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Akira sat on the Fleet Admiral's exclusive chair, with his fingers crossed, supporting his chin.
Zephyr sat on the chair opposite, arms crossed.
In the office, only the voice of Gion, who was reporting in, could be heard.
"Actually, women who have lost their families have no other choice. In this chaotic era, they need men to protect them, especially brave and strong Marine soldiers."
"Some people were skeptical at first, but when the first woman agreed and was able to eat enough every day, others took the initiative to sign up."
"According to the plan, we stayed in the Mannoroc Kingdom for three days, then arranged for a Commodore and a dozen soldiers to build a base there to protect them and rebuild a new home."
"When we went to other places, there were civilians who resisted or even blocked us, but we never forced anyone and only accepted willing women."
"We also encountered pirates, but knowing our main mission, we didn't pursue them and even avoided them actively."
"Of course, some unlucky ones rushed to their deaths, and I helped them along."
"Oh, by the way, as for whether the soldiers you're concerned about might be insulted by pirates because of women, I have a thought."
At this point, Gion paused and continued: "Although I think you're overthinking it, I personally explained to them in detail what you taught me—"
"'A grain of ash from the times, falling on a person's head, becomes a mountain,' and let them know that these women are victims too."
"Basically, everyone said it was fine. On the contrary, they were more concerned about a woman's character, appearance, and... figure."
"Oh, men!"
When Gion mentioned this, he gave Akira a special look.
Under Akira's puzzled eyes, Gion raised his head, snorted, and continued:
"Actually, after starting the task, it wasn't difficult, just a bit troublesome."
"We've traveled to many kingdoms and towns this month, even going to West Blue, all replicating the Mannoroc Kingdom model."
"Later, without our persuasion, as soon as the warship stopped, a large number of women rushed over, offering to marry the soldiers, and many were young girls who had just grown up."
"Then Rouge and I realized that we didn't need to act anymore, just hand over the responsibility to the generals at each base."
"Only one thing is strange. Many local kings and nobles offered to help us, but you said to ignore it after reporting to you."
"So we're back."
"The report is over!"
Akira nodded.
The actions of Gion and Rouge deserve a lot of credit.
Basically, the tasks assigned to her were completed perfectly.
And fortunately, the atmosphere in this pirate world isn't so feudal. The soldiers welcome and delight in the people they introduce, with no signs of resistance.
"Huh? Do you have something to add?"
Akira noticed Gion was hesitant to speak.
Hearing this, Gion glanced subtly at Zephyr behind him, pausing before saying:
"Akira, the soldiers at each base are almost fully replenished now, and the issue with their fighting spirit has been resolved. It's time for you to address the imminent crisis."
"I'd like to hear more about it," Akira said, narrowing his eyes as he sat up straight.
Even Zephyr gathered his thoughts.
Although Marineford, as the Marine Headquarters, is aware of intelligence from many parts of the sea and the global situation, there are always details that slip through the cracks.
The constant back-and-forth of the garden helps to cover these gaps.
"Berries!"
Gion swallowed hard, looking at Akira with worry in his eyes. "We're talking about a lot of Berries."
"Although I don't know where your supplies come from, you can't keep letting soldiers eat this chewy meat, right?"
"This stuff is fine for emergencies, but who can live off it forever? It's not even tasty."
Gion pulled out a piece of meat from his pocket and slapped it on the table.
Zephyr took a look and recognized it as meat made from the clone Streusen.
Regarding this, Akira hadn't hidden it from him, and there was no need to. With such massive supply chains, it's better to be transparent, saving a lot of trouble.
"I've been paying attention to the news during this time. You promised the soldiers would be paid in full, so you mustn't break that promise."
"If there's no money in the account when it's due, imagine what will happen to those veterans returning home and the recruits who just joined?"
"They're all fighting with their lives because of your promise."
"The world has been brainwashed by your efforts to elevate the status of Marines, but if civilians find out that these soldiers they envy aren't even getting paid a single Berry..."
"Your whole game will collapse instantly. No matter how high you started, you'll fall just as hard after half a month."
Zephyr listened, suddenly startled.
His face paled involuntarily.
Good grief, if they can't send the Berries, Marine's reputation will be in ruins.
Will soldiers still trust the Fleet Admiral and remain loyal to the Marines?
Will they continue to fight pirates with high morale?
Will the public still view the Marines as an embodiment of justice?
No!
Absolutely not!
Before Akira could open his mouth to explain, Gion continued:
"Don't wait for things to spiral out of control. You might end up having to send some scrapegoat to the world, step down as Fleet Admiral, and even go to a military court to give everyone a satisfactory explanation."
"Akira. All civilians and soldiers around the world now recognize the Marine Fleet Admiral."
"Whoever holds that title must ensure the soldiers are paid in full, even if it's Hero Garp. Otherwise, those soldiers will come to headquarters personally to demand answers."
"Without Berries, no explanation will suffice."
"So..."
Placing his hands on both ends of the table, Gion leaned forward, staring intently at Akira with burning eyes.
"Akira, I'm sure you anticipated this situation a long time ago. Have you figured out how to earn Berries with that smart brain of yours?"
"You have just half a month to come up with a trillion Berries."
"At the very least, we need four or five hundred billion Berries."
Akira remained silent, not answering immediately. He calmly took off his glasses, pulled out a clean white cotton cloth from his coat, and began to wipe the frames.
The office fell into an eerie silence.
Gion's beautiful eyes were filled with panic.
Seeing that something was wrong, Zephyr couldn't sit still.
"Akira, tell me, you've already figured out how to solve this, haven't you?"
"Your resourcefulness is unmatched among all the students I've taught. Don't tell me you didn't anticipate this level of challenge."
"Answer me, Akira…"
By the end, Zephyr's voice rose in a roar, unable to control his emotions.
Under the intense gaze of the two, Akira finally responded.
He put his glasses back on, glanced at Gion, then at Zephyr.
Finally, he fell back into his chair, turning to look at the sky outside the window.
"Hey!" Akira sighed quietly.
"It's over, it's all over."
Gion trembled all over, collapsing to the ground like a puddle, muttering, "The Marines... it's over."
Zephyr gasped for breath, his heart filled with endless panic.
At that moment, he didn't have time to think. He strode up to Akira, grabbed his collar with his powerful, burly fist, and lifted him up to eye level, his pupils widening.
"You stubborn boy, tell me, is there a way?"
"Teacher…"
Akira's hands drooped weakly, showing no sign of resistance. "Even the best chef needs ingredients and kitchen utensils to cook the finest meal."
"What about the chef now? I will talk about Baileys with you later... wait, so you have a solution?"
Zephyr's eyes brightened like light bulbs as he urgently said, "Say it quickly, stop beating around the bush."
"I want to solve the Berry problem too, but I don't have the manpower."
"What do you mean? Gion and the staff department..."
Akira interrupted Zephyr, his face blank. "You don't think you can get a large sum of Berries by just sitting in the office and spinning some stories in the newspaper like before, do you?"
Zephyr, confused, replied, "No, can't you?"
Akira and Gion both looked at him with complicated expressions.
Zephyr blushed. "Stop keeping secrets, just say it."
"It's simple. I need people. I need a lot of people to follow my orders and help me make money."
"Master Zephyr, remember this: to earn a trillion Berries, I need the entire Marine force to listen to me, not like this…"
Akira took out a report from the staff department from his coat.
With a swift motion, he unfolded the report in front of Zephyr and Gion.
[Vice Admiral Chaton rejected the task assignment, stating that all your instructions mean nothing to him.]
[And I suggest that if you need something done, you can order him through Admiral Sengoku or the Chief of Staff Tsuru. (Note: To avoid bad influence, this paragraph was edited and refined by the staff after Akira's agency approved.)]
There was an official stamp from the staff department at the bottom of the report, indicating that there was no possibility of falsification.
Boom.
Zephyr was furious, and his overwhelming aura suddenly burst out.
Although he had retired from active duty years ago and focused on teaching students at the academy, an Admiral is still an Admiral. His strength hadn't diminished one bit from his prime.
Zephyr's sudden outburst of anger caused the windows to shatter completely.
Crash clatter.
The broken glass pieces fell to the ground below, startling the soldiers with cries of surprise.
"You see, my orders can't be issued from Marineford. The generals only recognize Admiral Sengoku."
"And Admiral Sengoku's plan to save the Marines and contain this era is to lead all the generals out to sea to hunt down pirates."
"I admit they've done an excellent job this month. Many notorious pirates have been captured and sent to Impel Down."
"But while they're handling the top, they're neglecting the bottom. Thousands of unarmed civilians are left facing thousands of pirates. They need an equal number of soldiers to protect them."
Zephyr released his grip and stood there, panting heavily.
He finally understood the root of the problem.
It's not that the clever Akira lacks a solution, but no matter how brilliant the plan, it's useless if no one cooperates.
Earning a trillion Berries in half a month—just hearing that number was enough to make Zephyr's scalp tingle and his breath catch.
Instead of being overwhelmed, Akira had the right methods in mind, but other generals were holding back at this critical moment.
"I see."
"I've been observing your actions during this time, and they've been more than adequate."
"I believe you've done enough to silence everyone."
"In my heart, you've proven your ability to be Fleet Admiral."
Zephyr raised his head and closed his eyes, remaining silent for a long moment.
When he opened them again, they were filled with firm resolve. He smoothed the folds of Akira's collar with his own hands, then turned and walked out the door.
"Leave it to me."
"Your teacher will help you end this tiresome power struggle."
Akira watched Zephyr's back silently.
It wasn't until Zephyr disappeared from sight that he walked around the desk and approached Gion, who was still sitting on the ground.
"Gion..."
Akira extended his hand.
"Akira..."
Gion took his hand, and he helped her up.
The two exchanged a look.
Akira's mouth suddenly curled into a smile.
"You did a great job. Your performance was spot-on. It's a shame you're not a star."
Gion covered her face. "Me scamming the teacher... I feel so guilty."
[Ding, the log is updated!]
[Host's design led Marine Chief Instructor Zephyr to decide to stand by your side—this behavior is helpful for tasks two and three. You receive 600 experience points as a reward.]