"Bwahahaha! I've got no objections!"
Garp's booming laughter abruptly shattered the silence.
He slapped the sofa's armrest with his massive hand, making the whole sofa rattle. "If that brat couldn't even manage this much, he might as well stop calling himself one of mine. Besides, isn't putting those arrogant Four Emperors in their place exactly what you want?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded lightly, giving her tacit approval.
To her, as long as they could curb the increasingly crumbling order at sea, it did not matter who became an Admiral.
Sitting by the window, Kuzan acted as though he had heard nothing and pulled his sleep mask a little lower, though the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Kizaru continued leisurely trimming his nails, his eyes obscured by the reflection on his glasses. Only his drawn-out remark drifted through the air. "What a frightening young man~"
Only Akainu wore a grim expression.
The brim of his cap cast a shadow over his face, and the dark red magma flickering at his fingertips made the surrounding air scorchingly hot.
"I object."
Akainu's voice sounded like rocks grinding up from deep in his throat. "Talent is one thing. Experience is another. Putting a sixteen-year-old brat in that position will only make the Marines a laughingstock among pirates. What he needs is time to mature and accumulate military achievements, not a leap straight to the top."
"Time to mature? Sakazuki, I think you're-" Garp had just begun to argue when a tremendous crash came from the closed oak doors.
Bang!
The doors were violently thrown open and slammed against the walls, shaking loose wisps of dust.
Everyone's movements paused for an instant.
A young messenger named Ailan stumbled inside, his cap askew and his head drenched in sweat. Alarm and excitement filled his