Knowing he had no way of prying open Mo Xingchen's heart, Morgans helplessly took a document from his bag, pushed it in front of Mo Xingchen, and said:
"Mr. Mo Xingchen, I know you have some preconceived prejudices against me. This is the agreement I just signed with Fleet Admiral Kong. This interview concerning you can only be published with the approval of both you and Marine Headquarters.
Please believe me, no one cares more about the World Economy News than I do.
I know there is little point in continuing to chat, so I will ask the two questions I currently care about most...
What kind of justice do you uphold in your heart, and what is your attitude toward pirates?"
Mo Xingchen looked at the agreement, leaned back against the sofa with his legs crossed, and said lazily with a smile:
"I have always believed that when the strong are angry, they should draw their blades against those stronger than themselves. Even if that person is a pirate, it would not stop me from respecting him personally! But looking at the seas today, all I see is a bunch of trash drawing their blades against the weak.
So when I encounter pirates, it depends on my mood. If I am in a good mood, I might send them to prison. If I am in a bad mood? Then sorry, those pieces of trash can only pray that their necks are harder than my blade. That is my Justice of Fate!"
"Thank you for your cooperation. The interview was wonderful, and I will work hard to make the news even more wonderful, Mr. Mo Xingchen!"
Upon hearing such an explosive answer, Morgans finally smiled in satisfaction. Though the process had been somewhat rough, he had obtained a newsworthy scoop that met his standards. He rose and extended his wing, and the two shook hands in farewell.
Gion looked at the two men treating each other with such courtesy, then glanced toward Fleet Admiral Kong's office. Her little eyes were filled with enormous bewilderment.
After Morgans had gone far away, Gion quietly asked:
"How did you do it?"
"Tch~ Didn't it just take having hands?"
"What did you two talk about?"
"I didn't know you were such a gossip. It's confidential. You'll find out in a few days when the paper comes out."
"Cheapskate!"
Mo Xingchen clasped his hands behind his head, whistling as he strolled with Gion toward the training grounds, preparing to randomly pick a victim and test out his new move.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Today, Marine Headquarters was exceptionally lively. Every soldier was dressed neatly and cleanly. Even Mo Xingchen had put on the formal attire he disliked most—the black suit he had bought when he first arrived at Marineford.
The big shots and senior leadership sat in rows in the front, followed by a group of veteran Vice Admirals in the second row. Behind them sat Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, then a formation of veteran soldiers, followed by another formation of recruits awaiting commendation. As for their protagonist, Mo Xingchen had blended into the thirty or forty people from the Elite Training Camp, standing at the side of the stage and beginning to sleep.
As the big shots went on with their "I'll just say a few words," he slept for two hours. Then, a burst of thunderous applause suddenly woke Mo Xingchen. The preliminaries were over, and the formal commendations had begun.
Groups of Marine recruits stepped onto the stage. Under Fleet Admiral Kong's announcement, they became proud Headquarters Marines, received their ranks and posts, and then stepped down.
Then came the main event: the commendations for the Elite Training Camp. Starting from the last place, more than a dozen were successively awarded the rank of Headquarters Colonel. When it came to Fire Mountain, Onigumo, Dragon, and the others, another ten or so were all uniformly made Headquarters Brigadier Generals.
Finally came Kuzan. With his outstanding first-place result, he was promoted to Headquarters Major General. After every officer who received a rank finished speaking, the soldiers below erupted into thunderous applause.
"The next recruit has been enlisted for just over two months. Some of you may know him, while others may only have heard his name. Yet, as a Marine Captain, in just half a day at the Sabaody Archipelago, he killed and captured pirates with a combined bounty exceeding four billion! I believe his shoulders are already capable of bearing the weight of 'Justice'!"
Kong spoke passionately as a Marine approached carrying a tray. Kong picked up the folded coat from it and gave it a shake, displaying the words "Justice" before everyone's eyes.
"Whooo~~"
Countless voices blended together, filling the entire commendation ceremony and driving every soldier's emotions to their peak. Everyone knew the previous officers must have had military achievements, but those had been accumulated bit by bit. Furthermore, they had spent the past two years studying at the Training Camp without going on missions. This solid, dazzling achievement stirred the sense of justice in every Marine's heart!
No one knew who first shouted "Mo Xingchen," but the scattered cries across the plaza soon became a unified chant, calling for the hero in their hearts to take the stage.
Kuzan nudged the still-dazed Mo Xingchen with his elbow.
"Big star, it's time for your entrance!"
Mo Xingchen came back to his senses and shook his head with a bitter smile. He had only wanted to be a slacker, yet they had pulled this stunt. Did this count as getting Fleet Admiral Kong stabbed in the back?
Putting on a gentle smile, he slowly walked to the front of the stage, confident and radiant. Fleet Admiral Kong personally bent down and draped the Justice Coat over Mo Xingchen's shoulders before straightening up.
"In the name of the Fleet Admiral, I hereby confer upon Mo Xingchen the rank of Colonel."
He patted Mo Xingchen on the shoulder and solemnly said:
"Wear justice upon your shoulders, and do not fall into corruption!"
"Yes, Fleet Admiral!"
Mo Xingchen gave a solemn salute. Kong took the lead in applauding, and roaring cheers and thunderous applause erupted below. After it continued for a minute, Kong pressed both hands downward.
"Next, let us invite this rising star of the Marines to deliver a speech!"
After saying that, Kong applauded as he stepped down. Mo Xingchen walked to the podium where Fleet Admiral Kong had just stood, adjusted the microphone, and first gave a military salute to the audience. Only after everyone returned his salute did he begin speaking:
"Good morning, officers and colleagues! I am sorry to take up everyone's time at the end, so you can listen to me talk about some principles you may already know."
At this simple opening, the crowd below chuckled. It was a common flaw of large ceremonies: leaders always tirelessly talked about things everyone already knew. So many officers had given speeches just now. The ones at the beginning were fine, but the later they came, the fewer words they had. Everything had already been said, and they no longer knew what to say.
Seeing how receptive the audience was, Mo Xingchen gradually became more engaged.
"When I learned from my superior, Vice Admiral Garp, last night that I would need to give a speech on stage today, to be honest, I was shocked!
Why? It was not because I was being modest—I know you do not like hearing that either—but because... several days ago, Kuzan and his fellow Training Camp graduates were already asking whether I had prepared my speech. Yet my superior only remembered to notify me last night!"
If you can't find the book by searching its title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!
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