"Me? Anything's fine with me, as long as it sounds natural." Tokikake wasn't particularly interested in animals, as long as it didn't feel awkward, he wasn't too concerned.
"Alright, then let's go with the pig. Nobody wants to choose this one. Since you don't mind, then call it the Brown Pig. It'll be a rare breed."
Without looking up, Sengoku spoke in a serious tone, and it was impossible to tell whether he was being official or doing it on purpose; one could not tell from his words or expression.
"No! I meant Admiral Sengoku. I mean, anything is fine, but there are plenty of choices. Why did you give me a pig? It doesn't suit my image at all! Change it!"
Tokikake Jiaji couldn't remain calm after hearing "pig." "Pig" and "dog" are generally insults; if people called him that from now on, wouldn't that be an insult?
"You just said it was fine, but now you're saying it's not? A title is just a label. How about this, let's compromise. From now on, you can be called Chaton. It means the same thing, but it sounds much better. Let's do it this way."
The Sengoku settled down after taking a half-step back. They couldn't Tokikake the issue and stopped trying. They'd already retreated half a step; further objections would be pointless. So be it; at least they were better off than pigs.
When the navy decides on a name, there are alternatives for colors and animals. It's just a matter of which combination sounds the best. Sengoku was just teasing Tokikake and wouldn't actually call him "Brown Pig." But if he had been called "Chaton" from the start, Tokikake would have objected, and then it would have really had to be changed.
" Tokikake. What about Gion? Do you have any animals you like?" Sengoku ignored Tokikake and continued speaking to Gion.
"Me? I'll choose the rabbit. I ate my fill the day before fighting Bullet, and rabbit meat tastes really good. I'll take this one!"
Gion spoke with a smile, glancing at Vic as she spoke, her eyes holding a deeper meaning. It was unclear whether she was genuinely saying that rabbits were delicious or something else entirely; in any case, it was rather strange.
" Momousagi? That's not bad, but... but your reason... Fine, Momousagi it Momousagi, whatever you like!"
Sengoku was also bewildered by Gion's words. This reason was truly powerful and excellent. It was the first time someone had chosen an animal because it tasted good, and she was a female Marine Admiral. Only Tokikake a bit bland.
"Then it's just Vic left, Vic! Do you have a favorite animal?" Sengoku ignored Gion's laughter and looked at Vic again.
Vic didn't speak, but pulled his Justice Cloak back a little, put his left hand into his pocket, and raised his right hand to rub his chin, as if he was deep in thought. The eyes of the others were all focused on Vic.
"I don't know what to choose either, do you have any good suggestions?"
After thinking for a while, Vic said that he certainly had someone he liked, but he didn't want to say it outright right now because the animal was somewhat taboo. However, it wouldn't matter if someone else said it; Vic would just have to passively accept it.
"Then how about you name yourself Dark Dragon? It should suit you perfectly. I see that both of your swords are in the shape of dragons, so this name seems tailor-made for you. Let's go with it, Sengoku! What do you think?"
Kong looked at the two swords protruding from Vic's waist and said with a smile, "We already knew about Vic's two swords; they were forged after the battle with Kaido."
He could tell that Vic was deliberately showing off his dual swords to get the title, but he was worried that the title might be taboo, so he was making it so obvious that he wanted to ask for their opinion.
"I think it's excellent, Dark Dragon! Haki and imposing, a perfect match for Vic. The Navy desperately needs such a powerful admiral, Vic! I hope that in the future you can carry this title and awe the entire seas, making all villains bow down!"
Sengoku also agreed. Originally, dragons and Celestial Dragons were indeed somewhat taboo, and there were many other animals to choose from. However, considering the unfair treatment Vic would face, neither he nor Kong refused Vic, as a small compensation for Vic.
" Dark Dragon! It does sound very majestic and Haki, but will the World Government accept this title? Will the Celestial Dragons cause trouble for Vic?"
Although Kong and Sengoku had no objections, Tokikake was still somewhat worried about the Celestial Dragons' dissatisfaction. After all, the Navy was just an agency under the World Government. If it was targeted by its superiors, even the strongest fighting force would be useless, and it would eventually be squeezed out, which would be a huge loss to the Navy's overall strength.
"What's the big deal? There are samurai in Wano Country who Dragon Slayer. Does that mean dragons represent the Celestial Dragons? If that's the case, Wano Country shouldn't exist. Daring to slay dragons is such a huge disrespect!"
And Kaido, he's a dragon too! If the World Government had any objections, they should have joined forces to take him down long ago. And there are so many dinosaurs and dragons on the islands, shouldn't they all be wiped out?"
Gion was very dissatisfied with Tokikake's words. "It's just a title, why make such a fuss? Can't Vic be a dragon?" she thought. "I like Vic, this lurking dragon."
"This isn't a big problem. Vic is a black dragon, which is different from the Celestial Dragons. Gion is right, dragons in the mortal realm also have their place. Sengoku and I have already made things clear with our Sengoku, so there's no need to worry about it!"
It's perfectly reasonable for Kong to ask Vic for this title. You're already planning to sideline someone, so it would be unreasonable to not give them the title they want. Van Dragon wouldn't be that picky, otherwise you'd really be putting them in a difficult position. This title is something Vic wants, not something he doesn't care about.
"Yes! This title isn't a problem. Since it's been decided today, it's unlikely to be changed. You can go back now, and we'll arrange a promotion ceremony for you once everything is set up."
This is a promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, a rank associated with a specific animal sign. You all know the significance of that, right? Such moments are rare in the Navy, and this is the first time in decades that three such promotions have occurred at once. We take this very seriously!
Sengoku affirmed Kong's statement, saying that they could still do these things for Vic. The World Government also needed to consider the opinions of their current and next Fleet Admiral Fleet Admiral. The Navy consisted of thoughtful individuals, not just blindly following orders.
After saying goodbye to Kong and Sengoku, Vic and Sengoku two companions left the headquarters building. As military officers, they only needed to accept orders and handle some tasks. They didn't need to worry about the conferment ceremony; they just needed to wait for the preparations to be completed and then be notified. Therefore, they had virtually no official business while waiting.