One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

There weren't many people in the cafeteria in the evening.

To be more precise, there was hardly anyone left at this time.

The clock at the cafeteria entrance showed the current time as 7:14 PM, with less than an hour left until closing.

Most soldiers would come to eat immediately after finishing training around 6 PM, as the demand for food was very high after a full day of training.

The first batch of meals had the most variety and was the freshest.

By the time Jake and Monet arrived, only a few ramen shops had some leftovers remaining.

As they walked, Monet and Jake continued chatting casually about those things from earlier.

"Jake, based on what you said, doesn't that mean our Sea Train patrol tomorrow is an extremely important task?"

Hearing the excitement in Monet's voice, Jake knew that not dampening her spirits was the best show of emotional intelligence right now.

So he smiled and said.

"Any great endeavor starts from a small beginning. Our mission tomorrow is indeed very important."

"Then I'll try to lower the temperature of my fruit ability even further tonight. Today's training allowed me to successfully raise the -5°C level to -6°C. But how should I put it... Although I can lower the temperature more, both the area of effect and the stamina consumption are much higher than before."

Taking the ramen handed over by the shop owner, Jake pointed to the vinegar dish on the side and asked while speaking.

"Developing fruit abilities needs to be combined with physical training. It can't be rushed, Do you want vinegar?"

"That's true. We still have two months, so let's take it slow later on. Add some vinegar for me please."

The two carried their noodles to a corner of the cafeteria and sat down casually before starting to eat large mouthfuls.

After all, with their training volume, even a slender woman like Monet had quite a large demand for food.

As the two were eating, a somewhat lecherous voice suddenly came from the side.

"Young man~ May I sit and eat with you?"

Upon hearing that familiar tone, Jake immediately put down his chopsticks.

He then turned to look at the newcomer.

Sure enough, upon seeing that signature lecherous face, Jake immediately pulled the still slightly dazed Monet to stand up and said to Kizaru.

"Of course, Vice Admiral Borsalino!"

Jake's reaction surprised Kizaru a bit.

He looked at Jake, smiling as he pulled him and Monet to sit down.

"It seems you know who I am~ Then I won't beat around the bush. Young Jake and Miss Monet~ I came here at Sakazuki's request. Recently, due to the Fisher Tiger incident, Sakazuki has to go out for a while, so your regular training will be left to me. Also, I'm very interested in those things you were talking about earlier, young Jake~ Can you explain them to me in detail?"

Kizaru's words made Jake's scalp tingle.

How did this old pervert overhear what he had said earlier?!

Jake knew that when he was talking to Monet just now, he had inevitably fallen into some common male pitfalls, namely discussing politics and boasting, which led him to say some things that even he considered too ambitious.

And now, these things had actually been overheard by one of the highest-ranking officials in Marine Headquarters.

Jake felt his heart racing, but fortunately the person who heard that information was Kizaru.

Plus, Jake hadn't revealed everything, so there was still room for damage control.

So he tried to stay calm as he said to Kizaru.

"I'm not very clear on which specific things you mean. Could Vice Admiral Borsalino be more precise?"

Jake was gambling that Kizaru hadn't heard too much content.

However, in the next moment, Kizaru's mouth twisted slightly into a smile as he said.

"Of course I mean what you said about the Sea Train and the impact of the Warlord Policy. Although I also have some criticisms of the Warlord Policy, I haven't thought about it to the extent that you have. So I wanted to hear more from you~"

Hearing this, Jake's heart sank.

However, thinking of Kizaru's performance in the original story, Jake also relaxed a bit.

Kizaru, who could follow Akainu's orders to kill a close friend, was likely absolutely loyal to the Marines rather than some kind of Revolutionary Army executive.

So after taking a deep breath, Jake dropped the act and said directly to Kizaru.

"Since Vice Admiral Borsalino has already heard, I'll boldly share my humble opinions without holding back.

As you heard me say earlier, I'm very optimistic about the future prospects of the Sea Train. If we Marines can bypass the World Government's control and obtain even a small portion of the profits from the Sea Train, it would go a long way towards freeing us from the World Government's control."

"At the same time, the Warlord Policy is something very detrimental to the Marines' reputation among civilians. If the Warlord Policy is actually implemented, it will definitely be a heavy blow to the Marines.

Right now there are just rumors, but to be honest, many low-ranking soldiers are already finding it hard to accept. If pirates are actually legalized, it will be a serious affront to justice."

Listening to Jake's words, Borsalino glanced at the ramen in front of him, then sighed and said.

"Young man, you really do have a long-term perspective~ But you're absolutely right about this matter. You know, the news about the Warlord Policy was originally not supposed to be known by any soldiers below the rank of Vice Admiral at Headquarters.

But you know, if those guys want information to spread, no one can stop them. So let me ask you another question - do you know why those guys wanted to leak this information?"

Jake pondered for a moment, then replied to Kizaru.

"First, it's to test the reception and information channels on the Marines' side. We're currently at the peak of the Great Pirate Era and the World Government needs a large number of Marines to maintain basic maritime security.

So they can't openly antagonize the Marines during this period. Therefore, releasing the information in advance is to gauge the Marines' level of acceptance."

"Second, after releasing news of the Warlord Policy, whether it's actually implemented or not, it will cause significant reputational damage to the Marines.

If the Marines express that it definitely won't be implemented, but then it ends up being implemented, it would be an even more serious breach of trust.

If the Marines don't express an opinion, it will cause low-ranking soldiers to doubt and worry about the high-level leadership, which is also a blow to morale."

"Third, as long as the information is released, there will always be pirates, civilians and soldiers who believe it. Whichever group develops dissatisfaction and hatred towards the Marines, it benefits the World Government. This requires no cost - it's just a rumor."