The Five Elders' Test

The Five Elders' Curly Hair, leaning on his cane, said, "Kong endorsed this youngster for the position of Marine Admiral, and his reasoning was simple: use the Admiral post to firmly bind him to the Marines!"

The Five Elders' Long Hair said, "This kid has no small potential, and his abilities are quite peculiar. If Garp's son manages to sway him, the World Government will face a formidable enemy in the future."

That was the situation at Mary Geoise, and the Five Elders' discussion never strayed far from Kate, the soon-to-be Admiral. Still, the outcome leaned in Kate's favor—the Five Elders ultimately didn't oppose his appointment as Marine Admiral.

The next day!

With the Marine Headquarters' robust logistical support, the plaza, which Kate and Akainu had reduced to ruins the day before, was hastily repaired.

All the soldiers at Marineford gathered in the plaza. The night before, their commanding officers had already revealed that the kid who fought Admiral Sakazuki would become the Marine Headquarters' fourth Admiral.

And this new Admiral was only seventeen years old. What's more, he was Vice Admiral Garp's grandson!

The entire Marineford plaza buzzed with noise, though few voiced negativity about Kate becoming Admiral, given that many had witnessed yesterday's battle.

"Hey, did you hear? The Fleet Admiral himself had to step in to stop yesterday's fight," a young recruit said.

Someone excitedly chimed in, "I can vouch for that—I was watching the fight. Honestly, that was the first time I'd ever seen the Fleet Admiral in person!"

Then a clear rookie said, "Is that young man standing among the Three Admirals the soon-to-be Admiral Kate? I heard he's Garp's grandson, so his father couldn't be..."

"All of you, shut up! This isn't something you should be discussing!" a colonel barked at the energetic soldiers.

At the colonel's outburst, everyone fell silent.

Meanwhile, a warship sailed into the harbor. The World Government's flag fluttered prominently above it.

As the warship docked, five figures descended one by one from the side.

One wore a dark green suit, was bald, had a two-pronged mustache, and bore a birthmark on his forehead.

One wore a dark red suit, no tie, with blond hair and a golden beard, and a scar across his chest.

One wore a dark blue suit, with long straight white hair and a very long beard.

One wore a black suit, with curly white hair, a bushy white beard, a flat cap, and a scar on his left cheek.

The most unusual one wore a white robe, was bald, had glasses, no suit, a beard, and carried a katana.

Some soldiers whispered among themselves upon seeing the five.

"Who are those five? Their presence is overwhelming!"

"Are they here for Admiral Kate's inauguration ceremony?"

"Keep your voices down—those five are the World Government's Five Elders! Each one wields immense power and authority!"

Vice Admiral Momonga was already waiting at the harbor.

"Welcome to Marineford. I'm Vice Admiral Momonga of the Marines," he said, saluting the Five Elders.

The Five Elders didn't return the salute. They merely glanced at Momonga. The one in the dark green suit, bald with a two-pronged mustache—the Long Hair—said, "We're here for the Marine Admiral's inauguration. Lead the way."

Vice Admiral Momonga guided the Five Elders toward the plaza, where the crowd spotted them.

Kate muttered to himself. He hadn't expected the Five Elders to show up. Even when facing Akainu, now the Fleet Admiral, they hadn't given him a kind look.

Now they were arriving right at his Admiral inauguration ceremony. Kate wondered if there was some scheme behind it.

Morgans was the most excited. He'd just wanted a scoop—a seventeen-year-old becoming a Marine Admiral! That was news enough.

But now the situation had changed. The five highest authorities of the World Government were attending Kate's ceremony. He figured he could milk this for an even bigger headline.

Of course, with the Five Elders present, he'd have to tone down his reporting a bit.

"Ahem!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku cleared his throat, and the noisy plaza fell silent.

He swept his stern gaze across the crowd, then spoke slowly.

"Today is a memorable day. The young man beside me, Portgas Kate, will become the youngest Admiral in history."

At that, the entire plaza erupted in cheers. Kate became the center of attention.

Some might have felt uneasy about his age, but his strength was undeniable—they had no choice but to respect it.

Sengoku's voice echoed through the plaza, every word clear to all.

"Portgas Kate, with his outstanding strength and wisdom, as well as his unwavering belief in fairness and justice, has earned this honor. Today, here, before all of you, he will officially become a Marine Admiral."

As Sengoku finished, thunderous applause and cheers filled the plaza. Every soldier expressed their respect and congratulations for the new Admiral in their own way.

Kate stood beside Sengoku, a faint smile on his face as he nodded to the crowd. His gaze was steady, as if to say he was ready.

Then the Five Elders' Birthmark said to Kate, "Kate, are you ready?"

In his hand, he held a coat with the word "Admiral" embroidered on the back, waiting for Kate to ascend the platform so he could drape it over him.

Kate replied, "I'm ready."

"Then come up," the Five Elders' Birthmark said expressionlessly.

Kate walked toward the platform, but the moment his foot touched the first step, he felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him.

Just as I thought, Kate mused. He'd been wondering what trick the Five Elders were trying to pull. Now he understood—they were testing his strength firsthand.