Chapter 230: Sengoku: Do Well, and I'll Make You an Admiral!

Chapter 230: Sengoku: Do Well, and I'll Make You an Admiral!

Gurgle... Gurgle...

It sounded like boiling hot porridge, constantly bubbling.

Then, Akainu's entire right arm began to melt, eventually transforming into flowing lava.

In an instant, thick smoke filled the air.

This was Akainu's Devil Fruit ability: the Natural Logia Lava Fruit.

After unleashing his fruit's power, Akainu's aura also underwent a change.

An indescribable, chilling killing intent emanated from his body.

Even the temperature of the surrounding air rapidly rose!

At this moment, Akainu exuded an incredibly oppressive aura.

No wonder he was the strongest Fleet Admiral and the future Naval Admiral.

The next moment, Akainu, without hesitation, lifted his lava-covered right arm and roared:

"Great Eruption!"

An enormous lava fist emerged from Akainu's strike.

The might of this punch was astonishing.

It was like a meteor, hurtling towards Zhao Zheng.

In the pirate world, there was a saying: no one could withstand Akainu's punch!

This statement was undoubtedly an exaggeration.

However, it also showcased the ferocity of Akainu's punches, especially his 'Great Eruption,' which was his most potent single-target attack.

Even before the massive lava fist made contact, the oppressive feeling of a mountain was already upon Zhao Zheng.

It felt like a volcano was crashing into him.

Suddenly, Zhao Zheng smiled.

With his current speed, dodging this punch would be effortless.

But he didn't!

Akainu's attack was no longer a threat to Zhao Zheng.

"Vrrrm!"

Armored Color Domination enveloped Zhao Zheng's right fist.

To the crowd's astonishment, Zhao Zheng chose to confront Akainu head-on, throwing a punch of his own.

Compared to Akainu's gigantic lava fist, Zhao Zheng's punch seemed pitifully small.

At first glance, it was like a matchstick colliding with a giant iron ball.

From any angle, Zhao Zheng appeared to be biting off more than he could chew.

However, when the two attacks collided, the result was eye-opening.

"Boom!"

The entire deserted island shook at the moment of impact.

A bizarre sight unfolded on the island!

One side was fiery red, while the other was white.

Two spheres of light, one red and the other white, clashed violently.

Despite the red side's ferocious appearance, it couldn't breach the white sphere's domain by even a hair...

"He blocked Akainu's Great Eruption!"

"What a terrifying monster!"

"No! He hasn't even exerted himself yet..."

Several Vice Admirals whispered among themselves.

As Vice Admirals, they were naturally keen observers, easily discerning the situation on the battlefield.

Akainu gritted his teeth, clearly giving it his all.

In contrast, Zhao Zheng appeared relaxed, even sporting a faint smile.

The outcome was clear!

...

Indeed, Zhao Zheng hadn't gone all out yet.

If it were before activating his Bio-Field, he would have needed to exert all his strength against Akainu's attack.

But now, with the Bio-Field, Zhao Zheng was far beyond Akainu's ability to shake.

The reason Zhao Zheng maintained a seemingly even match was to spare Akainu's feelings.

Based on the original story, Akainu wasn't known for his magnanimity.

If Zhao Zheng had effortlessly crushed Akainu with a single punch, it might not have made Akainu hold a grudge, but it would certainly have left a sour taste in his mouth.

Zhao Zheng was here to vie for a higher position, not to make enemies with Akainu.

Moreover, Akainu held a high position within the Naval Headquarters, and antagonizing him would not align with Zhao Zheng's plans.

Hence, the current situation unfolded.

The spectators could tell that Zhao Zheng was holding back against Akainu.

Admiral Sengoku immediately remarked to his old comrade, "This guy not only possesses formidable strength but also has a sharp mind..."

Garp burst into laughter, "He fits your requirements perfectly, doesn't he? Or would you rather he be a brave but foolish brute?"

Admiral Sengoku remained silent...

The two continued their clash for some time.

Akainu, across from Zhao Zheng, finally sensed something amiss.

No matter how hard he tried, his opponent remained unmoved, indicating that Zhao Zheng had the strength to win but was holding back to avoid humiliating Akainu.

Upon realizing this, Akainu immediately ceased his attacks.

"Huff!"

The clash between the two abruptly ended.

The surroundings returned to tranquility.

"I concede!"

Akainu graciously admitted defeat, giving Zhao Zheng a deep look before turning back to his position.

Although Akainu wasn't a magnanimous person, he could still accept defeat.

As for Akainu, why didn't he continue fighting?

He still had his ultimate move, "Hellhound," which he hadn't used yet. It was an extremely vicious technique that might have yielded surprising results...

Akainu knew there was no point in continuing the fight.

He was certain he couldn't win against Zhao Zheng.

His speed, aura, and defensive capabilities were no match for Zhao Zheng... This was evident from Yellow Monkey's previous defeat.

Even his powerful attacks, which he took pride in, couldn't shake Zhao Zheng...

In other words, Zhao Zheng completely dominated him from every angle.

Akainu, despite his extreme personality, wasn't a fool.

He knew he had no chance of winning against Zhao Zheng.

Zhao Zheng had already shown him mercy earlier, and continuing the fight would only embarrass himself further.

...

After a moment, all the high-ranking Navy officers returned to the Navy Headquarters.

Among them was Zhao Zheng.

The assessment of Zhao Zheng's strength had come to an end.

Many of the officers still felt like they were in a dream.

Their gazes towards Zhao Zheng were complex, filled with fear, worry, and curiosity.

Zhao Zheng's displayed strength had genuinely shocked them. They couldn't understand how such a young and terrifying monster had appeared, and why he was so overwhelmingly powerful.

Even the powerful Yellow Monkey Admiral and Akainu Admiral had fallen to him.

The Navy Admirals were the highest-ranking combat power within the Navy Headquarters!

Especially Akainu, whose strength was on par with the Four Emperors.

Although everyone was curious about this, no one asked.

There was a more pressing matter at hand.

The question was, how should they assign Zhao Zheng?

A special promotion was certain.

But to what extent?

...

Meanwhile, at the Navy Headquarters, many veteran Navy personnel were guiding the new recruits around the facility.

After all, they were about to engage in a decisive battle with Whitebeard's Pirate Crew the next day, and these new recruits needed to be familiar with the terrain.

It would be embarrassing if they couldn't even find their way to receive orders during the battle.

As the high-ranking Navy officers returned to the square on their warships from the abandoned island, two groups of new recruits happened to cross paths.

One group included Song Haitang, Jiang Hebin, and others.

The other group was Ma Jun and his team from Jing University.

Upon seeing Song Haitang, Ma Jun's expression turned defiant.

They didn't know why, but they just couldn't bring themselves to respect Song Haitang. Especially Ma Jun, another Natural Devil Fruit User whose fruit had even greater potential than Song Haitang's, yet their achievements were completely opposite.

He had been left far behind by Song Haitang.

As the two groups met, Ma Jun spoke up, "Song Haitang, we meet again. This time, I—"

But before he could finish, a voice interrupted him.

"What do you want to say? Do you think you won't lose this time? Please, can you come up with something new?"

It was Wang Fei speaking.

Since becoming Zhao Zheng's loyal follower, Wang Fei had risen in status. Seeing Ma Jun seemingly trying to provoke 'Big Sis,' he couldn't help but speak up.

Hearing this, Ma Jun's face changed, and he blushed.

He probably realized that saying such words when the gap between them was so obvious would indeed be embarrassing...

After a moment of hesitation, Ma Jun spoke, "I heard that many people are targeting you. You might face big trouble. Be careful!"

Song Haitang replied, "Thank you."

Her response was merely a matter of courtesy.

She wasn't the least bit concerned about what Ma Jun had said...

At that moment, the veteran soldiers leading the way suddenly roared,

"It's the Marshal... and the Admirals!"

"Attention! Salute!"

Seeing Marshal Sengoku and the Admirals disembarking from their warships, many Navy personnel in the square, regardless of their ranks, stopped and stood at attention, saluting.

The grand display startled the new recruits, who also followed suit and saluted.

They watched as the group of high-ranking officers walked across the square.

Suddenly, Ma Jun noticed that among the officers, there seemed to be a Husky... No, it was a new recruit, and he looked very familiar.

"That guy, isn't he Song Haitang's lover? How is he walking so close to those high-ranking officers?"

Someone whispered beside him.

Ma Jun was confused, and he, too, wanted to know the answer to his teammate's question.

It wasn't until Marshal Sengoku and his group had walked away that the Navy personnel in the square relaxed and returned to their usual state.

"Holy crap! Zhao Zheng is so badass! He's already gotten close to the Navy big shots so quickly."

Wang Fei exclaimed with excitement.

Chen Kai also smiled, expressing his thoughts, "Brushing the Spirit Realm with Zhao Zheng is just too easy."

Song Haitang merely smiled at this.

Jiang Hebin and the others were filled with envy, not knowing what to say.

The night before, they had learned the whole truth from Chen Kai and Wang Fei, and their envy and jealousy towards the two had only intensified.

They regretted not seizing the opportunity and replacing those two!

"Was that Zhao Zheng just now?"

At that moment, Ma Jun approached and asked, "What's going on with him? How is he so close to those high-ranking officials?"

"Yeah!" another person added, "And I noticed that quite a few Vice Admirals seem to have a bit of... reverence for Zhao Zheng?"

Chen Kai and Wang Fei merely smiled faintly at the questions from the Jingda group.

Wang Fei, with an air of mystery, replied, "You'll understand tomorrow..."

...

The high-ranking officials once again gathered in the office of the Warlord Admiral's mansion.

The office, belonging to Warlord Admiral Sengoku, was spacious like a small plaza, the only space that could accommodate the towering figures of the Navy's top brass.

"Zhao Zheng, I'm about to assign you a specific position!"

"With your strength, even the position of Fleet Admiral would be within your capabilities..."

Warlord Admiral Sengoku, gazing at Zhao Zheng, continued, "However, you have no military achievements, and you've been in the Navy for less than a day! The Fleet Admiral is the highest combat power and a crucial position in the headquarters. Therefore, I can't appoint you as an Admiral, but I can offer you the rank of Vice Admiral. Can you accept this?"

Before arriving, Warlord Admiral Sengoku had already decided on Zhao Zheng's assignment.

As the Naval Admiral and supreme commander of the Navy Headquarters, he had the authority to appoint anyone.

Thus, he didn't need to consult others about Zhao Zheng's assignment; he could make the decision himself.

Upon hearing Warlord Admiral Sengoku's arrangement, the others remained unmoved, likely having anticipated this outcome.

Indeed, this arrangement was the most suitable.

Although Sengoku had the authority to appoint, promoting someone who had joined the Navy less than a day ago to the rank of Fleet Admiral would undoubtedly be difficult to justify.

Promoting him to Vice Admiral was already an exceptional promotion.

As for Zhao Zheng himself, he was quite satisfied with the appointment.

His original goal was simply to become a general, even a minor one.

Receiving the rank of Vice Admiral was an unexpected delight.

"I accept! Thank you, Admiral!" Zhao Zheng voiced his acceptance.

Warlord Admiral Sengoku nodded and continued, "Tomorrow is Fire Fist Ace's execution day. The Whitebeard Pirates will undoubtedly show up, and a war is inevitable! I hope you can demonstrate exceptional performance on tomorrow's battlefield. If you earn sufficient military merits, I will promote you to Fleet Admiral after the war."

These words were not empty promises.

Warlord Admiral Sengoku had already decided to retire after this battle, stepping down from his position as Warlord Admiral.

He and Whitebeard were of the same generation, and it was time to pass the torch to the next generation.

Upon his retirement, the new Warlord Admiral would likely be chosen from among the current Three Admirals, and Sengoku personally favored Seiryu Admiral for the role...

Regardless of who became the new Warlord Admiral, the position of Fleet Admiral would become vacant.

Zhao Zheng's strength was more than sufficient for the role!

"Understood!" Zhao Zheng replied solemnly, even offering a military salute.

Although he would be leaving this world after the war, he would return in the future.

Having the identity of a Fleet Admiral would make it more convenient to carry out missions.

...

Thus, Zhao Zheng's military rank was temporarily settled.

As for his position and the subordinates under his command, they would discuss it later.

No one objected to Warlord Admiral Sengoku's arrangement.

But could Zhao Zheng be a spy sent by the enemy?

This question had crossed their minds.

However, a moment's thought would reveal the impossibility of such a scenario.

With Zhao Zheng's strength, he would be a Four Emperor-level powerhouse in the Grand Line. Who could possibly control such a powerful individual and send them as a spy?

The Whitebeard Pirates?

If there were such a powerful individual within the Whitebeard Pirates, they wouldn't need to resort to conspiracies. Zhao Zheng, alongside Whitebeard, could easily crush the entire Navy Headquarters!

Whitebeard would have to be insane to send such a powerful individual as a spy.

It would be like taking off one's pants to fart—a pointless endeavor.

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end