One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

World Government Headquarters – Supreme Commander's Office

A man approaching his hundredth year sat rigidly behind a desk buried beneath mountains of documents. His distinctive mountain-shaped gray hair contrasted sharply with his sleeveless black shirt and deep green armband. His weathered face bore the gravity of decades of command.

This was Kong, codenamed "Steel Bone"—former Fleet Admiral of the Marines and current Supreme Commander of the World Government's military forces.

His authority extended across the entirety of the World Government's martial apparatus: the Marines, the eight Cipher Pol organizations (CP1 through CP8), the Marine Science Division, and various classified special operations units.

The document currently commanding Kong's attention was a comprehensive investigation report on Vice Admiral Xayuki, compiled by the Marine Internal Affairs Bureau. Though the report spanned over a thousand pages, most contained relatively minor infractions. Three accusations, however, stood out with alarming severity: embezzlement of government funds, cultivation of personal loyalist forces within Marine Headquarters, and the systematic formation of factions—behaviors the World Government considered dangerously subversive.

As Supreme Commander, Kong rarely concerned himself with individual officers, regardless of rank. His involvement typically extended only to reviewing personnel files during promotion considerations. Consequently, he had little personal impression of Vice Admiral Xayuki, recalling only vague mentions from Garp and Sengoku during their visits to Mariejois.

After finishing the report, Kong massaged his temples, feeling the onset of a headache.

The investigation revealed that despite his youth, Xayuki had demonstrated extraordinary growth. In a mere six years, he had transformed from a raw recruit into a formidable warrior who had mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, along with the complete Six Powers technique. His swordsmanship reportedly surpassed even that of Gion, a candidate for Admiral promotion.

If not for the staggering scale of Xayuki's alleged financial misconduct and his systematic cultivation of personal loyalties—activities the World Government considered most dangerous—Kong would have unhesitatingly protected such a promising talent. He understood all too well the generational gap plaguing the Marines. Among the younger officers, few possessed the capacity to shoulder significant responsibility. Once Sengoku, Garp, and the three Admirals stepped down, Marine Headquarters would face a critical leadership vacuum.

According to the report, Xayuki possessed not only remarkable combat prowess but exceptional leadership qualities as well. Given time, he could have been groomed as a successor to the current Admirals—perhaps even guided toward the position of Fleet Admiral.

"What a waste," Kong muttered, tossing the report aside with a heavy sigh. "Such promising talent, yet he chose this path."

He turned toward the door and called out in a voice hardened by decades of command: "Enter."

"Commander Kong!" A messenger officer strode briskly into the office, standing at attention before the Supreme Commander's desk.

Kong dispensed with pleasantries. "Have we reestablished contact with Marine Headquarters?"

"Buru buru buru..."

Before the messenger could respond, the Den Den Mushi on Kong's desk began to ring.

With a sharp gesture silencing the messenger, Kong lifted the receiver. "This is Kong."

"Commander Kong, this is Vice Admiral Gion from Marine Headquarters." The voice that came through was characteristically gentle. "Please accept my sincere apologies for our delayed response. Marine Headquarters experienced a communications system failure last night that has only just been resolved. Fleet Admiral Sengoku instructed me to contact you immediately to prevent any undue concern."

Kong's eyes narrowed slightly. "A communications failure? That's highly unusual... Nevertheless, I'm glad it's been resolved. Where is Sengoku? Why isn't he contacting me directly?"

Gion's voice maintained its composed tone. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku is indisposed and resting at home. Is there a message you would like me to convey to him?"

Hearing this, Kong moved directly to his primary concern. "I want an immediate update on Vice Admiral Xayuki's trial proceedings. It's already midday, and I've received no reports. Have Judge Bastille contact me at once."

"Understood, Commander. I'll locate Judge Bastille immediately."

As Gion's voice faded, the Den Den Mushi fell silent.

Kong stared intently at the now-quiet snail, a sense of disquiet growing within him.

Under normal protocol, Sengoku would never delegate such critical communications to a Vice Admiral, regardless of his health condition. Moreover, as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku bore partial responsibility for the misconduct of his officers. His sudden illness at this precise moment seemed suspiciously convenient.

As Kong contemplated these inconsistencies, the Den Den Mushi activated again.

Before he could respond, the voice of Jaygarcia Saturn—one of the Five Elders and Warrior God of Scientific Defense—emerged from the snail.

"Kong, why has Sengoku's Den Den Mushi gone unanswered? When I attempted to contact the Fleet Admiral's office, I was redirected to Vice Admiral Gion. What exactly is transpiring? Furthermore, Judge Bastille is similarly unreachable."

"What?" Kong's pupils contracted as a wave of foreboding washed over him.

Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office

Xayuki leaned back in his chair with a measured exhale, momentarily relieved after a night of intensive reorganization throughout Marine Headquarters.

Though the headquarters now operated firmly under his command, he harbored no illusions about the coming storm. The Holy Land would soon detect the irregularities and piece together the events that had transpired. When that moment arrived, the confrontation between the Marines and the World Government would officially commence.

Yet Xayuki remained unperturbed. As commander of the World Government's most formidable military force, he knew that even if Mariejois discovered his coup and usurpation of the Fleet Admiral's position, they would hesitate to act precipitously.

His immediate priority was restructuring the command hierarchy across the Four Blues and the Grand Line, promoting trustworthy officers to leadership positions at every major base.

"Fleet Admiral!"

Gion entered the office with purposeful strides, her expression betraying urgency. "Commander Kong and Elder Saturn have both made contact. Though I managed to deflect their inquiries, they're clearly growing suspicious."

Xayuki nodded thoughtfully. "Have Momonga and Bastille reached Sabaody Archipelago?"

"Yes, sir. They've secured the Marine base there and established control over the access point to Mariejois. Anyone descending from the Holy Land via the Bondola will be immediately detained."

Rising from his chair, Xayuki stretched subtly. "Now we await reports from our bases across the Four Blues and the Grand Line." He moved toward the door. "After working through the night, I find myself famished. Join me in the mess hall."

"Aren't you going home, sir?" Gion asked with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "If you delay much longer, the old man might come looking for you—and I suspect Ain and I will be his first interrogation targets."

Xayuki smiled and shook his head. "Sakazuki is likely at my residence now. I'd rather not intrude on their family reunion. The mess hall will suffice."

"As you wish."

Gion returned his smile and fell into step behind him as they exited the office.

"Fleet Admiral Xayuki!"

They had barely crossed the threshold when a Marine soldier rushed toward them, his face pale with urgency. "V-Vice Admiral Garp has returned!"

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

Weekly Stable Updates with 30+ Chapters Always Available. High-Quality and Consistent Translations Are the Channel's Top Priority.

Current Books:

Naruto: Deidara's Struggle

God-Tier Kazekage: Building the Ultimate Hidden Sand Village 

Naruto: The Ōtsutsuki Bloodline Development Manual

One Piece:The True Codex

One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

One Piece: Magma of Absolute Justice

👉patreon.com/GoldenLong