"Hawke..."
"The next Fleet Admiral... will be you!"
"Ah...???"
Hawke's expression froze.
No way!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku... there's no way!
Sure, he had built a pretty solid relationship with the three Admirals, and he was on good terms with most of the Vice Admirals as well.
But his time serving as a Headquarters officer had been far too short, his foundation too shallow.
In the eyes of most rank-and-file soldiers, he was still just a rapidly rising Marine supernova.
He still needed time to accumulate prestige and build his network.
Most importantly, his current strength simply wasn't enough!
Every Fleet Admiral in Marine history had risen from the ranks of the elite Admirals.
But right now, his strength as an Admiral candidate was nowhere near the level of those elite Admirals.
If he truly wanted to command the entire Navy...
At the very least, he would need to push three or four of his abilities to the [Peak] level!
"Sengoku, this is nonsense!!!"
Tsuru stepped forward, her sharp gaze stabbing directly into Sengoku like needles.
Unbelievable, this old fool.
It was like that impulsive, hot-blooded, and sometimes reckless Sengoku from years ago had suddenly returned.
Ever since he took the Fleet Admiral's seat, he'd been suppressing himself for the sake of the Navy's greater good for far too long.
But now, after personally taking down one of the killers of his adopted son and glimpsing a real chance for Marine independence...
He had lost control—even his Conqueror's Haki had leaked out.
That much, Tsuru could understand.
But appointing young Hawke as the next Fleet Admiral outright?
Absolutely not!
She knew very well—the appointment of a Fleet Admiral required the approval of the World Government and the explicit nod from the Five Elders.
Even if the Navy wanted full independence, it was far too early for such a move.
"Sengoku, I agree with you that young Hawke represents the future of the Marines."
"But appointing him now will make him a target for the entire world!"
Tsuru's voice wasn't loud, but each word pierced like a needle.
"Don't forget just how many eyes are watching the Marines across this sea!"
"The Yonko of the New World, those five old bastards in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, and all the monsters lurking in the shadows!"
"If you dare publicly announce today that young Hawke is your chosen successor as Fleet Admiral, by tomorrow, every assassin and conspirator in the world will be flocking here!"
"You think four Buster Calls are enough to protect him at every moment?"
"Mobilizing fleets takes time, Sengoku! But a strike from a top-class powerhouse happens in the blink of an eye!"
"Unless, of course, you plan to have Sakazuki follow him around every waking moment!"
"But if you do that, how will he grow? How will he forge his own sense of justice? How will he establish his own prestige?!"
"Huuh—"
After speaking in one breath, Tsuru exhaled slowly, her tone softening slightly.
"The Marines' highest combat strength hasn't suffered any gaps—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan are all at their peak. We have plenty of time to let young Hawke grow. Don't try to pull seedlings to make them grow faster."
She paused, shifting the topic back to the most urgent matter at hand.
"Right now, what's truly important is figuring out how to quietly turn that Golden City into Marine power!"
...
"Right, right, right!"
Sengoku slapped his forehead.
That's it.
He'd gotten too carried away.
The hope Hawke brought was so immense that for a moment, he'd forgotten the brutal reality they faced.
No rushing this. No rushing at all.
"Hahaha, Tsuru... thank goodness you're here."
"..."
Tsuru rolled her eyes at Sengoku, then turned to Hawke.
"Young Hawke, what are your thoughts on the Sky Island gold?"
Though she didn't know the exact amount, based on Hawke's description, it was an astronomical fortune—enough to completely cover every Marine expenditure in the short term.
And that was exactly what made the situation tricky.
If the World Government found out about this... what then?
Tsuru could already imagine the expressions on those five old bastards' faces.
They would invoke "world stability" and, in an unquestionable tone, demand that the Marines turn over every last coin.
Then, they'd toss back a symbolic fraction of it, scraps slipping through their fingers, under the pretense of "special military funding."
Because the World Government still needed that invisible chain of military funding to keep the Marines tightly leashed.
But the Navy had been restrained for far too long.
Now, the chance to break free of those chains was right in front of them—offered by young Hawke.
This gold... the Marines needed to claim all of it!
And the World Government couldn't know a thing.
"Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral Tsuru."
Hawke stepped forward, his voice steady.
"The primary reason I brought this gold back was to prove the existence of the Golden City."
"As for what comes next..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the two highest decision-makers of the Navy.
"The transport, secrecy, and eventual conversion of the gold into usable resources—it all concerns the Navy's future lifeline. Headquarters should handle it directly."
Hawke was absolutely clear on this point.
Handing the Golden City to Marine Headquarters was the smartest decision.
Sure, under his command he had monsters like Zoro and Sanji—rookies brimming with insane potential—but like him, they still needed time to grow.
Headquarters, though, was different.
The Marines had the strength and resources to handle the Sky Island gold perfectly and turn it into real, tangible Marine power.
"Hmm."
Tsuru nodded.
Glancing at Sengoku, who was still caught in his emotions, she quietly stepped forward, her "Great Staff Officer" decisiveness fully on display.
"This matter should indeed be handled by Headquarters!"
"But... Marineford stands at the very center of the world, right next to the Holy Land and the Sabaody Archipelago."
"The World Government's spies, the CP agents, even the Yonko's moles—they're all interwoven there, watching every move we make."
"With such a massive transfer of resources and wealth, it'll be nearly impossible to hide it from everyone's eyes."
"Therefore, Headquarters is not a suitable place to store and process this gold."
As she spoke, Tsuru turned around, her gaze sweeping across the G-3 Branch.
On the training grounds, soldiers' shouts were perfectly in sync.
On the docks, logistics teams maintained warships in an orderly fashion.
The entire base ran like a finely tuned war machine—efficient, cold, and precise.
Here, far from the chaos of the New World, and outside the constant surveillance of Marineford...
"Headquarters is unsuitable, and the branches in the New World are under constant Yonko surveillance, so they're unsuitable as well."
Tsuru's eyes sharpened, a gleam flashing within them.
"That leaves the best option—right here."
"The G-3 Branch!"
Tsuru raised a finger and pointed firmly at the ground beneath their feet, her tone resolute.
"First, the G-3 Branch is located in the first half of the Grand Line—the 'Paradise.' There are plenty of pirates here, but overall, their strength is weak and poses no real threat."
"Second, young Hawke, you just took over and immediately wiped out the cancer of Paradise—Mock Town—with thunderous efficiency. No one dares to snoop around here anymore."
"And third, most importantly..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's gaze returned to Hawke, carrying a hint of pride.
"You were the one who discovered the Golden City..."
"And by choosing to turn the gold over to Headquarters, you've already proven your vision and your loyalty to the greater cause."
"Therefore, I propose..."
Tsuru paused, revealing a plan so bold it even startled Hawke.
"To expand the G-3 Branch!"
"Then, we'll secretly transport the Sky Island gold here in batches, using the expansion project as a cover—turning the gold into Marine power without anyone noticing!"
"At the same time, five absolutely trustworthy elite Vice Admirals from Headquarters will lead fleets and permanently station themselves at the G-3 Branch!"
"Officially, we'll claim it's to assist you in stabilizing Paradise, but in truth, it'll be to guard this—our Marines' very own vault!"
...
Chapter for 50 Powerstones, thank you. Next one for 100 Stones.