Pirate: I was just slacking off, do you really think I'm bad?

On a sunny morning, a huge stage had been set up in the square of Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy.

The promotion of a vice admiral-level strongman in the Navy is an event that has an impact on the entire world.

In particular, this person who was promoted to lieutenant general is still very young.

Whether it's the navy, pirates, or other forces, when assessing whether someone has talent, everyone looks at their age and strength in comparison.

In the last hundred years, only one person, Rowley, has reached the rank of lieutenant general before the age of twenty.

Therefore, in order to boost morale, the naval high command defined this event as an activity to demonstrate the majesty of the navy. All the specifications were half a rank higher than the price of a general promotion to vice admiral, second only to the ceremony of a general promotion to admiral. Although Raleigh has always given people the impression that he likes to slack off, it does not mean that everyone hates him.

On the contrary, it was Raleigh's humorous words and interesting personality that attracted many like-minded people.

Including but not limited to Sakazuki, Rat, Gion, Kakei, etc.

There were also some hardliners in the navy who, although they didn't get along so well with Raleigh, were happy to support him because they had no conflict of interest with him.

Of course, everyone felt a little bittersweet, especially those who trained very hard.

For example, Kuzan, and Dauberman.

Whenever they thought of Raleigh's sly smile from their memories, they couldn't help but draw little figures of him in their minds.

However, they all mentioned Raleigh's achievements in the East and North Seas. In any case, what Raleigh did in the East and North Seas was genuine.

These matters must be made public to the entire navy before the person is promoted to admiral.

They had countless reasons for joining the Navy, but there was only one reason for staying: for the sake of justice.

Raleigh led Branch 133 in the East China Sea and the North China Sea Navy in the North China Sea, defeating and killing countless Seashell Rings.

This prevented at least dozens of small towns from becoming human tragedies.

These events, one by one, were recorded by the naval clerk and were to be made public to the world.

If you were to survey the public, 95 percent of them would want Rowley to return to his position as the local naval commander. This reflects the will of the people.

At 8:30 a.m., while everyone waited quietly, our protagonist, Raleigh, appeared behind the stage in Marineford Square.

Are you nervous? This is probably the first time you've seen something like this.

Dressed in a suit and tie, Kong wore a large naval justice cape, the epaulets on which indicated that he was the highest-ranking admiral in the navy.

Today, Raleigh wasn't wearing his usual casual clothes. Yesterday, Yuan took him to a very famous tailor shop in Marineford to order an expensive suit. The very tailored suit accentuated Raleigh's dignified and imposing personality. After putting on the Navy Justice Cloak, he looked so handsome and dashing.

Raleigh adjusted his tie, then looked up and said...

Nervous? No! This is my first time showing my face in the world, I'm going to do my best.

Due to the special circumstances, the Navy applied to the World Government for news releases.

Those sitting in the front row are all reporters from major newspapers.

Looking at the energetic Raleigh beside me, I felt the youthful passion within me ignite.

He hadn't felt this way in a very, very long time.

Since becoming the Navy Commander-in-Chief, his plans have become plagued by uncertainty and anxiety.

Before doing anything, one must consider the World Government and the impact on the Navy.

This meant that for a long time, I couldn't find mental relaxation.

Seeing the young and energetic Raleigh beside me today, Sora felt that he could work for a few more years.

"It's so good to be young."

Kong couldn't help but sigh.

"Marshal Kong, who doesn't know the benefits of youth? There are Devil Fruits in the world that can keep people young forever."

I know of a Devil Fruit that can keep people young. If you want it, I can get it for you.

When Raleigh heard Kong beside him sighing about his Luo Shu, he couldn't help but blurt it out.

As a time traveler, I held the reins of the entire plot, so of course he knew where the vampire fruit was.

However, he had been staying in the East China Sea and the North China Sea and hadn't had time to look for it.

Besides, even if it were found, it wouldn't help him much.

For now, even if Lori obtains this top-tier Zoan-type Devil Fruit, she only considers it as a resource reserve.

But if this deal could earn him the support of a Fleet Admiral, then Raleigh felt it was a worthwhile trade.

"Haha, let's not think about that for now. This old man can still work for another ten years or so."

After hearing Raleigh's words, Sora seemed somewhat unconvinced and touched his hair as he spoke.

You're the main character today; we'll talk about these things later.

"Now it's your turn, so you'd better give it your all."

Hearing the sound of cannons outside, Kong straightened his collar and strode outside.

Marineford Square, which can hold up to 100,000 people, is now packed with people.

A long red carpet stretched directly to the stage in the center of the square.

On both sides of the red carpet were freshly picked flowers, arranged into bouquets by the navy.

The first person to appear before everyone was the current Marine Division Commander, Kazuko.

Today, Kong wasn't wearing his usual sleeveless shirt; instead, he was dressed in a black suit.

His hair and beard, shaped like the Chinese character "山" (mountain), were meticulously styled and looked exquisite under the sunlight.

Kong looked at the reporters who were taking pictures of him and gestured to them with his right hand.

However, he wasn't the main character on this stage today, and Sora didn't want to steal Raleigh's thunder.

So he simply greeted the reporters and the naval officers sitting in the front row, and then hurried over.

Next up was the star of the day, whom everyone had been eagerly anticipating.

Christine Rowley, who is highly regarded by many, is being promoted to lieutenant general.

Rowley styled his short, jet-black hair into a slicked-back, side-parted style.

He wore a black suit jacket over a white shirt and a matching black tie.

At this moment, Raleigh didn't look like a naval admiral; he looked more like a high-ranking official of the World Government. The moment Raleigh appeared, all the reporters' cameras started snapping away, the flashes almost blinding Raleigh.

"Commander Raleigh, look here!"

"Please look at me, Commander Raleigh!"

Reporters on both sides of the red carpet frantically pressed their camera shutters, the clicking sounds echoing continuously along the three-meter-wide carpet.

Sitting in the front row, Jia Ji applauded the little girl's entrance while muttering sourly:

"This guy really stole the show today!"

"Damn it! If only this were me! Gion, you would definitely like me like this."

Gion, who was standing nearby, rolled her eyes when she heard this.

"Hey, don't make me slap you when I'm in a good mood!"

Upon hearing Gion's words, Kake turned away and silently shed tears.

Glory belongs to Raleigh, and so does Gion.

As reporters released the photos, countless newsbirds flew to all corners of the world with freshly printed newspapers.

Vice Admiral Christine Raleigh's name had spread throughout the seas, and this was the first time Raleigh had appeared before the world.

In the newspaper, a righteous-looking Raleigh occupied two-thirds of the page, with the Gate of Justice, symbolizing the Navy's image, behind him.

"Seeking a balance of justice between light and darkness."

Balanced Justice – Christine Rory.

Borsalino saw it, and muttered, "What balanced justice? It feels a bit like my ambiguous justice. But his terminology is a bit too advanced. Damn, how come I didn't think of that!"

Raleigh walked to the center of the stage and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, bowed to all around.

Then Kong took the microphone from the host, cleared his throat, and said;

Distinguished guests and colleagues, good morning.

"Today, I am honored to preside over the promotion ceremony of one of our young rear admirals to vice admiral."

"This signifies the rise of our navy's new generation of strength and symbolizes the renewed strengthening of the forces of justice."

"Now, I announce the orders from the World Government and the Naval Headquarters."

"Awarded to Major General Christian Rowley, former Admiral of the North Sea."

"Lieutenant General rank!!!"

As Kong finished speaking, the young naval personnel in the audience were already extremely excited.

They shouted for justice, completely forgetting everything else!

Even the warships far away in the harbor could hear it clearly.

After finishing his sentence, Kong handed the microphone to Raleigh and then took a step back, leaving the stage to Raleigh.

Wearing a black fitted suit and a navy justice cape, Raleigh looked exceptionally handsome. Raleigh's face did not show any excitement, but rather a hint of solemnity as he spoke!

"Hello everyone, I am Christine Rowley. I am honored to participate in the conferment ceremony at headquarters today."

In the past, I always fantasized about what it would be like to become a high-ranking official one day.

At that time, I didn't have a clear understanding of pirates; I only knew that our navy had to fight against them.

"However, during my time serving in the East Blue and North Blue, I truly felt the threat that pirates posed to world security."

"For thousands of years, pirates have been a scourge on the seas, but I prefer to call them trash."

They never produce or manufacture anything; instead, they'll fight each other over the smallest resources.

"I have personally witnessed a pirate kill an entire family of four for a small piece of bread. And many more pirates kill for the wealth and food of the people."

"But that's precisely the reason the Navy exists. The Navy will never allow pirates to continue running rampant on the seas; we will wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"No matter what kind of enemy we face, the Navy has only one choice: to fight!"

"Whether they are ruthless pirates or cunning mafia members, we will make sure they receive a just trial!"

"Justice will prevail!!!"

As Raleigh finished speaking, the already excited young generation of marines felt like they were about to explode.

After hearing this, many sailors were filled with excitement and couldn't wait to set sail and kill some pirates to add to the festivities.

Even the veterans, whose minds had been tempered by years of battle, were touched by Raleigh's words.

Putting everything else aside, Raleigh's promotional slogan is absolutely fantastic!

I've made up my mind. This month, I'm going to capture ten pirates who have a combined value of over 50 million Berries!

"You're bragging. If you can capture ten pirates with assets exceeding fifty million Berries, I can capture fifteen!"

"Want to make a bet?"

"Let's make a bet! Whoever loses gets a three-month supply of cigars!"

Apart from the somewhat boisterous navy personnel, the rest of the reporters were almost completely silent!

The only sound was the scratching of the pen on the paper.

After hearing Raleigh's speech, they naturally developed their own set of standards for judgment.

Based on their judgment, they believed that Raleigh's speech could cause a huge uproar around the world.

Therefore, in order to generate buzz, they have to release it as quickly as possible.

After giving his inaugural address, Raleigh left the stage with Kong Yuanshi.

They left the rest to the host to manage, and returned to Master Yuan's office.

Raleigh, you've been promoted to vice admiral. Your current warship is no longer suitable for you. I'll give you a permit in a bit, and you can go to the logistics department to get a new warship.

Raleigh knew there would be benefits after Pu was promoted to lieutenant general, but he didn't expect the benefits to come so quickly.

What man wouldn't want his ship to be bigger, faster, and have more firepower than others?

However, these things cannot be obtained simply by having money.

If it weren't for the fear of being investigated by headquarters, Raleigh would have bought even a Fleet Admiral's ship.

Furthermore, you can reasonably expand your force to three thousand men this time to meet the needs of combat operations against pirates.

This can also be considered one of the Navy's internal training methods.

Some people are just born to lead large groups in battle.

Some people are also suited to lead elite squads to carry out decapitation strikes against the strongest pirates.

However, this would allow Raleigh to more legitimately possess his own army.

Although these three thousand people are insignificant in number compared to the tens or hundreds of thousands of miscellaneous individuals who follow, their quality is much higher.

Raleigh always remembered that this was a superhuman world, where the power of the masses was insignificant in the face of the strong. Whether it was Roger, Edward Whitebeard, or Shiki the Golden Lion, for strongmen of their caliber, sheer numbers would no longer harm them.

It just takes a little more effort.

However, one should think more ambitiously when doing things. What if Raleigh had three thousand naval captains instead of three thousand naval soldiers?

What if there were three thousand commodores?!

Raleigh could easily exploit legal loopholes to legally possess an organization that controls the entire Navy of the One Piece world.

But then again, how can a person be said to have no dreams?

If one day Raleigh truly possesses such power, then it will be time for him to change the world.