Chapter 158 Nami's Hostility! 5 Old Stars' Concerns!
Chapter 158 Nami's Hostility! The Concerns of the Five Elders!
Fortunately, Zefa was there at the time, otherwise Ain would probably have been tricked into revealing his embarrassing experience of wetting the bed as a child.
"It's not impossible to meet Vegapunk, but not now."
Borsalino touched his chin and spoke, although Vegapunk was nominally under the control of the Navy, it was obvious that the World Government must have a backup plan.
Unfortunately, he traveled through time too early, and the same went for the passers-by in the chat group. They still don’t know what the world government’s plans are.
Fortunately, Borsalino asked the Five Elders for the "control" of Vegapunk in advance, and the Five Elders had to give him, the Navy Admiral and the new "World's Strongest", some face.
At least until they find a way to restrain Borsalino, the Five Elders and the World Government will not take action against Vegapunk.
"Hmm? It looks like you have some serious plans?"
Haibara Ai raised her eyebrows slightly. Having been in the pirate world for so long, she has sufficient understanding of the situation in this world.
On the surface, the World Government is a bit like the United Nations in her world, but in reality, it is completely different.
Not only does it stand above all other countries, it also rules the entire world with absolute violence and power.
Even the navy, which claims to be upholding justice, is essentially just one of the World Government's thugs.
Extraordinary abilities such as Devil Fruits and Haki are enough to make numbers meaningless. Even if there are lucky ordinary people who have obtained the power of Devil Fruits, they are not enough to compete with the huge World Government.
The strong are supreme, and the strongest ones can easily suppress an entire country by themselves. And Haibara Ai knows six or seven such strong ones in the navy alone.
Even below the top powerhouses, there are the next level of powerhouses who can also defeat a country alone, such as Vivian who defeated two giant heroes alone in the small garden.
The number is no less than that of the top strong ones, and this is just the apparent strength of the navy. God knows how many cards the World Government, as the navy's superior, has.
In Haibara Ai's opinion, it is almost impossible to start a bottom-up revolution in such a world.
"You will know after a while. Now is not the time to tell you."
Borsalino looked relaxed, not because he was worried that Haibara Ai would leak the secret, but mainly because he wanted to be absolutely sure.
After all, Haibara Ai does not have the super observation Haki or even the ability to perceive malicious intent like him, so she has no room to resist when encountering the ability to spy on thoughts like the Gaku Gaku Nori.
"Really? That's really exciting..."
Haibara Ai chuckled, as if she had guessed what Borsalino was thinking, but she didn't mind. Good patience is a necessary quality for every scientific researcher.
'Boom boom boom...'
Before Borsalino could say anything, he heard a knock on the lounge door.
Nami, wearing a white female soldier uniform and a justice windbreaker, pushed open the door and walked in. Her big eyes first glanced at Haibara Ai vigilantly, then turned to look at Borsalino.
Because Borsalino was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Navy, Nami, who was Borsalino's adjutant, was also promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the headquarters.
If she were not so young, she might even break Borsalino's record for the fastest promotion to colonel in the headquarters.
"Marshal Borsalino, it will soon be your turn to go on stage and deliver your inaugural speech. Please get ready as soon as possible!"
Nami spoke expressionlessly, as if the relationship between her and Borsalino was purely business.
Ever since she witnessed Ain turning Haibara Ai from a little girl into a beautiful girl, Nami has been extremely vigilant.
It wasn't to win favor in front of Borsalino, but because she was worried that Haibara Ai was aiming for the position of Gion's fiancée.
There were many girls around Borsalino, and even Nami couldn't escape his 'clutches'.
But most of the girls who stayed with Borsalino were lovers, and there were also some eccentric ones like Esdeath. Only Gion was the 'main wife'.
The reason why Nami is so hostile and wary of Haibara Ai is because Haibara Ai will never accept the same identity as Nami and Hancock. In other words, she is a potential competitor of Gion.
"Okay, I understand." Borsalino stood up with a smile, and taking the opportunity when Nami was staring at Haibara Ai, he slapped Nami's butt in a bad way, which scared her.
However, before Nami could get angry, Borsalino had already walked out of the lounge and headed towards the podium standing in the square.
Seeing this, Nami had no time to warn Haibara Ai, so she could only quicken her pace and catch up.
"What a playboy..."
Ai Haibara, who stayed in the lounge, rubbed her forehead and opened the dimensional chat group. Sure enough, she saw the live broadcast room opened by Borsalino.
She didn't need to follow Borsalino like that silly Nami to experience the live broadcast at VIP level.
[Ding! Haibara Ai enters Borsalino's live broadcast room! ]
[Fubuki: Ai-chan, you're finally online. I thought you were locked up by that Borsalino guy.]
[Grayfield Ai: I have no interest in competing with other women for a playboy! Dating is too stupid! ]
[A passerby who wants to hug Luo Feng's thigh: You venomous girl, please show some respect! Mr. Kizaru is my dear boss! What a playboy, that's called fraternity! ]
[Grayhara Ai: Shut up! You licker!]
[A passerby who wants to hug Luo Feng's thigh: Humph! A good man doesn't fight with a venomous woman! It's starting! Look! The Yellow Monkey has finally appeared! ]
[Kobayashi: So many navy and giants, it looks really spectacular! ]
[Esdeath: Is this the navy? It looks quite interesting. I wonder how the Empire's navy compares to them...]
[Hermione Granger: "Oh! No! She looks at least sixty feet tall! Is that a giant?"]
[Xiao Mei: There are so many people... It feels like everyone in Wutan City is standing together! ]
Tony Stark: Hey! Am I late? Wow, this is a big scene!
[Orochimaru: Haha, just a promotion ceremony can mobilize tens of thousands of people to participate, the strength of the navy is really amazing...]
[Jotaro Kujo: Justice... It looks really good...]
[Tanjiro Kamado: Wow! There are so many people! ]
[A passerby who wants to hug Luo Feng's thigh: Didn't Tanjiro exercise today? 】
[Tanjiro Kamado: Ah! Yes! I'm waiting for Master Urokodaki to come and teach me swordplay! ]
[A passerby who wants to cling to Luo Feng's thighs: Then you have to work harder. Although the big boss Huang Yuan has agreed to help, you also have to be able to protect yourself. ]
[Tony Stark: What era is this? Why are you still swinging your sword foolishly? Save up some dimensional coins, and I'll sell you a set of Iron Man suit at a lower price later.]
[A passerby who wants to hug Luo Feng's thigh: There is such a good thing? I want it too! ]
[Kobayashi: Well, it’s good to exercise. Otherwise, when you get older, you’ll have back pain like me… ugh, it’s so painful~]
[Grayhara Ai: ... Xiaolin, you are only in your twenties, right? ]
[Kobayashi: Ah, a girl’s age is a secret! ]
[Grayhara Ai: ...So you still remember that you are a girl? ]
[Tony Stark: That's amazing... You said Borsalino is now the Admiral of the Navy. Is it possible to purchase more weapons from Stark Industries to fully re-equip the Navy? ]
[Orochimaru: Unfortunately, from what I know, Borsalino-kun seems to prefer to import technology rather than directly purchase finished products. ]
[Tony Stark: Oh, this is such sad news! ]
……
While the group members in the live broadcast room were chatting, Marshal Zhan Guo's resignation speech finally ended. He walked down the podium amid warm applause and cheers to change into his marshal uniform.
From now on, the navy lost a Warring States marshal, but gained a Warring States inspector.
At the same time, amid countless eager gazes, Borsalino, wearing a marshal's uniform and a coat of justice, also officially stepped onto the podium.
"Before I begin today's inaugural speech, I would like to express my highest respect to Marshal Sengoku on behalf of the entire navy and the countless people under the protection of the navy..."
It was rare for Borsalino not to show his usual laziness and leisure. At least in the eyes of the vast majority of marines who were not particularly familiar with him, the new marshal Borsalino was majestic enough.
The only pity is that Borsalino's young and overly handsome face seems a little out of place in such a serious occasion.
"salute!"
However, with Borsalino's order, tens of thousands of navy officers followed orders and saluted Marshal Zhan Guo who had just stepped off the podium. The entire Marinford was silent at this moment. It was obvious that there was no part of saluting Marshal Zhan Guo in the original process. It was just that Borsalino thought that the former Marshal Zhan Guo, now the Grand Inspector Zhan Guo, deserved the salute of all navy officers.
"This guy Borsalino..."
Marshal Zhan Guo, who was about to step down from the stage, trembled slightly.
Looking at the expressions of admiration on the faces of countless navy officers, the originally somewhat lost mood completely disappeared, and was replaced by incomparable relief.
For Marshal Sengoku, being recognized by the entire navy during his term of office is absolutely satisfying.
At the same time, former Admiral Zephyr, who was standing next to Vice Admiral Garp, stared at Borsalino with displeasure. He thought that he had been so responsible in teaching this bastard back then, but when he retired, he didn't see Borsalino create such a big scene!
Although it was Zephyr himself who refused the retirement ceremony, when he saw his old friend Sengoku trembling with excitement, Admiral Zephyr suddenly felt a little regretful.
His qualifications and achievements are not much worse than those of the Warring States period. Even if the general is not as good as the marshal, it is not excessive to organize a scene of half the scale, right?
"Wakaka! This is what I'm going to do when I retire! Xiaohe, remember to remind Borsalino for me later!"
While Zephyr was still regretting his decision, Vice Admiral Garp, who was screaming beside him, had already impatiently booked a tribute project for all navy personnel when he retired.
In the past, the older generation of navy officers like them would retire casually, at most having a farewell dinner with a few old buddies and that was it. They never imagined that there would be such a thing.
"Humph! The new recruits should salute the generals and marshals. When will it be your turn as a mere lieutenant general of the headquarters?"
Before Vice Admiral Ahe could speak, Zefa retorted unhappily.
No matter how good the thing Borsalino came up with is, it has nothing to do with him, a retired former general.
Zephyr is not shameless enough to choose to come back just to win the respect of the Marines, but why should the old mad dog Garp enjoy the treatment that he cannot experience?
"What do you mean, old bastard! You want a fight?!"
Vice Admiral Garp was almost mad with anger. If there weren't tens of thousands of navy men watching him, he would have had a fight with that old bastard no matter what.
What does it mean to be a mere vice admiral of headquarters? If a dignified naval hero didn't want to be a dog for the Celestial Dragons, why wouldn't he be able to become an admiral?
"Alright, be quiet, don't let the younger generations laugh at you!"
Lieutenant General Ahe advised in a low voice, fearing that these two reckless old guys would really fight here.
However, Vice Admiral Ahe was quite satisfied with the tribute segment that Borsalino added on the spur of the moment.
She herself didn't care, mainly considering the benefits of doing so for the future of the navy.
Even an old guy like Zefa who has already retired would be moved by it, so one can imagine how hard the younger generation will work to get such treatment when they retire.
Although Borsalino did not explicitly state that the tribute was only for the naval marshal, in order to receive this treatment, one must at least be a senior vice admiral with outstanding achievements, right?
"Ah, this is really the style of Mr. Borsalino... Marshal. But then again, that feeling should be pretty good, right?"
Admiral Aokiji, who was standing on both sides of the podium, muttered softly that since the O'Hara incident, Kuzan's personality had become increasingly lazy and he rarely cared about anything in particular.
But just now, seeing the scene of tens of thousands of navy men saluting Marshal Sengoku in unison, Kuzan felt a long-lost excitement in his heart.
He couldn't help but think back to when he had just joined the navy. His mind was full of thoughts of upholding justice, and his gradually cooling blood even began to boil.
"..."
It was a rare occasion that Sakaski did not refute. After losing the possibility of becoming the admiral of the navy, he seemed to have found a new direction to work towards.
If he could receive the same treatment as Marshal Sengoku and be saluted by countless navy men when he retired, it would not seem too regrettable even if he failed to become a navy marshal.
However, not everyone was happy to see the navy united as one. The Five Elders far away in Marijoa had finally managed to send away the Celestial Dragons who wanted to obtain pure gold, but they saw a scene in the broadcast that made them feel very unhappy.
Tens of thousands of naval elites were obeying orders under Borsalino's command, and this alone was enough to make the Five Elders feel uneasy.
In addition, Borsalino's deliberate tribute to Marshal Sengoku not only won the hearts of many neutral people in the navy, but more importantly, set an example.
A role model called the Justice Navy that could allow the navy to gradually break away from the control of the World Government.
Logically speaking, this should be considered a good thing. However, in the eyes of the Five Elders, the navy should be a sharp blade in the hands of the World Government and a running dog under the Celestial Dragons.
Anyone who attempts to resist is undoubtedly a betrayer!
"We can't just sit there and watch Borsalino do whatever he wants. Otherwise, when he retires, will the navy still belong to the World Government?"
Saint Vochuli, who theoretically had the closest relationship with the Navy, spoke coldly. This bearded Five Elders used to be the most partial to the Navy, but when the Navy showed signs of being out of control, he was the first to jump out and target the Navy.
In fact, even if the Navy shows signs of breaking away from the World Government, it will take at least dozens or even hundreds of years for it to actually happen. At least before the Navy obtains sufficient funding, it is impossible for it to break away from the World Government and operate independently.
However, during this period, the navy will gradually break away from the control of the World Government, which means that Saint Vochuli, who has the closest relationship with the navy, will gradually see his power reduced.
This was the main reason why he couldn't wait to jump out and teach Borsalino a lesson.
"Borsalino has just come to power, and it's not wrong for the navy to pay tribute to Sengoku. We have no reason to target Borsalino. If we act rashly, no one knows what will happen next."
Unfortunately, the Five Elders were not of one mind. Although they all disliked Borsalino, before collecting a new batch of Heavenly Gold, Saint Peter
I didn't want to provoke Borsalino.
In his opinion, stability is the key at this stage. They had already had a lot of unpleasantness with the Celestial Dragons over the issue of pure gold. Fortunately, there are not too many Celestial Dragons who know about pure gold for the time being, and the Five Elders can still withstand the pressure.
But if Tensho Jin's business also goes wrong and the remaining Celestial Dragons are also recruited, even if they have Im's support behind them, it will be difficult for them to withstand the anger of so many Celestial Dragons.
Because of this, Saint Peter was so busy that he was almost vomiting blood. Even his golden hair became a little dull.
"As long as we still control the navy's military budget, we don't have to worry about Borsalino turning against us. No matter how much trouble he makes or how strong he is, can he still support millions of navy soldiers on behalf of the World Government?"
Nasujuro Sei, holding a samurai sword, sneered disdainfully. As the God of Finance, he was the closest to practical work among the Five Elder Stars.
No organization can be without a stable source of funding, let alone a behemoth like the Navy with millions of members.
Not to mention Borsalino, even if the recently retired Sengoku came to his aid, it would be impossible for the navy, which was highly dependent on the funding from the World Government, to give up the money.
Millions of marines, thousands of warships, and hundreds of large and small naval branches together make up the navy organization.
As the largest armed group in history, the navy represents not only violence that can easily destroy one or even several countries, but also an unparalleled money-eating beast.
Even if he controlled the treasure of Sky Island, Borsalino, whose wealth was even higher than that of the Five Elders and most of the Celestial Dragons, could not afford to support millions of marines.
"What Nasujuro-sei said is true. Be patient until the Seraphim can be put into actual combat... Don't forget that thanks to Borsalino, the last thing we lack now is time."
Saint Maz stroked his long beard, which he was proud of, and smiled with a hint of joking.
The other five elder stars also smiled when they heard this. With pure gold in their hands, the last thing they feared was someone trying to waste their time.
Only Saint Vochuli, who felt that his power was challenged, was in a bad mood. However, even the high-ranking Five Elders could not go against the wishes of the other four Elders and target Borsalino and the Navy.
Helplessly, Saint Vochuli could only curse inwardly, and then refocused his attention on the broadcast screen to see what else Borsalino was going to do.
In Marinford, in the audience seats some distance away from the podium, Yongzhi, who had been laughing, now shut his mouth obediently. The scene of tens of thousands of navy officers obeying orders was still very shocking.
Germa 66 is known as the "war expert", relying not only on the fearless clone soldiers and Judge's transformation technology, but also on Yuji, who has been on the battlefield for many years at a young age and is himself a very good warrior leader.
It is not difficult to see how strong the navy in front of them is. Even the most elite clone vanguard of Germa 66 would most likely not be a match for this group of navy.
The military strength cannot be compared, and the individual strength is even more incomparable.
Just with a glance, Yongzhi could sense several threatening guys.
If a real fight breaks out, there will probably be dozens of tough guys present who can hang him up and beat him up. Even if Iji, the strongest of the three brothers, is here, he probably won't be able to rank in the top ten.
As a cyborg, Yongzhi has only lost his emotions and fear, but he is not a fool without brains. Naturally, he dare not jump around at this time.
"Reiju, after the ceremony, come with me to visit Marshal Borsalino!"
Judge's tone was full of impatience. From the performance of the navy just now, it was not difficult to see that Borsalino, the new marshal, was already the popular choice.
This means that as long as he can gain Borsalino's friendship, it is equivalent to gaining the support of the entire navy, and the restoration of the Germa Kingdom will no longer be just his fantasy!
"Okay, I understand, Father."
Reiju bit her lower lip lightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Borsalino on the podium without blinking.
A few years have passed, and she is no longer the little girl she used to be. Now she should be able to stand in front of Borsalino and let him see if she has 'grown up', right?
"The hope of restoring the Germa Kingdom rests entirely on you, Reiju! If we can't get the support of the navy, even if we complete more war jobs and earn more commissions, we won't be able to gain a real foothold!"
Jiazhi recalled every time he was close to restoring his country, but failed for various reasons. His slightly gloomy face was filled with anger and unwillingness.
If the World Government and the Navy hadn't been constantly making trouble behind the scenes, with the strength of Germa 66, how could they not occupy a piece of land that belonged to them and rebuild the Germa Kingdom?
(End of this chapter)