No one was surprised by Luo Lan's decision.
Wasn't it obvious?
In the past, because Rhodes Island was still operating within the jurisdiction of the Navy, it couldn't openly break away. As a result, Jun Lin had to act in the shadows.
But now, Rhodes Island had moved into the Calm Belt, and even the Navy's top brass knew that Luo Lan was Jun Lin's true leader.
Continuing to hide under the banner of the 157th Branch no longer served any purpose. In fact, it would only hinder Jun Lin's development as an independent organization.
Therefore—
A complete severance from the Navy and a full transition to Jun Lin's independent framework was the only logical step.
"Good. Since no one has any objections, I'll now announce a series of appointments!"
"Gion's rank will remain unchanged. She retains her status as a Vice Admiral and Admiral Candidate, codename 'Peach Rabbit,' and will serve as the commander of our first fleet currently under construction."
"Hina is hereby promoted to Rear Admiral and will serve as the commander of the second fleet."
"Smoker is promoted to Commodore and appointed as the base commander of the Upper Yard Branch."
"Ian is promoted to Commodore and appointed as Head of Logistics."
"Nami is promoted to Captain and appointed as Head of Navigation."
"Karina is promoted to Captain and appointed as Head of Finance."
"Ace is promoted to Captain and appointed as..."
...
...
"Seras is promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed as Head of the Science Division."
"Xisovis is promoted to Commodore and appointed as Deputy Head of the Science Division."
Luo Lan rattled off over twenty appointments in one breath—all of them were core members of Jun Lin.
Not only were military positions covered, but technical appointments were included as well.
People like Seras, Xisovis, Roy, and Kairo, for example—each of them now led critical departments. Most held ranks of Rear Admiral or Commodore, a clear sign of the high regard in which they were held.
What left Ace slightly stunned was that even Makino had been granted a formal rank.
Commander—responsible for all meals and provisions for Jun Lin.
Another person fast-tracked into the officer ranks was Nojiko.
Unlike Nami, Nojiko had asked to work on the front lines from the moment she joined Jun Lin.
Over the past few months, her dedication had been evident to all.
She was even currently enrolled in advanced command courses at the Navy's Super Academy.
So while her promotion came as a bit of a surprise, it wasn't without precedent.
As for the rest of the lower-ranking soldiers, Luo Lan didn't personally handle them. Anyone ranked below Captain would be assigned by the front-line commanders like Peach Rabbit and Hina. They only needed to submit their finalized rosters.
The only one who seemed a bit disgruntled was Peach Rabbit.
Because...
She was the only one who hadn't been promoted.
But there wasn't much that could be done—she was already a Vice Admiral, and an Admiral Candidate at that.
The next step up was full Admiral.
And it was clear she hadn't yet reached that level of power.
So Luo Lan chose to wait before giving her that title.
"Alright, that covers the first matter. Now onto the second."
"Our biggest weakness right now is..."
"A lack of top-tier powerhouses!"
"Gion, don't glare at me. Sure, you're currently our strongest, but the truth is, you still haven't reached Admiral-level strength."
"So we need to fix this shortcoming—fast."
Everyone in the room agreed wholeheartedly.
But they all furrowed their brows.
Because this was a tough problem.
The fastest way to solve it would be to recruit someone who was already Admiral-level. Obvious solution.
But where could such people be found?
There were only so many well-known top-tier fighters in the world. And aside from a few lone wolves, most were already aligned with major powers.
What were they going to do—poach talent from other factions?
That would probably be harder than finding an unaffiliated powerhouse.
So... what now?
"I have three candidates," Luo Lan said calmly.
"First—Dracule Mihawk."
"Second—Issho."
"Third—Aramaki."
The room fell silent.
The first name was familiar—Dracule "Hawk Eye" Mihawk. A lone swordsman, strong enough, and not tied to any real power. His title of Shichibukai was more symbolic than anything.
Whether or not they could recruit him was another matter—but his strength was undeniable.
But the second and third...
Issho?
Aramaki?
Who were they?
Everyone turned and exchanged confused looks.
Not a single person seemed to know who those two were.
"Relax, no need to strain your brains," Luo Lan said. "These two are extremely low-profile, but I guarantee you—they're Admiral-level fighters."
"I'll leave the investigation to the Intelligence Division. Robin, you'll be in charge of tracking them down. Once we find them, I'll handle the rest."
"As for the intel we have..."
"Issho is a blind man in his early 50s. Short black hair, a beard, prefers wearing light purple kimono, with a black-purple belt and scarf. He wields one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords—his is called Gambler's Edge, and it looks like a cane-sword."
"He's also a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user—the Gravity-Gravity Fruit."
"The only tricky part is, I'm not sure if he's currently in the Grand Line or one of the Blues. But he does have one hobby that might help us find him..."
"He loves gambling."
"As for Aramaki, he should be around 37 years old. Dark green curly hair, usually wears sunglasses, always has a cigarette in his mouth, often shirtless. He's got a tattoo on his left side that reads 'Double suicide at death river,' and wears dark pants with petal patterns on the left leg. A katana hangs from his waist."
"He's likely in the South Blue right now—but I can't confirm that."
"Lastly, Aramaki is a Logia-type user—the Woods-Woods Fruit."
"That's everything I know. The rest is up to the Intelligence Division."
Fortunately, Luo Lan had a sharp memory and could recall their appearances in great detail.
While he couldn't pinpoint their locations, this information would go a long way in helping Robin track them down.
Robin, off to the side, jotted down all the details and gave Luo Lan a firm nod.
"Alright, now for the final matter!"
"As of today, all warship coating work has been completed!"
"Tomorrow, Smoker and Ace will take the Ark Maxim and head to Upper Yard to await further orders."
"The rest of us will depart in three days. Our destination: the Sabaody Archipelago."
"From there, we'll use the Fish-Man Island route to enter the New World!"
"Our mission—head to Punk Hazard and eliminate the last remnants of the Donquixote Family..."
"Heavenly Yaksha—Donquixote Doflamingo!"
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