Relying on the advantage of his movement technique, Mo Xingchen kept circling Sakazuki and attacking, making for a dazzling spectacle. Yet with his monster-like physique and Devil Fruit ability, Sakazuki remained tenacious, occasionally launching counterattacks and transforming into a destroyer of the battlefield.
The frustration of being able only to take hits without landing any made Sakazuki incomparably irritable. He roared repeatedly in the arena, sometimes mixing in taunts meant to provoke Mo Xingchen into fighting him head-on. All he received in return was Mo Xingchen's cold mockery, making him seem utterly pitiful.
After they had been deadlocked like this for over an hour, the higher-ups felt that was enough. The two of them probably would not be able to determine a winner anytime soon, so Fleet Admiral Kong spoke up to stop them.
"Stop! You've fought long enough. Your tempers should have cooled down by now."
Mo Xingchen found it boring too. What was the point of fighting for so long if he could not kill anyone? He took a step back and withdrew from the battlefield. Sakazuki, however, still refused to let it go and charged at him.
"Dark Dog!"
"Shake Heaven!"
Perhaps Mo Xingchen was truly tired. This time, he did not dodge. Instead, he threw out his fist head-on. Their fists collided in midair, and neither was willing to give way.
"Heh... stupid dog. You don't seem all that impressive in a head-on clash either."
Seeing Kong's face gradually darken, Sengoku transformed into a Buddha and sent out a shockwave, blasting apart the two men who had once again become locked in a stalemate.
"Have you two bastards caused enough trouble?!"
With Sengoku stepping in, Sakazuki finally calmed down. Realizing that he had gained no advantage even in a head-on clash, and that continuing the fight would still mean getting beaten one-sidedly, he stopped moving. He simply stood there with a sour expression.
"You two, come to my office. Notify the Logistics Department to repair the grounds, and charge the expenses to these two bastards!"
Kong looked at the two men who had finally stopped, delivered those words with a dark expression, then turned and left. The other higher-ups hurriedly followed. Sakazuki snorted and followed as well.
Mo Xingchen first smiled at the acquaintances around him as a greeting, then strolled at the very back toward the Office Building.
"Kowai ne! Young people these days are truly terrifying!"
Mo Xingchen did not need to guess who was speaking. Looking at Borsalino's lecherous face, he rolled his eyes.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino, has anyone ever told you that when you make that expression while saying something is scary, your sarcasm is off the charts?"
"No one has ever said that~ I was sincerely praising you just now."
"Hahaha, then I'll humbly accept it. But that expression of yours always makes me feel like you're mocking me. It makes me want to hit someone."
"Kowai ne~"
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The two chatted aimlessly as they walked away, leaving the spectators to buzz with discussion. Mo Xingchen gained countless more fans.
Over here, Zephyr was also red-faced as he lectured his trainees.
"Did you see that?! This is the strength of hand-to-hand combat! Devil Fruits are not omnipotent, and Logia Types are not invincible. When your Devil Fruit ability is ineffective, what you return to in the end is a fight of physical techniques! Otherwise, you can only take hits passively! Especially you, Kuzan! Even if you possess a top-tier Logia Devil Fruit, you must remember that while developing your Devil Fruit ability, you must never neglect physical training..."
Inside the Marshal's Office, Kong sat in the main seat like a disciplinary dean. Mo Xingchen and Sakazuki stood ramrod-straight in front of the desk, like two unlucky students caught smoking in the restroom. The other higher-ups sat leisurely on the sofas, drinking hot tea, eating pastries, and enjoying the spectacle.
"You two caused such a fuss over such a trivial matter! If you kept fighting, were you planning to tear down Marine Headquarters and make the headlines? Were you planning to let the World Government and the other allied nations laugh at our Marines..."
Kong looked furious at their failure to live up to expectations as he berated them for more than ten minutes. After taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, he changed to a gentler tone.
"Sakazuki, after I step down, Sengoku will take over my position. Those of you who were Zephyr's students should understand what he has in mind. When that time comes, the burden of being Admirals will fall upon young people of your generation—yourself, Borsalino, and Kuzan. Being an Admiral is not merely an honor. It is also a responsibility to your own justice and to the future of the Marines. How can you manage without any tolerance for others?"
Then he looked at Mo Xingchen beside him and said slowly.
"And you, kid. You spend all day acting frivolously without a shred of propriety. I know you dislike wearing Marine uniforms. You're a genius, after all. It is normal for you to have your own attitude and pride, and the Marines can accommodate a genius's individuality. With your strength, being a captain truly does undersell you.
"So I've decided to raise your rank. Once you become a Field Officer, you can wear whatever you want and no one will say a thing. Hmm... let's settle it this way. You'll be promoted during the conferment ceremony after the Training Camp ends next month. Finally, once the Logistics Department submits the repair bill for the grounds, the two of you will each pay half. It will be deducted from your salary and bonuses."
Upon hearing that, Mo Xingchen's face instantly fell, and he could not help bargaining with Kong.
"Um... Fleet Admiral Kong, do you think the repair fee could be lowered a little? My salary is barely enough to support myself as it is. If you deduct more from it, how am I supposed to live~?"
"Do you know why I'm making you wait until next month to be promoted alongside the Training Camp graduates? It's because I'm sending you to the Sabaody Archipelago this month to catch pirates. As for how much bonus you can earn and how high a rank you can rise to, that will depend on your ability~"
Kong calmly picked up his teacup, blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, and leisurely took a sip.
This brought up the composition of Marine salaries. Basically, they consisted of three major parts. First, every rank came with a fixed salary. Naturally, the higher the rank, the higher the salary.
Second was capturing pirates. Based on a pirate's bounty, headquarters took 90%, while the remaining 10% was shared collectively among the officers and soldiers who made the capture, diminishing gradually from top to bottom. The officers mainly responsible received more, while those below received less.
Do not think headquarters taking 90% was excessive. Bounties themselves were merely one means of combating pirates. Setting pirate hunters aside, fighting pirates was the Marines' primary duty, so the World Government generally did not fully fund the Marines. Furthermore, intelligence departments, logistics departments, medical expenses and pensions for soldiers injured or killed after battles, and so on were all considerable expenditures.
Think about it: in the real world, if you secured a project worth one million, would the company give you a reward of one hundred thousand?
Third, if you became the highest commander of a branch, the gray income from the industries, towns, and other assets under that branch's management could also amount to a substantial sum. You would take the largest share, but you would also have to distribute some appropriately among the soldiers below. Otherwise, who would work and risk their lives for you?
Seeing that the show was over, everyone took their leave. Mo Xingchen, meanwhile, went home with Garp to discuss borrowing a warship and some soldiers.
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