"What… what!? Vice Admiral Michael is the Commander of this Secret Special Force!?"
"Although I had suspected something like this before… this really is quite unexpected."
"But Fleet Admiral Sengoku actually gave the long-vacant position of Chief Inspector directly to Vice Admiral Michael?"
"Is that really the point here? Shouldn't the point be Vice Admiral Michael's codename? It's a codename!"
If the previous promotions of the SWORD Secret Special Force members had only stirred up small discussions among the Marines, then Michael's new position and codename set the entire Marine crowd ablaze.
The position of Chief Inspector was, by nature, an empty title.
Its actual power depended entirely on how the current Fleet Admiral defined it.
Normally, this position was held by retired Fleet Admirals—a cushy job for retirement, to put it bluntly.
But now it was given to a young, vigorous Vice Admiral!
And one with a codename at that!
Michael was one of the most prominent figures among the younger generation. Sengoku would never give him a meaningless retirement post…
That was the scary part.
It meant that in Sengoku's eyes, Michael's importance might even surpass that of the three Admirals, reaching a status equal to that of Great Staff Officer Tsuru.
And most importantly…
The newly appointed three Admirals showed no extra reaction to this information at all.
Which meant they had known all along and… had no objections whatsoever.
Down below, Michael himself was stunned.
What did any of this have to do with him!?
He had planned to bide his time after the new Fleet Admiral and three Admirals took power, then cause some trouble with the Revolutionary Army.
After all, with the Marines currently at their peak, it was better for the Revolutionary Army to go into hiding, bide its time, and build strength.
After conquering so many territories, establishing solid bases was one of the cornerstones of revolutionary success.
When the Marines eventually began purging hidden corruption and preparing for independence,that would be the moment for the Revolutionary Army to strike toward "Paradise" and the "New World."
But now Sengoku had given him the position of Chief Inspector…
"The rest of the promotions will be announced to the entire military in an official notice."
"The promotion ceremony ends here!"
At Sengoku's command, the honor guards raised their rifles and fired into the air.
"Bang bang bang…"
"Bang bang bang…"
"Bang bang bang…"
After three volleys, the honor guards lowered their guns and marched off the platform in perfect order.
Then Sengoku spoke again:
"Next, let's welcome the newly appointed Marine Chief Inspector, Vice Admiral Gintaka, to give a speech!"
Michael stood up, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
What the hell… this wasn't part of the deal!
Giving him the title of Chief Inspector was one thing, but now he had to give a speech!?
Did Sengoku just get carried away and decide Michael should entertain everyone too!?
But he hadn't prepared anything!
At this moment, every Marine's eyes turned toward Michael.
Whether with anticipation or doubt, everyone was waiting for him to speak.
"Hurry up already! Standing there like that, you're not acting like much of a man!"
"Garp, you old bastard, if you've got the guts, you go up there and talk!"
Michael rolled his eyes. What was he even supposed to say?
He couldn't exactly go up there and spill everything to the Five Elders watching from above, could he?
Shaking his head, Michael strode onto the platform anyway.
Whatever. Since Sengoku wanted him to speak, he'd say a few words.
As long as… they didn't complain about it being pointless.
When Michael passed the three Admirals, he clearly saw them struggling to suppress their smirks.
Damn it!
One day he'd teach these guys what real fists felt like!
"You sure know how to get me into trouble!"
Michael approached Sengoku, saluted with a smile, and muttered under his breath so only Sengoku could hear:
"On a day like this, shouldn't you be the one sharing the burden?"
Returning the salute, Sengoku whispered back the same way:
"To be honest, I hadn't planned this… but I left my prepared speech in my old uniform. So now you have to save the day."
"You can't even ad-lib a speech yourself!?"
"Well, you know… getting old, memory's not what it used to be…"
Once Sengoku started playing the age card, Michael knew there was no winning against this old bastard.
No wonder he and Garp were thick as thieves.
Two peas in a pod.
With a sigh, Michael stepped forward as Sengoku made room for him, facing the massive crowd.
As the noise continued, Michael reached out and tapped the microphone.
Then scraped his fingernail across it hard.
A piercing screech echoed through the venue.
Everyone instinctively covered their ears.
Even the Five Elders up above.
Michael smirked slightly toward the sky in open provocation.
Gripping the microphone, he began:
"Most of you here know me, right?"
"Then there's not much else to say. Since Fleet Admiral Sengoku trusts me enough to give me the position of Chief Inspector… then I will serve it well."
"All the empty platitudes—you've heard plenty of them from Fleet Admiral Sengoku over the years. No need for me to repeat them."
"So, I'll give you something concrete."
"You all know about the so-called 'Fishman Island Neutral Trade Zone,' right? And you know the Marines receive twenty percent of the trade profits from Fishman Island every year."
"As the one in charge of this deal and these profits, I hereby announce: Starting today, all Marine salaries will increase by fifty percent! And at the end of every year, special bonuses will be awarded to those who have performed meritoriously!"
The moment Michael said this, the entire venue fell dead silent. A pin drop could be heard.
Michael was very satisfied with this effect.
A little sake flushes the face, but only wealth truly moves the heart.
No one could resist a leader who began by raising salaries and giving bonuses!
And taking advantage of this silence, Michael pressed on.
"But starting today, I will also announce new requirements for military discipline."
"Study materials will be printed within seven days and distributed to every Marine in the world."
"Understand? Applause!"
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