One Piece: Blue Scale Admiral

"Now, let us invite the marines who won the wooden plaques in the Vermeer Trial Selection to the stage. Please invite the most powerful marine in the Navy Headquarters, our beloved Vice Admiral Rorschach, to award these brave warriors their medals on the spot!"

Chapter 723 Choice

As Gates's impassioned voice faded, countless eyes in the square turned to Rorschach.

Among these people were not only marines who had participated in the conscription, but also journalists from major newspapers, envoys from some member states, and officials from the world government.

Since this recruitment drive was being broadcast live worldwide, Rorschach suggested that Akainu invite envoys from some member states to attend the ceremony.

This approach served two purposes: firstly, it allowed him to discuss with the member states the possibility of establishing naval branch bases within their territories; secondly, it gave Morgans the opportunity to negotiate business collaborations, such as building cinemas, with the envoys.

At the same time, it can also enhance the navy's prestige, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

Facing the gazes that held awe, admiration, fervor, or envy, Luo Xia walked calmly and confidently toward the platform. He possessed a natural air of composure born from years of experience, which captivated all who beheld him.

He paused slightly as he passed Akainu.

"Uncle Sakazuki, should all the medals be awarded?"

"You only need to award medals to a few exemplary individuals; leave the rest to Brannew."

"Akainu said in a deep voice."

Luo Xia nodded and walked gracefully onto the stage, which was illuminated by countless spotlights, standing under the gaze of the crowd.

At this moment, Rorschach was wearing a sky-blue military uniform, black military boots, and a large white cloak of justice draped over his back.

His signature silver-white hair and deep blue, ocean-like eyes instantly made a lasting impression on viewers watching the live stream.

Rorschach declined the Den Den Mushi offered by Brannew, and instead, facing the gaze of the entire world, spoke in a loud and clear voice that resonated over G1 Island, reaching the ears of everyone present.

"First of all, on behalf of the Navy Headquarters and the Navy branches around the world, I welcome you to the Navy!"

As soon as Luo Xia finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, resounding throughout the area.

"Thank you all for having such great faith and high hopes for our Navy in this terrible era of rampant piracy, for traveling thousands of miles and braving dangers from all over the world to join the Navy."

"In order to better uphold justice, protect the weak, and combat evil, we have opened up a special selection standard for the millions of marines participating in this recruitment. Under this standard, you do not need to accumulate military merits over a long period of time. You only need to have strong enough personal strength and a clean past to rise to the top and become a senior admiral in the navy!"

A deafening cheer immediately erupted from the square below.

Clearly, the recruits who had performed well at the Vermeeru training grounds were extremely satisfied with the ranks they were about to receive.

Rorschach continued, "As you all know, two months ago, our Navy fought a battle against the Whitebeard Pirates at Marineford. In that battle, we achieved a complete victory, utterly defeating the Whitebeard Pirates, whose total number of pirates exceeded 70,000. We killed more than 40,000 pirates on the spot and captured more than 20,000."

The cheers grew louder.

"But do you know how many brave soldiers our navy sacrificed in this war?"

As soon as Luo Xia uttered his next sentence, the deafening cheers from the audience gradually subsided, and countless eyes fell on him.

Sengoku and the others, who were also looking up at Luo Xia, were taken aback, not understanding why Luo Xia would bring this up at this time.

Shouldn't we take advantage of the new recruits' high morale and recruit these soldiers, whose individual strength is no less than that of the Navy's elite, into the Navy's ranks first?

Talking about sacrifice when morale is high might cause these strong people who have come from all over the world to become afraid and leave.

Rorschach's calm voice continued to echo above G1.

"Twenty-three thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven—that's the number of marines who died in the Battle of Marineford. And that doesn't even include those soldiers who were seriously wounded and suffered severe physical disabilities as a result of the war."

"Damn it." Sengoku and Garp exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

as predicted.

When Rorschach uttered those words, the smiles vanished from the faces of the new recruits who had received wooden plaques representing their ranks in G1 Square, which had been filled with deafening cheers. Instead, their faces showed hesitation and fear.

Their reaction was perfectly normal.

How many people in this world can truly face death without fear?

Not to mention, such a large-scale death toll.

Luo Xia ignored the commotion below the stage and continued speaking in a low voice.

"Twenty-three thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven people, twenty-three thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven people, powerful, fearless and brave elite warriors. Each of them is a pillar of our Marine Headquarters, a cornerstone of justice, and the most powerful dagger to fight pirates and combat criminals."

"Among them were lieutenant generals, major generals, brigadier generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, and junior officers."

"Among them, some are fathers and mothers, with children at home waiting for their triumphant return, who worship them as heroes. Some are children, with elderly parents who need their support and care. Some have just gotten married and haven't even had time to say goodbye to their new wives before rushing off to the battlefield."

Faint sobs could already be heard from various corners of the audience.

The marines who had experienced that brutal war were deeply moved by Rorschach's calm narration, and their eyes welled up with tears.

The emotional Bepo, Hibari, and others had already shed tears.

Rebecca pursed her lips tightly; she could sense the heaviness in Rorschach's words.

"To be honest, I really don't like war at all, because every war breaks up countless families that should be happy and fulfilled, and kills countless people who should be living happily."

Rorschach's deep voice echoed over G1 Island, in the live broadcast worldwide, and in the ears of countless people.

"But some wars have to be fought. Because in this terrible era, those pirates who don't treat the weak as human beings, those criminals who trample on the lives of civilians and build their desires on the suffering of countless innocent people, truly don't deserve to live!"

His voice turned cold and sharp, as resounding as a knife.

"Those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Battle of Marineford, the marines who died in the Battle of G1, and those who were wounded and killed in countless battles to capture and suppress pirates, are truly deserving heroes!"

"It is because of their selfless and heroic fighting, their fearlessness in the face of death, and their relentless battles against the pirates, that more ordinary families have the hope of living a peaceful life!"

"They are great warriors, heroes of the navy!"

"I'm saying all this to make everyone think clearly: joining the Navy isn't a decision made on a whim, but a choice made after careful consideration. Because the path of the Navy means fighting against countless vicious criminals around the world, and facing death to uphold justice and protect the weak!"

"We are a righteous navy, so we cannot back down!"

"Because behind us, there are thousands of lights shining!"

"So, gentlemen, you still have time to consider and a chance to leave. Once you truly ascend this high platform and are awarded the glorious naval rank, you will have to disregard life and death and fight for the cause of justice for the rest of your lives! Now, I will give you ten minutes to consider whether you want to stay. If you want to leave, we will arrange for warships to escort you back safely."

After Luo Xia finished speaking, he fell silent and stood quietly on the high platform.

The huge crowd below the stage fell into a long silence because of his words.

At this moment, everyone—whether it was the recruits holding wooden plaques, the reporters holding video Den Den Mushi, the envoys from member states watching the spectacle, or high-ranking naval officers like Sengoku, Garp, and Akainu, or the audiences watching and listening to this scene on live broadcasts around the world—was completely silent.

Rorschach's resounding words silenced the entire room.

Behind us, there are thousands of lights.

Garp's lips moved as he chewed on the words over and over again, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

Such a simple and unadorned sentence, yet it perfectly showcases the most beautiful aspect of justice.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Akainu stared at Rorschach for a long time before shifting his gaze to Hibari, who was sobbing.

Kizaru lowered his head, not wanting anyone to see his face.

He muttered to himself, "Next time I should wear a darker pair of sunglasses."

Amidst the crowd, Huang Mu's lips curled into a disdainful sneer.

"Protecting the weak? What a laughable statement. This world is a dog-eat-dog world, where the strong rule the life and death of the weak. Since ancient times, humanity has survived by stepping on creatures weaker than itself. The weak deserve to be trampled underfoot and enslaved, while the strong should enjoy the services provided by the weak. This arrogant brat is indeed unworthy to follow Brother Akainu. He's a ridiculously naive fellow."

Huang Mu, who had a cold smile on his face, suddenly felt an extremely terrifying and icy killing intent envelop his body, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and he couldn't help but shiver.

He looked up and saw Luo Xia casting two cold gazes in his direction.

Under the gaze of those two icy eyes, the cold smile that had been playing on Huang Mu's lips gradually froze.

When Luo Xia withdrew his gaze, Huang Mu suddenly felt a sense of embarrassment and annoyance.

Just a second ago, he felt a slight fear of Luo Xia.

In the long silence, some new recruits began to silently place the wooden plaques they were holding on the ground, lower their heads in shame, and turn away.

One, two...

As time passed, the crowds in G1 Plaza noticeably thinned out.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to become heavy as well.

Enel calmly surveyed his surroundings. He could clearly sense that many people were struggling with the decision of whether or not to leave.

Unbeknownst to them, nine minutes had passed, and the elite recruits who had fought their way out of the Wilmaeu training grounds had been reduced by a full 20%.

Of the remaining 80%, some are still undecided.

The passing of time, second by second, felt like torture for those who remained.

In the final ten seconds or so, several hundred more people hurriedly got up, put down their wooden signs, and left with their heads down.

Finally, ten minutes passed.

From the high platform, Rorschach's voice rang out.

"Gentlemen, time has come."

As Rorschach announced the end of the ten minutes, many of the recruits who hadn't left the stage suddenly snapped out of their long, agonizing wait and found themselves drenched in cold sweat.

At the same time, their previous hesitation and struggle suddenly vanished, and they felt relieved.

At this moment, everyone on G1 Island looked at Rorschach in unison.

Facing the new recruits who did not choose to leave and the veterans who stood solemnly, Luo Xia's voice suddenly softened.

A gentle smile appeared on his face as he extended his right hand toward the audience.

"Now, please let me repeat myself."

"Welcome to the Navy family, my comrades!"

"Whoa!" As his words fell, a huge sound wave, as if it would overturn the entire G1 island, suddenly rang out from below the stage.

At this moment, whether they were new recruits or veterans, they could hardly contain the emotions surging in their chests and shouted out loud.

It was a warm cheer, a hearty laugh of someone who had found their purpose in life after solidifying their stance.

"Whoa whoa whoa! The Navy will prevail! Justice will prevail!" Palmer suddenly waved his fist and shouted in a thunderous voice.

"The Navy will prevail! Justice will prevail!"

Tens of thousands of people joined in the chanting, their voices thunderous and resounding throughout the heavens and earth.

At this moment, countless viewers around the world watching the live broadcast couldn't help but cheer along with the deafening shouts from G1 Island, their faces flushed and their blood boiling with excitement.