Chapter 1296: The Fleet Admiral's Position
Chapter 1296: The Fleet Admiral's Position
The full-scale war between the Navy and pirates was naturally something Smoker wouldn’t miss. The G-5 Navy forces played a significant role on the battlefield—these sailors, hardened by years of combat against pirates in the New World, had battle instincts as fierce as pirates themselves. As elite members of the Navy, they performed admirably, earning considerable merit.
Smoker himself fought exceptionally well. It had been a while since they last met, and now he carried an even fiercer, iron-blooded aura. This kind of hardened battlefield presence could only be forged in large-scale conflicts. Petty pirates from minor skirmishes simply couldn’t cultivate such a temperament.
“You’re here just in time. It’s been ages—let’s grab a meal together?” Kuro suggested.
“Sure, fine. Though your whole entourage is a bit much, but today I’ll foot the bill,” Smoker said generously.
This threw Kuro off slightly. “What’s this? Did you strike gold?”
“Seized quite a bit of spoils,” Smoker replied casually.
After a year of war, he’d indeed made a tidy profit. Though indifferent to wealth, he’d distributed most of it to civilians suffering from the conflict. What remained was more than enough to cover a meal—even with that big eater girl around.
“Wow, you’re actually being generous. Feels weird.”
Kuro’s face fell. “Suddenly I don’t feel like eating anymore.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Smoker snapped.
“No, no! It’s just… you being rich now feels off. I mean, yeah, it’s just… I dunno, weird,” Kuro hastily corrected himself.
He couldn’t exactly say he missed the thrill of skipping out on the bill, just to see Smoker’s face twist in rage. Back then, this guy was the root of all evil—otherwise, Kuro would probably still be lounging around East Blue in peace. Now that Smoker was acting so magnanimous, Kuro felt robbed of his usual amusement.
“Whatever. I’ll wait for you at the restaurant,” Smoker muttered, storming off with Tashigi.
“Kuro, weren’t you hungry?” Lida asked, puzzled.
“Of course I’m eating! Only an idiot skips a free meal.”
Kuro bit down on his cigar, exhaling a plume of smoke. “I just lost a bit of my appetite… for certain pleasures.”
The group eventually made their way to the restaurant. Conveniently, Smoker’s chosen spot was the same one Klah had booked. Tina joined them too, and the four of them gathered at a second-floor table, watching the scene below after finishing their meal.
Tina leaned against the railing, cigarette dangling from her lips, watching the pink-haired Navy officers devouring their food below, flanked by her two subordinates. She sighed. “Heard Crane’s retiring too. That’s unexpected.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
Kuro paused mid-sip, surprised. “Crane herself said so. Haven’t you noticed, Kuro? The old guard’s stepping down. At this year’s World Summit, I didn’t see Garp or Sengoku.”
Tina’s gaze drifted downward. “Only Koby. He’s Vice Admiral now.”
Koby, the current Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters.
If the Top War was the dividing line, six years had passed since then.
The sixteen-year-old boy had grown into a twenty-two-year-old man. Promoted from Commander to Vice Admiral over several years, his stellar performance in the recent war had accelerated his rise. Though he lacked an official codename yet, further experience would likely earn him one—most probably inheriting Garp’s “Iron Fist.”
“Time flies. I’m forty already,” Smoker mused, feet propped on the table.
“Don’t remind me,” Tina grumbled. At thirty-eight, she had no desire to dwell on age.
“Speaking of…”
Lida paused mid-bite, bun halfway to her mouth. “Kuro, you’re thirty this year, right?”
Kuro rolled his eyes. “Say twenty-nine and twelve months. Thirty? Where? I don’t count threes!”
Thirty meant middle age. In either life, he’d never reached that stage—and didn’t want to. Even by Grand Line standards, thirty was still young, but traditional biases made him resist the number. Thirty meant responsibility, and responsibility meant no more recklessness.
Time hadn’t yet etched its mark on Kuro’s body, but he felt his mindset aging.
He glanced at Lida. At twenty-four, she still looked like a seven-year-old brat. After her Restoration, she’d matured somewhat, but her appearance hadn’t changed. As she put it, her Devil Fruit ability froze her looks—only death would reveal her true age.
A Haki-type Devil Fruit granting eternal youth? Better than immortality.
“Before we know it, we’ll all be old. Soon enough, it’ll be the young ones ruling the world,” Smoker remarked.
“Says who? You’re the old man, not me. Don’t project your midlife crisis onto us. Look at that white hair—your body’s young, but your mind’s ancient.”
A blue vein throbbed on Smoker’s temple. “It’s natural! Natural!”
And besides, who was he to mock white hair? His favorite companion had white hair too!
“Kuro,” Tina interjected, her gaze sharp. “Are you ready?”
“Ready? For what?” Kuro blinked. “The war? I’ve been fighting from the rear.”
Tina shook her head. “For the Fleet Admiral position.”
“!!”
Kuro’s eyes widened. “Fleet Admiral? What’s that got to do with me?!”
Sakazuki was doing just fine as Fleet Admiral. What connection did he have to that role?
“Wait—you’re not suggesting Sakazuki’s retiring because he’s old? Don’t joke.”
Kuro waved a hand. “Sengoku was over seventy when he stepped down, and only because he took responsibility for the Top War and Impel Down. Otherwise, he’d still be serving. Sakazuki—how old is he?”
“Fifty-nine.”
“Exactly! Fifty-nine! He hasn’t even hit sixty. Why retire? He hasn’t made any mistakes. And the Fleet Admiral position—how long’s he even held it? Stepping down so soon would destabilize the Navy.”
“Are you pretending not to know?” Tina frowned. “Sakazuki defied the World Government’s orders to hold the front lines. A year’s passed, and we still haven’t won decisively. The Revolutionary Army’s chaos behind the scenes is escalating. The member states are complaining, and the higher-ups are furious. If the World Summit goes badly, Sakazuki’s out. And who’s next in line? You.”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
