The Leader's Self-Cultivation

Leveraging his agility, Mo Xingchen circled Sakazuki with relentless attacks, a truly dazzling display. But Sakazuki, relying on his monster-like physique and Devil Fruit ability, stubbornly fought back from time to time, transforming into a field wrecker.

This suffocating feeling of being forced to take hits while unable to land any on his opponent made Sakazuki incredibly irritable. He roared furiously in the arena, occasionally mixing in taunts demanding Mo Xingchen face him head-on, only to be met with cold mockery in return, making him seem utterly pitiful and almost sympathetic.

After this stalemate dragged on for over an hour, the big shots felt it was about enough. These two clearly couldn't settle things quickly, so Fleet Admiral Kong spoke up to stop them.

"Enough! You've been at it long enough. Let your tempers cool down."

Mo Xingchen also found it boring—what was the point of fighting for so long without being able to kill anyone? He took a step back and withdrew from the battlefield. But Sakazuki refused to let it go and charged forward again.

"Dark Dog!"

"Shake Heaven!"

Perhaps Mo Xingchen was truly tired; this time he didn't dodge but threw a fierce punch instead. The two fists collided in midair, neither willing to yield.

"Heh... dumb dog, going head-to-head, you're not that great either!"

Seeing Kong's face slowly darken, Sengoku transformed into the Great Buddha and sent a shockwave blasting between the two, prying them apart.

"You two bastards, haven't you caused enough trouble?!"

With Sengoku's intervention, Sakazuki finally calmed down. Realizing he hadn't gained an advantage in a direct clash and that continuing would just mean getting beaten one-sidedly again, he stopped moving, standing there with a sour face.

"Both of you, come to my office. Notify the Logistics Department to repair the grounds—bill those two bastards for it!"

Kong said with a dark face, then turned and left. The other big shots quickly followed. Sakazuki snorted and trailed after them.

Mo Xingchen first smiled at the familiar faces around him as a greeting, then unhurriedly brought up the rear, heading toward the Office Building.

"Kowai ne~! Young people these days really are terrifying!"

Mo Xingchen didn't need to guess who was speaking. Looking at Borsalino's lecherous expression, he rolled his eyes.

"Vice Admiral Borsalino, has anyone ever told you that with that face of yours saying 'terrifying,' your sarcasm level is off the charts?"

"No one's ever said that~ I was genuinely complimenting you just now."

"Haha, then I'll humbly accept it. But that expression of yours always makes me feel like you're mocking me, and I can't help wanting to punch you."

"Kowai ne~"

If you like this book, to avoid losing it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf.

The two chatted idly as they walked away, leaving a crowd of onlookers buzzing with discussion. Mo Xingchen gained countless more fans.

Meanwhile, Zephyr, his face flushed, was lecturing his cadets.

"See that! That's the power of physical techniques! Devil Fruits aren't everything, and Logia types aren't invincible. When your fruit ability is useless, what it comes down to is hand-to-hand combat! Otherwise, you'll just be a punching bag! Especially you, Kuzan! Even if you have a top-tier Logia Devil Fruit, always remember: while developing your fruit ability, never neglect physical training..."

In the Marshal's Office, Fleet Admiral Kong sat in the main seat, acting like a disciplinary instructor. Mo Xingchen and Sakazuki stood before the desk, ramrod straight, like two unlucky students caught smoking in the bathroom. The other big shots lounged on sofas, sipping hot tea and nibbling snacks, leisurely enjoying the spectacle.

"You two caused a ruckus over such a trivial matter! Were you planning to tear down Marine Headquarters and make the headlines? Let the World Government and other member nations laugh at the Marines?..."

Kong, looking disappointed in them, chewed them out for over ten minutes. He took a sip of tea to wet his throat, then softened his tone.

"Sakazuki, after I step down, Sengoku will take my position. You, who were once Zephyr's students, should understand his mindset. When the time comes, the burden of Admiral will fall on your generation—you, Borsalino, and Kuzan. Being an Admiral isn't just an honor; it's a responsibility to your own justice and the future of the Marines. How can you lead without a bit of tolerance?"

Then he turned to Mo Xingchen and spoke slowly.

"And you, kid, always loafing around without a proper attitude. I know you don't like wearing the Marine uniform. Geniuses have their own quirks and pride—that's normal. The Marines can accommodate a genius's eccentricities. With your strength, being a Lieutenant is indeed a waste.

So I've decided to promote you. Once you reach Field Officer rank, no one will say anything about what you wear. Hmm... we'll make it official at the Commissioning Ceremony after the Training Camp ends next month. Finally, once the Logistics Department sends up the repair bill, you two split it evenly, deducted from your salary and bonuses."

Hearing this, Mo Xingchen's face instantly fell, and he couldn't help bargaining with Kong.

"Uh... Fleet Admiral Kong, could you maybe lower that repair fee a bit? I barely make enough to support myself with this salary. If it gets docked, how am I supposed to live~"

"You know why I'm having you promoted alongside the Training Camp next month? It's so you can spend this month shipping out to the Sabaody Archipelago and catching pirates. As for how much bonus you end up with and how high you get promoted, that depends on your ability~"

Kong said calmly, picking up his teacup, blowing on the floating tea leaves, and taking a leisurely sip.

This brings up the composition of a Marine's salary, which is basically divided into three parts. First, each rank has a fixed salary—naturally, the higher the rank, the higher the pay.

Second, when capturing pirates, based on the pirate's Bounty Amount, Headquarters takes 90%, and the remaining 10% is split among the officers and soldiers involved, decreasing from top to bottom. The lead officer gets a bit more, the lower ranks less.

Don't think Headquarters taking 90% is too much. Bounties are just a tool to combat pirates. Setting aside bounty hunters, the Marines' main job is this, so the World Government generally doesn't give them the full amount. Plus, intelligence departments, logistics, medical expenses for wounded soldiers, survivor benefits—all of that adds up to a hefty cost.

Think about it in the real world: if you land a million-dollar project, would the company give you a hundred-thousand bonus?

Third, if you become the top officer at a Branch, the gray income from the branch's managed industries, towns, and so on is a huge sum. You take the lion's share, but you also have to share some with your soldiers, or no one will work or fight for you.

Seeing that the drama was over, everyone took their leave. Mo Xingchen followed Garp home to discuss borrowing a warship and soldiers.

If you like this book, to avoid losing it next time, remember to add it to your bookshelf.

In response to our readers' requests, we are now launching a VIP Member ad-free feature.

Click to view