Celebration and Promotion Ceremony

Three days passed quickly, and the grand celebration was about to begin.

Early on, live streaming of the medal-awarding ceremony was launched on Transponder Snail) around the world.

This was a ceremony that garnered worldwide attention, and because of it, the great war in the New World was temporarily halted, bringing a brief period of peace.

The Navy is the enemy of all pirates, their natural adversary. No one dares to underestimate the Navy's power. Compared to intelligence from spies, witnessing it firsthand undoubtedly provides a clearer understanding of the Navy's strength, and this grand Navy award ceremony is a perfect opportunity.

The Great Pirate and titans of the New World were all watching the Transponder Snail) in front of them, even though the Navy's celebration was still a little while away.

As 30,000 elite naval soldiers surrounded the square, those watching the video were captivated, knowing that the celebration had officially begun.

These 30,000 elite soldiers exuded a chilling aura; each one was a veteran of countless battles, and their combined presence was incredibly intimidating.

Most of them survived the great battle against the Whitebeard Pirates.

And this is just the beginning.

Immediately afterwards, the attendees from various factions entered one by one: kings of Affiliated Nation, ministers, important envoys, secret agents—each appearance eliciting gasps of surprise from around the world.

These people are undoubtedly important figures in their respective regions.

Of course, there are also things they don't know, such as the presiding judge on Judicial Island.

There was also Spandine, but when he appeared, in a small town in the West Blue, in front of a large screen, amidst a dense crowd, was a small, thin figure wearing a black cloak that completely covered his body and hid his face in the shadows.

Hatred and fear flashed in his eyes, as if he had returned to that day, the day the sky was dyed red.

This is Nico Robin, known as the "Child of the Devil," the sole survivor of Ohara, the land of scholars.

She would never forget that it was this man who issued the Buster Call and destroyed Ohara.

His fists clenched tightly, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Similarly, there were the unknown surviving scholars of Ohara, for whom the Tree of Knowledge of Tree of Knowledge was their faith, and the destruction of Ohara was an eternal pain in their hearts.

So all they can do is publish the true history. Now, some of them have left Ohara, living in anonymity, to search for the Poneglyph and obtain more information about the Void Century.

Even the World Government would never have imagined that so many archaeologists were still alive, and were still quietly exploring their forbidden history.

The CP0 members wearing masks attracted the attention of some people.

The appearance of two more Shichibukai, Doflamingo and Crocodile, sparked a wave of criticism around the world.

He was wearing a pink feather coat, cropped trousers, and strutted around with an arrogant gait. He wore sunglasses, a smile on his face, and his hands were in his pockets, as if he were taking a stroll in his own home.

"Baboons, baboons, what a lively scene, Marineford." Doflamingo let out his distinctive laugh, but he was still clear-headed enough not to cause trouble in this situation.

His gaze swept over the elite soldiers around him, as if searching for something.

Finally, he found it—a familiar figure. He glanced at it and lingered for a moment.

Those eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion.

The two brothers were like strangers. Doflamingo had long since come to terms with it; although his brother Rosinante was still alive, in his heart, he was already dead.

His only family member was the Donquixote Family.

If Rosinante were to actually jump in front of him, he would show no mercy, just like his foolish father.

Of course, he wasn't that stupid to do such a thing himself. Rosinante had already latched onto a powerful figure, the adopted son of Sengoku Admiral, and soon he would be the adopted son of Fleet Admiral.

That righteous face filled him with disgust.

Among those soldiers was Rosinante. Due to his connection with Sengoku, he had joined the ranks of 30,000 elite naval soldiers and was even positioned relatively high up.

Although they are brothers, Rosinante does not have Doflamingo's talent; in fact, he is quite ordinary. However, as Sengoku's adopted son, he undoubtedly received more training. Compared to others, he is quite weak, but among these elite soldiers, his strength is still quite good.

He joined this formation not only to experience the excitement of the celebration, but more importantly, he wanted to see his brother, Doflamingo.

He had known about Doflamingo's arrival at Marine Headquarters for a long time and had always wanted to see him, even just from afar.

However, Sengoku and Tsuru stopped them. They were well aware of Doflamingo's danger; he had even killed his own spouse, so naturally he wouldn't care about a younger brother like him.

Besides, he's currently a Marine, and his identity would be exposed if he appeared in front of Doflamingo, even if it was just a glimpse from afar.

Doflamingo, however, mastered Three Types of Haki; their strength was on a completely different level.

In other words, he had to blend in with elite soldiers before Sengoku agreed to his request.

However, what they didn't expect was that Doflamingo already knew about Rosinante's existence, and even his identity.

After all, there are many spies that Doflamingo has planted within the Navy, and they are now key personnel being trained by the Navy.

Rosinante, standing in the elite soldier formation, felt a chill run down his spine. He was focused on Doflamingo and saw Doflamingo's gaze, as if he saw himself reflected in Doflamingo's eyes. That indifferent look made him break out in a sweat.

At that moment, a thought popped into his head: his brother, Doflamingo, had already seen him, and his heart leaped into his throat.

Although it was only for a moment, Rosinante broke out in a cold sweat.

When he looked at Doflamingo, he could only see his back, but that familiar yet cold gaze was still imprinted in his mind.

Although he could hardly believe it, his intuition told him that Doflamingo already knew him and his current identity.

This left him feeling somewhat lost, unsure of what to do next. He had already planned to take on the mission of infiltrating the Donquixote Family after the awarding ceremony; his identity was undoubtedly a good protective shield.

However, that look sent a chill down his spine, as if he had been transported back to many years ago when Doflamingo shot and killed his own father, who was also his father. This sight filled him with a sense of dread.

This can be seen as Doflamingo's reminder to his younger brother that he already knows of his existence and identity, and also to warn Rosinante not to come and die.

An undercover agent, the moment his identity is exposed, he faces either escape or death. His foolish younger brother should have known this, or even if he didn't, the Sengoku behind him certainly could.

This was also the last bit of kindness in Doflamingo's heart, letting Rosinante stay away from his world and live out her life obediently in the Navy, as a lowly Marine.

After all, he knew his younger brother's potential. Without that talent, there was no chance of him becoming Vice Admiral, and even Rear Admiral or Commodore would be extremely difficult. At most, he could become Sengoku official in the Marine Headquarters through Sengoku's connections.

The other Crocodile, with Golden Hook containing deadly poison on his severed left hand, wore a coat and had his hair slicked back, looking somewhat like a mafia boss.

Compared to Doflamingo, Crocodile, who made a name for himself in the New World much earlier, is quite famous New World and has many acquaintances.

"Gurararara, that brat who wants my head? He's never grown up." On the Whitebeard Pirates' ship in the New World, Whitebeard gulped down his drink and laughed loudly.

Crocodile is quite strong, and he's also a Logia Sand-Sand Devil Fruit User. He led his pirate crew all the way to him.

As we all know, Crocodile's entire crew was wiped out, and he himself lost an arm, fleeing the New World in a sorry state.

In Whitebeard's eyes, Crocodile was still too green, a brat who had been defeated. There were far too many people like him in the New World.

Every year, pirates who are expelled from the New World and unable to survive New World escape back to "Paradise." Crocodile is just one of them. However, Crocodile still has great potential. But there are too many geniuses and monsters in the New World. It's normal for many arrogant geniuses to fall and have their spirits crushed.

"You're really getting worse as you get older, Crocodile." On an island, Bullet, dressed in military uniform, saw Crocodile's figure in the image and said with some Bullet.

He still remembered Crocodile quite well, after all, they had fought a great battle together.

However, even through the images, Bullet could sense Crocodile's weakness. Although he had become stronger, the difference between them was now immense.

Whether in terms of strength or status.

One was the man closest to Sea Emperor, the other a spendthrift.

The biggest difference between Douglas Bullet, the "Heir of the Devil," and the Sea Emperor is that he did not form a pirate crew. In terms of territory and power, and in terms of individual combat strength, he is no weaker than Big Mom and Kaido, and even if he is weaker, the difference is not much.

Furthermore, Bullet is still young, only twenty-four years old, yet he is already a top-tier powerhouse in the ocean, and the next twenty years will be his period of growth.

In the New World, or rather the entire world, among the most representative strongmen of the younger generation, the two legendary pirates, Golden Lion and Whitebeard, the ones with the best chance of surpassing them in strength are "Heir of the Devil" and "Dark Emperor".

Because they have already demonstrated a terrifying, dominant combat capability among their peers.

Kaido of the Beasts can no longer be considered a member of the younger generation. He has been active on the seas since the previous era and is now thirty-eight years old, in the prime of his life.

Big Mom is nine years older than Kaido, but only a few years younger than Whitebeard.

Crocodile couldn't help but feel a little sorry that Bullet had been defeated by him in just one loss, considering he was once his opponent.

Back when he was on Roger Pirates, he constantly challenged Roger, failing time and time again, but becoming stronger each time before continuing the challenge.

He could also see that Crocodile had lost his spirit, that is, the heart of a strongman, which meant he had lost his Conqueror's Haki.

How can you get back Conqueror's Haki once you've lost it? Only by figuring it out yourself.

But in Bullet's view, Crocodile had no chance at all, because he had run into a small pond like "Paradise." How could he continue to grow stronger in such an environment? He was just lording it over people in a small place.

Soon, everyone became serious, because the Navy's true power was about to arrive.

One after another, naval officers clad in white Justice Coat entered the crowd's view, pushing the scene to its climax.

This celebration was also attended by ordinary people, mostly civilians living in Marineford.

"Look! That's Major General Dalmatia!"

"That's Gion Rear Admiral, known as the 'Flower of the Marines'."

"And there's Rear Admiral Kake, Thirty-Five Failed Proposals!"

First to appear are the naval officers with the Rear Admiral. These naval officers are capable of commanding one or even several Marine General independently.

His appearance drew cheers from many, as a Rear Admiral is a highly respected figure in the navy.

The beautiful Gion, with her formidable strength, is undoubtedly the dream goddess of countless Marines.

Gion smiled and gave it her all.

Meanwhile, Kake, this unassuming navy man, looked rather grim. Thirty-Five Failed Proposals —he was practically a monster, just like Gion! Couldn't he at least have a more respectable nickname?

"Those two sailors, do you vaguely remember them? Were they survivors of the Sabaody Archipelago incident?"

On the Night Pirates' side, Mostima saw the two young Rear Admiral and felt a strong sense of familiarity. After thinking for a moment, he remembered where he had seen them before.

"I didn't expect them to grow so fast. I should have been more careful and left them all there," Mostima couldn't help but laugh.

To become Rear Admiral at such a young age speaks volumes about their potential.

"Let's forget it, that would completely offend that guy Zephyr." Teach shook his head with a smile. He knew Mostima was just joking. If he had actually killed those two young marines, he would have been hunted down relentlessly by the Marines.

Whether they can escape from Zephyr's clutches remains an open question.

"A Marine Vice Admiral's son, a former Marine Admiral's daughter, and a sister to Navy staff officer Tsuru—they are all red-blooded naval elites." Teach revealed their identities and backgrounds, causing the others around to gasp in surprise.

This information came from Stephanie. Gion is the daughter of former Marine Admiral Gikai, and was Marine Admiral of the same era as "Steelbow" Sora, though she was a little younger than Sora.

However, he later retired because he was seriously injured in a war and rendered useless, which severely affected his combat effectiveness, so he had no choice but to retire.

The one who took action was none other than Rocks D. Xebec, the sole maritime overlord of the previous era.

"Both of them are considered monsters among the younger generation of the Navy, corresponding to Sakazuki's generation, but their ultimate potential will definitely be a bit lower." Teach didn't seem to care too much.

He was also present at the Sabaody Archipelago incident, so he could naturally see their approximate potential. This potential also included their personalities. Kake is Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit User, and his personality means that he cannot truly reach the peak.

As a Swordmaster and a master of physical combat in Gion, it must be said that women's bodies are inherently weaker, of course, Big Mom is an exception.

It also includes references to the future from Teach's memories.

Their final combat strength was only average among Admiral. That's why they couldn't compete with the two monsters from the common people to become Admiral. Otherwise, with their internal connections, they would undoubtedly have had a greater advantage.

Teach didn't take them seriously, even if they could reach the level of Admiral in the future and be called monsters.

For true top-tier experts, so-called monsters are actually no match for them.

Doflamingo's fear of Kaido stemmed from the absolute difference in their strength.

In the future, the fact that the Straw Hat were rendered powerless by Kaido's single blow already says it all.

At that time, Luffy, known as the "Fifth Emperor," was already a recognized monster. Defeating Doflamingo, causing havoc in Whole Cake Island, and defeating Katakuri were not things that could be done easily.

After all the Rear Admiral had passed by, it was time for the true high command of the navy: the Marine Vice Admiral.

The arrival of the Marine Vice Admiral was met with great cheers. Each Marine Vice Admiral has great power, commanding a fleet, guarding important naval fortresses, and maintaining peace in this sea area.

One by one, the Marine Vice Admiral strode forward, exuding a powerful aura, their faces resolute, and wearing the Marine Vice Admiral befitting their rank on their cloaks of justice.

Soon, exclamations rang out.

"They've appeared! Four candidates for Admiral." Everyone knew who would become Marine Admiral.

"The aloof Vice Admiral Kuzan."

"So handsome! I love his laid-back look and his tousled hair, so sexy!"

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki looks so strong and gives me a sense of security!"

"Vice Admiral Borsalino is a bit sleazy; I remember he was quite handsome when he was young."

"Vice Admiral Frieda was also very handsome."

Something strange seems to have gotten mixed in, but as a candidate for Admiral, about to become Marine Admiral, possessing formidable combat power and status, it's normal for someone to admire and like him.

Even the serious Sakazuki has many women who are attracted to him in the Navy.

At such a celebration, an important moment, even the unkempt Kuzan would dress formally.

The four Admiral stood in a row, striding forward in a formation different from that of ordinary Vice Admiral.

They were all of Admiral height, around three meters tall, with little difference between them.

Finally, several veterans of the Navy stepped forward. As the Navy's golden generation, leading the Navy to rise to its peak, their prestige was undoubtedly even higher.

The same applies to their influence.

"The old trio has arrived."

"Zephyr, the 'Black Arm' who is known for not killing."

"Naval Garp the Hero!"

"A wise general, Buddha Sengoku!"

The arrival of these three individuals was also broadcast worldwide via Transponder Snail displayed in the square, with countless people cheering and chanting their names, demonstrating their significant influence.

Their appearance caused some of the older generation of pirates to look solemn, as they knew how powerful these three were, having fought against them before.

After crossing the square, we arrived at the front, where Kong, who had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was waiting.

Vice Admiral Tsuru also arrived there early. She preferred a quieter atmosphere, so she did not join the formation.

Moreover, she has now assumed the position of Marine Chief of Staff, on par with Admiral.

Once everyone had arrived, the medal-awarding ceremony officially began.

"... The Navy has achieved remarkable success over the past decade, but we will not be complacent. As long as evil remains, the Navy will continue its struggle..."

After a long and passionate speech, Sengoku came up to the high platform and stood before Kong.

"Sengoku will assume the position of Fleet Admiral. Wearing this badge signifies that you will shoulder the heavy responsibility of naval justice." Sora looked at Sengoku and said earnestly. He was very satisfied with this successor. Even though Sengoku had already begun to exercise the powers of the Marshal, he had delegated the power to Sengoku to train Sengoku.

This award ceremony was actually just a transition, but when the moment actually arrived, Kong still felt a bit emotional. At the same time, he could have taken on some of Sengoku's burdens and relieved Sengoku pressure.

Next, he went to the World Government, where he didn't have as much time. To be precise, he went to the World Government to retire.

Moreover, he knew that although the navy was stronger than ever before, the enemies it would face were also more formidable and numerous, and Sengoku would be under immense pressure.

"Hmm." Sengoku nodded heavily. At this moment, words failed him. Looking at the epaulets in his empty hand, he felt a great weight on his shoulders.

Then, Sora personally removed the Admiral's shoulder insignia with four glittering stars tattooed on Sengoku's shoulders and replaced it with a Marshal's shoulder insignia with a seagull emblem.

Then, the four Admiral candidates were given their Admiral's epaulets in order of age: Frieda, Borsalino, Sakazuki, Kuzan.

They were given titles that had been set long ago: "Black Dove" Frieda, "Kizaru" Borsalino, "Akainu" Sakazuki, and "Aokiji" Kuzan.

The oldest, Frieda, is thirty-nine years old, two years older than Borsalino, while the youngest, Kuzan, is only twenty-eight.

Even though there had been rumors about the Admiral of the Navy, they were never officially announced; it was only confirmed internally by the Navy and the World Government.

When the moment actually came, most people were still very shocked.

It's important to understand that the Three Admirals of the Navy have always been the norm, and sometimes there are vacancies in Three Admirals positions. In the previous era, Garp didn't want to be promoted to Admiral, and after Zephyr stepped down as Admiral, only Sengoku was left to hold the position.

"Are you kidding me? Four Marine Admiral?"

This is truly an unprecedented case, one that hasn't happened in a hundred years!

"Four Admiral —this is an unprecedentedly powerful military force!"

"Are you kidding me? How can I go out to sea in this situation?"

In fact, the navy's combat strength has not changed at all. It has simply changed from one serving Admiral to four active Admiral, which has made the people of the entire sea cheer and made those pirates who longed to go to sea begin to back down.

This is the deterrent power of the Marine Headquarters Admiral, the world's highest fighting force. This deterrent is created through the strong suppression of each Marine Admiral and the World Government's relentless propaganda.

On the Moby Dick.

"Gurgle, gurgle, the liveliness of the sea hasn't subsided at all," the Whitebeard remarked as he drank and watched the video, seemingly unconcerned.

He's Whitebeard, so what if there's one more Marine Admiral? Besides, these four Marine Admiral are still far from the level of Sengoku. They don't yet represent the combat power of Marine Admiral and need more time to grow.

"Four Admiral. It seems the World Government is also beginning to fear the turmoil in the New World!" Marco's expression was somewhat grave.

Around the world, faced with this situation, various forces reacted with fear, apprehension, and sneer.

In the short time that followed, the investiture ceremony in the light and shadow had already been completed, and the Fleet Admiral Sengoku was beginning his inaugural speech.

"... Only justice should prevail in this world. Our belief is that justice reigns supreme, and all pirates should be swept into the dustbin of history..."

"When did this guy become so Haki?" Garp muttered under his breath.

As for the Admiral, the first one is Frieda. His speech was standard and proper, with a touch of passion, but it was flawless. It was all about upholding justice.

Next up was Borsalino's speech.

"... Justice is order, and order is rules. Only by resolutely resisting behaviors that violate the rules, such as theft, murder, robbery, and overtime work..."

The Fleet Admiral Sengoku was so angry that his face turned purple. Fortunately, the people did not know what kind of person was giving the speech, and they nodded thoughtfully without noticing anything strange in the speech.

Next up is Sakazuki.

"... Justice cannot be retreated, there is no compromise; all enemies of justice should be eliminated!"

Sengoku nodded with satisfaction. Although he didn't quite agree with Akainu's overly extreme ideas, this speech was much better than that of a certain monkey.

We arrived in Kuzan.

"... Upholding justice cannot go against one's conscience, and the meaning of the navy's existence is, well, you know, right? Oh dear, I suddenly forgot what I wanted to say, let's skip this part..."

Sengoku felt a tightness in his chest, and his face turned green. Damn it, this was a speech to the whole world!

This negligence might lead the public to believe that this year's navy is incompetent!

It's important to know that pirates from all over the world, as well as other factions and many intelligent people, were also watching the live stream. Some of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.

However, their speeches were all prepared in advance and were relatively normal, with only a few slightly off-key moments. For example, Borsalino and Kuzan clearly hadn't memorized their speeches and ended up making things up.

Fortunately, the audience watching the video didn't think that way; they just found the Marine Admiral somewhat endearing.

That's the benefit of having a certain status!

If an ordinary person made a mistake in such a world-class speech, most people would laugh and despise them. But when a high-ranking figure like Marine Admiral made a mistake, people actually thought Aokiji was down-to-earth and unpretentious.