Pirate: The Immortal Me Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki First

He quickly realized that, without noticing it, he had become a star among the officers at Marine Headquarters—the most talked-about young officer of the age.

The eyes of many young officers around him shone with excitement, the way people looked when they met their idol.

"He's as imposing as Vice Admiral Garp. I'd feel so safe with him!"

"I want to have his children! Our kids would be strong too!"

"Rear Admiral Xia Le!"

In the blink of an eye, the area outside Kong's office grew lively.

Doors along the corridor opened one after another, and heads poked out.

Clearly, Xia Le had underestimated just how popular he was at headquarters.

Since Roger had become Pirate King, the officers who had once fought him had gained a new luster. Apart from Garp, Sengoku, and the other officers already famous at headquarters, Xia Le was undoubtedly the brightest among them.

Faced with those excited, fervent gazes, Xia Le felt momentarily lost.

In either of his lives, he had never faced a crowd of fans like this.

"Xia Le!"

A deep voice rang out.

"Come in!"

"Everyone else, leave. Don't disrupt the work here!"

Kong's stern voice instantly quieted the crowd. The officers filed out, clearing a path for Xia Le.

"Close the door!"

Only after Xia Le entered the office did he breathe a sigh of relief. He shut the door behind him, blocking out all those eager gazes.

"Heh."

"Never dealt with anything like that before, have you?"

A smile suddenly appeared on Kong's stern face as he teased him.

"A little terrifying."

"I'd rather fight an enemy."

Xia Le let out a breath.

"Headquarters hasn't publicized your accomplishments much, but there's no doubt you've become a role model for this generation of young officers."

"Someone they aspire to be as they work to improve!"

After a pause, Kong added,

"The Marines need young men like you."

Xia Le shrugged helplessly.

He looked at the mountains of documents piled up on either side of Kong and sighed inwardly.

Being Fleet Admiral isn't easy either. No wonder Sakazuki barely went anywhere after he became Fleet Admiral.

"Did the mission go smoothly?"

Kong lowered his head again and began leafing through the documents in his hand.

As Fleet Admiral, he had far too much to handle. Since Roger had become Pirate King, pressure from the World Government and countless issues across the civilian world had only made his headaches worse.

"Smoothly enough."

Xia Le took the blueprints, sealed in a plastic bag, from inside his coat and handed them over.

Kong took them, glanced through them, and set them aside.

"The importance of Seastone Warship Technology to us goes without saying. If our ships can cross the Calm Belt, we can break through the barrier between the Grand Line and the Four Blues, cutting the time it takes our forces to reach those seas."

Kong drew a breath. Something in the document before him seemed to have caught his eye, and he frowned.

"This technology will greatly improve the Marines' and the government's control over the Four Blues."

"It will also give a major boost to our upcoming operation."

Xia Le looked puzzled. "What operation?"

"A sweeping campaign to wipe out pirates."

Kong looked up and slapped the document he had finished reviewing onto the pile beside him.

"Our first target is the East Blue, currently the strongest of the four seas!"

"It's also where Pirate King Roger was born!"

He exhaled again.

"Of course, this will take a long time to carry out."

"Separately, we'll be searching worldwide for Roger and his crew."

Kong looked as though the thought gave him a toothache.

"Until we bring that lot in, the world won't settle down!"

The Fleet Admiral's words left Xia Le thoughtful.

He suspected it had to do with immense pressure from the World Government, as well as the unrest recently spreading among pirates and civilians alike.

As long as the Pirate King lived, he would remain a powerful example to others, much as Xia Le was to the younger Marines. Like a magnet, Roger would keep drawing in restless people who would throw the whole world into turmoil.

That made capturing Roger and his crew vitally important to both the Marines and the World Government.

Together, those forces would leave the entire world in unrest.

"Eight tomorrow morning. Headquarters conference room."

"All officers are required to attend. Be there on time."

Xia Le nodded. Seeing how busy Kong was, he did not want to disturb him any longer, so he turned and left.

On his way out of the headquarters building, Xia Le received countless notes from beautiful female officers. Some were bold enough to come up and kiss him on the cheek.

Clearly, he was admired not just by young male officers. The women were even willing to offer themselves to him.

"This is insane!"

Only after leaving the building did Xia Le finally let out a long breath.

Then he shook his head and headed toward the residential district.

When he saw Crocodile, Bullet, Rosinante, and the others again, they were sitting in chairs outside his house, chatting.

"The Marines have a training system far more complete and varied than anything pirates have!"

"When it comes to developing talent, this place is unquestionably better!"

Bullet spoke in a low voice.

After venturing deep into Marine Headquarters and seeing its orderly facilities and clearly designated training areas, even he could not help being impressed.

From the fundamentals to advanced instruction and fully developed combat disciplines, the Marines had it all covered.

"This world belongs to them, after all."

Crocodile gave a faint smile.

"What, do you want to take it from them?"

Bullet grinned.

"I just want to build the world I dream of."

Crocodile answered.

At that moment, Xia Le walked over and waved a hand to interrupt them.

"Enough talk about the world. Politics isn't our business!"

Thanks to @⒌药'к9, 鬼骨居士, 茶书人, 悾心, and 依然-光光 for the monthly tickets!

Headquarters' Highest-Level Meeting

Xia Le knew full well that, though the people under his command were now Marines, they still had the drive they had possessed as pirates.

Evens and the other four were fine. They had settled down after joining the Marines. More than anything, they wanted a stable place to belong and a chance to realize their modest dreams of peace.

Crocodile, meanwhile, had changed during his time without his memories. He had come to trust and respect Xia Le, and even after remembering his past, he had set his old dream aside.

As for Douglas Bullet, his intentions were obvious.

For one thing, Xia Le's overwhelming strength had won him over. For another, Bullet had recognized that Xia Le was no man content to sit still.

That was only natural. Men as strong as Bullet and Crocodile would not submit to someone merely because he was stronger than they were.

He also needed something about him they could respect.

They had all been given rooms in the area where Xia Le lived. The house was large enough to accommodate them easily.

That evening, after dinner, Crocodile and the others continued their grueling training under Bullet's supervision.

Xia Le stood beneath a streetlamp nearby, quietly watching them.

Bullet's background as a professional soldier gave him a keen understanding of training. Even Xia Le had to acknowledge his expertise.

Evens and the other four, especially young Rosinante, had all grown stronger recently. Their physiques were rapidly approaching superhuman levels.

"Whatever you plan to do, whatever hopes and dreams you carry!"

"Strength is the most powerful weapon you have to make them real!"

Bullet barked, arms folded.

"Even if all you want is to lie around like a dead fish, you need the strength to turn yourself over!"

Then his eyes widened as he looked at Rosinante trailing behind the group.

"Rosinante, pick up the pace!"

"Do you want to die on a battlefield someday?"

"How can someone as strong as Xia Le tolerate a weakling like you under his command?"

Rosinante drew a sharp breath and ran faster.

Bullet could insult him all he liked, but Rosinante would not let him drag in Commander Xia Le, whom he had long since come to respect!

"Aaah!"

Rosinante roared as he ran with everything he had.

Watching from beneath the streetlamp, Xia Le smiled, nodded, and turned away.

If they kept training like this, even Rosinante, only eleven or twelve years old, would likely have a superhuman physique before long.

For someone his age, it was remarkable. His Celestial Dragon blood certainly showed.

The night passed in a flash.

At first light the next day, a solemn, oppressive atmosphere had already settled over the headquarters building in Marineford.

Two rows of elite Marines, nearly all over two meters tall, stood rigidly on the steps leading up to the building. Their faces were cold and stern, their gazes fixed straight ahead.

The atmosphere was utterly unlike any other day. Even the officers among the surrounding crowd felt tense, swallowing hard as sweat beaded on their cheeks.

Headquarters' highest-level meeting would be held today.

Senior officers normally stationed across the world had gathered in Marineford to take part.

Everyone understood the gravity of the occasion. The meeting was certain to affect the entire Marine force, and perhaps the whole world.

Suddenly, a sea breeze swept in, stirring the capes of the Marines standing in formation on either side.

Every elite Marine's gaze sharpened as they looked toward the imposing figures at the foot of the steps.

"Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku!"

"Headquarters Admiral Zephyr!"