"Don't worry, I had someone transfer the merits to you."
Kizaru waved it off like it was nothing.
"I'm already an Admiral, and above me is the Fleet Admiral. Military merit is useless to me—so I might as well give it to you."
Takakura Bunta was confused.
"But… why?"
"Don't ask questions yet. Come, sit."
Kizaru stood up from his chair and motioned for Takakura Bunta to take his place.
The moment he sat down, Kizaru grabbed a few cushions, tossed them under Takakura Bunta, then stepped back to inspect his work.
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, that looks about right."
Takakura Bunta felt uneasy.
"Admiral Kizaru, what exactly are you…?"
"As long as you don't show your legs, we look exactly the same."
"From now on, just sit here for me. If anything important comes up, notify me through the Den-Den Mushi on the desk."
"For everything else, just say 'hmm,' 'I understand,' or 'okay' to send people away."
Takakura Bunta was stunned.
Kizaru wanted him to act as him?
"What about you? What are you going to do?"
Surely, if an Admiral was handing over his seat, it had to be for something important.
"Me~"
Kizaru casually picked up a pair of nail clippers from the desk, then said solemnly—
"Sleep."
The moment the words left his mouth, he turned into golden light and vanished.
Leaving Takakura Bunta alone, frozen in the wind.
The image of a wise and mighty Admiral completely crumbled in Takakura Bunta's heart.
Kizaru hadn't even given him a chance to refuse.
A job where he didn't have to work but still got paid? Kizaru must have been wondering how many more years he could stretch this out.
"Why is the guy who looks exactly like me such a lazy bastard?!"
Takakura Bunta roared internally, then slumped weakly into the Admiral's chair.
He finally understood—those military merits weren't just a reward. They were a bribe.
But… what could he do?
Staring at the empty Admiral's office, he felt nothing but despair.
"I just wanted to be a kindergarten principal… How did it end up like this?"
Maybe this was fate.
Perhaps the old saying was true—a Marine Admiral who doesn't dream of being a kindergarten principal is not a good Marine…
—
West Blue.
Lynch burst into laughter after hearing about Takakura Bunta's absurd rise through the ranks.
"Hahahaha, this guy is pretty interesting."
"Alright, I won't talk anymore. I'm home."
With that, Lynch hung up the call and stepped foot in the capital of West Blue for the first time in over half a year.
But just three hours earlier, shocking news had arrived from the New World—
Kaido and Big Mom had formed an alliance.
And now, they were personally leading an army of one million toward West Blue.
Never underestimate the influence of the Four Emperors.
Their core elite forces might only number in the tens of thousands—Shanks' crew was even smaller, barely a few hundred men.
But with their sheer reputation alone, they could raise millions of pirates at any time.
Pirates? As many as you want.
They swarm to the Four Emperors like flies to rotten meat.
Remember back in Sabaody Archipelago? Someone just pretended to be Luffy and instantly gathered a bunch of followers including Logia users and other strong fighters.
If that worked for a rookie like Luffy, imagine what it's like for the Four Emperors.
In an era that worships individual strength, Lynch knew that his return to the Marines could shake things up.
With the right timing, he might even turn some Marines against their own.
Reputation was more than just power it was a currency more valuable than money.
So when Lynch heard the news, he wasn't surprised.
From the moment Kaido and Big Mom announced their plans so loudly, he had already expected this outcome.
If they had come to West Blue with just a few top officers, he wouldn't have been too concerned.
But bringing their entire fortune? Marching in with everything they had? That meant they were here for an all-out war.
A battle to the death—where only one side would walk away.
…
"Husband, you're back!"
Robin had been waiting at the dock long before the fleet arrived.
She stood at the front, with Mark, Tsunade, Kujaku, Iron Punishment, and others behind her.
Lynch gave her a light kiss on the forehead.
As he walked toward the palace, he asked, "What's the situation in West Blue?"
Robin followed closely, dressed in a sleek, form-fitting outfit, looking every bit the perfect secretary.
"Everything in West Blue has been running smoothly while you were away," she reported. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "But… what do we do about Kaido and Big Mom?"
No one else could make that call. This was Lynch's decision alone.
Luckily, the pirate alliance was still months away. There was time.
Lynch didn't hesitate. "They want a fight? Then we'll give them one!"
His words sent a surge of excitement through the crowd.
"A single, decisive punch is better than a hundred small ones."
"This is our chance to show the world—West Blue isn't what it used to be!"
"I am Lynch, and I am not the Lynch of the past." His gaze sharpened as he looked into the distance.
The response was instant.
"We'll fight with you to the death!" The voices of his people rang out, their eyes burning with determination.
There was something about him—an undeniable presence.
The kind of leader you couldn't help but follow.
One day, he would sit upon the highest throne.
Lynch raised his hand, pressing it gently in the air.
Silence fell.
"There are still a few months before the war. Let the soldiers return home in batches to see their families," Lynch ordered.
"This battle may be the last for many of them. Some will not return—including me, perhaps."
"But their sacrifices will not be in vain. They are giving their lives to protect West Blue."
"I will remember them. Our people will remember them. Their children will remember them."
"They will be honored as heroes, their dedication etched into the history of West Blue."
"Their deaths will not be meaningless. They will be like fallen leaves, nourishing the new generation. Their will shall live on, making our homeland stronger."
Lynch's words stirred the soldiers. Their eyes burned with emotion, not with fear, but with the urge to fight to take the battlefield and cut down their enemies.
Mark, moved as always, quickly pulled out his personal copy of Lynch's Quotations and jotted everything down.
"How could words this powerful only be spoken once?" he murmured to himself. He was already thinking about contacting the propaganda department—Lynch's Quotations needed to be broadcast on the radio 24/7.
Robin, standing nearby, gazed at her husband with admiration.
She had always found him charismatic, but after half a year apart, he seemed even more compelling.
Lynch turned to her. "Now that news has spread about Kaido and Big Mom attacking West Blue, how has public sentiment changed?"
Robin chuckled. "Most of our army is furious. They think Kaido and Big Mom are nothing compared to their emperor. The insults they've come up with… well, let's just say, you'd find them amusing."
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
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