At the docks of Drum Island in Drum Kingdom, a large warship sailed in from the horizon. At its head stood a man wearing a Marine Cloak of Justice and a dark crimson suit, with a floral shirt wrapped around his neck. His expression was incomparably stern and icy, as though everyone owed him money.
This man was Sakazuki, one of the three most outstanding Vice Admirals in the Marines today, a future Admiral, and the man who would eventually become Fleet Admiral Akainu. Of course, he had not yet earned the epithet Akainu.
The current Fleet Admiral was still Kong. Although Admiral Sengoku had gradually begun taking over some matters from Kong, it was not yet time for him to succeed him as Fleet Admiral.
Pirates were running rampant across the seas, appearing in an endless stream. To deal with their growing numbers, the Marines had begun recruiting troops worldwide. As the highly respected Fleet Admiral, Kong not only needed to continue guarding the Marines for a while longer, but also had to pave the way for Sengoku so that the position of Fleet Admiral could be handed over as smoothly as possible.
By the time Sengoku became Fleet Admiral, the Marines' new generation of soldiers would have largely completed their training, and the new Admirals would also be appointed. They would form the core team of the new Fleet Admiral.
Like Kizaru and Aokiji, Akainu was one of the most promising candidates for promotion to Admiral. As long as their achievements were sufficient, their appointments would be a certainty.
Several Marine officers stood behind Akainu, most of them Rear Admirals. They were Akainu's trusted subordinates and would later become core figures among the hawkish Marines.
Besides those Rear Admirals, there were also two Vice Admirals. They were not