Before the Investiture Ceremony

Perhaps it was the Night Pirates' massive actions that gave the powerful figures of the New World a great sense of crisis.

This rising star is catching up with them at an extremely fast pace. If they don't keep up, it might not be long before the Night Pirates catch up with them.

The urgency this created fueled even fiercer wars in the New World. They needed to continue expanding, and the only way to expand was through war to gain more territory.

Especially the Sea of Chaos, a territory originally belonging to two old overlords, has more abundant resources and more intense wars. In addition, the Whitebeard Pirates have entered the area after basically dividing it up.

This directly disrupted the already dire situation, causing it to collapse at the slightest provocation. The previous division was merely a prelude; now the real action has begun. To gain more territory, one must demonstrate strength.

Two weeks after the Night Pirates settled in the Christie Kingdom, a grand and world-renowned medal-awarding ceremony is about to take place at Marine Headquarters.

This awarding ceremony, which was also a promotion ceremony, can be said to have come long overdue.

The event could have been held much earlier, but Teach's invasion of Impel Down, the world's largest Impel Down, unleashed almost all the vicious criminals from the Infinite Hell.

This completely disrupted the Marine Headquarters' plans, and the promotion ceremony had to be postponed.

These criminals cannot be ignored. The original plan was to capture these escaped criminals and imprison them in Impel Down again, but then the Whitebeard Pirates launched a war.

The Marine Headquarters dared not underestimate the Whitebeard Pirates. Besides the war with the Whitebeard Pirates, a large part of the Marines' mission in the first half of the Grand Line, in addition to capturing pirates, was to cooperate with the World Government's intelligence organizations to capture these vicious criminals who escaped from Impel Down.

Even though the two Admiral were not participating in the battle, Sakazuki and Frieda did not slack off, spending most of their time capturing criminals who had recently escaped from Impel Down and had not yet fully recovered.

The navy's massive machine was in operation, and during this time, it did capture some criminals, but only a small portion of them. The navy underestimated these criminals' desire for freedom and their cunning. Now that they had escaped Impel Down, how could they be willing to go back?

A few individuals have long since disappeared, hiding in the shadows and stirring up trouble once again.

After the war ended, the navy's prestige soared, and it took some time to deal with the situation.

Compared to the bustling New World and the activity of pirates, the four Sea Emperors have greatly increased the pirates' influence. The Navy and the World Government also want to take advantage of this opportunity to overshadow the heat on the high seas.

The medal-awarding ceremony, which had been talked about for a long time on the high seas, was finally held.

Compared to the chaotic and noisy New World, the Marine Headquarters was a sea of cheers.

The usually solemn and serious Marine Headquarters rarely experiences such a cheerful and lively time.

Because everyone knows that the conferment ceremony will begin in three days.

The Marine Headquarters is about to embark on a new chapter.

This is a large-scale celebration that might only happen once every ten years, or even more than a decade.

Furthermore, this awarding and promotion ceremony was special, as it was a promotion ceremony for the entire navy, including the promotion of Marine Admiral Fleet Admiral, Marine Vice Admiral, and below.

Promotions do exist at the lower levels, but they are not made public; they are internal promotions. Otherwise, with so many people, it would take an unknown amount of time.

In the past, these awarding ceremonies were mostly separate, unlike this grand ceremony.

Therefore, in addition to newspaper reporters, representatives from various allied forces also sent personnel to observe the ceremony.

For example, Hannibal, the new Chief Warden of Impel Down, and Alastair, the presiding judge of Judicial Island, represent CP0's vice president, but he wears a strange white mask on his face, making it impossible to see his appearance.

Some of the kings, ministers, or envoys of the Affiliated Nation, such as King Cobra of Alabasta on the Lodestar Island.

There are also two members of the Shichibukai: "Heavenly Yaksha" Doflamingo and "Sand Crocodile Crocodile".

It seems that in order to demonstrate their power and intimidate the two members of the Shichibukai, they summoned them as well.

After Doflamingo became Shichibukai, the Navy changed its strategy. Instead of waiting for pirates to become Shichibukai, they took the initiative to search for those Great Pirate.

So the Navy found Crocodile, who had gone into hiding after failing to challenge Whitebeard, and invited Crocodile to join them.

As a pirate who rose to prominence in the New World, and Devil Fruit User the Logia Devil Fruit Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile undoubtedly possessed the strength and reputation to challenge Whitebeard.

After learning about the privileges of the Shichibukai, Crocodile agreed to become Shichibukai.

Upon arriving at Marineford, the Navy dared not attack them. At such a crucial moment, taking action would undoubtedly be a slap in the face to the World Government, and the plan to Shichibukai would also be declared a failure.

If someone really attacks them, then who will become Shichibukai?

Therefore, even if some people dislike them, they can only put up with it and still have to treat them to good food and drink.

Impel Down Warden Essel is recovering from his injuries. After all, his entire abdomen was pierced through, and his recovery ability has declined due to his advanced age. Even after so much time has passed, Essel's injuries have not fully healed.

However, given his abilities, maintaining his fighting strength was not a problem, so he returned to Impel Down early to guard Impel Down.

In fact, Deputy Warden Magellan also very much wanted to attend the award ceremony. With the Warden absent, he, as the Deputy Warden, was undoubtedly the most qualified. Unfortunately, his idea was met with protests from the entire Impel Down.

They certainly didn't want to show up at such a large celebration carrying a portable toilet; it would be too embarrassing!

So, they chose the tallest of the remaining guards, Hannibal, who was also very loyal to Impel Down. In order to avoid being in such a lowly position, they promoted Hannibal to Chief Warden, filling the vacancy Shiryu of the Rain after he betrayed Impel Down and joined the Night Pirates.

It has to be said that Hannibal was very lucky. Becoming the Chief Warden was like a meteoric rise, and Warden Essel had only been out of office for a short time. He was now the third most powerful person in Impel Down.

Once Warden Essel steps down, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will become the number two figure in Impel Down, and it's very likely that the position of Deputy Warden will be his, making him the second-in-command of Impel Down.

As for the presiding judges on Judicial Island, there are actually three, but for some reason, they all wear the same clothes, making them look like a person with three heads.

No one cared about them, even though they were nominally on the same level as the Fleet Admiral, the Chief of CP0, and the Director of Impel Down.

Even the World Government doesn't value the judiciary itself, only caring about procedures and results, which makes the existence of these three people merely that of puppets.

Therefore, the three of them had a very simple purpose: to get to know the big shots and curry favor with them.

As for Alastair, the vice chief of CP0, although he was very unhappy with the Navy, he was definitely not there to cause trouble, and the Navy was unaware of his intentions.

He represented CP0 and the World Government at this medal award ceremony, and his presence was a great honor for the Navy.

Just like the division between doves and hawks within the Navy, there are also factional divisions within CP0.

If a piece of trash like Spandam can get into CP0, then don't expect the internal structure of CP to be harmonious; the competition is extremely fierce.

Some agents with CP0 capabilities were also removed from CP0, which was naturally the result of internal power struggles and suppression.

This factional struggle was actually tacitly approved by the Gorosei; in times of peace, they did not want to see an overly powerful leadership emerge.

In this generation of CP0, the competition is between two factions represented by the two vice-commanders, Alastair and Gaia, plus a neutral faction. If we break it down further, we can also divide them into groups of varying sizes through their networks of relationships.

The number of CP0 members was already small, which made the competition even more intense, and many CP0 members died out due to internal strife.

There was fierce competition among the participants, and Alastair ultimately emerged victorious. This was not only because Gaia had another important mission: to find and capture "Dragon," the leader of the Revolutionary Army, the world's most notorious criminal organization.

Then there's Frieda, Admiral current candidate for Admiral who is about to be promoted to admiral. He originally belonged to Alastair's subordinates and was the Alastair planted into the Navy.

That precious Repulsion-Repulsion Fruit was also delivered to Frieda through Alastair's hands.

It was this precious and powerful ability that gave Frieda the potential to become Admiral, and allowed his strength to continue to improve in the future, greatly raising his ceiling.

However, Alastair's purpose was not simply to attend the award ceremony.

The man sat there, radiating a terrifying aura that put immense pressure on the surrounding high-ranking naval officers.

The four Admiral candidates all wore solemn expressions. This guest from CP0 was extremely powerful, even terrifying, and undoubtedly much stronger than them.

Although they knew of CP0's mystery and power, this was their first time actually meeting such a powerful individual. They secretly began to take CP0 seriously, and after becoming Admiral, they gained Admiral privilege of investigating information about CP0.

Only Frieda had any idea Alastair was, and guessed who he was, after all, they had maintained contact over the years, albeit for a short time.

Alastair is meant to intimidate the Navy and demonstrate the power of CP0.

At the same time, there was also a warning to Frieda. Although Frieda was his subordinate, he had been a naval officer for over twenty years. Now that his identity had been discovered, his communications with Freda had been cut off by the navy.

Although this doesn't stop CP0, they still have many channels to contact Frieda if they want to, even though Frieda is being watched by the Navy.

However, also to prevent Frieda from having any ulterior motives, and just to be on the safe side, although Frieda was subtly isolated within the Navy, there was still a possibility that he might completely side with the Navy.

That's really true. Given Frieda's strength and status, he couldn't do anything to Frieda.

Alastair was extremely dangerous. It wasn't until Sengoku and Garp arrived that he concealed his presence and appeared to be an ordinary person, but no one dared to underestimate him.

As for the kings, ministers, and envoys, their purpose was just as simple as that of the three judges on Judicial Island —yes, they were also there to curry favor.

Although protecting Affiliated Nation is the navy's obligation, this protection still has a considerable scope of operations.

The Navy's experience is also limited, especially in this Great Pirate Era. The Navy can basically only protect the area where the Marine Branch is located, and there are many other areas that are not covered.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Marine Headquarters and various branches are gradually returning.

Currently, there are over a hundred admirals gathered at Marine Headquarters, and their powerful auras are almost overwhelming.

If I were to use a phrase from my memory to describe it, it would be: Vice Admiral are everywhere, major generals Rear Admiral than dogs, and below the Admiral, everyone is an ant.

Furthermore, the navy is already unprecedentedly powerful at this stage. When these forces are combined, they will undoubtedly become so powerful that even the world will be alarmed.

These naval "allies," however, were somewhat alarmed and wary.

Even Alastair had to admit the strength of the Navy as a whole, and even felt a bit apprehensive. In terms of high-end power, the Navy had some advantages over CP0, especially with the real growth of Admiral like Sakazuki.

After all, the violent institution upon which the World Government relies to rule the seas is the navy.

But it is precisely because of the Navy's formidable power that CP0 members, led by Alastair, want to surpass it.

"The Marine Headquarters is really too powerful!" Hannibal, dressed like a pharaoh, remained calm on the surface, but sweat poured down his back as he sensed the powerful auras emanating from each of them.

"I have a feeling that any Rear Admiral from the Marine Headquarters could easily take over Judicial Island." The three judges exchanged glances, then revealed obsequious smiles. "With the protection of the Marine Headquarters, we on Judicial Island no longer need to worry about security!"

Meanwhile, Spandine, also from Judicial Island, is credited with the great feat of pressing the Golden Den Den Mushi, triggering the Buster Call, and destroying Ohara.

The commander of CP9, a secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government, also felt the true power of the Navy under the protection of two CP9 members. After all, he had personally witnessed the horror of the Buster Call, which was only one part of the Navy's capabilities.

Therefore, he was very careful and dared not offend anyone in the slightest, especially during this period. Compared to his stupid and useless son, Spandine was undoubtedly smarter.

Everyone knows that the Navy is very strong, and this generation of the Navy is stronger than ever before, even more impressive than the Golden Generation Zephyr Garp, Garp, and Sengoku.

The lineup presented to them was still excessively powerful!

This is partly due to the pressure faced by the Marine Headquarters; the enemy's power is simply too great.

Four Sea Emperor, numerous sea overlords, and rising stars constantly emerging, including "Devil's Descendant" Douglas Bullet, "Dark Emperor" Teach, many vicious criminals who escaped from Impel Down, and "The Lone Red" with terrifying power.

There's also a chaotic underground world, a Revolutionary Army, and an ever-growing number of pirates.

Given the sheer number and strength of the enemies facing the Marine Headquarters, the Navy's demonstrated power is not actually unacceptable in comparison.

But the navy is a power, and in terms of power, the navy is undoubtedly recognized as the world's number one.

The navy displays such power not only for the public and allies, but also for the Great Pirate and fierce, powerful enemies. Even the four Sea Emperors would not miss the navy's award ceremony, and many other forces are closely watching it.

Two days before the conferment ceremony begins, most of the attendees have arrived.

At Marine Headquarters, a fat, humanoid bird walked around, wearing a black top hat with a red and white feather stuck in it, a light blue shirt, a yellow bow tie, red and white checkered trousers, and a black cloak.

He kept taking pictures with his camera in his hand.

This is "Big News Morgans" Morgans. Besides being a journalist, Morgans is now also an entrepreneur and capitalist, controlling a vast amount of wealth and the key to entertainment worldwide.

He took his own team of reporters and took photos around the Marine Headquarters, since it wasn't a live broadcast and the use of Transponder Snail was strictly prohibited within the Navy.

Therefore, some of the information captured in the photos taken here is exclusive.

Of course, he was still careful; there were naval personnel watching nearby, afraid that this guy might leak some important intelligence.

Sakazuki's room was not luxurious; unexpectedly, it was very simple, even somewhat monotonous.

A man with sharp features and a resolute gaze was pruning a potted plant, and even in such a leisurely task, he exuded a sense of dedication.

Unexpectedly, this tough soldier had such leisure time in his private life.

At this moment, there was another man in the room with an extremely lewd expression.

Borsalino sized up Sakazuki's naked upper body, and said with a crooked mouth, "Oh! Such a bright cherry blossom and rose pattern really looks out of place on you!"

"Could it be that, Sakazuki, you actually have a flirtatious side?"

Click!

The branches that were suddenly pruned were instantly burned to ashes in the extreme heat.

"Oh~" Borsalino raised his hands, "What a terrifying monster! Just pretend I didn't say anything."

"You came to me just to spout this nonsense?" Sakazuki said in a deep voice.

"That's too cold to an old classmate!" Seeing that Sakazuki didn't react, Borsalino could only shrug and say, "Well, I actually wanted to see your reaction."

"Reaction? What kind of reaction could I possibly have to something as obvious as being promoted to Admiral?" While this might sound a bit Versailles to the average person, Borsalino, who knew Sakazuki, knew it was the truth.

They possess extraordinary potential, coupled with top-tier Devil Fruit and their own hard work, making their rise to the rank of Admiral a natural outcome.

Moreover, when Sakazuki was recommended to the Marine Headquarters by the North Sea Marine Branch due to his strong abilities and outstanding achievements, his goal was to Marine Admiral.

Borsalino, who was in the same class as Sakazuki, naturally knew this, but he wasn't originally a Marine. Instead, he was recruited directly to the Marine Headquarters through his powerful Devil Fruit ability after receiving information about the Marine Headquarters' elite class.

"You know I wasn't talking about the reaction to your promotion to Admiral, but about Frieda, given his status."

"Frieda ..." Sakazuki paused in his pruning of the bonsai, then said calmly, "Is there a problem with that? Don't forget, he's now a Marine, no longer a CP0 member."

"I remember you weren't this bored, you didn't care about these things, did you, Borsalino?" Sakazuki glanced at Borsalino.

As a classmate, Sakazuki knew Borsalino's personality very well. This guy liked to slack off, and Sakazuki was somewhat annoyed by his lack of ambition, but he possessed great strength and wanted to become Marine Admiral alongside him.

"Hey, hey, hey, at least give me some face!" Borsalino yelled, then continued, "The World Government actually agreed to the Admiral's proposal. Even though we knew about it a long time ago, it's still a bit strange that it broke with precedent at this point."

Borsalino's personality is like that, which is why he was able to become the leader of the neutral faction in the Navy. Getting involved in the conflicts between the World Government and CP0 would be a very troublesome matter for Borsalino.

They all knew that Frieda couldn't possibly break off contact with CP0.

Despite being a candidate for Admiral and soon to become Marine Admiral, Frieda's exposed identity has led to him being kept at a distance by most of the naval high command, making him somewhat isolated, as he was a CP0 agent planted within the navy.

Even with the World Government's assurances and the removal of his CP0 affiliation, this is still a thorn in his side.

With Frieda becoming Marine Admiral, Frieda influence within the Navy will inevitably continue to expand over time.

This is also what some people are worried about.

"You know, even though Frieda was trained by CP0 from birth, he served in the Navy for much longer. Don't forget his achievements in the Navy over the years. What are a few pieces of intelligence compared to such a powerful force? How important can this intelligence be!" Sakazuki sneered. In his heart, he had a scale.

"Don't let a little prejudice affect your judgment."

Sakazuki's words startled Borsalino, who gave Sakazuki a deep look, his opinion of his classmate seemingly changing slightly.

"However, if he really does something against justice and the interests of the Navy, I will destroy him with my own hands." As he spoke, Sakazuki exuded a powerful aura, and the air instantly became scorching hot. However, he controlled it perfectly, without affecting the bonsai, otherwise, the bonsai would have melted instantly.

Don't forget his current role: Minister of the Inspection Department, the law enforcer within the Navy.

"Oh, that puts my mind at ease." Borsalino nodded, walked out of the room, closed the door, and vanished in a flash of light.

He was originally there to sound out what Sakazuki was thinking, and more importantly, to see what others thought.

Sakazuki now heads the Inspection Department, wielding immense power, and his thoughts and attitudes are extremely important.