"Kyahahahaha! Good lad!"
Bam!
Garp's laughter and the sound of a slap rang out simultaneously as he mindlessly landed a heavy blow on Tatsuki's "broken" shoulder.
Everyone's pupils shook in shock.
"Cough..."
Tatsuki cooperatively let out a muffled groan, his body slumping forward.
"You bastard! Do you want to kill the Marine's hero?!"
Tsuru flew into a rage and kicked Garp in the chest with her heel wrapped in Armament Haki, blasting him dozens of meters away.
After a chaotic scramble to support him, Kong took a deep breath and stepped onto the high platform.
The entire plaza instantly fell into a dead silence.
"All troops, hear my command!"
"In view of G-5 Base Commander Tatsuki's capture of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger during the South Blue campaign with unyielding will and unparalleled combat power, ending a twenty-year era of chaos!"
"By the joint decision of the highest levels of the World Government and Marineford—"
Kong's throat bobbed as he used all his strength to roar out the decision that would be etched in history.
"As of today!"
"Rear Admiral Tatsuki is promoted to Marineford's Greatest Military Power!"
"Admiral!"
Even though it was expected, when those words were actually roared from Kong's mouth, the extreme shock of witnessing history still made the scalps of the hundred thousand Marines tingle.
An Admiral in his twenties!
A miracle unseen in the history of the Marines!
Two ceremonial guards stepped forward carrying a brand-new Admiral's mantle. The coat was as white as snow, the word "Justice" on the back was bold and powerful, and the golden tassels on the epaulettes shimmered in the sunlight.
Tatsuki slowly turned around.
Kong personally draped the mantle, a symbol of supreme power, over him.
The moment that snow-white fabric touched Tatsuki's shoulder, Tatsuki's "weak" and tottering disguise melted away.
His originally slightly bent back straightened inch by inch, and the bandages on his body seemed to become insignificant decorations.
An invisible airwave erupted from him as the center, sweeping across the entire field.
That was the pressure belonging solely to a king!
Everyone present felt as if the sky had suddenly darkened, and the air was filled with the oppression and fury before a storm.
Countless soldiers' legs went weak under this momentum, yet they became even more reverent because of the protective intent within it.
Kong stepped back half a pace and looked at the youngest Admiral in Marine history with burning eyes, announcing his codename.
"The codename granted is—"
"Saigai!"
(Note: Saigai means calamity.)
A storm is a calamity.
This was not only a description of his devil fruit ability but also the ultimate judgment for all the evil in the world.
"Saigai! Saigai! Saigai!"
The cheers after the suppression were ten times more intense than before, almost flipping the sky over Marineford.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host! Achievement "Youngest Admiral in History" unlocked!]
[Your existence has completely overturned the Marine power structure and changed the future pattern of the world!]
[Comprehensive settlement... Violation Points +1,500!]
Tatsuki suppressed the urge to laugh wildly and slowly raised Tensa Zangetsu, the black blade pointing straight at the sky.
Facing the cameras, he maintained that compassionate saint-like expression, his voice clear and powerful. "I hereby swear—"
"My sword is only for cutting down all evil."
"My storm is only for sweeping away all the filth of this sea."
"As long as I stand here, justice shall never end!"
"Saigai! Saigai! Saigai!"
Amidst the hysterical shouting, the escorted Roger finally slowly raised his head.
He looked at the back bathed in endless glory and silently mouthed a word.
"Monster..."
Meanwhile, the den den mushis of the Marine Personnel Department were overwhelmed by transfer applications from all over the world.
Everyone had only one goal—
G-5 Branch!
They were going to follow the man who had personally ended an era before the eyes of the world.
—
Marineford, the night was as black as ink.
The office of the new Admiral was located on the highest floor of the Marineford fortress, overlooking the entire brightly lit steel megacity.
Tatsuki did not turn on the lights. He sat casually behind the massive desk that represented the Marines' highest combat power, a top-tier cigar held between his fingertips, letting the crimson spark flicker in the darkness.
Outside the window, countless Marines were cheering fanatically.
The shouts of "Admiral Saigai" were clearly audible even through the thick walls.
Glory, power, status.
Overnight, he stood at one of the pinnacles of this world.
He exhaled a smoke ring calmly, the smoke dispersing before his eyes, blurring the lights outside that shone for him.
His gaze remained fixed only on the blue light screen in front of him.
[Host: Tatsuki]
[Physique: 90]
[Abilities: Storm-Storm Fruit (Awakened), Rokushiki (Advanced), Armament Haki (Advanced), Observation Haki (Intermediate), Conqueror's Haki (Advanced), Swordsmanship (Peak Great Swordsman)]
[Items: Zanpakutō: Tensa Zangetsu, Senzu Beans x3, Okamoto 0.01 x4 boxes]
[Violation Points: 1,389,500]
Arresting the Pirate King, deceiving superiors and subordinates, plus promoting to Admiral and changing the world's structure—this wave of actions had turned him into a millionaire.
Tatsuki tossed a piece of senbei into his mouth, crunching on it.
"Arresting Roger actually brought in such a massive fortune. This world really is a place where those who kill and burn wear golden belts, while those who build bridges and roads leave no remains."
Lamentations aside, his hand spent money without stopping for a moment.
When you have money, you have to spend it. Only by converting it into solid power is it the greatest respect for this ill-gotten wealth.
Having seen big scenes, he was no longer that minor Marine who would feel heartache for half a day over spending a few tens of thousands of points.
'System, first upgrade Observation Haki.'
[Ding! Consumed 30,000 Violation Points. Observation Haki level raised to: Advanced]
[Performing neuronal remodeling and sensory dimension elevation...]