One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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"If that's the case, then I'll be straightforward."

Akira finally took out another document he had long prepared and slid it across the table: "To make a lot of berries, this is my next plan."

"But some parts of it cross the line, so it needs the authorization of the Five Elders."

Marine Headquarters is one of the World Government's direct military forces. Its sole mission is to combat pirates with absolute strength.

As for logistics, finances, and so on, the World Government has a special department to handle those, and Marine Headquarters isn't allowed to interfere.

However, the former Fleet Admiral never thought about getting involved. After all, with the daily struggle against pirates, there was no time or energy left to deal with such matters.

Moreover, the World Government had never been late in paying the large number of soldiers for several months.

But things are different now. The Great Pirate Era, the first of its kind in 800 years, has completely overturned the established order.

The Marines are scrambling to keep up and can't handle everything.

The World Government's logistics department isn't collecting taxes.

If they continue following the previous model, everyone will starve.

With the backing of Zephyr and all the admirals, Akira could technically order the Marines to follow his plan.

But what will the World Government think if this overreach is done without permission?

What would the Five Elders think?

You must understand that getting consent and not getting consent are two completely different matters.

Perhaps, under the pressure of the current situation, the Five Elders might allow Akira to proceed.

But once the problems are solved, Akira's position as Fleet Admiral would be in jeopardy.

Why didn't the Five Elders want Sengoku to remain Fleet Admiral?

Because his reputation and abilities allow him to control Marine Headquarters with a single hand.

But if the Five Elders see Akira as a more dangerous and uncontrollable figure than Sengoku, they won't let him stay as Fleet Admiral.

So, Akira threw the decision back to them.

This way, whether the plan succeeds or not, it won't affect him.

If they agree, everyone wins.

If they don't?

As long as they still want him in charge, they'll have to come up with trillions of berries from their own pockets.

If they'd rather keep Sengoku in power than pay, then Marine might as well collapse.

And if Marine collapses, the World Government will follow.

When true chaos erupts, it could shake the rule of Imu, the Five Elders, and the Celestial Dragons to their core.

Akira would then have plenty of room to maneuver.

After all, completing the three ultimate missions doesn't necessarily have to happen within the current Marines.

In an era of chaos, he could even form a new Marine himself and appoint himself Fleet Admiral.

But for now, it's better to stay under the big tree and enjoy the shade.

"Alright, let me take a look first."

Kong smiled. Having a plan is better than not having one.

Since Akira dared to present it now, it meant he had some confidence in securing the trillions of berries.

But as he read, the smile faded from his face. In the end, he didn't even dare to finish reading it and quickly closed the document.

"Akira, are you really sure that only this can solve the Marine's current problem?"

"Yes, there is no other way."

"I can't decide this on my own. I have to consult the Five Elders. Wait here for me."

With that, Kong left the room immediately.

Zephyr frowned as he watched Kong's hurried and flustered departure, full of doubt.

What kind of situation could rattle a seasoned Marine Fleet Admiral like this?

"Akira, what did you write in there?" Zephyr asked.

Akira swirled his wine glass slowly and replied indifferently, "Oh, it's nothing really, just asking the Five Elders to loosen the leash around the Marines' necks."

Zephyr: "..."

Hey, that answer just makes me even more curious!

He wanted to press for more details, but Akira closed his eyes and drifted off after taking a sip, clearly signaling he didn't want to discuss it further.

...

Half an hour later, Kong returned.

He paused at the corner, placing a Den Den Mushi before moving again.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, how did it go? Did the Five Elders agree?" Zephyr immediately stood up.

Akira also opened his eyes and looked over.

"The Five Elders are still discussing it. We'll have to wait here for their decision," Kong said as he took his seat at the head of the table, shaking his head.

"Then we'll wait," Zephyr replied, sitting down again, albeit reluctantly.

Kong glanced at the empty dining table, and after a moment of thought, he called out loudly:

"Tell the chef to prepare two more servings of everything."

"Yes, sir!" The guard outside the door responded and quickly left.

"Wouldn't two more servings be expensive? We should save where we can, Fleet Admiral," Zephyr remarked, unable to resist the urge to advise.

Since learning about the Marines' financial troubles yesterday, he hadn't dared to spend another berry.

So, seeing Kong order two more servings so casually felt conflicting to him.

That money could have been used to pay soldiers, after all.

Sigh... I guess some people just don't understand how expensive daily life is.

"It's not for me, it's for the two of you. You both look like you could use it," Kong said.

After all, he was toughened by countless battles; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to stand the state they were in.

"Forget it, I'm not hungry," Zephyr replied.

"No problem, then I'll eat your share. I'm starving," Akira said cheerfully, patting his stomach. "No point in letting it go to waste, especially since it's on Fleet Admiral Kong's dime."

"Huh??? Well, in that case, give me three servings," Zephyr added.

Kong: "..."

When the dishes were finally served, Akira and Zephyr didn't hold back, practically devouring the food in front of them like starved beasts.

Kong didn't join in; he ate this food every day, so there was no need to compete with his subordinates.

As he smoked a cigarette, he glanced at Akira out of the corner of his eye and asked casually:

"By the way, Akira, I heard you asked Garp to find a Devil Fruit?"

"Ah, that's right! It's a Mythical Zoan," Akira responded, briefly pausing before returning to his meal. Without waiting for Kong to ask further, he added casually:

"The Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon allows the user to transform into a racoon and is an auxiliary-type Devil Fruit that can copy people and objects from memory."

"The reason the soldiers have been able to endure without pay during this time is because I copied a person with the ability to produce food. I had him work all night, creating food so the soldiers wouldn't starve."

"But, to be honest, the food is pretty awful."

Seeing Akira's cooperative attitude, Kong stopped beating around the bush and quickly asked, "Can you show me? Your Devil Fruit ability sounds almost unbeatable."

"Unbeatable? No, no, it's actually quite limited for someone strong."

Akira quickly shook his head, aware that Kong was trying to gauge the true potential of his ability, but he didn't want to make himself seem more threatening.

"Copying people requires a lot of physical strength, and you can only copy those weaker than yourself."

"Go ahead and try it."

Akira handed over two leaves to Kong.

"What should I do?" Kong asked, examining one of the leaves.

"First, picture the person you want to copy in your mind, then write their name down with a pen."

"The process is pretty straightforward."

Kong pulled a pen from his jacket pocket and began writing while focusing on the person he intended to copy.

He had only written half the name when the deformed leaf suddenly split in two, as if sliced by a blade.

At the same time, the once vibrant emerald leaf became withered, dry, and unusable.

"This…"

Kong, slightly pale, looked at Akira.

Akira's figure gleamed slightly as he explained, "Fleet Admiral Kong, the person you just tried to copy is too powerful, surpassing the limits of the deformed leaf."

"It's best to copy someone weaker than yourself, preferably someone with a strength below that of an Admiral or not much stronger than you."

"Oh, and just a heads-up—even if the copy fails, the energy you used while writing isn't returned."

Kong frowned slightly but seemed a bit more at ease.

He picked up the other intact leaf, took a few deep breaths, and began writing again.

However, this time, nothing happened. His physical strength remained intact, and the leaf didn't react at all.

"What's going on?" Kong asked.

Akira leaned over, not even bothering with the food this time.

But when he saw the name on the deformed leaf, he sighed.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, you need to copy real people. Creating an imaginary invincible villain like 'Destroy Heaven and Earth: Dark Demon King' won't work."

"If something like that could really be done, we could declare the end of the world's pirates right now."

"If you can't think of anyone to copy at the moment, why not try with Sakazuki or Kuzan?"

"The strength limit of my leaves should be around their level."

Hearing Akira's suggestion, Kong nodded, picked up the pen, and started writing again.

Boom.

A puff of smoke appeared, and suddenly Tokikake stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Huh? Fleet Admiral Kong, didn't you say you were going to write Sakazuki?" Akira asked, puzzled.

"Hahaha, I didn't want to waste too much energy, so I just copied Tokikake to see how it works."

Kong let out a hearty laugh.

Akira smiled knowingly.

It was clear that Kong didn't want to test Sakazuki directly, likely to verify the truth of Akira's words without expending too much effort.

This was understandable.

If Kong believed everything Akira said, he would have truly wasted decades.

"By the way, one crucial point is that while the copied people have the same combat power as those in memory, their defense is far weaker."

"If you hit them a few times, they'll revert back into a leaf."

"Let me demonstrate the clone's defense."

Akira motioned with his fingers.

The clone of Tokikake obediently walked over, only to be immediately struck in the face by a heavy punch.

Akira clenched his fists and unleashed a barrage of blows like raindrops.

In less than a minute, the bruised and bleeding clone of Tokikake vanished before everyone's eyes.

"See? That's how it works. If it were the real Tokikake, and he didn't fight back, he could endure my attacks for several minutes and even recover over time."

"But the clone can't do that. Once it takes a certain amount of damage, it disappears automatically."

Akira shrugged.

"Your ability... is quite limited," Kong commented. "Honestly, it doesn't seem as impressive as other Mythical Zoans."

"Indeed," Akira agreed, showing a hint of embarrassment.

But that's exactly the impression he wanted to give.

He wasn't worried about being exposed, as everything he said was true, and could be tested at any time.

The so-called monster-level ability of the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon only goes so far.

Under normal circumstances, he could copy anyone below the level of the Four Emperors, but nothing beyond that.

These limitations would likely ease the Five Elders' concerns.

After all, in this world, strength is paramount. If Akira isn't strong enough, no matter how many plans or actions he takes, he won't be seen as difficult to control.

"You can't dismiss it like that, Fleet Admiral Kong," Zephyr objected, refuting Kong's words firmly, and looked at Akira with pride.

"If it weren't for this ability, the soldiers wouldn't have lasted as long as they have."

"Although the fruit's combat capabilities are limited, it's perfectly suited for someone in the position of Fleet Admiral."

"For the Marines, Akira has sacrificed so much."

Zephyr's words were filled with emotion.

...

Meanwhile.

In one of the most prestigious chambers within the Holy Land of Mariejois, where the five top leaders of the World Government often convene, the Five Elders were watching the scene in the restaurant through a Den Den Mushi.

"So it's the Dog-Dog Fruit Model: Monster Racoon. It hasn't appeared often in history, and it certainly hasn't caused any major upheavals."

"It's fair to say that this fruit is the weakest among the Mythical Zoans."

"This agent, Akira—I'm not sure whether to call him lucky or unlucky for eating this fruit."

"Regardless, we don't need to be overly cautious with him. Given that kind of ability, he's definitely a better fit for Fleet Admiral than Sengoku."

"Let's seriously consider his proposal."

The Warrior God of Finance, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, put down the document he was holding and looked at his four colleagues.

The other four elders exchanged glances.