The photo showed a young and handsome man. His age alone made Saint Topman Warcury, raise an eyebrow in surprise.
His eyes landed on the name: Moretti Klein.
There was no "D" in the name. That put him at ease.
If he were one of the Clan of D, that would've marked him as an enemy of the World Government.
He continued reading through Klein's intelligence report, and the deeper he went, the more shocked he became.
"In just four short years, he surpassed Lincoln. His father was a Marine, so that rules out any special bloodline."
"What a frightening growth rate."
If this were his past life, this phase would have been the "political vetting stage."
"A Paramecia-type Scroll-Scroll Fruit user... interesting. And he even possesses Conqueror's Haki!"
"The Marines have already verified his strength. From a combat perspective, he's more than qualified to be an Admiral."
Saint Topman Warcury, thought about how there was currently only one Marine Admiral, and after a moment of consideration, he called Oharden.
"The World Government approves Klein's promotion to Admiral."
Marine Headquarters.
Oharden wasted no time in delivering the good news.
"Klein, the World Government has agreed to your promotion. Have you thought of a codename yet?"
"That fast?"
Klein gently pushed aside Gloriosa, who was still playing instruments and singing.
The efficiency was... impressively fast.
Faster than catching pirates.
He wasn't even done over here yet!
He pondered for a moment, his expression slightly conflicted. After some hesitation, he finally replied,
"Codename... 'Fool.'"
"Fool?"
Fleet Admiral Oharden blinked. "That's... a bit strange, isn't it? Isn't that one of the tarot cards?"
"Yeah. But codenames don't really hold that much meaning. As long as you have the strength, even a plain name can make enemies tremble in fear."
Klein still preferred something short and easy to say.
"Alright then. I'll contact the newspapers immediately and have them come to Marineford to cover your promotion and the inauguration ceremony."
"How does five days from now sound?"
"No problem," Klein replied.
Click.
He hung up the call, his mood clearly lifted.
"Soon, I'll be an Admiral. And Admirals—they've got the flair!"
"Whether Admirals are flashy or not, this humble one doesn't know... but Klein-sama right now is most certainly dazzling!"
A gentle hand caressed him. Stirred by the touch, the furious dragon lifted its head, baring its fangs.
In the days that followed—
News of the new Marine Admiral spread like wildfire throughout the Marines and even across the world.
However...
Due to strict confidentiality, the majority still had no clue who the new Admiral would be.
Speculation ran rampant.
In a blink, five days passed.
Marine Academy.
Instructor Carter was in high spirits as he addressed the gathered cadets.
"Today's a day off for everyone. We're all going to watch the promotion ceremony for the new Admiral."
"Instructor Carter! Who is it? Is it Kong!?" one cadet asked excitedly.
Instructor Carter gave a mysterious smile.
"You'll find out in an hour."
"Let's go."
"The ceremony is being held in Crescent Bay Plaza!"
The cadets on the training grounds were buzzing with excitement.
"To witness an Admiral's promotion ceremony—this is amazing!"
"Yeah! What a rare opportunity. If we get assigned after graduation, we might never see something like this again!"
"An Admiral... That's my lifelong dream!!"
"You're definitely dreaming!! There are millions of Marines out there—maybe even more—and there's only one Admiral right now! You know how rare this is!?"
"..."
The cadets fell into a passionate discussion.
Garp clenched his fist and grinned wide.
"Haha! I'm gonna be an Admiral someday too!"
"Sengoku, don't you think so!?"
He turned to Sengoku, only to find him deep in thought, brows furrowed.
He nudged him with an elbow.
"Hey, Sengoku, what are you spacing out for!?"
"Huh?" Sengoku snapped out of it.
"I was just thinking... who could it be?"
Garp's eyes lit up. "Got any guesses?"
"Kong... or..." Sengoku's face darkened. "Klein."
"Bro!?"
Garp was shocked. He scratched his head.
"No way, right? Didn't he just get promoted to Vice Admiral not long ago?"
"Not even a year."
Zephyr, standing nearby, cut in,
"Why not? Bro's amazing. Even if it's not him this time, it will be next time!"
Sengoku twitched slightly.
"If Klein becomes an Admiral, I wouldn't be surprised."
A genius like that not becoming an Admiral would be what's truly strange and unreasonable.
Garp gave Sengoku a hearty pat on the shoulder, grinning as he said,
"Why think so hard? The ceremony's about to start—we'll know soon enough!"
"No point stressing over what we can't change, right!?"
Throughout their exchange, Tsuru remained silent, but she thought to herself:
'Could it be him?'
Three years ago, he'd already defeated Kong. In terms of strength, he was probably the most suitable candidate.
But...
Klein's qualifications and achievements—might they still be lacking?
Crescent Bay Plaza.
Over ten thousand Marine soldiers had gathered, forming a sea of white.
Docked at the harbor were rows of enormous Marine battleships.
Chatter filled the air.
"It's been years since we've had a new Admiral. Wonder who it'll be this time?"
"Admirals are the Marine's strongest force. They're leagues beyond Vice Admirals. Whoever it is must be crazy strong!"
"Among the older Vice Admirals, I haven't heard of anyone who could match Admiral Rampaging Bear!"
"There are a few rising stars among the younger Vice Admirals though..."
"..."
The discussions were lively. Of course, a few Marines already knew—but had been ordered to keep their mouths shut.
At the edge of Crescent Bay Plaza, close to the Marine stronghold, a large stage had already been erected.
Below it—
Reporters from every newspaper had set up their cameras and tripods, ready for war.
To them, this was a battle!
A race against time. Whoever snapped the first photo would earn their paper massive profits.
"This is big news! We must beat the others and rush it back for the first special edition!"
At that moment—
A group of Vice Admirals in suits and Justice capes arrived.
Leading them was Vice Admiral Kong.
Nerves taut, the reporters all turned their lenses toward them.
Click click click! The shutters fired off flashes of light.
Kong's face darkened.
"We're just here to attend the ceremony."
"Guess it's not Kong—he's still wearing the Vice Admiral uniform," one embarrassed reporter muttered as he lowered his camera.
They'd hoped to scoop an exclusive early shot... but it was a false alarm.
Kong and the other Vice Admirals stood below the stage, backs to it, facing the reporters.
They stood like guardian deities—protectors.
Fleet Admiral Oharden stepped onto the stage, speaking through an amplified Den Den Mushi.
"As everyone knows, today marks an important occasion—the promotion of a new Marine Admiral."
"For many years now, there has only been one Admiral. But now, we welcome the second!"
"Representing justice upon the seas, tasked with capturing criminals and pirates alike..."
"They are—"
"The strongest force the Marines have!"
As Oharden's voice rang out, the entire Crescent Bay Plaza fell silent.
All eyes turned forward.
The crowd grew solemn, tense with anticipation.
Oharden smiled.
"I know you're all curious to know who it is. He is—"
"The new Marine Admiral, codename 'Fool'—Moretti Klein!"
(T/N: to clarify:
It does not mean he's actually a fool (idiot).
In Tarot symbolism, The Fool represents new beginnings, unlimited potential, risk-taking, and a journey into the unknown — which fits his rise and unconventional personality.)