One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

Time flows like sand in an hourglass, moving at a pace that anyone can see.

In the end, the Five Elders agreed to the plan Akira had proposed.

However, they also imposed a series of restrictions.

Akira tactfully agreed to these conditions without any argument.

He was well aware of his position.

He hadn't yet become the strongest, and even as a temporary Marine Fleet Admiral, how could he refuse the orders of the Five Elders?

Would it help to refuse?

Since it wouldn't, there was no need to waste energy on it.

Later that evening, at the port:

"Akira, the Five Elders asked me to deliver a message to you."

Kong, with his hands behind his back, looked at the two subordinates standing on the deck of the warship ahead, and said:

"They look forward to your performance and want you to do well."

"I hope the next time I see you, it'll be as Fleet Admiral."

Akira frowned slightly but kept a smile on his face.

Before he could respond, Zephyr beside him patted his broad chest and said loudly:

"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Kong. If Akira can really come up with one trillion berries in half a month, he'll be the Fleet Admiral."

"I'll definitely support him fully."

Kong nodded, giving Zephyr a meaningful look: "Alright, then I'll leave it to you two."

"Got it! Don't worry," Akira nodded. "By the way, Fleet Admiral Kong, when do you plan to return to headquarters?"

Borsalino had been sent out to gather large funds.

Gion also took Rouge on a warship to carry out a mission.

Zephyr was likely to leave soon as well.

Although Akira remained, his strength was still only that of a top Vice Admiral.

Without other high-level combat power, Akira alone, along with a small number of soldiers, wouldn't be able to defend Marineford.

Therefore, Kong, whose injury had healed long ago, couldn't just slip away. He had to return to maintain order and keep troublemakers in check.

"I still have a few things to arrange; I'll head back tomorrow morning."

"Alright, then I understand."

"Good."

After chatting for a while, the three of them parted ways.

Kong turned and walked toward the grand Holy Land.

Akira and Zephyr boarded a warship and sailed down the river.

"Akira, Kong met with you personally just now. How did it go? How much support in berries are they offering?"

Once the Red Line was out of sight, Zephyr approached, his face marked with age, filled with curiosity.

Akira gazed out at the distant sea, not turning his head as he raised one finger.

"One hundred billion berries?"

Zephyr stroked his chin, muttering to himself, "That's decent, it solves one-tenth of the financial issue."

"No, it's one..." Akira began to correct him, but Zephyr interrupted.

"Ten billion berries? Come on, are they trying to insult us?"

Zephyr was a bit frustrated.

Ten billion berries seemed like nothing compared to the astronomical figure of one trillion berries.

In his mind, they should have at least given five or six hundred billion berries, no less.

"Not a single berry."

Akira brought Zephyr back to reality, stopping his wild speculations.

The Five Elders had already agreed to give the Marines maximum autonomy and the authority to generate funds, pushing their limits.

Under such conditions, there was no way they'd hand over any money.

But Akira was already quite satisfied.

He hadn't expected to receive any money from the Holy Land in the first place.

After all, if the World Government really wanted to support him, they wouldn't do so openly. They would secretly back him, a contender against Sengoku for the position of Fleet Admiral.

The fact that he was even considered a candidate to compete with Sengoku for the Fleet Admiral position was due to the silent approval of the Five Elders behind the scenes.

But it's been a long time, and while Akira has handled what he can, the most important issue—securing the berries—hasn't been addressed by the Five Elders. Isn't it obvious?

No money!

Since the World Government can't or won't provide the funds, the Marines will have to generate income themselves.

And besides just making money, it's natural for Akira to have some of his own ideas, right?

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly as he sank deep into thought.

[Ding, the log is updated!]

[Host has successfully used the Great Pirate Era to make the Marines initially independent and temporarily free from the control of the World Government—congratulations on taking the first step. This action supports missions 1, 2, and 3 and rewards you with 1600 experience points.]

[Special reminder: An invincible sword is forged by skilled craftsmen through countless trials and errors. The same is true for the great cause of rebellion; experience and trial and error are necessary.]

"What??"

Zephyr suddenly roared in frustration, snapping Akira back to reality.

"Not a single berry? How do they expect us to handle such a situation?"

"If the Marines have to do everything on our own, what's the point of the World Government?"

"Soldiers, turn this ship around!"

"I'm going to speak with the Five Elders myself. They're taking advantage of you because you're young and easy to mislead, aren't they?"

Zephyr was clearly furious, and it showed in his rare outburst.

Akira, seeing Zephyr's anger, stepped forward, stopping the soldiers from turning the ship around, and gently patted Zephyr on the shoulder.

"Teacher Zephyr, don't worry. I've got this under control."

"Do you really think I'm the type to just accept being pushed around?"

Hearing this, Zephyr calmed down a bit, recalling Akira's past.

Indeed, even when Akira wasn't as strong, he was never one to be easily taken advantage of. On the contrary, he often had others dancing to his tune.

"Alright, Mr. Zephyr, trust me on this."

"Now, about that task I mentioned earlier—when do you plan to leave?"

Quickly changing the subject, Akira handed Zephyr the task file.

As expected, Zephyr immediately shifted his focus away from the lack of berries and grabbed the file with determination.

"The old man is leaving right now."

"Alright, be careful. I'm heading back to headquarters."

"Akira, how are you getting back? Want me to give you a ride?"

"It's simple. I'll just fly back."

Akira smiled slightly.

He pulled out a peculiar leaf from his pocket, gave it a quick brush with a pen, and tossed it into the air.

Bang.

In an instant, a massive flying creature, strong enough to carry a person, emerged, flapping its wings over the sea.

Under the astonished gazes of Zephyr and all the soldiers, Akira climbed onto the back of the large bird and gradually disappeared from view.

"This ability is actually pretty convenient," Zephyr muttered to himself.

...

Later that night.

Akira sat in the Fleet Admiral's office.

By now, he had changed out of his travel clothes and taken a refreshing shower, feeling completely revitalized.

"Next up, it's time for the administrative push, so let's get to work."

"Soldier, gather everyone from the staff for a meeting."

Akira tapped the table as he gave the order to the soldier at the door.

The soldier, who was on standby around the clock, immediately saluted, turned, and ran out to relay the message.

Soon after, the conference room filled up as many of the staff members gathered, welcoming Akira once again.

Rosinante held a notepad and pen, ready to record Akira's every word and action.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Akira slammed a thick document onto the table.

"I declare this meeting officially started."

"For the next half month, everyone is to stop their current tasks and follow my directives."

"We now have three main goals!"

"Make money, make money, and just to be clear, MAKE MONEY!"

Rosinante: "..."

Many staff members: "..."