One Piece meme: Starting with eight extraordinary skills

Luffy was in trouble in Loguetown, and Dragon intervened at just the right moment to stop Smoker's pursuit. Everything seemed so logical and reasonable.

Here's a corny joke: the Straw Hat Pirates are actually a bunch of rich kids experiencing life.

Once Long made up his mind, he turned to look at the group of cadres, and finally his gaze settled on the young girl, Kela.

"Kerla, find an opportunity to get close to Yang Ming and observe him closely. If he is indeed the right candidate, tell him that our Revolutionary Army will fully support him in becoming the new Admiral of the Navy Headquarters."

"In exchange for Yang Ming's protection, he must help us develop a revolutionary army branch in Alabasta."

Kera was a sweet-looking girl with an incredible power hidden in her petite figure. She immediately stood at attention.

"As ordered!"

The World Government, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Revolutionary Army, and the Navy have all taken a series of actions.

Kingdom of Dressrosa.

Yang Ming put one hand on Drake's shoulder and said in a deep voice:

“Drake, you are my most trusted subordinate. Now I am going to entrust you with an important task.”

Upon hearing this, Drake thought to himself:

"Why do I feel like I've heard this phrase somewhere before?"

"The Navy Headquarters has urgently recalled all commanders from various regions. There is an important matter to be announced. The Kingdom of Dressrosa is in dire need of reconstruction. You will take over my position as the Kingdom's Guardian. I hope that when I return next time, I will see a completely new look for the Kingdom."

Regardless of Yang Ming's motives, his willingness to delegate authority to his subordinates has indeed won him popular support.

Drake was excited and immediately accepted the order.

Watching Drake's retreating figure, Yang Ming shook his head inwardly, hoping that he could get along well with that old fox, King Riku.

Yang Ming originally intended to leave Jonathan in the Kingdom of Dressrosa. No matter how shrewd King Riku was, Jonathan would be able to handle the relationships well.

But considering that this was a new world teeming with powerful individuals, and that Jonathan's strength was ultimately insufficient, Yang Ming finally abandoned the plan.

The group boarded a three-masted sailing ship and left the Kingdom of Dressrosa. The warship passed through Mary Geoise, the sacred land on the Red Line, as a transit point, and headed straight for the Navy Headquarters.

Along the way, we could see naval warships from time to time.

This time, Marshal Zhan Guo seems to be planning a big move, not only recalling all the generals at the brigadier general level and above, but also recalling non-commissioned officers like Yang Ming who are not generals but have great potential.

The naval headquarters port was filled with warships, flags fluttering like clouds, and crowds of people, some familiar and some unfamiliar, arriving with different purposes.

When Yang Ming arrived at the naval headquarters port, he did not attract much attention from others.

Yang Ming had already learned the inside story from Garp and Chief Instructor Zephyr. Standing firmly on the dock, gazing at the majestic fortress of the Marine Headquarters, a surge of pride welled up within him:

"The old era has ended, and a new era is beginning. Everyone must learn to survive in this new era."

Chapter 106 Competition for Admiral Candidates

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, host, for reciting a classic line from Qin's Moon. You have been awarded one chance to draw a prize. Would you like to start the prize wheel?"

A lottery wheel slowly appeared, with only two types of prizes: treasures and cultivation techniques.

Treasures: Azure Dragon Seven Constellations, Heavenly Question Sword, Demon God of War...

Cultivation Techniques: Saint King Sword Technique, Meditation Technique, Ghost Valley Mind Technique...

【A Mind as Still as Water】: A Taoist internal cultivation method aimed at achieving a state of mental peace and tranquility, free from distracting thoughts.

One of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, the Sage Thief, can seize the creation of heaven and earth and continuously enhance physical fitness by absorbing nutrients from food to defy the heavens. However, there are some hidden dangers lurking within it.

As the Taoists say, "If you cultivate your body but not your nature, you'll be riddled with illnesses in old age."

If a sage steals a cultivator and goes astray, he will no longer be satisfied with ordinary food, and will begin to take crooked paths, daring to eat anything, and becoming a hated and despised being.

The reason why Yang Ming has not noticed any aftereffects so far is entirely because the physical qualities of humans in different worlds are different, and the sea king creatures in this ocean are rich in nutrients, which temporarily satisfy the cultivation of the Saint Thief.

Now that I have obtained the Taoist mental cultivation method of "a mind as still as water," it is just right to make up for this hidden deficiency.

Yang Ming ordered Cao Changxiu En to stay on the warship to keep watch, and to take the other soldiers to the quartermaster for logistical support.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Ming led Tina and several of his subordinates to the Naval Headquarters building.

A row of fully armed soldiers stood at the entrance of the Naval Headquarters building, eyes downcast and mindful of their duties, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten, faithfully fulfilling their sentry responsibilities.

The entire Naval Headquarters building is now heavily guarded; not even a fly could get in, let alone a spy from another faction.

As a leading figure of the new generation of naval personnel, Yang Ming immediately attracted a lot of attention when he entered the venue, with various expressions of scrutiny, friendliness, hostility, and curiosity.

The entire venue was neatly and cleanly arranged, with seating for more than 500 people.

The scene was already filled with people, and as far as the eye could see, there were people everywhere. Yang Ming's Observation Haki was still not very strong, so he could not accurately judge who was hostile to him. He could only keep his guard up.

After finding a seat with his name on it, Yang Ming had barely sat down when someone came up to him and tried to strike up a conversation.

"Seeing is believing. Captain Yang Ming truly lives up to his reputation as a young hero. He is indeed a man of great stature and heroic bearing."

Yang Ming looked in the direction of the sound and was immediately delighted.

The newcomer was a young man, tall and muscular, with a strong frame that supported his white checkered coat. He wore sunglasses, making it difficult for others to discern his inner thoughts from the changes in his eyes.

Like many naval officers, the young man had short black hair, but his face was adorned with lightning-shaped sideburns. What was even more surprising was that his face was covered with leftover food scraps, which added a touch of comicality while also subtly bridging the gap between strangers.

Tina, fearing Yang Ming might not recognize her, quickly lowered her head and whispered in his ear:

"Captain, he is Rear Admiral Virgo, who has risen to fame in recent years. He has solved several major cases and captured several pirates with bounties of over 50 million Berries."

Tina's soft whispers naturally didn't escape anyone's notice. Major General Vergo scratched the back of his head, a friendly smile on his face, and said kindly:

"Hey, hey, hey, this is all thanks to the hard work of my subordinates, not just my own achievement."

Yang Ming is professionally trained and generally does not laugh.

It must be said that Major General Vergo is indeed very talented as a spy. Despite being a member of the Don Quixote family, and despite Yang Ming having caused the Don Quixote family to suffer heavy losses, he did not get angry. Instead, he pretended to be friendly and approached Yang Ming, which must mean he has some ulterior motive.

Although Vergo's time in the navy was short, he accomplished a great deal, which is why his rank rose so rapidly in just a few years.

If it weren't for the butterfly effect caused by Yang Ming, with Vergo working so hard, he would probably have been promoted to lieutenant general in less than three years.

Yang Ming feigned surprise and shook hands with Vergo, saying meaningfully:

"I have long heard of Major General Vergo's reputation, but I did not expect you to be as ruthless as the rumors say, as cold as winter to enemies and as warm as spring breeze to friends."

As a spy, Vergo was adept at reading people's expressions and keenly sensed that Yang Ming seemed to have something in mind, but he couldn't figure it out for a moment.

Suppressing his doubts, Vergo simply changed the subject, saying:

"Yang Ming, you have a long-standing relationship with Vice Admiral Garp and Chief Instructor Zephyr. I wonder if you've heard any rumors lately that Admiral Kizaru is considering stepping down and Fleet Admiral Sengoku is currently looking for a candidate?"

"I've heard a little about it," Yang Ming said calmly.

Vergo cursed the little fox in his heart, and was just about to press for details in order to gather intelligence for the next plan, when unexpectedly, the Warring States Marshal finally arrived late and prepared to preside over the meeting.

Vergo had no choice but to swallow his doubts and return to his seat.

Vergo cultivated a very good public image for himself and had a good reputation in the Marine Headquarters. Even Tina was captivated by his words and actions, and lowered her voice to say:

"Captain, I think Rear Admiral Vergo is easy-going and a really nice guy."

Yang Ming secretly rolled his eyes, but he couldn't directly refute the other party.

Come to think of it, isn't he himself cultivating a good image within the Navy Headquarters?

If Vergo could pretend to be a good person his whole life, then he would become a good person.

Unfortunately, the inherent coldness and ruthlessness of pirates, as well as the hidden conflict between Vergo and Yang Ming, meant that Vergo could no longer keep up the act and would eventually have to reveal his true colors.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, the Warring States Marshal stepped to the front of the stage.

"I believe everyone has heard about Kizaru's resignation recently. I can assure you that it is true, and I have already accepted his resignation. This means that one of the three admirals in the Marine Headquarters will be vacant."

As soon as the Warring States Marshal finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in uproar.

Despite prior rumors, it was actually Fleet Admiral Sengoku who was behind the scenes, testing the intentions of the Navy Headquarters. Everyone present knew this perfectly well.

Knowing something is one thing, but when the final result is settled, it's another.

For a powerful figure like Garp, the position of Marine Admiral is a constraint. Having it or not makes no difference, but it requires serving the Celestial Dragons, making it a kind of "chicken rib" that is neither satisfying nor worth discarding.

But how many people like Garp are there in the entire Navy?

Even Admiral Kuzan, the first general of the Navy Headquarters, could not refuse the position of Admiral, let alone others.

Being appointed as an admiral in the Navy Headquarters is not just a change in rank and position, but also a platform to showcase one's abilities and put one's ideals of justice into practice.

Whether it's absolute justice, ambiguous justice, or lazy justice, these are all aspects of justice.

The Warring States Marshal tapped on the lectern, bringing the bustling hall back to silence.

"Regarding the selection of the new Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, Kosuru, Garp, and I discussed it for three whole days, but we still couldn't come up with a clear and suitable candidate."

"But the position of Admiral at the Navy Headquarters is a matter of the Navy's reputation and a trump card for deterring all forces. We cannot allow this vacancy to remain unfilled for too long."

"Therefore, after discussing with Xiaohe and Garp, we decided to launch the Admiral Candidate Program."

"Based on the principle of equality for all and the idea that great generals rise from the ranks, the Navy Headquarters will recruit talents without being bound by convention."

"From this day forward, regardless of gender, age, or rank, within the Navy, whoever has the highest total bounty for capturing pirates within three years will become the new Admiral of the Navy Headquarters!"

One stone caused a thousand waves!

While Admiral Kizaru's resignation might only shock and sadden most people, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's plan to select candidates for Admiral of the Marine Headquarters truly benefits everyone.

The entire plan can be described in four words:

Only the talented should be promoted!

This is exactly the same strategy employed by the Marine Headquarters after the Marineford War in the original work, which involved a global conscription.

The difference this time is that it is only open to the Navy and not to the public.

However, once the plan to select candidates for Admiral of the Navy Headquarters is announced, it will surely ignite great enthusiasm among all naval officers and men to hunt down pirates.

Even newly enlisted naval trainees dream of becoming admirals in the Navy Headquarters.

Whenever these naval soldiers think that they have the opportunity to become admirals of the Navy Headquarters through hard work in capturing pirates, they will definitely demand high standards of themselves, undergo crazy training, and strive to improve themselves.

The brilliance of this plan lies in the fact that the person with the highest total bounty for capturing pirates within three years wins.

Although pirates are difficult to capture as they roam various places, their overall numbers are limited. Relying on sheer numbers to win is clearly not realistic. Therefore, the only option is to tackle the toughest challenges and specifically target those notorious pirates.