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"Life is like the sea; it may seem calm on the surface, but beneath it lies hidden dangers.
Akira's eyelids drooped slightly as he felt a wave of emotion.
Nothing in this world comes with only benefits and no drawbacks.
To commit fraud in an official capacity and take the berries is like planting a ticking time bomb.
Whether this bomb will explode is uncertain, but it's a hidden risk nonetheless.
Instead of continuing to intimidate people and risk being suddenly exposed in the future, which could harm him, Akira chose to take the initiative, expose the truth, and deal with it swiftly.
'Of course, it's not a big deal,' Yuki said, patting her chest confidently and agreeing without hesitation.
At this moment, she didn't have the slightest doubt in her heart.
The main reason was that Akira, dressed in a high-end suit and looking so upright, didn't match the image of a criminal who would commit fraud in her mind.
Akira smiled. It was a bright, sunny smile.
Yuki is a reporter under the World Government, with an official position.
As a public figure, she frequently appears in major newspapers and live broadcasts, like a star, and is deeply loved and trusted by the general public.
In the limited understanding of the civilians in the franchise countries, to some extent, what she says not only represents herself but also reflects the attitude of the World Government.
As long as she uses her communication skills in the upcoming interviews, it's equivalent to the World Government using its own reputation to uphold the reputation of the Marines and support Akira.
This way, even if the Five Elders try to revisit old issues in the future and accuse the Marines of past fraud under Akira's leadership, it would be difficult to do so without damaging their own credibility.
The public and lower-ranking soldiers, still unaware of the full truth, would be less likely to believe such news.
After all, this would mean the World Government is contradicting its previous stance, which could seem like baseless accusations.
When there are two different narratives about a single fact, it naturally leads to doubt.
In that scenario, even if the Five Elders present more conclusive evidence, Akira would still have room to maneuver.
So now, while trust in the Marines and Akira remains strong and people aren't overly suspicious, it's best to clean up any potential messes.
The sooner, the better.
They could never have imagined that Akira, who has only been in office for less than a month, is already taking precautions against potential future conflicts.
There's no other choice; the three ultimate missions from the system must be completed, and the situation with the Five Elders is bound to be relentless.
Without early preparation, he might find himself in a passive situation later on.
"Attention, the live broadcast countdown begins: 10, 9, 8..."
Suddenly, the staff responsible for managing the image Den Den Mushi spoke up to remind her.
Her professionalism snapped Yuki back to reality.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her clothes, and looked at the Den Den Mushi.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~...
As the Den Den Mushi activated, the live broadcast to many franchise countries began.
"Hello, everyone watching! This is Yuki, your reporter."
"Today, I am honored to interview the new Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Akira-sama.'"
"Akira-sama, please say hello to the audience."
Akira took the receiver and waved at the Den Den Mushi that was focused on him.
"Hi everyone, I'm Akira. I'm very happy to have this opportunity to let everyone get to know me."
The live interview had officially begun.
In the squares of franchise countries across the world, the big screens flickered to life, and Akira's image appeared before all the viewers.
"It's starting, it's starting! The new Fleet Admiral of the Marines is on screen!"
"Honey, come out and watch, the live interview has begun."
"I wonder what views and plans this new Fleet Admiral has for the era of great pirates. The world is waiting for him to bring change."
"I don't care about any grand plans, I just want my berries back. If not my wife will leave me..."
"Damn, I've been waiting here for hours! I hope he addresses the scam."
Excitement, hope, frustration, and countless other emotions surged among the viewers.
Akira, who was far away at Marineford, couldn't feel any of this. At that moment, he and Yuki began a very official, somewhat dull interview.
Yuki smiled sweetly, while Akira spoke confidently and with ease.
The live broadcast could essentially be summarized as follows:
Yuki praised Akira's achievements; Akira humbly downplayed them.
Yuki complimented Akira's image and appearance; Akira modestly credited his parents.
Yuki lauded the new direction of the Marines under Akira's leadership; Akira admitted there had indeed been some reforms.
Yuki continued praising Akira...
Just as they were flattering each other, there was a commotion nearby.
Akira and Yuki's pupils shifted slightly, catching a glimpse of the disturbance from the corner of their eyes.
To ensure no one disturbed the live broadcast, soldiers had cordoned off the area for hundreds of meters around.
But now, a group of people had broken through the blockade.
Both Akira and Yuki were puzzled.
In the next second, they saw who it was.
In their line of sight, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and other high-ranking Marine officers slowly approached, looking utterly exhausted, like elderly men out for a leisurely stroll.
"Did I wake up properly today? Why do these Marine officers, including the Admirals, look like they're all suffering from exhaustion?"
Yuki froze in place, her mouth slightly open.
She began to question reality.
As a reporter for the World Government, she had seen Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero Garp, and the famous Marine Admirals several times.
Every time she saw them before, they exuded an aura of strength and power, like dragons and tigers, their presence commanding fear and respect.
But today!
The Marine executives, who were supposed to be strong and authoritative, looked frail and worn out as if they had stayed up far too late.
It took them a surprisingly long time to cover the short distance of a few hundred meters, with some even stopping to rest before continuing.
Honestly, Yuki felt like her 80-year-old grandfather could walk faster than them.
"Uh..." Akira's mouth twitched.
He knew why these officers were in such a state.
But even though it was partially his doing, he still couldn't quite accept it.
After all, he had just publicly declared that he had reformed the Marines and given them a fresh, new look.
And this is the new look?
If there were a stock market in this world, the image of these once-powerful Marine executives looking so worn out would surely send it crashing.
Akira raised his right hand slightly, making a gesture, and simultaneously signaled with his eyes for the approaching group to stop.
The message was clear—just stay where you are, don't come any closer.
If this scene was broadcasted live, the Marines under his command would be ridiculed to no end.
"Sengoku, is Akira looking down on us?" Garp asked with a huff.
Sengoku simply responded with a noncommittal "Um..."
The other officers exchanged looks, all silently agreeing. It was obvious enough without needing to ask.
Although it stung to be dismissed because of their current appearance, they all stopped in their tracks.
"Cough cough," the staff member coughed a few times, snapping Yuki back to her senses. She quickly suppressed the doubts and shock within her and resumed the interview she had prepared.
Akira also refocused, continuing to answer her questions.
"Hmph!" As the interview went on, Gion let out a cold snort, watching the interaction with increasing irritation.
"What's the matter?" Garp asked, puzzled.
"Isn't this supposed to be a regular interview? Why is she standing so close to him, and her eyes… they're practically bulging out."
"Really? I didn't notice anything like that," Garp replied, squinting but seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"Garp, do you understand women or do I?" Gion shot back. "That reporter doesn't seem like she's up to any good."
"Uh… are you jealous?" Garp asked, raising an eyebrow after a brief pause.
Gion froze, momentarily caught off guard by the question. It was only then that she realized how her behavior might look to others.
Seeing the amused looks from the other officers around her, her face quickly flushed with embarrassment.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just giving my opinion," Gion said, trying to sound nonchalant.
The officers didn't say anything, but their expressions made it clear they didn't buy her explanation.
Gion's ears turned pink as the embarrassment deepened.
"Cough cough…" Sengoku cleared his throat, stepping in to defuse the situation. "Akira is young, handsome, and in a high position. It's normal for women to be drawn to him."
"Besides, anyone with even a tenth of his accomplishments would be surrounded by admirers in no time," Sengoku continued. "It's part of being so successful. Gion, it's something to keep in mind."
In the unique world of pirates, the social structure is quite feudal, but the cultural norms are surprisingly open.
Because of the influence of pirates and nobility, there's no strict adherence to monogamy here.
It's common for men of power and influence to have multiple women around them. This is a social norm shaped by the supremacy of strength and respect for power.
Aside from a few rare individuals and those who value pure love, it's difficult for a man powerful enough to set his own rules to accept being restricted to just one woman.
To put it in perspective, there was a report on Blue Star about a minor official in a small city who was arrested and diagnosed with a serious illness. On the day he was diagnosed, a third of the town's women rushed to the hospital for check-ups.
Even police officers with a small amount of power could have multiple partners; it's no different in this pirate world.
Look at Big Mom, who's married dozens of husbands, and no one bats an eye.
Gion's expression remained steady. As someone from this world, she was well aware of such norms and took it in stride.
"Akira-sama, what do you think of the recent news accusing you of defrauding the world?" Yuki's sudden question snapped everyone's attention back to the interview.
Sengoku, Garp, Gion, and the other officers all widened their eyes in shock.
"Did it get out? Has this issue been exposed?"
"Which idiot leaked it? Damn it."
"I wonder how Fleet Admiral Akira will respond. I hope he's prepared."
The officers' first reaction was panic, quickly followed by anger.
They had been holed up in the staff department, exhausted from constant work and had no idea the fraud had been exposed to the public.
Now that they heard it, they were instantly filled with worry.
This kind of secret, which should have remained hidden, was now out in the open for the world to see.
If the world found out, the Marines would be utterly disgraced.
"Here it comes, here it comes! Yuki is really thinking about us," one civilian said excitedly.
"There's no doubt about it. The Marines are behind this scam. I'm getting my hard-earned berries back, even if I have to make them use the gold behind them as collateral," another added.
"Huh? My son was scammed out of millions not long ago… Was it really the Marines?" someone else murmured in disbelief.
"Impossible! The righteous Marines aren't short of money; how could they do something so dishonorable?"
"Exactly! Fleet Admiral Akira is such an upright person; he would never allow his subordinates to do this."
"You fools! Instead of blaming yourselves for being deceived, you're trying to pin it on the Marines?"
"Yeah, you're just trying to make the Marines pay for your own stupidity. It's disgraceful."
The public reaction was intense.
The victims of the scam gritted their teeth in frustration, while those who stayed honest and weren't tempted by easy money staunchly defended the reputation of Fleet Admiral Akira and the Marines. After all, the Marines risked their lives fighting pirates in the name of justice and even set up Marine Banks to protect their berries for free. Under such circumstances, anyone with a shred of conscience wouldn't allow the Marines to be slandered.
Meanwhile, on an Island in the Grand Line…
"President Morgans, Fleet Admiral Akira is about to respond to our newspaper's questions," the secretary, a woman in a black stocking skirt and glasses, said excitedly.
"Hahahaha, we're about to strike it rich," laughed Morgans, the founder of The World Economic News Press. He was in his human-beast form, watching the live broadcast with his legs crossed, wearing a black suit and top hat.
"Our reputation is on the brink of exploding, my dear. To prove the Marines' fraud, I traveled to many places and contacted many people. There are numerous witnesses, and all the berries obtained from the fraud are stored in the Marine Bank, directly pointing to the instigator—Fleet Admiral Akira."
"I don't believe he can cover this up under such circumstances," Morgans continued. "Once we uncover this shocking Marine scandal, the reputation of our newspaper will skyrocket."
The secretary's eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at the confident President Morgans.
Back at the Holy Land Mariejois…
"Who told her to ask that?" The Warrior God of Finance frowned, clearly displeased. He had been aware of the rumors circulating about Marine deception over the past few days but hadn't been concerned. The idea that the Marines, of all people, would defraud the world seemed ludicrous.
First, it was unimaginable that the honorable Marines would engage in such actions. If the Five Elders hadn't had real sources and closely monitored the situation, they would never have believed it.
Second, how could one gather evidence for such a large-scale fraud, especially when it was all conducted through Den Den Mushi calls? Without concrete proof, there's nothing to act on, and people would eventually forget it with time.
He had tuned into the live broadcast today to learn about Akira's plans, only to be blindsided by this unexpected inquiry.
The other four Five Elders shook their heads, signaling their lack of involvement.
"No one asked that girl to bring up such a question. I don't think she has the nerve."
"This wasn't in the interview script."
"Marine should have reviewed the interview content in advance. Why did they agree to this?"
"Could it be that Akira himself asked her to bring it up?" the Warrior God of Environment suggested, making the others pause in realization.
"It's possible!"
"Whether it was planned or not, the question's out there. Let's see how Akira handles it."
The room fell silent as the Five Elders turned their attention back to the live broadcast, eagerly waiting for Akira's response.