https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1301-You-ll-Be-the-Fleet-Admiral/13542656/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1303-Why-Don-t-You-Just-Carry-Me-to-the-Throne-/13542671/
Chapter 1302: The Strongest Navy of All Generations
Chapter 1302: The Strongest Navy of All Generations
"This is our decision—you must accept it. As for any misunderstandings, they’re irrelevant. Our command is absolute." The Curly-haired Elderly Man declared.
"Old Man disagrees!" Kuro repeated. "You’re asking for trouble if you keep pushing this! Don’t you care about demoralizing everyone? Just because someone made a mistake, you strip them of their position? What about their merits? What about the hard work they poured into serving as Fleet Admiral? Even if they didn’t achieve results, their efforts counted! If you keep this up, who’ll dare to act? Everyone will just play it safe and avoid risks!"
"Commander-in-Chief of the World Government? What’s that even worth? You think I don’t know what that title really means?"
The Commander-in-Chief of the World Government, as the name implied, was nominally in charge of all military forces. But in reality, it was utterly meaningless. When Sengoku resigned, he’d merely informed Kong of his decision.
The title sounded authoritative, but held no real power. What "entire military" did the World Government even have? Besides the Navy, what else existed? The World Government’s own soldiers? Or some phantom army?
In name, the title could oversee the Navy, but even that was questionable—Five Elders might struggle to control it. The Commander-in-Chief was just an empty honorific, created specifically for the Navy’s convenience.
Kuro knew the backstory. At the time, Kong hadn’t stepped down yet. Sengoku and Kong were from the same generation, so Sengoku couldn’t claim the position. But if Kong retired, the title would likely go to either Sengoku or Garp.
Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral, was expected to take it after retirement. Garp, the Navy’s hero, would also receive it to appease the Navy. But both were semi-retired now, holding nominal Navy roles. Promoting them further was impossible. If Sakazuki hadn’t fallen, this might’ve happened eventually—but now, Sakazuki’s disgrace made the position perfect for him.
It was just a role the World Government created to keep retired Fleet Admirals occupied or pacify the Navy’s more restless elements.
In short, it was a golden parachute—nothing more than peacefully retiring in a spacious office, signing pre-approved documents, and twiddling your thumbs all day.
Except for the Mariejois location, which Kuro disliked, everything else about the role sounded perfect.
High pay, zero responsibilities. No stress, no visibility.
Exactly the kind of position he craved.
"Wait a second", Kuro suddenly piped up, his eyes gleaming. "Could I… take that Commander-in-Chief role?"
The Five Elders exchanged surprised glances.
"You?" The Blade-wielding Elderly Man scoffed. "You’re jumping the gun. Focus on proving yourself as Fleet Admiral first."
"No, no—I’m saying I’ll quit my Admiral position outright. Can’t I skip straight to Commander-in-Chief?" Kuro’s voice turned wistful, his expression dreamy.
But obviously, that wasn’t happening.
"Kuro, don’t betray our trust", the Blade-wielding Elderly Man continued. "This isn’t about targeting Sakazuki or the Navy. While we have our differences, the member states’ complaints about the Navy’s recent actions are valid. At this World Summit, they’ll push against the Navy, blaming piracy for the Revolutionary Army’s destabilizing raids on their nations."
"If we yielded to the member states, Sakazuki would resign, and the Navy would lose its authority to fight pirates entirely, shifting focus to internal issues. We resisted that pressure, appointing you as Fleet Admiral to end this war swiftly."
"Kuro, we trust you—and the member states do too. Don’t let us down."
This was no empty flattery. Their trust, and the member states’, stemmed from his reputation.
Before Kuro, Garp was the most trusted Navy officer. That’s why no action was taken against his son and grandson’s chaos. Beyond the God Valley incident, Garp’s true strength lay in his credibility with the nations.
Even Kong and Sengoku lacked that level of prestige.
Then Kuro emerged.
From the start, he embodied the "Pirate Slaughter" ethos—not blindly like Sakazuki, but with calculated precision that earned the nations’ confidence.
He eliminated old pirate lords while protecting civilians. Even when replacing kings—including installing the tyrannical King Conqueror, who tormented neighboring states—the World Government had ordered those actions. Kuro bore no blame, and his early deeds left no negative impressions.
After defeating the Four Emperors, Kuro’s reputation soared. Before Roger’s Great Pirate Era, Sea Emperors existed—but Kuro ended them.
His strength and prestige were unmatched.
Kong had lost to the Red Earl, but Kuro crushed that foe. Sengoku’s greatest feat was defeating Whitebeard—at the cost of countless lives. Kuro eliminated the remaining Four Emperors without losses, gained Wano Country, and secured Big·mom’s son Katakuri’s allegiance to the World Government.
Garp’s legacy was God Valley. As for capturing Roger? The world might not know the truth, but they certainly did.
Across generations, no Navy officer earned the world’s trust like Kuro. By merit, he was the strongest.
The member states withdrew their World Summit actions against the Navy precisely because Kuro became Fleet Admiral. Newspaper photos and scandals no longer mattered.
Their focus now was preserving the Navy’s prestige at the World Summit. Sakazuki’s defeat couldn’t tarnish their overall authority.
"No room for negotiation?" Kuro asked, seeing the Five Elders’ firm stance. His expression fell.
"Kuro, understand this", the Map Elderly Man interjected. "The newspaper scandal arose because Sakazuki truly failed—he lost Shirahoshi. If the Sea King Poseidon falls into pirates’ hands, the consequences are obvious. We demand you act immediately upon taking office: retrieve Shirahoshi before global panic erupts!"
(End of Chapter)
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