The person sitting next to him had changed.
It was now Sengoku, who would be the next Fleet Admiral.
News that Sengoku would soon take over the position had already spread throughout the Marines.
No one knew exactly where it started, but Sengoku guessed it could only be the doing of one person: Kong himself.
To help Sengoku adapt to the role ahead of time, Kong had already delegated many duties to him.
Other changes had also taken place.
First and foremost, Zephyr was no longer present.
Meanwhile, Akainu and Kizaru had officially become Admirals and were now wearing the distinctive Marine Admiral coats.
"May I have everyone's attention," Kong addressed the room.
"I assume you have all seen the reports regarding the various powers across the seas."
"I would like to hear your thoughts."
Akainu, the newly appointed Admiral, spoke first. "I don't think it merits much attention."
"It is nothing more than the media's one-sided opinion."
The newspapers had ranked the Marines as the weakest major force in the world, a claim Akainu deeply resented and refused to believe.
Kong said nothing and turned to look at the others.
Kizaru, noticed by Kong, spoke in his usual slow, unhurried drawl. "Well… you see… actually… it's like…"
"I'm not sure if I'm explaining this clearly enough, heh…"
This was Kizaru's usual personality, and no one pressed him further.
"Very well, let me speak," Sengoku said seriously. "In my opinion, the analysis published in the papers is fundamentally correct."
Everyone looked at him in shock.
We are the Marines. Is it wise to say such things out loud?
Sengoku continued, "I believe the Marines' strength is simply insufficient."
"Therefore, I propose we expand our high-tier combat power and increase the number of Admirals!"
Since having exactly three Admirals had been a long-standing tradition, this suggestion was indeed quite radical.
Sengoku scanned the faces around the table. "Does anyone object to this?"
"No objections. I fully agree!"
Akainu was the first to raise his hand.
He represented the hardline faction and strongly desired the Marines to become stronger. Naturally, he welcomed the idea.
The others also voiced their agreement.
At that point, Kong spoke up. "Since no one opposes it, let me outline the direction of our reforms."
"We will change the Admiral system from having Three Admirals to having Five Admirals!"
"WHAT?!"
"That many?!"
Everyone was stunned.
Going from three to five was nearly a doubling of their top fighting force. Where would they find enough qualified candidates?
Kong explained, "Currently, the Marines have only three Admirals: myself, Akainu, and Kizaru."
"To reach a total of five, we are obviously still short on numbers."
At this time, the Marines still had one candidate for Admiral: Aokiji.
However, even if Aokiji were promoted to Admiral, there would still only be four.
"To fill the remaining positions, we have decided to launch a World-Wide Conscription!" Kong announced.
With the exception of Sengoku, who had been informed earlier, everyone else was taken aback.
"Fleet Admiral, isn't this approach a bit too extreme?" Aokiji asked.
In his view, this recruitment method was rather crude. While those recruited would likely be strong, their character and loyalty were unknown.
It was fundamentally different from training talents within the system from a young age.
Kong nodded. "I am aware of your concern."
"In fact, I have considered it thoroughly."
"During this conscription, before being accepted into the Marines, every candidate must prove their allegiance and resolve by fighting against pirates."
After Kong finished speaking, no one raised further objections.
Although the method remained somewhat imperfect, the Marines were critically short of top-tier combat power. This was a necessary choice born out of desperation.
News of the World-Wide Conscription quickly spread across the globe, triggering a massive wave of activity.
Those who dreamed of becoming the Pirate King set sail to become pirates.
Meanwhile, those who aspired to become Marine Admirals trained hard and prepared to join the recruitment drive.
For a time, the seas were in turmoil and bustling with activity.
The established powerhouses, however, found themselves busier than ever.
They not only had to deal with arrogant rookie pirates but also had to contend with skilled warriors from all over the world seeking to capture them to earn merit.
It was a constant headache for the veteran pirates.
In contrast, El's life remained relatively peaceful.
His recent low-profile existence meant that neither ambitious rookies nor those hoping to become Admirals targeted him first.
By avoiding being the primary target, he avoided almost all unnecessary trouble.
There were, of course, reckless young men who did try to challenge him. They were easily dealt with by El's subordinates.
After all, El was a legendary figure; even his lowest-ranking crew members were far stronger than any newcomer.
But exceptions still occurred.
One day, while El was fishing by the coast, Naguri approached him.
"Lord, there is something I must report to you."
There was a look of hesitation and panic on Naguri's face, as if he had done something wrong.
"What is it? Speak," El said without looking up, continuing to fish.
There were very few things that could make Naguri this nervous. It seemed something interesting had happened.
Naguri summoned his courage and said, "A very powerful individual has come here… to challenge you!"
El replied calmly, "Oh? Is that all?"
"Then why are you so tense?"
Naguri said hurriedly, "Several of our crew members tried to stop him… and were injured."
"I have failed in my duties, my Lord!"
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