That heavy "laziness" pressing down on everyone, making even lifting a finger feel like too much effort, came quickly, and left just as quickly.
Just as the Marines felt like they were about to collectively hibernate in the middle of a solemn ceremony, that strange aura receded like a tide.
"Huff… huff…"
Countless people gasped for air, as if they had just surfaced from the deep sea.
"W-What was that just now?"
"It felt like I'd worked three days and nights straight… I just wanted to die on the spot…"
"Was that the fourth Admiral's show of power? That's terrifying!"
Fear, awe, speculation, all kinds of emotions began fermenting across the plaza. Every gaze locked tightly onto the black colossus docked at the harbor, the Lullaby.
Clank, rumble!
With a thunderous mechanical sound, the towering black hull slowly lowered an incomparably wide… pure gold gangway.
Yes, pure gold.
Under the sunlight, its extravagant brilliance nearly blinded the front-row Marines.
Then, a red carpet rolled down like a waterfall, stretching all the way to the end of the dock.
"What a grand entrance…"
Someone in the crowd swallowed hard.
The first to emerge were two rows of guards in black suits and sunglasses, their builds imposing.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, each step precise, the result of brutal G-5 training.
Following them were several figures well known across the world.
A man in a dark purple suit, crackling with faint blue lightning, "Thunder God" Rehn.
Expressionless, eyes cold, he stood like an unsheathed blade, the air around him tingling with electricity.
Beside him was a beautiful woman with long blue hair, wearing a uniform and gold-rimmed glasses, Ain.
Holding a folder, she exuded a composed, intellectual aura, the unmistakable presence of a top-tier executive.
On the other side stood a woman with wavy grass-green hair and a stunning figure, Monet.
Adjusting her glasses, she wore a mysterious, alluring smile, radiating dangerous charm.
There was also a blond man in a black double-breasted suit, one eye covered, a cigarette between his lips, Sanji.
Though he tried to act like a "cool bodyguard," the occasional heart-shaped look in his eyes gave him away completely.
But despite their strength, these subordinates were merely the supporting cast.
They respectfully stepped aside, bowing slightly.
"Th-Those are…?"
A pirate in the New World watching the broadcast widened his eyes.
"Those are Haiiroyo's officers! Every one of them is insanely strong, especially that Thunder God guy! And yet, in front of that man, he's just a follower?!"
Then, under the gaze of the entire world, a cluster of colorful, dreamlike bubbles floated out from the ship.
The next second,
The entire Marineford plaza fell into dead silence.
Then came a collective gasp powerful enough to shake the heavens!
"GASP!!!"
On the golden gangway, ten figures appeared, ten girls with breathtaking beauty, their figures graceful, their presence almost otherworldly.
They were not human.
Their shimmering, colorful fish tails reflected light like gemstones.
Seated on specially made floating bubbles, they looked like spirits from myth.
Mermaids.
And not just any mermaids,
Ten absolute top-tier beauties.
Some were cute like pink coral; some cold and elegant like deep-sea sapphires; others seductive like blazing flames.
Each one had a beauty that could topple kingdoms.
And yet, all ten of these stunning mermaids looked at the man in the center with near worship, attachment… even obsession.
And that man, surrounded by these unparalleled beauties, was the final protagonist of today, Renzo.
He wore a loose, absurdly expensive-looking white coat, with a slightly unbuttoned shirt underneath.
He didn't even look at the cameras.
Nor at the high-ranking Marines waiting for him.
He simply yawned lazily, one hand casually resting on the shoulder of a blonde mermaid, while the other accepted peeled grapes from another.
"Ah."
Renzo opened his mouth, ate the grape, and muttered with mild dissatisfaction:
"A bit sour. Change the variety next time."
"S-Sorry, Lord Renzo."
The mermaid immediately showed a pitiful expression that could melt hearts.
This scene, this single frame, was broadcast across the entire world.
And the world… froze.
At the Sabaody Archipelago, nobles, tycoons, and pirates watching the broadcast dropped their glasses with a crash.
"M-Mermaids?!"
"And this level of beauty?! Ten of them at once?!"
"That's the kind of beauty only seen in Ryugu Palace on Fish-Man Island!"
"Damn it! Who is that man?! I'll kill him! I swear I'll kill him!!"
Meanwhile, at Marineford.
The Marines who had just been intimidated by Renzo's aura now had their eyes bulging out, nosebleeds erupting across the ranks like fountains.
"M-My god…"
"Are those angels? Sea goddesses?"
"This is the treatment of an Admiral?! That's insane…"
"I want to eat that grape too, even the skin!"
The solemn, iron-blooded atmosphere of the ceremony shattered instantly.
In its place was a thick, overwhelming jealousy.
The envy of a hundred thousand single men rising into the sky!
If looks could kill, Renzo would have been torn apart a hundred million times over.
"Gulp…"
Even some of the usually composed Vice Admirals couldn't help swallowing.
"That bastard…"
Garp crushed his senbei in his hand, his eye twitching wildly.
"Is he here for a promotion ceremony or a vacation?! Why didn't I get this treatment back then?!"
Sengoku clutched his chest, his face turning red with anger. "This kind of occasion, and he brings so many, this is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru rubbed her forehead helplessly. "Well… I suppose this explains why he was late. Just choosing people must've taken a while."
At the Admirals' seats, Aokiji removed his eye mask, looking at the flock of mermaids around Renzo, and whistled.
"Ara ara, what enviable justice. Compared to that, my bicycle seat feels pretty lonely."
Akainu's face was as dark as a pot bottom, magma melting his armrest.
"Disgraceful! Undisciplined! He's tarnishing the face of justice!"
Only Kizaru, though still saying "so scary~," had a playful glint behind his glasses.
"That's Renzo-kun for you, always bringing something new~."
Renzo finally reached the center of the plaza.
Only then did he seem to notice the tens of thousands of hostile, envious stares.
He stopped, scratched his head, and asked Ain:
"Why are they all staring at me? Is there something on my face?"
Ain adjusted her glasses, glanced at the Marines who looked like they were about to cry blood, and replied calmly:
"No, Lord Renzo. They're simply… jealous of you."
"Jealous?"
Renzo sighed and continued walking lazily.
"Being handsome isn't my fault. These people are so narrow-minded."
"PUFF!"
A nearby Rear Admiral spat out blood and fainted on the spot.
Shameless!
Absolutely shameless!
Never had anyone been this brazen!
Under a sky-burning wave of jealousy, Renzo walked forward with his luxurious entourage like Moses parting the sea.
Fragrance lingered in the air wherever they passed.
The mermaids even waved and blew kisses at the Marines on both sides.
"Ah you've worked hard, soldier boys~"
"Do your best~."
"Ah… I'm dead…"
"I want to defect to G-5…"
"Take me with you! I don't want to be a Marine anymore! I want to polish Admiral Renzo's shoes!"
Marines clutched their chests, nearly fainting from bliss.
Just like that, Renzo walked unimpeded through the crowd and stepped onto the high platform reserved for the top brass.
He didn't even glance at the lonely chair prepared for him.
He flicked his finger lightly.
"Monet."
"Yes, lord."
Understanding instantly, Monet waved her hand.
Snowflakes gathered, forming out of thin air a massive, soft ice-and-fur sofa beside Akainu and Aokiji's seats.
Renzo flopped onto it comfortably.
The ten mermaids immediately surrounded him, some massaging his legs, others his shoulders, others feeding him drinks.
Rehn, Ain, Sanji, and the others stood behind like loyal knights.
This wasn't a promotion ceremony.
This was clearly the world's richest man booking out the venue for entertainment!
Renzo let out a satisfied hum, then lazily lifted his eyes.
He glanced at the furious Akainu, then at Kizaru watching with amusement.
Raising his glass, he faced the global cameras and flashed a relaxed, infuriating smile:
"Sorry, overslept a bit."
"But since everyone's here…"
"Let's begin this… boring ceremony."