Mammon: I'll Be a Marine Admiral, No Matter What!

This doesn't mean that Akainu's generation has become weaker; on the contrary, it's because the Three Admirals of this generation are all too strong, belonging to a historical generation, which has actually made the selection process more complicated.

"So, what did the Five Elders say?"

Sengoku frowned, then realized that he had been worrying unnecessarily.

"Selection will be based on combat ability; the strongest candidate will succeed as Fleet Admiral, while the remaining two will remain unchanged."

"Should we have the three of them spar with each other?"

During the Sengoku, the emphasis was on the word "exchange and competition," while secretly cursing the Five Elders for being amateurs.

This concerns the position of Fleet Admiral. If someone is determined to fight for it, it won't be a mere friendly exchange; it could escalate into a life-or-death battle.

"What are you worried about?" Kong shook his head. "The specific selection process hasn't been decided yet; I'm in charge of arranging it. In short, let the stronger people go. Do you have any objections?"

"You've already made your decisions, so why are you asking me? But..."

At this point, Sengoku pondered for a moment, "There will be a vacancy afterward, so why not select the next Admiral at the same time? There are currently three Admiral Candidate."

Kong frowned slightly.

Aren't there only two Admiral Candidate?

Momousagi Gion, Chaton Tokikake... Could it be that he's got dementia and forgot about the third person?

Sengoku smiled, "Just recently, I promoted an Admiral Candidate, codenamed 'Black Bat' Mammon."

Upon hearing the nickname "Black Bat," Kong immediately realized what it meant.

"That new Mythical Zoan... did he inherit the title of Black Bat? That's fine, it's a good thing the Vampire Fruit is back in the Navy's hands."

But then again, how long has Mammon been a member of the Navy?

Is it three months?

The fact that a newcomer could become Admiral Candidate in such a short time is likely to cause considerable discontent within the navy.

He secretly grumbled, but then he realized that this must have been a forced promotion by the Sengoku, taking advantage of the momentum of the Fleet Admiral's departure.

This guy not only pushed Mammon to the position of Admiral Candidate, but also wanted to take this opportunity to push him even higher.

Is the target Admiral?

After pondering for a moment, Sengoku wondered if Sengoku still intended to use Mammon to maintain control over the Navy.

"You've got the wrong idea!"

"Um?"

"The situation at sea is extremely dire. Just think about it: there are four pirate emperors in the New World, the Seven Deadly Sins who have been making frequent moves lately, and the Revolutionary Army that keeps giving me trouble..."

At this point, Kong sighed, "The navy needs to replenish its fighting strength, so the higher-ups have decided to conduct World Military Draft, which includes Admirals."

There have been many instances of World Military Draft, but directly recruiting Admiral- level combatants is quite rare.

The Sengoku was shocked by this news.

He didn't necessarily want to promote Mammon to the Admiral; it was just something he did on a whim. The position happened to be vacant, so it wouldn't hurt to let Mammon give it a try.

Unexpectedly, the Five Elders had an even more outrageous idea: to directly recruit Admiral- level combatants.

An outsider suddenly becomes Admiral, completely disregarding the navy's intentions...

The Sengoku's face turned black.

I object!

Your objections are useless!

Kong Yi was speechless. "I'm just informing you so you can prepare. But your people can also participate in the selection. If they can handle top fighters from all over the world and become Admiral based on their strength, no one will have anything to say."

Mammon is not one of my men; he is Zephyr's disciple...

Sengoku wanted to say that, but considering that he had indeed forcibly promoted the other party, it would be meaningless to say it.

"Hmph, the Five Elders will regret this!"

"Get ready now, you idiot."

Bang!

Sengoku out, slamming the door behind him.

He was furious after eating so much in the open, and he really wanted to vent to someone.

Of the marines from his generation, only a few remained. Tsuru wasn't a good match, and Zephyr had retired. After much thought, Sengoku suddenly remembered someone.

He immediately took out his Den Den Mushi and dialed the number.

"Garp! You bastard, when are you going to stop your vacation?!"

"Haha, Luffy, your Observation Haki is pretty good! You can already dodge the stones Grandpa throws."

"Those are cannonballs! Do you want to kill me, Grandpa?!"

Two voices came through the Den Den Mushi.

Sengoku's face was ashen. While he was racking his brains over the future of the navy, this bastard was enjoying family time with his grandson.

"Get back here right now, Garp!!"

Chapter 177 Mammon: I'm going to be Marine Admiral!

With the disappearance of the Seven Deadly Sins, the once bustling Grand Line suddenly fell silent for a period of time.

But this silence didn't last long, as a news release from the Marine Headquarters once again caused a sensation.

The World Economic News devoted an entire page to reports related to the Navy.

[World Military Draft Begins]:

Regardless of background or past, anyone with formidable strength, whether a commoner or a warrior, can register at any Marine Branch and participate in the selection process based on their own abilities, with the ultimate goal of becoming Marine Admiral!

The selection process is divided into three stages.

Phase 1: Conducted independently by local branches, with the top ten advancing to the next round.

The second stage takes place on Enies Lobby, where the top ten warriors from each branch compete against each other, and the top ten advance to the next round.

The third stage: facing the Marine Admirals directly, and passing the test will result in being awarded the position of Marine Admiral.

The news immediately attracted worldwide attention upon its release.

The Grand Line, Gourmet Island, Gourmet City.

"Hey, is this for real? The Navy is World Military Draft, directly recruiting Marine Admirals from overseas?"

"Marineford was destroyed by the Seven Deadly Sins some time ago, causing heavy casualties to the Navy, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku resigned as a result."

"The new Fleet Admiral will be chosen from among the Three Admirals, which conveniently creates a vacancy... Is that why there's this sudden World Military Draft?"

"Not only Admirals, but even those who are eliminated during the selection process can join the navy as long as they perform well."

"From the lowest-ranking miscellaneous staff to the highest-ranking Admiral, does the navy seem to be short-staffed?"

"Aren't there Admiral Candidates? Admiral aren't selected from there; instead, World Military Draft..."

A city brimming with delicious food, with various food stalls visible everywhere on the streets.

Many people gathered together to discuss the recruitment news.

"Excuse me... where is the Marine Branch here?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The speaker slightly opened his eyes, revealing only the whites and not the pupils. He was rather burly, with a cross-shaped scar on his forehead that crossed both eyes.

He was dressed in a plain, old kimono, wearing wooden clogs, and holding a slender cane, looking like a carefree vagrant.

One of them spoke up in confusion:

"Old man, why are you asking about Marine Headquarters? Are you lost?"

"I heard you've heard the navy is recruiting, and I'd like to go check it out."

"Ha?"

Laughter erupted, and another person couldn't help but say, "Are you blind? A blind man wants to be a navy officer? Besides, you're so old. Even if you want to find a place to retire, there's no need to go to the navy to die. That's not a place for child's play."

Upon hearing this, the old man with the wooden cane was not angry, but simply smiled faintly:

"To be unable to see is a blessing in itself!"

"This world is full of filth; I blinded myself."

What kind of ruthless person is this?

Everyone was stunned. Was this old man just bragging? To avoid seeing the filth of the world, he went blind... He was completely insane!

"Forget it, let's not get involved with lunatics, let's go."

"If you want to go to the Marine Branch, just walk straight down this street, past a stone bridge on the outskirts, and continue for a while until you see it."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you can't see this. Anyway, I advise you to go home."

Not wanting to linger with the old man with the cane, the group hurriedly left after speaking.

"Thank you for pointing the way. If I am fortunate enough to become Admiral, I will surely come back to repay your kindness."

The departing crowd laughed at the old man's thanks, thinking he was a madman.

The old man ignored the mockery; in his perception of Observation Haki, these people appeared as a soft "light orange."

There was no malice intended; it was just the joys and sorrows of ordinary people.

South Blue, Taya Kingdom.

On the chaotic streets, thugs scattered and fled.

"Run! It's a monster! It's that rogue sheriff!"

The young sheriff wasn't properly dressed; he was shirtless, with his police uniform draped over his shoulders.

He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, wore black sunglasses, and was holding a thug by the neck with one hand, lifting him into the air.

"You bunch of lowly, unemployed thugs, stop causing trouble while I'm on duty! Can't you just give me a few days of peace and quiet?"

"No, no! We didn't cause any trouble this time!" the young man being carried hurriedly explained.

"Huh? What else could a bunch of thugs like you be doing together? Harassing women? Extorting money from shopkeepers on the street?"

The young sheriff curled his lip, blew the smoke from his mouth at the thug, and spat.

Spit was spat on his face, but the thug didn't dare to get angry; he just sneered.

"Aramaki, weren't you a petty thug before? You turned on me just because you put on a suit?"

"Huh? You really want to die?"

"No, no, we really didn't cause any trouble this time. We're planning to participate in the World Military Draft, and maybe we can even become generals! That's what the newspapers said!"

Only then did the young sheriff, known as the Aramaki, notice the newspaper in the thug's hand.

He casually tossed the person aside and snatched the newspaper to read.

"World Military Draft... Admiral..."

A port town in the East Blue.

The 11-year-old boy fiddled with his small sampan, untying the mooring lines.

A nearby fisherman was reading a newspaper with his legs crossed when he glanced up and saw the boy's actions. He couldn't help but laugh.

"Koby, out fishing at sea again?"

"Yes, Uncle Walker, we're running out of food again."