tough times together; the department is working hard to earn money."
Or: "Full salaries will be paid after two months," "Benefits will double, and in addition to merit rewards, soldiers will receive bonuses based on the number of pirates killed."
And: "Retirement benefits for heroic soldiers," "Special care for Marine families," and so on.
With a wife and the Fleet Admiral himself promising to deliver berries, who wouldn't have confidence in the future?
"In just a month, it's already come this far."
"No wonder Fleet Admiral Kong values you."
Sakazuki couldn't help but sigh.
He had to admit it.
When his own influence was reduced, with only a small force and some weak civil servants at his disposal, Akira used his cunning to turn a bad hand into a winning one, achieving results that even Sakazuki couldn't help but admire.
Very unusual!
Sakazuki asked himself if he were in Akira's position, would he feel powerless and furious?
"If I continue like this, even if I kill a few more notorious pirates, can I really contain this era?"
"Can I reduce the number of pirates?"
As the wind blew across his face, Sakazuki suddenly questioned himself.
While these thoughts swirled in his mind, he reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
The Den Den Mushi rang for a long time before it was finally answered.
Before Sakazuki could speak, Akira's exhausted voice came through.
"This is the Fleet Admiral's office. If it's more thanks, there's no need. I've heard too much of that lately."
"Just tell me directly why you're calling."
In the background, Sakazuki could hear the sound of a pen scratching across documents.
The Den Den Mushi perfectly mimicked Akira's weary expression, pale complexion, and lack of energy. It was clear that he hadn't had a moment to relax lately.
In that instant, Sakazuki's respect and admiration for Akira grew significantly.
"Acting Fleet Admiral Akira, it's me, Sakazuki."
"Huh? Sakazuki? You're calling me?"
Akira on the other end of the Den Den Mushi sounded surprised for a moment. He put down his pen and asked seriously, "Did something important happen?"
"Nothing serious, I just wanted to express my gratitude. If those soldiers hadn't backed me up today, I would have suffered heavy losses."
"We're on different battlefields, but it's what I should do. No need to thank me."
"Well, I've dealt with my enemy. Is there anything else I need to do?"
"..."
The line fell silent.
Akira didn't respond right away, and Sakazuki didn't push him.
After a long pause.
"Do you realize what you're saying? If you help me achieve results, how will you explain it to Sengoku?"
"I became a Marine for the sake of justice, not to give an account to anyone," Sakazuki responded without hesitation.
When he made the call, he had already considered the consequences and was prepared to face Sengoku's questions in the future.
"Understood. As it happens, there's a troublesome issue I've been meaning to address."
"Please, go ahead."
Sakazuki was intrigued.
Akira didn't hold back either. After flipping through some documents, he began to explain:
"Recently, there's been a bastard causing a lot of trouble. I need you to take care of him."
"Who is it?"
"Firewolf Norton!"
"I've never heard of him," Sakazuki thought for a moment but couldn't recall any information about this individual.
"Not surprising. This guy's a product of the Great Pirate Era, and he only started gaining notoriety recently. But don't underestimate him—he's powerful. Three Vice Admirals have already died at his hands."
Akira shook his head and continued in a grave tone, "This guy's methods are cruel, almost deliberate. After looting towns, he systematically kills everyone and leaves messages to mock the Marines."
"If we don't take him down soon, it'll have a terrible impact on the Marines."
By the end, Akira's voice was tinged with anger.
Killing all innocent people, including women, was clearly a direct challenge to his plans.
Hearing this, Sakazuki's eyes burned with fierce killing intent.
Without hesitation, Sakazuki nodded, "I understand. Leave it to me."
"I believe in your strength. The location of Firewolf will be sent to you by the staff shortly."
"Understood. If there are other tasks in the future, feel free to ask."
A smile appeared on the corner of the Den Den Mushi's mouth as it mimicked Akira's expression: "No need for formalities between comrades in justice."
Comrades in justice?
For some reason, Sakazuki felt a warmth in his heart, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
---
On an island in the New World.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
Sengoku, who was enjoying a meal in a tavern after a battle, answered the Den Den Mushi.
"Admiral, I'm here," Rosinante's voice came through.
"You answered quickly today. What, not busy?"
"I thought you were swamped with writing three short love stories a day?"
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, a teasing tone in his voice: "I never realized you had such a talent all these years. They're pretty good—I enjoy reading them. Keep writing more."
"Admiral, you..." The Den Den Mushi's face blushed slightly, its eyes shifting around in embarrassment.
Seeing this, Sengoku burst out laughing.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing. Tell me, is Akira's ridiculous scheme finally winding down?"
"It's still progressing steadily."
"You've been at this for a month, and it's still not over?"
Sengoku frowned, his tone turning stern: "Even if he used newspapers to publish more stories about generals fighting pirates, that would be more effective than these love stories."
"I can't let him continue this nonsense. I need to talk to Fleet Admiral Kong directly."
The Den Den Mushi was silent for a moment.
Noticing that Sengoku wasn't joking, Rosinante cautiously asked:
"Uh... You've been out at sea. Haven't you noticed any changes?"
"No. Though it seems the residents in many towns have shown more respect for me and the soldiers. But that's normal; we're Marines, after all."
"Admiral, I have data compiled jointly by the General Staff and CP Department. Please listen."
"Go ahead."
Rosinante took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious and conflicted.
"As of today, the number of base soldiers worldwide has been fully replenished. Not only that, but the enthusiasm among young and middle-aged people to join the Marines continues to grow."
"According to the data, 90% of retired soldiers have returned."
"Moreover, their fighting spirit when facing pirates at sea is incredibly strong, entirely different from before."
"Although it's still impossible to completely end this Great Pirate Era, the situation is no longer as hopeless as it once was."
"And all this has changed in just one month."
"Admiral..."
Rosinante swallowed nervously: "Akira's wife-making plan… it seems… it might not be as foolish as it first appeared."
"He's used this plan to address issues like soldiers fleeing, the shortage of troops, and their lack of fighting spirit."
"As Acting Fleet Admiral, he's initially secured the support of all the soldiers."
Clang.
The spoon in Sengoku's hand dropped to the ground.