Tokikake scratched his head, seeming quite embarrassed.
His initial intention was simply to show off in front of Raleigh and Gion, but he never expected Raleigh had recorded the entire scene.
"Raleigh... actually, I..."
"No need to explain, Tokikake," Raleigh cut him off before he could finish. "We're comrades—I understand perfectly what you mean. Besides, with Vice Admiral Sakazuki gone, we need to boost morale for the soldiers and civilians of the North Blue. Your recording serves as the best testament. Even without Sakazuki, we still have the brave Commander Tokikake."
Raleigh was driven by a straightforward plan.
He aimed to continuously build up Tokikake's reputation, letting Tokikake and Gion claim all the military achievements and fame.
This way, the outside world would focus less on Borsalino and himself. Instead, attention would shift to the more prominent figures—Tokikake and Gion.
After all, everyone loves sensational news. By staying hidden, Raleigh and Borsalino could act more freely.
....
After dealing with the Mafia, Raleigh and his group returned to the naval base.
Unusually, Borsalino wasn't at the base but had set sail instead, without disclosing his purpose to Raleigh.
Before leaving, however, he issued one order.
He assigned the naval forces of Branch 166, led by Captain Cleveland, to serve directly under Raleigh.
Other branches would take over Branch 166's defense zone.
"So, this is how my brother left things with you?"
Raleigh and Cleveland stared at each other in the office.
To be fair, the fact that Cleveland had made a name for himself under Sakazuki's command spoke to his capabilities.
But Cleveland had been too deeply influenced by Sakazuki. During the escort mission, he had no issues with Raleigh due to Raleigh's superior rank. Back then, they were merely carrying out an escort duty.
Now, things were different. As Raleigh's direct subordinate, they would be sharing a warship every day.
Seeing Cleveland's conflicted expression, Raleigh didn't press the issue.
He believed that after some time together, Cleveland would come to understand his methods.
"Captain Cleveland, are all naval soldiers of Branch 166 present?"
"All Branch 166 naval soldiers, except for three on leave, are assembled on the training ground awaiting your inspection, Rear Admiral," Cleveland replied, pulling the personnel roster from his coat and handing it to Raleigh.
Raleigh gave it a brief glance before setting it on the desk.
"Since everyone is on the training ground, let's head there. I have something to say to them all."
"Yes, sir!"
Raleigh rose from his seat, donned his Justice Cloak, and led the way to the training ground.
Hmph! Hah!
The training ground wasn't occupied solely by the lined-up soldiers of Branch 166.
Most of the space was filled with elite soldiers of the North Blue base training vigorously, their upper bodies bare.
Some were running laps, others were sparring, and a few were honing their artillery skills.
"Hey, aren't those guys from Branch 166? What are they doing lined up here?"
"Shh, I heard from a friend in the intelligence department that the newly appointed Vice Admiral Borsalino is Rear Admiral Raleigh's older brother."
"To ensure Rear Admiral Raleigh's safety, they specifically selected the elite Branch 166 to serve as his direct subordinates."
A few soldiers jogging around the training ground chatted casually, appearing quite interested in this new deputy admiral.
"So they're waiting here for inspection, right?"
"Exactly. We just don't know whether this new Rear Admiral Raleigh actually has real capability or if he's just riding his brother's coattails."
"We'll find out soon enough. I think I see Rear Admiral Raleigh coming over now."
With that, the group quickened their pace, intending to "practice a few hundred-meter sprints."
"Greetings, soldiers," Raleigh began. "Since I last came from the East Blue, we've already spent some time together on the warship. Now let me introduce myself in detail."
"My name is Christian Raleigh, a native of the North Blue. I graduated from the Headquarters Academy and previously served at East Blue Branch 133. Through the joint efforts of myself and Commander Momonga, we united the soldiers of Branch 133, captured all pirates in Sector 133, and reduced the crime rate there to ten percent."
"However, I understand that my experience may not amount to much compared to all your battle-hardened veterans. Still, I hope everyone will continue to fight pirates and uphold justice beneath the banner of righteousness. What we must do is build upon the foundation laid by Vice Admiral Sakazuki. Since the pirates of the North Blue have already been thoroughly intimidated, we must make them utterly terrified to set sail, restoring peace to these chaotic seas."
"Justice will prevail!"
Raleigh's uncharacteristically passionate speech surprised both Gion and Tokikake.
This version of him seemed almost like someone they were meeting for the first time.
Tokikake quietly asked Gion, "Gion, I think this is the first time I've seen this side of Raleigh. To be honest, he seems almost too enthusiastic."
Gion similarly whispered back, "It's my first time seeing it too, but this guy always has tricky schemes up his sleeve. I suspect he must have some other purpose."
Neither of them believed Raleigh was genuinely this motivated, but that didn't matter.
Raleigh's true intention wasn't to deceive them, but rather the Marine soldiers of Branch 166 who didn't know him well.
Being new here, Raleigh didn't want to become the one who changed the established rules.
Moreover, he believed Sakazuki's regulations had their merits—they could effectively inspire bravery among the soldiers.
As a commander, Raleigh could afford to slack off. But as frontline soldiers, if they all learned to idle like him, the end result would be Raleigh having to handle everything personally.
Even Cleveland, standing behind them, seemed to have gained a new perspective on Raleigh.
He was a loyal follower of Sakazuki.
Though compelled by orders to serve under Raleigh, he still genuinely identified with Sakazuki's methods.
However, it seemed this often-slacking Rear Admiral had no intention of altering the systems left by Vice Admiral Sakazuki, which made Cleveland secretly view Raleigh more favorably.
----------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator