Chapter 157 Promotion Ceremony Begins

Chapter 157 Promotion Ceremony Begins

Chapter 157 Promotion Ceremony Begins

“Please help me. I really can’t refuse. Vinsmoke Judge has asked several kings of member countries to apply together, and he also asked for the face of the Celestial Dragons…”

The top officials of the World Government on the other side of the Den Den Mushi were also a little helpless. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have to give too much face to the kings of the member countries.

But it just so happened that the Five Elders had just recently decided to increase the levy on this year's Heavenly Gold, and the kings of the member states that Judge had asked to help speak for him were all his former customers.

It is not difficult to imagine what kind of people are able to cooperate with Germa 66, a notorious war mercenary.

It is precisely these kings who are more active in paying Heavenly Gold, and the World Government will also need their support at the subsequent World Conference.

Of course, the most crucial thing is that the high-ranking official of the World Government almost made it clear that this was the intention of the Five Elders. Otherwise, even the face of the Celestial Dragons would not be of much use in front of the high-ranking officials of the World Government and the Navy Admiral.

“…Why did Vinsmoke Judge suddenly come to watch the ceremony?”

Marshal Zhan Guo hesitated for a long time, but in the end he was unable to reject the other party's request without hesitation as he had done before.

Not everyone can be like Borsalino and stand firm in the face of the Five Elders.

Although he upholds the justice of ruling the world, the position of the Warring States Marshal is relatively flexible when it comes to compromise.

The only thing that made him uneasy was whether Germa 66 had some hidden conspiracy in wanting to watch the ceremony.

"The reason given was that they wanted to establish a good relationship with the Navy and gain opportunities for cooperation and technical exchange."

The World Government's top brass sounded a little strange when they spoke of this. The cooperation between the navy, which represented justice, and the evil war machine Germa 66 was an incredible thing no matter how one looked at it.

But no one knows what that guy Jiazhi is thinking, why he comes to the door with such full confidence.

If this senior official was not an old friend of Marshal Zhan Guo, he would not know how to convince the navy.

"...I understand. I'll find a way..."

Marshal Zhan Guo rubbed his forehead. He had already retired from the position of Admiral of the Navy, so why did he still have to deal with such troublesome matters?

If it was Borsalino, he would probably refuse without hesitation, but Marshal Sengoku had to consider the pressure from the Five Elders and the World Government behind the whole thing.

"Then I'll leave it to you. Fortunately you are here, otherwise I don't know what to do."

The top officials of the World Government also breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, Sengoku was relatively easy to talk to. However, when he thought that the person he would have to deal with in the future would be Borsalino, the top official felt a headache.

"I'll try my best to convince Borsalino, but you'd better remind those kings that Marinford is not a place where they can run wild!"

Hearing the relieved voice from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Marshal Sengoku guessed what the other party was thinking and warned him with some dissatisfaction.

It is not a bad thing to consider the overall situation, but habitually considering the overall situation will slowly become his weakness.

Fortunately, he will be retiring from the position of Admiral of the Navy soon, so any shit that happens in the future will have nothing to do with him.

Thinking of this, Marshal Zhan Guo felt a little better. He picked up the cloak on the hanger and prepared to go to Borsalino to discuss it.

Different from those superiors who are attached to power, Marshal Sengoku adapted to his new identity very quickly. The Chief Inspector of the Naval Headquarters should act like a Chief Inspector.

The final decision was left to Borsalino, and all he had to do was explain the pros and cons of the whole matter to Borsalino.

On the other hand, after receiving the reply from Marshal Sengoku, the top leaders of the World Government could not wait to inform Vinsmoke Judge that the applications of several kings of the member countries of the World Government to go to the Navy Headquarters to watch the ceremony had been approved.

"I understand. Thank you for your hard work, sir. The kings and I will fully support the matter of Tianshangjin."

After receiving the good news, Judge was in a very good mood, and he patted his chest and made an assurance to the senior official of the World Government.

The Germa Kingdom does not have a large territory, and the number of citizens is pitifully small. The amount of Heavenly Gold that must be paid is already the lowest grade, and even if it is doubled it would not be much more.

As for the several kings who were dragged by him to attend the ceremony, as long as they still needed to hire the army of Germa 66, they would not dare to cause trouble for him at this time.

"That's good, but don't blame me for not reminding you. Borsalino is not Sengoku. That guy's tolerance... No, that guy doesn't even know what tolerance is. You'd better not mess around."

Perhaps because of Judge's good attitude, the World Government official kindly gave him a reminder before hanging up the phone.

"Haha, no matter how crazy a person is, he wouldn't go to Marinford to seek death, except for Whitebeard..."

Judge, who was in a good mood, made a rare joke, which made the top leaders of the World Government laugh.

The death of Whitebeard not only greatly reduced the pressure on the navy, but also removed a thorn in the side for the World Government. Otherwise, even for the sake of pure gold, the Five Elders would not give in to Borsalino again and again.

"Father, are we really going to Marinford to watch the ceremony?"

Reiju, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask only after Judge hung up the Den Den Mushi.

Until now she still couldn't understand why her father felt it was possible to convince Borsalino to support him in restoring his country.

Although she had only spent less than a week with Borsalino and had never met him again after learning his true identity, this did not affect Reiju's belief that Borsalino was a scumbag who would not recognize anyone after he put on his pants.

Reiju didn't know how to describe how she could expect the scumbag to support the restoration of Germa 66 because of her. It was a fantasy.

"I believe this will be the first step in rebuilding the Germa Kingdom!"

Judge simply replied that as long as the navy was willing to support the restoration of Germa 66, he would even be willing to help the navy fight against pirates.

To put it another way, it would be best to get the support of the Admiral of the Navy, but if that is not possible, obtaining the bloodline factor of the new Admiral would also be a good result.

Borsalino, who killed and defeated two pirate emperors, is now recognized as the strongest in the world.

If it were possible to utilize Borsalino's bloodline factors to create a stronger android, perhaps Germa 66 could also accomplish the feat of restoring the country with its own strength.

However, there is no need to tell Reiju about this. After all, if you want to obtain Borsalino's bloodline factor, you still need to start with Reiju.

At this time, Reiju doesn't know that her father is already preparing to sell her, and she is still worrying about how to deal with the scumbag when the time comes.

At the beginning, she was extremely determined to say goodbye to the scumbag, but now he is shamelessly coming to his door. Even Reiju herself feels her scalp tingling.

However, whether Reiju was willing or not, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was the day of the Marine Admiral's promotion ceremony.

Although Marinford on this day was not as lively as during the Battle of Marineford, it also attracted tens of thousands of headquarters and branch naval forces, and the number of warships anchored in the port was even greater than during the Battle of Marineford.

After the makeshift execution platform was dismantled, a larger podium was rebuilt. More than two thousand loudspeaker Den Den Mushi were placed in every corner of Marinford to ensure that the new marshal's speech could be clearly heard no matter where he was.

The navy's ceremony was much simpler than that of the World Government. No one dared to cause trouble in such a solemn occasion. Tens of thousands of headquarters and branch navy officers lined up in neat formations in Marinford Square, waiting for the promotion ceremony to begin.

The first to enter the scene were nine giant lieutenant generals with an average height of nearly 20 meters. It is worth mentioning that Vivian, who hurried back to Marinford, relied on her own martial arts and the giant tradition to "convince" the other giant lieutenant generals and grabbed the position in the middle.

After that, the twelve lieutenant generals stationed in Marinford and the twelve lieutenant generals guarding the branch fortresses lined up in front of the podium in the order arranged in advance.

Gion, the candidate for general, who had been hunting down the prisoner who had escaped from Impel Down, now stood in front of the podium with a sword in hand with a serious face, but her beautiful eyes were filled with pride and excitement that were difficult to conceal.

For Gion, Borsalino is not only her fiancé, but also the man she has always admired and followed. Otherwise, even with the scumbag's skills in picking up girls, it would not be so easy to trick Gion into his heart.

Next came the yawning Vice Admiral Garp, Vice Admiral Azuru and the retired Admiral Zephyr. These three senior naval officers of the older generation went directly to the podium and stood in a relatively back position.

The navy in the square began to get a little agitated. Whether it was the navy hero Garp or the black-armed Zephyr, they were the objects of admiration of countless navy men. Even Vice Admiral Ahe had a large number of female navy fans.

"It's General Zephyr! I didn't expect him to show up at Marshal Borsalino's promotion ceremony!"

Coby, who was standing in a relatively front position in the square, was very excited. He had just been promoted to major for his contribution in the Battle of Marineford. However, as a direct subordinate of Vice Admiral Garp, it was impossible for him to be placed in a corner.

For Coby, who has admired the navy since he was a child, both Mr. Garp and Admiral Zephyr are his idols.

"That's normal, after all, General Zefa is Marshal Borsalino's teacher in a sense!"

Bellemer quietly boasted about what he had learned not long ago. The former dandy boy, under the education of Garp's "Iron Fist of Love", is now a capable navy officer.

Not long after Garp and Zephyr stepped onto the podium, the admirals Akainu and Aokiji, wearing coats of justice, also stepped onto the podium from both sides and stood there like left and right protectors.

If Garp and Zephyr are just idols worshipped by the navy, then Akainu and Aokiji represent the current highest combat power of the navy.

Countless navy officers excitedly looked up at the podium full of brilliant generals, hoping that they would be able to stand on it one day in the future...

No, it was enough to stand in front of the podium with the vice admirals! Such an exciting scene that even the well-trained navy could not control their emotions, and the square of Marinford was filled with noisy voices.

The sound of ten or a hundred sailors would hardly attract anyone's attention in the huge Marinford Square.

But when a thousand or even ten thousand sailors are talking excitedly about something, even the quietest voices will inevitably converge into a vast ocean of sound.

'Da da da……'

However, at this moment, accompanied by a series of light but firm footsteps, the noise in the square gradually disappeared.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the tall figure who slowly stepped onto the podium, Admiral Buddha Sengoku!

In terms of strength, Marshal Sengoku has never achieved such an exaggerated record as Borsalino. Even the highlight of his naval career was just joining forces with Garp to capture the Golden Lion that broke into Marinford.

In terms of popularity, compared to the brilliant naval hero Garp, Marshal Sengoku has always been the one who silently contributes behind the scenes. Even in the Battle of Marineford, which was planned by him personally, it was Borsalino who stole the limelight in the end.

But in the eyes of all the navy, Marshal Warring States is always the most trustworthy commander. As Marshal Warring States stepped onto the podium step by step, the entire Marinford Square suddenly became silent.

All the guests attending the promotion ceremony to the Marine Marshal, including Judge from the Vinsmoke family, were seated in the viewing seats far enough away from the podium.

In this way, even if these guys deliberately make trouble, the navy will have enough time to respond.

"Is that the Admiral? He does look like a scary guy..."

Yongzhi, who had always been lawless, couldn't help but curl his lips and speak as he saw the square quickly quiet down.

In order to avoid conflicts, Judge only brought Reiju and the relatively obedient Yuji on this trip. But even so, after arriving in Marinford, Yuji, who had a very bad temper, had several minor conflicts with the navy.

However, when the promotion ceremony of the Navy Admiral began, Yongzhi did not dare to continue blasting thorns. As a cyborg, he just had no emotions and did not know how to be afraid, which did not mean that there was something wrong with his brain.

If he caused trouble at this time, not only would Judge not forgive him later, but he would also be in trouble if any of the dozens of strong men around the podium showed up.

Reiju, who was sitting next to him, was too lazy to pay attention to her stupid brother. Her beautiful eyes were only focused on searching for that familiar figure.

"Shut up!"

Jiazhi glared at Yongzhi fiercely. In his mind, nothing was more important than restoring the country. For the sake of restoring the country, Jiazhi could sacrifice even his own children without hesitation. The only thing that made him hesitate was the question of whether it was worth it.

After being glared at by Jiazhi, Yongzhi swallowed his saliva and finally calmed down a lot. He closed his mouth obediently and chose to pretend to be dead.

At this time, Marshal Sengoku, who had stepped onto the podium, had already begun his speech. This ceremony was not only to celebrate Borsalino becoming the Admiral of the Navy, but also a farewell ceremony for Sengoku as he retired from the position of Admiral of the Navy.

It’s just that the Navy chose to combine the two, with the former Navy Marshal personally handing over power to his successor. This is a unique inheritance of the Navy.

Marshal Sengoku briefly reviewed his career from the time he joined the navy to the time he became the navy marshal.

The top warriors on the sea are all legends among legends without exception. Even though Marshal Zhan Guo has tried to gloss over it as much as possible, that glorious past still makes countless navy men look in awe.

However, Marshal Zhan Guo obviously did not bring up the past to add glory to himself. With his prestige in the navy, there was no need to do such a thing. The reason he brought up those things was just to pave the way for his subsequent speech.

"...The execution of Goldo Roger did not completely cut off the pirates' delusions, and the bloodline of sin still continues... In order to uphold justice and to completely eliminate the pirates, the headquarters launched a crusade against the Whitebeard Pirates..."

Marshal Zhan Guo, standing on the podium, had a serious look on his face. He reviewed the past and then affirmed the current achievements of the navy.

The Battle of Marineford crippled the two great pirate groups, and even the former "strongest in the world" Whitebeard fell in Marinford. Such an achievement is obviously something the navy should be proud of.

The marines in the square couldn't help but raise their heads and chests.

Especially those naval elites who participated in the Battle of Marineford, held their heads high with pride.

The only pity is that Ace, the Fire Fist, who was the target of execution, escaped in the end. If Borsalino had not killed Whitebeard first and then severely damaged Red Hair, his record would have been too dazzling, the winner of the war at the top would still be debatable.

When Marshal Zhan Guo gave a passionate speech on the stage, most people listened attentively.

This is not only a respect for Marshal Zhan Guo, but more importantly, Marshal Zhan Guo has already talked about his vision for the future.

Although Borsalino will be in charge of the navy in the future, the vision given by the former Marshal Sengoku can, in a sense, represent the future development direction of the navy.

After all, before Marshal Sengoku gives his vision for the future, he will definitely seek Borsalino's opinion first.

Those present were either navy officers or kings of member countries of the World Government. Even for the warmongering Germa-66, it was necessary for him to understand what the navy's future goals were, so most of them were very serious.

The only exception was Borsalino, who was sitting in the lounge, waiting for his final appearance.

"It makes me miss it so much. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye..."

Sitting on the big sofa in the lounge, Borsalino sighed while watching the broadcast screen.

At that time, he seemed to be in the square watching Marshal Kong and Marshal Zhan Guo complete the handover between the old and new generations. In the blink of an eye, it was Marshal Zhan Guo's turn to hand over the navy to him.

Borsalino, known as the 'ageless general', still looks like a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old, but he feels that so many years have passed in the blink of an eye, which makes people feel so uncomfortable!
"But you look even younger than me!"

Sitting opposite Borsalino at this time was Haibara Ai, or Miyano Shiho, who had returned to her original appearance. After hearing Borsalino's sigh, this talented and beautiful girl couldn't help but complain.

With the help of Ain's "Retrogression Fruit", Haibara Ai successfully recovered to the state before taking APTX4869.

Seeing that the person he had "regressed" had grown up for the first time, Ain almost fell into self-doubt.

Fortunately, there are countless devil fruit abilities in the pirate world, and Borsalino easily got away with it.

"Experience has nothing to do with appearance. Didn't you say you would go back after you've recovered?"

Borsalino, who was wearing a marshal's uniform, shrugged his shoulders. After Marshal Zhan Guo's "abdication" speech was over, it would be his turn to go on stage. However, Borsalino, who was familiar with Marshal Zhan Guo's style, was not in a hurry at all. After all, the marshal was notoriously long-winded and would definitely not be able to finish his speech in a short time.

"I want my sister to be truly resurrected. Compared to Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, the Devil Fruit is more feasible..."

Haibara Ai shook her head. After seeing Ain's "Retrogression Fruit", she was full of expectations for the devil fruits in the pirate world.

Since even the "fruit of regression" that violates the law of time exists, then resurrection from the dead is not necessarily false.

"A devil fruit with the ability to resurrect? To be honest, I only know of one, the Yomiuri Fruit, but it seems that the Yomiuri Fruit can only resurrect the user itself..."

Borsalino patted the armrest of the sofa lightly with his palm. To be honest, he didn't think Haibara Ai could find a way to revive in the pirate world. Even if there really was such ability, it would most likely be in the hands of the Celestial Dragons or even Im.

At the very least, the Five Elders certainly don’t know about this ability, otherwise they wouldn’t be so eager for pure gold.

"There is still hope. If possible, I would like to visit that Vegapunk..."

Haibara Ai showed longing on her face. She would pay any price as long as her sister could come back.

"Hmm? How did you know about Vegapunk?"

Borsalino recalled that he probably didn't mention anything related to Vegapunk in the chat group.

After all, Vegapunk's ability is too special, and in a sense it can even be said to be the 'strongest' devil fruit.

In addition, there are also passers-by in the chat group who know Vegapunk's abilities, but after being reminded by Orochimaru, passers-by rarely take the initiative to "spoil" the secrets.

There is no reason to tell Haibara Ai about Vegapunk unless he is chatting with Borsalino.

"Ms. Ain is a good person to talk to, but she is a little curious and... well, a little naive."

Huibara Ai tapped her chin with her fingertips and answered with a smile.

Compared to the former general Zefa who has long been accustomed to having women around Borsalino, his student Ain is full of curiosity about everything about Borsalino.

However, Ain didn't dare or was embarrassed to contact Borsalino, so he chose to contact Haibara Ai, whom he had just dealt with, and tried to understand Borsalino through her.

Unfortunately, Haibara Ai came from a winery background, and even though her main job was a researcher, she had some training in anti-criminal investigation and rhetoric.

Not only did the young Ain fail to gain anything from her, but he was also easily tricked into taking a lot of his little secrets by Haibara Ai.

(End of this chapter)