The people gathered were true heavyweights. Aside from Hina, who got in through the back door, not even a regular Vice Admiral was present. This shows just how significant this meeting was.
As a result, Fleet Admiral Kong skipped the formalities. After sitting down, he smiled at Zephyr. "Congratulations, Zephyr. You're finally getting what you've always wanted, aren't you?"
Zephyr laughed heartily. "Kong, it's been so many years. Are you finally going to let me go?"
"Sigh, the situation didn't allow it before, but now we can finally let you retire properly," Kong said.
Sengoku took a cup of tea from Hina, thanked her with a smile, and looked at Zephyr. "I'm really jealous of you. You're retiring so soon."
"Jealous? Then you should retire too, hahaha!" Zephyr laughed.
The others joined in the laughter. Unlike Zephyr, Sengoku was clearly destined to become the next Fleet Admiral, which everyone knew, so he couldn't possibly retire.
As for Zephyr, his entire family was lost, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. He was later unfortunately afflicted with asthma. While the Marine healthcare system kept his condition in check and prevented major flare-ups, his physical health had certainly declined. In recent years, he had poured all his energy into training the next generation of Marines, naturally leaving him unable to handle the duties of an Admiral.
Although he hadn't officially retired, he had been in a semi-retired state. This time, he was truly vacating the Admiral position.
The atmosphere was far from formal. Kong first chatted with everyone for a while before tapping the table. "Although we have to follow some procedures, do any of you have any objections to Zephyr stepping down as a Marine Admiral?"
Diarmuid, also a Marine Admiral, said with a smile, "Of course not. While I'll be sad to see Sensei retire, this has been his long-cherished wish, so it wouldn't be right for us to stand in his way."
Tsuru smiled. "We should get him out of here quickly to make way for the younger generation. I think Diarmuid has been doing an excellent job these past few years."
Sengoku nodded. "That's true. Although Diarmuid doesn't handle many field missions, thanks to him, the Marines' internal funds have been growing exponentially every year, and the rate is only increasing. His contributions are invaluable."
"Hahaha, you guys have to give me a chance to go out on missions too! Besides, if an Admiral like me had to go out all the time, wouldn't that just prove the Marines are incompetent?" Diarmuid said with a smile.
He had a point. If situations required someone of Diarmuid's rank to personally intervene, the Marines would seem far too weak.
Everyone chimed in, saying a few more words. Zephyr accepted their congratulations with a cheerful smile, officially solidifying his retirement.
Next, Zephyr took the Admiral's epaulets off his coat and walked toward the Fleet Admiral.
Just as he was about to hand over the epaulets, he said with a touch of emotion, "Sigh, I've been thinking about this for years. But now that the moment has come to hand them over, I feel a little sad to part with them…"
It was true. These Admiral epaulets had been with him for the first half of his life, representing his countless achievements. They were the culmination of half a lifetime's effort, and it was only natural to feel a sense of nostalgia and reluctance when it was time to finally step away.
At that moment, Kong laughed heartily. "You don't have to return them. Keep them for yourself. We're not so short on epaulets."
"Really?" Zephyr mumbled to himself, then smiled. "Then thank you, Fleet Admiral."
With that, Marine Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr officially retired. He shed the title and immense burden of being a World Government powerhouse, finally freeing himself from his chains to become a simple principal of the Marine Academy.
"Alright, that's settled for Zephyr. But we can't leave the Admiral position empty. What are your thoughts? Who would be a suitable replacement?" Kong asked, looking at the others.
Diarmuid and Borsalino were huddled in a corner. Hearing the question, Diarmuid nudged Borsalino with his elbow. "Hey, Admiral Candidate, any thoughts?"
Borsalino looked at Diarmuid strangely. "Didn't you support Sakazuki?"
"When did I ever support Sakazuki? If anything, that guy is planning to fight me for the Fleet Admiral position once he gets promoted," Diarmuid shot Borsalino a look.
"Really? I saw you help him capture Kaido a couple of years ago, and he strongly supported you when you were promoted to Admiral. I thought you two were as thick as thieves," Borsalino said with a smile.
"Is that the same thing? We have a healthy rivalry, not a grudge. As a fellow Marine, how could I not help him when he asked? As for my promotion, we just happened to have the same interests then. Otherwise, how could he have gotten the Admiral Candidate position so quickly?" Diarmuid explained with a laugh.
"So, are you supporting me, then?" Borsalino asked with another smile.
"Get real. I'm just curious. I don't support or oppose either of you. If it were up to me, I'd think it was normal for Kuzan to become an Admiral too," Diarmuid said, waving his hand.
"What do you mean, 'if it were up to me'? What? You don't think I can do it? I'm an Admiral Candidate, you know," Kuzan complained, having overheard Diarmuid and Borsalino's private conversation.
"Hahahaha, you really can't. Sakazuki has been at G-1 for two years, and Borsalino has been at Punk Hazard. They're both experienced Admiral Candidates. As for you, you'll need some time in the field before you can become an Admiral. It definitely won't be you this time," Diarmuid laughed loudly.
Kuzan gave Diarmuid a disgruntled look, then burst out laughing himself. "That's true." Indeed, it wasn't his turn.
Changing the subject, Diarmuid asked, "So, are you going to challenge Sakazuki or not? If you're interested, I can recommend you!"
Borsalino looked at Diarmuid. "Forget it. Punk Hazard is pretty nice. Compared to me, Sakazuki is more suitable to be an Admiral…" He paused here, adding, "At least for now."
"At least for now?" Diarmuid mumbled to himself, not saying anything more.
Sengoku, having seen the three of them whispering for so long without coming to a conclusion, understood what was happening. He spoke up, "In that case, I recommend Sakazuki. What do you all think?"
"What about Gion?" Diarmuid suddenly interjected.
Everyone was a little stunned. Diarmuid said with a chuckle, "You all know Gion's strength. She's a user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and she's incredibly powerful. She's also been working at G-7 for years. All she lacks is the title of Admiral Candidate. I plan to have her transferred back to headquarters and give her that position."
Of course, Gion becoming an Admiral right now was impossible. But Diarmuid said this to leave a strong impression on everyone. After all, Gion had been away from the center of power for a few years, so Diarmuid naturally had to speak up for her before she returned. He wanted everyone to understand that Gion was qualified to be a Marine Admiral.
Sengoku came to a realization and nodded. "Gion certainly is qualified. Her experience and power are on par with Sakazuki's. But as you said, she's not an Admiral Candidate yet…" He smiled. "When I retire, she can compete for the position."
His words showed his goodwill, and the others laughed. Diarmuid didn't mind too much and nodded. "That works. In that case, I have no other objections."
Sengoku nodded and then looked at Borsalino. "Borsalino, what about you? You have the conditions to compete with Sakazuki."
In truth, Sengoku preferred Borsalino over Sakazuki. After all, Borsalino had been his aide when he was an Admiral, and they had a good rapport.
However, Borsalino clearly had no desire to get involved. He shook his head. "I'll pass. I'm not considering that for now."
"Is that so?" Sengoku saw his expression and didn't press further.
Zephyr was already semi-retired and had no intention of getting involved. Tsuru was drinking her tea and looking at a document in her hand, also showing no signs of wanting to speak.
With that, the two Admirals, Diarmuid and Sengoku, made their suggestions. Diarmuid had no objections, and Sengoku had proposed Sakazuki.
Fleet Admiral Kong followed up. "Then we'll provisionally select Sakazuki. I'll report this to the higher-ups. Once they approve the proposal, we'll recall Sakazuki to headquarters. Who wants to take over G-1?"
At this point, it was basically just a formality. The World Government shouldn't give Sakazuki a hard time. If he were to leave G-1, someone would have to take over as base commander.
"Once Sakazuki returns, why don't we let the new Admiral make his own arrangements?" Diarmuid suggested after a moment of thought.
Kong looked at Diarmuid and then nodded. "Let's do that."
When Diarmuid was promoted to Admiral, it was a difficult and arduous process, requiring him to butt heads with the World Government. Now, Sakazuki's promotion seemed effortless, with no major disruptions. It just goes to show that those who come after benefit from the work of their predecessors. This was one of the results of the Marines' struggle with the World Government.
Hina had told Diarmuid that this meeting was about Zephyr, and now that Zephyr had retired and Sakazuki was provisionally confirmed as an Admiral, Diarmuid assumed the meeting was almost over. He was ready to go back and take a nap.
However, before he could even ask to adjourn the meeting, Kong said, "Next, let's discuss the matter concerning Tsuru."
Borsalino looked up in surprise, and Tsuru also raised her head in confusion.
"Does anyone have any objections to recommending Vice Admiral Tsuru for the position of Marine Chief of Staff?" Kong suddenly asked.
It was clear this was a spontaneous decision by the Fleet Admiral. Diarmuid, Borsalino, and even Sengoku and Tsuru were all a little surprised. As for Garp, it had nothing to do with him.
After the initial shock wore off, Diarmuid was the first to raise his hand. "As a Marine Admiral, I support this proposal."
There was no reason to object. After the St. Poplar incident, the Chief of Staff position was abolished, and though she had been leading the Intelligence Division for years, Tsuru's official title was never restored. While everyone still privately referred to her as "Chief of Staff," it was a title without formal recognition. As a former subordinate who had received much favor from Chief of Staff Tsuru, Diarmuid naturally couldn't oppose the motion.
Furthermore, it seemed there was no one else in the Marines more suited for the position than Tsuru, which was why it had remained vacant for so many years!
As soon as Diarmuid finished, Garp also reacted and quickly said, "I support it too."
Sengoku, of course, had no objections. He even looked pleased, a clear sign that the Joyful Buddha and Chief of Staff Tsuru definitely had a thing going on!
Despite being a last-minute proposal, the motion was quickly passed. With that, Vice Admiral Tsuru's title as Chief of Staff was officially restored!
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