Tap.
Tap.
Striding briskly down the corridor, Sengoku and Tsuru wore expressions of unmistakable relief. They weren't alone—Garp and Zephyr were approaching from another direction, their expressions just as bright.
Creak.
The hospital doors were pushed open, revealing the figure lying on the bed.
Only—
Where Kong had once lain unconscious, hovering at death's edge, he was now awake.
"Cough… cough…"
Seeing the four of them rush in, Kong gave a light cough and said calmly, "So… you've come."
"Kong-san!" Sengoku stepped forward at once. "Your condition—?"
"Heh…" Kong chuckled softly. "Since I survived, I'm not dying anytime soon. The Marshal… my comrades… one by one, they fell. And I alone survived."
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
Dawn. Vixen. Gray.
Each of them had died before his eyes. The pain was unbearable. If he could have chosen, Kong would have preferred to fall alongside them.
But he couldn't.
The Navy was already standing on shaky ground. If everything were left to these few youngsters, even in death, Kong would have no face to meet his old comrades.
That conviction was what dragged him back from the brink.
"Haa…"
Exhaling slowly, Kong regained his composure. "You've all worked hard. Now, get some rest. Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr—unless something unexpected happens, you three are about to become Admirals."
He smiled with deep emotion.
They were the Navy's finest. The three he had always believed in most.
"No."
Garp shook his head without hesitation.
"Kong-san. After the God Valley incident, I will never become an Admiral."
"…Hmm?"
Kong frowned—but did not grow angry. Instead, he asked calmly,
"Garp. Tell me why."
Garp's expression was unusually serious.
"An Admiral may have more authority—but isn't that just becoming a lapdog for the Celestial Dragons? Just thinking about those people disgusts me. And the Navy's current state—"
"That's enough."
Kong cut him off sharply.
"Garp. Are you exhausted? Go rest. With that mindset, you are not suited to become an Admiral. Don't say such nonsense again."
His tone was harsh—but it was protection.
Some things could be understood in one's heart. Even known clearly.
But never spoken aloud.
Walls had ears.
If those words were overheard, the consequences would be catastrophic. That was why Kong stopped him.
Even though Garp, alongside Roger, had defeated Rocks—
Even though Garp alone had taken the credit due to Roger's circumstances—
Even though the title 'Hero of the Marines' could shield him—
Kong still chose to protect him.
"I understand."
Garp grinned broadly, scratching his head.
"Kong-san, sorry for the trouble."
And just like that, Garp left.
Kong sighed helplessly.
"This is troublesome… In the past, lacking one Admiral wouldn't matter much. But this era is too chaotic. Without three Admirals, the Navy's authority will suffer a massive blow."
Indeed.
Under normal circumstances, Sengoku and Zephyr would become Admirals, with Garp as a Vice Admiral—maintaining the three-Admiral combat standard.
But now?
Arthur's rise. The explosive growth of pirate forces.
If the Navy couldn't even field three Admirals, its prestige would collapse.
"Kong-san." Tsuru spoke gently. "Please rest."
Kong nodded, then said sternly,
"Sengoku. Zephyr. Tsuru. Stay calm. Some things you may understand—but must never speak aloud. Remember that."
"Yes!"
The three answered in unison. Unlike Garp, they knew precisely what could and could not be said.
Watching them leave, Kong sighed again.
"Troublesome… Looks like I can't stay in this hospital bed any longer. The Navy has too much waiting for me."
A sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
Steel-Bone Kong would not be defeated by this.
The Navy was about to undergo major change.
---
If one think about it...
The Navy did not need approval from above for its internal restructuring.
That was its privilege.
The Five Elders held only advisory authority—not appointment power.
That was why Sakazuki and Kuzan had once resolved matters through combat.
Unlike the Army or Air Forces—private tools of the Five Elders—the Navy's mid- and high-ranking officers often possessed extraordinary backgrounds.
You couldn't expect such people to obey some political appointee seeking status.
That would cause an outright mutiny.
Thus, the Navy's internal transitions were untouchable by outsiders.
Frankly speaking, if the Navy collectively backed someone as Fleet Admiral, even the Five Elders couldn't stop it.
And they wouldn't resort to crude methods anyway.
What they preferred was balance.
Hawks and Doves.
Internal opposition.
That equilibrium was how they controlled the Navy.
Tap.
Tap.
Zephyr walked alongside Sengoku and Tsuru, his eyes cold.
"Garp wasn't wrong. If this continues—"
"Zephyr." Tsuru interrupted calmly. "Did you forget what Kong-san said?"
"…Right."
Zephyr nodded.
Sengoku spoke quietly,
"We'll discuss it in the future."
He sighed.
As someone possessing Conqueror's Haki—the King's Disposition—Sengoku had once thought about ending everything with his own power.
That was why his justice was called 'Reigning Justice.'
But he understood.
The World Government's power was far beyond him.
And that was the most suffocating truth of all.
Still—
After all that had happened, Sengoku no longer trusted the Five Elders.
Because among all Admirals—
Only Sengoku possessed the qualities of a king.
"Haa…"
Exhaling deeply, Sengoku said firmly,
"Discussing this now is pointless. The Navy's transition comes first. We must ensure stability."
"Zephyr. How is that preparation?"
Zephyr nodded seriously.
"It's ready. It'll begin within two years. Step by step."
"Good."
Sengoku nodded.
Thanks to God Valley, Zephyr had survived unscathed—his wife and son unharmed.
No pirate would dare attack in front of him.
No trauma. No psychological collapse.
His strength continued to grow steadily.
"But…"
Zephyr frowned. "There are still many issues. Especially—how we handle the New World."
Sengoku sighed.
Back in the Rocks era, the Navy still had G-1 anchoring the New World.
Now?
Every base there existed in name only.
Pirates were multiplying beyond control.
With Rocks gone, the chaos hadn't ended.
It had intensified.
This was inevitable.
Only when the era stabilized....
When the Four Emperors rose...
Would the madness recede.
But until then…
"Sengoku." Tsuru spoke calmly. "Rest. This was unavoidable. And the remnants of the Rocks Pirates will stir trouble as well."
Then she added,
"But Britannia's growth… that was unexpected."
Arthur Pendragon.
At the name, all three sharpened their gazes.
"Heh!" Garp laughed loudly. "You didn't know? Whitebeard clashed with Britannia. Edward and Morgan le Fay—Arthur's sister—fought for three days and three nights. A draw."
"…What?"
The room went silent.
None of them had known.
And the implication was terrifying.
Driving off Silver Axe was one thing.
Fighting Whitebeard to a standstill was another entirely.
After all—
Edward and Shiki had always stood above the rest of Rocks' commanders.
"This is bad…"
Sengoku rubbed his temples.
Then he spoke calmly,
"No matter what—if Britannia doesn't sail as pirates, we won't interfere. Not for now."
"But…"
"We must analyze Britannia's strength carefully."
"Relax!" Garp laughed. "I already ordered Intelligence to start digging."
Everyone nodded.
The Navy was beginning to change.
But the challenges ahead were just starting.
And if the ghosts of Rocks stirred again—
That would be when true disaster fall.
-----------------------------///
Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!