"Promoted to rear admiral?"
Kong fell into hesitation.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to promote Victor.
Rather, promoting him to rear admiral truly didn't match the military achievements Victor had earned.
Count Red was, at the very least, a Great Pirate. Capturing Count Red was a tremendous achievement.
Sengoku, however, didn't hesitate. He said, "First promote Victor to rear admiral. Then, after a year, promote him to vice admiral."
Kong looked at Sengoku, somewhat surprised.
He had originally only intended to promote Victor to rear admiral.
Instead, Sengoku had raised the stakes directly.
A vice admiral at twenty-one!
Wouldn't that be too fast?
Thinking back to when they had joined the military, they had started as ordinary sailors and risen through the ranks step by step.
Sengoku seemed to see through Kong's thoughts. He said seriously, "After Rocks's downfall, the rapid rise of pirates has become a fact. We must cultivate the next generation of the Marines."
The implication was clear.
The Marines had to cultivate powerful officers—and give them enough prestige to serve as a deterrent!
"Hmm."
After a while, Kong nodded and accepted Sengoku's suggestion.
Although Kong was the Fleet Admiral, he truly wasn't as capable as Sengoku when it came to employing people and planning ahead.
The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Pangaea Castle, Chamber of Power.
The Gorosei had also received Victor's battle report, as well as the report Kong had submitted.
"He actually captured Count Red alive."
"He's only twenty, yet he already possesses the strength of an admiral?"
The white-haired old man and the blond old man both frowned.
"A genius capable of developing such Body Arts defeating Count Red isn't strange, is it?" At that moment, the bespectacled old man in a white robe wasn't surprised. A book titled Rokushiki Derivative Techniques had appeared in his hand.
It contained a record of "Life Return: Open Gate: Front Lotus."
By removing the restrictions on the brain, one could unleash one hundred percent of one's speed and one hundred percent of one's strength.
However, the price was great. The user had to endure the body's extreme consumption.
According to a report from an agent planted in the Special Operations Unit, Victor had used Life Return: Open Gate: Front Lotus to defeat Count Red.
"You're right. He's a genius."
At that moment, the white-haired, curly-haired old man said, "Kong's report stated that they should be cultivated as the future of the Marines. Since he is the World Government's public face, let him grow even stronger."
"We happen to have a Devil Fruit ability suitable for him. However, don't give it to him yet." The old man with a mustache and a birthmark on his forehead said seriously, "His loyalty still needs to be tested."
"Then wait until he becomes a vice admiral before giving it to him."
The bespectacled old man knew what kind of Devil Fruit it was.
It possessed power that surpassed even Logia abilities!
It was the most suitable for Victor and would allow him to display his strength to the fullest.
Because they had encountered Count Red, the Special Operations Unit's mission was temporarily suspended.
The military doctor also issued a report on Victor's injuries.
Thus, Victor led the Special Operations Unit back to Branch G5.
As the gates opened,
the warship belonging to the Special Operations Unit slowly sailed inside.
At the port of Branch G5,
Vice Admiral Nunn and the others were already waiting with their men.
Victor's body was wrapped in bandages as he slowly stepped off the warship.
"Salute!"
Vice Admiral Nunn led the salute.
All the Marines at Branch G5 saluted Victor.
Count Red had once killed countless Marines and committed innumerable crimes.
By capturing Count Red alive, Victor had not only earned a great military achievement, but had also avenged the dead Marines.
Therefore, Victor deserved the respect of Branch G5.
Victor also saluted Vice Admiral Nunn and the others.
Afterward, Count Red was carried off the ship.
Redfield was in a sorry state. Thick chains as wide as arms had bound him up like a dumpling.
His eyes were closed, as though he didn't care about the gazes around him.
In truth, even though he pretended not to care, he was still extremely annoyed.
He felt as though he had become a wild beast in a zoo, being watched and judged by everyone.
"Is that Count Red?"
"He took such serious injuries, yet he's still alive!"
"It's even worse that he's alive. He'll definitely wish he were dead!"
The Marines whispered among themselves.
At that moment, Victor came to Nunn's side.
Nunn patted Victor on the shoulder and said, "You did well."
"I was just lucky. I happened to run into him," Victor said calmly.
Holding the appointment letter, Nunn said, "Good. Rest and recover properly. You're a major star of the Marines now."
Victor accepted the appointment letter. Marine Headquarters had officially granted him the rank of rear admiral!
It had only been a little over two years since he graduated from marine school, yet Victor had already risen to the rank of rear admiral!
Out on the sea,
a News Coo landed on the Oro Jackson.
Rayleigh paid the News Coo 500 Berries and bought a newspaper.
When he saw the headline, Rayleigh was stunned!
"Mr. Rayleigh, what happened?"
Buggy came over at that moment. Seeing Rayleigh's shocked expression, he asked.
Shanks was just about to come over when Roger pressed down on the straw hat atop his head.
"Brother, what happened?" Roger asked Rayleigh.
"The Marines have produced an extraordinary figure." Rayleigh handed the newspaper to Roger. "He's even more troublesome than those two we encountered last year."
Roger took the newspaper and saw the two photographs printed in it.
One was a photograph of Victor.
The other was a photograph of Count Red.
"Victor, twenty years old, a Navy Colonel, captured Count Red alive. He really is something."
Roger read Victor's profile. He had sailed the seas for many years and was a Great Pirate at the peak of both experience and strength.
Roger understood the Marines' intentions.
The Marines wanted to create a "hero."
Just like Garp had been ten years ago.
He had captured Count Red, Jonathan.
Victor was young, yet he had already achieved remarkable military accomplishments!
Buggy jumped up, trying to see the contents of the newspaper clearly.
At that moment, Bullet also came over.
Three years ago, Bullet had joined the Roger Pirates, making defeating Roger his goal from that day onward.
Now, Bullet was already seventeen years old and possessed strength enough to rival Rayleigh.
Therefore, Bullet was no longer interested in most weaklings.
Now that he had heard Victor had captured Count Red alive, Bullet committed the name "Victor" to memory.
Roger handed the newspaper to Gaban and the others.
Gaban and the others gathered together and read the report from beginning to end.
At the same time,
aboard the Moby Dick,
Marco also bought a newspaper.
When Marco saw the news that Victor had captured Count Red alive, he was stunned as well!
"How is this possible?"
Marco couldn't believe his eyes.
They had encountered Count Red before.
Count Red was extremely powerful.
Although Whitebeard had never determined a victor against Count Red, Whitebeard had acknowledged Count Red's strength.
Yet such a powerhouse had actually been captured alive by a Navy Colonel!
A twenty-year-old Navy Colonel!
A name they had never heard before!
After Whitebeard saw the contents of the newspaper, his brows furrowed tightly. He had a bad feeling.
Before you continue