One Piece Thundergod Marine

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Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office. 

"Report!" 

"Come in..." 

Hearing the reply, Rowen pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Fleet Admiral, you called for me?" 

The position of Fleet Admiral would never remain vacant, so until the new Fleet Admiral officially took office, Sengoku was still in charge. Rowen's address was therefore appropriate. 

"Hmm, come over and sit down, Rowen," Sengoku replied. "To be precise, it's the 'Gorōsei' (Five Elder Stars) who are looking for you. Take a look at this." 

Without even looking up, Sengoku continued working on the paperwork piled on his desk while pushing a folder toward Rowen. 

"The Gorōsei?" 

Rowen silently pondered the implications as he picked up the blue-covered folder and flipped it open. 

After a quick scan, he put it down. 

"Huh? You don't seem surprised at all, you brat!" 

Sengoku was surprised by Rowen's calm reaction and raised his head to look at him in confusion. 

When Sengoku first received the document, he had to admit it had startled him considerably. 

Rowen, however, shrugged casually and replied, "Well, I am one of the strongest Vice Admirals in the Marine faction. I've got wealth, manpower, and seniority, with Century City and Golden City behind me - both of which carry immense influence in the upper echelons of government. It's only natural that the 'Gorōsei' are in a hurry to appease me, isn't it?" 

After all... 

Rowen had the ability to break away and become an independent, fearsome force on the seas that couldn't be ignored. 

Unlike Dragon's rebellion years ago, Rowen's departure would be legitimate and honorable-stepping down after great service. 

Thus, even though the new Fleet Admiral hadn't been officially determined and which Admiral would vacate their position was still unknown, the 'Gorōsei' wasted no time issuing this document to firmly bind Rowen to the government's side. 

Once he signed his name, the title of 'Undying Vice Admiral'— a name that had accompanied him throughout his career— would officially become a thing of the past. 

And he would take on a new title: 

''Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)!'' 

The document before him was none other than Rowen's Admiral appointment order and the oath of office for his promotion! 

"Well…" 

Seeing Rowen's clear grasp of the underlying intricacies, Sengoku smacked his lips and chuckled wryly. "You're right— it really isn't surprising at all." 

A few years ago, Sengoku had been worrying about how the Marine was struggling to make ends meet. 

Now, however, Rowen's promotion to Admiral seemed entirely natural and deserved. 

The span of growth was so vast that Sengoku felt as though he were dreaming. 

A few years ago, Rowen had been just an unpolished gem in the recruit training camp. Yet, in just a few short years, he had accomplished what would normally take others a lifetime, with an illustrious record that no one could ignore. 

He had become the indisputable pillar of this era for the Marine… 

No, not just this era— he was the foundation for the Marine's strength in the next one as well! 

Who could have predicted such a day would come? 

"By the way, what arrangements have been made for Vice Admiral Momousagi and Vice Admiral Chaton?" 

Rowen lit a cigar, exhaling smoke lazily. "As their junior, surpassing them must leave them with some thoughts, right?" 

The opinions of ordinary Vice Admirals, like Vice Admiral Momonga, didn't matter. If they hadn't even qualified as Admiral candidates, then the 'Gorōsei' considering their thoughts would only be the greatest insult to them. 

If you can't even pass the preliminaries, why would anyone care about you in the finals? 

Momousagi and Chaton, however, were different. As Admiral candidates who had reached the "final round," their decades of diligent service and accumulated military merit could not be ignored, even by the 'Gorōsei.'

"You Must Give an Answer or Show a Stance"

This is the way of leadership — commanding subordinates without room for argument.

---

"You don't need to worry about them… Momousagi has already come to terms with it. Unless something unexpected happens, she'll likely take over Tsuru's position and become the right hand of the new Fleet Admiral," Sengoku said. 

"As for Chaton…" 

Sengoku's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure you want to ask me about him?" 

Rowen: "…" 

Alright, fair point. Considering Chaton's habitual presence at every Marine black market event, it'd be odd if he 'did' have any complaints. After all, Rowen is one of his biggest financial backers! 

Besides, both Momousagi and Chaton stepping aside was perfectly understandable. 

Everyone knew that even within the same generation, not every Admiral candidate could become an Admiral. 

Plenty of veterans like Tsuru, who came up in Sengoku's generation, devoted their entire lives to service yet remained perpetual runners-up. 

Every Admiral had to be the absolute best — unparalleled within the ranks of the Marine's massive force of millions. Being "good enough" simply wasn't enough. 

No matter how extensive your accomplishments, they were meaningless unless you stood at the very pinnacle. 

Only the rarest, most exceptional talents — those who were one in a million — had the right to bear the title of Admiral, along with its honor and responsibility. 

---

Seeing Rowen awkwardly scratching his nose, Sengoku rolled his eyes and added, "Once you're an Admiral, try to distance yourself from the Gold Emperor. His presence is… tricky. Be careful not to get yourself entangled one day." 

Was that a warning? 

Rowen's eyes flickered thoughtfully before he nodded. 

"Understood!" 

However, perhaps that day would never come. 

---

As Rowen made his way toward the door, ready to leave, Sengoku couldn't help but call out: 

"Rowen, what are you really thinking?!" 

Rowen paused with his hand on the doorknob, then turned back. 

"What do you mean?" 

Sengoku's expression grew serious as he came straight to the point. 

"Who do you think would be better to take over my position? Akainu or Aokiji?" 

If not for Rowen's sudden withdrawal, the two wouldn't have been forced to the brink of an all-out battle. 

Rowen could have easily stood by Akainu's side and secured his path to becoming Fleet Admiral. 

While Garp's actions seemed threatening on the surface, to someone as cunning and calculating as Rowen — the Marine's rising 'Soryu' — Garp's interference would've been nothing more than a mild inconvenience to be dealt with, not a reason to withdraw entirely. 

Sengoku, renowned as the 'Resourceful General', saw through what others could not. 

Was Rowen simply avoiding direct conflict with him? 

Or was there another reason altogether? 

Having been plagued by these questions for days, Sengoku seized the opportunity today to finally get to the bottom of Rowen's true intentions. 

Rowen remained silent for a moment, then muttered softly: 

"For me, it doesn't matter who becomes Fleet Admiral." 

"I'm only… helping the Marine preserve its strength." 

---

Sengoku frowned deeply. 

"What do you mean?!" 

Preserve the Marine's strength? 

Did he foresee someone being harmed? 

Or was he suggesting that someone might leave the Marines? 

"Wait…!" 

Suddenly, Sengoku's pupils contracted sharply as realization struck.

He wasn't a fool. After being pointed in the right direction by Rowen, if Sengoku still couldn't understand his intent, then the title of 'Resourceful General' would truly be wasted on him. 

Akainu and Aokiji had no personal grudges, but their philosophies were fundamentally incompatible — like fire and water! 

If one of them were to lose this battle for the position, would the defeated party be willing to remain in the Marine under the constraints of the victor's ideals? 

The answer was obvious: absolutely not! 

Neither Akainu nor Aokiji would willingly live in the shadow of the other. If they failed, rather than languishing in obscurity, they would likely choose to leave and pursue their ideals in their own way. 

---

"So that's why I won't openly support either side — doing so would immediately result in the other being forced out." 

And once someone is ousted, their fate is easy to predict. 

Seeing Sengoku's realization, Rowen smiled unabashedly. 

At this point in his career, Rowen wielded significant influence. 

But while Rowen could afford to laugh, Sengoku could not — because Rowen's concerns weren't mere paranoia but an imminent reality! 

If Akainu became Fleet Admiral, Aokiji would inevitably leave. 

If Aokiji rose to the top, Akainu would undoubtedly walk away. 

It was an inescapable deadlock! 

---

"So, you decided to have them settle it with a duel? Hoping they'd understand each other and find some common ground?" 

This was the best possible outcome Sengoku could envision. 

He wasn't asking them to fully accept one another, only that after witnessing each other's resolve, they wouldn't completely deny the other's values. If they could find even a sliver of mutual understanding, there might be hope. 

---

"It's not enough," Rowen replied, shaking his head. "That's just one possible outcome, not the entire plan. Don't you remember how I gave Aokiji a hard time before, and then sent a gift to Akainu?" 

'Ssss...!' 

Sengoku drew a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Rowen, both fearful and incredulous. 

"You little bastard… did you set me up?!" 

If Rowen had foreseen this situation so long ago, it would mean he had already calculated that Sengoku would eventually resign from his position. 

The mere thought of such foresight was truly terrifying! 

---

"Can you focus on the right thing for once?!" 

Rowen looked at him with an expression of disbelief, his mouth twitching. 

"Have some shame, Fleet Admiral! I'm cleaning up after your mess!" 

If Rowen hadn't anticipated Sengoku's stubborn insistence on recommending Aokiji to the Gorōsei — which would undoubtedly cause chaos — would he have wasted so many brain cells trying to plan for this mess? 

---

Thus, the battle of philosophies had been set in motion, with Rowen acting as the unseen architect. 

As Rowen left Sengoku's office, he muttered under his breath about how exhausting it was to deal with all this, but at least things were finally moving forward. 

---

'(Chapter End)'