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Chapter 347: Seeking Higher Expertise
Chapter 347: Seeking Higher Expertise
"You've been demoted."
Transponder Snail stated, "Due to your indiscriminate expulsion of people in Insect Country—including renowned martial artists and even nobility from various nations—the World Government has decided to demote you from Commander to Lieutenant. Major Klah will temporarily assume your role as Base Commander."
Kuro's face lit up with joy. Finally, after joining Headquarters, he had successfully executed a plan of his own!
He was actually demoted!
"From Commander to Lieutenant, take this lesson to heart, Kuro. Don't repeat the same mistake again."
Transponder Snail's tone carried a weight of sincerity.
I did it!
I actually pulled it off!
Kuro's hands trembled as he gripped the microphone.
A Lieutenant? No problem.
Letting Klah take over? What's the difference between him handling it and me staying in charge?
Sengoku, that old man, was actually giving him face by not appointing an outsider. Not like anyone would want to parachute in anyway.
Gramps still has my back. Who dares to disrespect me?
Lieutenant? Perfect!
He'd already reached Four Seas rank. At minimum, he'd expected the World Government to bury him, denying promotions and merits, letting him fade into obscurity until some crisis dragged him out again.
But now, being demoted wasn't just getting buried—it meant the World Government's grievance had skyrocketed. Complaints from those people pushed them to drop him three ranks at once! Even Fenbodi's disgrace wasn't this extreme.
Fenbodi plummeted from recruit to Lieutenant? A drop of seven or eight levels, sure. But climbing from recruit to Lieutenant wasn't that hard—academy-level. But as a core strength of the Navy, that wasn't the same.
This demotion hit harder than Fenbodi's!
Yet he was overjoyed!
In West Blue, there were no three hundred million pirates to chase, no Top War-scale events. If he played it safe, West Blue would never offer merits for a quick comeback.
Given his current situation, being compared to his East Blue days was fine. He didn't need eternal safety—six or seven years of peace would suffice.
After six or seven years, the world would certainly change. But once that chaos settled, a long peace would follow.
Whether the next Pirate King or World Government leader emerged, the Navy would remain the Navy. Then, Lucius Kro could truly live peacefully for the rest of his life!
What a blessing!
"Vice Admiral Sengoku, I express my deepest sorrow. This lesson will not be forgotten. I promise I won't make the same mistake", Kuro said solemnly.
Though his words sounded heavy, his face broke into a grin, teeth exposed, eyes squinted shut.
The sight even made Lida lose his appetite—it was too vulgar.
"Hearing this, do you feel any regret?" Transponder Snail asked.
"Of course! Deep regret! If I could do it again, I'd investigate the Revolutionary Army much more gently, not so violently", Kuro quickly replied.
"Next time, consider the bigger picture. You're someone we believe in, so don't make such basic mistakes. Don't follow Borsalino's example. Speaking of which, though he's distracted, his grasp of strategic thinking surpasses yours. Learn from that."
Gramps? Please.
That cunning old man only cared about "harmony with light and dust." What strategic thinking?
Kuro rolled his eyes but still said, "Yes, I'll definitely take your advice to heart."
"Good. Then I must say, congratulations, Lucius Kro. You're promoted to Commodore."
Transponder Snail chuckled, dropping a bombshell.
"What?! Wait, what did you say?!"
Kuro's eyes bulged. He leaned forward, face-to-face with the Transponder Snail, glaring at the screen. "Explain yourself properly, Sengoku!"
The snail chuckled again. "Since I was the one who ordered you to investigate the Revolutionary Army, I understand your impulsiveness came from trying to protect the World Government. Though higher-ups expressed some disapproval, recognizing your intentions meant they couldn't blame you entirely. Plus, while CP3's unit went silent, Insect Country wasn't captured by the Revolutionary Army—that's a success."
"We've received intelligence that in Insect Country, the Revolutionary Army's deputy commander and chief strategist, Sabo, and 'Northern Army' captain Crow were active. Two extremely dangerous criminals. Dealing with them would be troublesome."
"But this has nothing to do with my promotion!"
Kuro exploded. "Sengoku, explain yourself! I did nothing there except receive complaints. Even if I wasn't punished, why reward me? What was the point of your earlier scolding?!"
Not only wasn't he demoted—he was promoted?!
"This was just to scare you, to teach you restraint. Remember how you felt a moment ago, Kuro."
Transponder Snail smiled. "As for the promotion: Your subordinate, Douglas Bullet, encountered 'East Division' captain Belo Beti in the Twin-Horse Kingdom and successfully drove her away. That woman is a huge headache—wherever she goes, she either overthrows the kingdom or recruits countless people into the Revolutionary Army."
"After the Twin-Horse Kingdom reported this, they were deeply alarmed. Needless to say, leaving a subordinate at the base was a wise move. Bullet attributed it to your teachings, so the credit went to you. Additionally, during the Insect Country incident, despite complaints, you protected many lives by expelling them. After deliberation, the World Government decided to reward you with a promotion."
"Kuro, remember to visit Headquarters for the medal ceremony."
As Transponder Snail spoke, the screen began to dim—ending the call.
"Wait! Wait, Vice Admiral Sengoku!"
Kuro shouted, "This isn't right! Sengoku, let me explain—no, let me clarify! I feel deeply unworthy of this Commodore title. After all, I didn't stop the Revolutionary Army, failed to prevent conflict in Insect Country, and didn't ensure proper protections for those I expelled—only using violence!"
"I truly believe this promotion is unwarranted. I beg higher-ups to reconsider! I still need more training!" He rambled desperately.
"Nonsense. You've done more than enough, Kuro. Don't underestimate yourself. In our eyes, you're an outstanding Navy officer. If only you weren't so much like Borsalino..."
Transponder Snail's voice softened. "But if you insist... Perhaps we should seek higher expertise. Vice Admiral Sengoku has other matters to attend to."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The Transponder Snail's screen went dark.
Kuro stood frozen, microphone in hand, staring blankly for a long while. Finally, he turned to the window and roared, "Kas!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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