Inside the Fleet Admiral's temporary office at Marineford, the air was thick with paper, ink, and the sighs of two of the Navy's greatest men.
"Acting Fleet Admiral, huh~"
Borsalino, better known as Kizaru, slouched in his chair, staring at the mountain of paperwork stacked in front of him. His voice dripped with regret and exaggerated sorrow.
"How long are we supposed to process all this, eh? Sakazuki, oh Sakazuki, my dear old friend... do you even know how much I cherish you?"
He let out a dramatic groan, his glasses glinting in the lamplight.
"The moment I got your urgent summons, I abandoned my beloved sunbathing and rushed back here. And what do I get for my loyalty? The instant I set foot in the office, you shove half this pile onto my desk!"
Borsalino clutched at his chest like a wounded lover.
"Such cruelty... you've broken an old friend's heart."
"Until Fleet Admiral Sengoku returns."
Sakazuki Akainu didn't even glance up. His pen scratched furiously across another document, his jaw set like iron.
"..."
Kizaru froze mid-dramatic gesture.
Until Sengoku returns?
That phrasing carried a dangerous implication. What if Sengoku never came back? Would that mean... Borsalino was stuck here, drowning in paperwork with Sakazuki, until the end of time itself?
Terrifying. Truly terrifying.
Maybe... just maybe, he should think of a clever excuse to sneak away.
But before his imagination could spin further, the door burst open.
A messenger saluted sharply. "Report!"
"Admiral Sakazuki, Admiral Borsalino Fleet Admiral Sengoku has issued his highest directive!"
Both men looked up, their expressions sharpening.
"By order of the Fleet Admiral, you are to remain at Headquarters under no circumstances may you leave without authorization. The Fleet Admiral is already returning at full speed!"
Sakazuki's pen froze above the paper.
By the timing... Sengoku's ship had only just reached G-3 Branch. For him to immediately turn around and return full speed... it defied common sense.
The messenger continued: "Additionally, Admiral Kuzan, who was executing missions in the New World, has also received the same order. He is currently en route back to Headquarters!"
"What?!"
Sakazuki's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing.
Forcing an admiral to abandon an active New World mission? This wasn't a simple matter.
"And that's not all," the messenger added quickly. "Vice Admiral Garp has also been recalled, despite being on assignment. And Instructor Zephyr has halted all training he is now standing by at Headquarters."
A thunderclap seemed to detonate in the minds of both men.
They stared at each other, shock etched across their faces.
All three admirals recalled.
The Navy's Hero, Vice Admiral Garp.
The Navy's greatest mentor, Zephyr.
Every single top officer of Headquarters, without exception, summoned at once.
This wasn't just a meeting.
This was the highest level of military mobilization.
"Yo~ so something... extraordinary must have happened, eh?"
Kizaru's usual lazy demeanor was gone. Behind his tinted lenses, his eyes gleamed with razor-sharp light.
"..."
Sakazuki slowly rose to his feet, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a storm. His mind raced, piecing together every fragment of information.
Sengoku had traveled to G-3 Branch to conduct an inspection.
Barely after arriving, he immediately reversed course and returned at full speed.
And now, he had invoked his supreme authority to summon every single senior officer of the Navy.
There was only one possible variable in this chain of events.
Sakazuki's lips pressed into a hard line.
"That boy... Renn Hawk."
Meanwhile, inside the G-3 Branch command office.
Renn Hawk sat at his desk, fingers drumming lightly against the polished wood. Before him lay a formal appointment letter.
In the lower right corner, Sengoku's personal seal was pressed in deep red ink: the golden seagull, wings spread wide.
It radiated unshakable authority.
This was Sengoku's parting gift to him a special privilege.
One appointment for a Headquarters Rear Admiral. Three appointments for Headquarters Colonels.
No tedious committees. No endless approvals. With his signature alone, the promotions would take effect immediately.
It was Sengoku's way of handing him the tools to build his own inner circle.
"Now then..."
Renn's eyes drifted over the roster of officers under his command.
The Rear Admiral position... who deserved it most?
Three names qualified: Dane, Smoker, and Tashigi.
But in his mind, the choice was already clear.
Smoker and Tashigi were strong and promising, yes but they had only recently joined his command.
Dane, however, had been with him since East Blue's 16th Branch. A veteran. A loyal shadow who had marched beside him from the very beginning.
Calm, steady, never reckless.
When Renn left to wage battles abroad, he needed someone utterly reliable to guard the home front.
And Dane was the perfect man for that role.
Strength could be trained. Skills could be honed. But the kind of loyalty and stability Dane offered... that was priceless.
The Rear Admiral seat was decided.
Now, the three Colonel appointments.
"..."
Renn furrowed his brows.
Zoro and Sanji both possessed limitless potential, but they had only just been promoted from Seaman First Class to Headquarters Captain and Major, respectively. Elevating them again so soon would be excessive, even reckless.
"Still..." A smile curved across his lips. "Leaving one slot open for them to compete over in the future... that's not a bad idea."
That left two remaining names.
His gaze landed on them.
Hibari, Headquarters Ensign.
Peacock, Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel.
"Hibari..."
Renn's thoughts drifted to the shy, soft-spoken girl who had once placed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit into his hands.
She had served as his adjutant whenever Dane was absent, and she had done so flawlessly.
And most importantly... she had surrendered a Logia-class fruit to the Navy.
Regardless of who ultimately consumed it, that contribution alone was enough to justify her promotion.
This was both a reward and a declaration.
In Renn Hawk's command, merit never went unnoticed.
Finally, Peacock.
Renn's fingers tapped lightly over her name. This decision carried more weight than just rank.
Vice Admiral Tsuru had sacrificed her own reputation, taking upon herself the appearance of favoritism, to funnel resources toward the golden project at G-3. She had done it not for herself, but for the Navy as a whole.
And Renn had been the greatest beneficiary of her gamble.
He would not allow her sacrifice to go unanswered.
Promoting her granddaughter, Peacock, to Colonel was his way of giving silent thanks.
Both favor and loyalty he would remember them.
"Then it's settled."
He dipped his pen in ink and signed the document with deliberate precision.
Appointed: Headquarters Colonel Dane, promoted to Headquarters Rear Admiral.
Appointed: Headquarters Ensign Hibari, promoted to Headquarters Colonel.
Appointed: Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel Peacock, promoted to Headquarters Colonel.
At the bottom, he inscribed his own name with a bold flourish: Renn Hawk.
When the ink dried, he handed the copy to the messenger, sealed with the highest encryption for Headquarters' records.
Effective immediately.
With that, the deed was done.
Renn rose from his chair, the appointment scroll tucked under his arm. His steps carried him not toward quiet celebration, but to the training grounds outside.
"Promotions aren't just for officers."
He smiled faintly, watching the rows of Marines drilling under the noonday sun.
"Those who bleed and fight at the frontlines... they deserve their share of recognition too."
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