"Mission complete?"
Hearing those two system prompts, Rowan felt a surge of joy. Originally, he only wanted to give this a try; if the "Honorary" title didn't work, he would have found another way. He hadn't expected that being an Honorary Admiral would satisfy the Main Quest's conditions.
Without a second thought, Rowan thought to himself: Claim rewards!
[Mission Complete. 50,000 Belief Points have been credited.][Main Quest: 'Promote Rank' is fully complete. Second Main Quest Unlocked: 'Legendary Marine'.][Legendary Marine: Please increase the Host's Prestige to 10,000. Current Prestige: 0.]
"50,000 Belief Points!"
Even Rowan was momentarily stunned by the number. Good grief, the rewards for the Main Quest were incredibly generous. With 50,000 points added to what he had already saved, he could nearly max out all the ability entries in the Belief Shop!
He had assumed the reward would be ten thousand at most and planned to save up slowly. Now, it seemed there was no need to be frugal.
However, a small doubt crossed Rowan's mind: Why was the rank-promotion chain considered "fully complete" at the Admiral rank? Wasn't Fleet Admiral above that? Did the system not count Fleet Admiral as a distinct rank? Or perhaps... before he even made a move, the mission considered the peak reached.
As for the second quest, "Legendary Marine," Rowan decided to study it when he had more time. After all, he was still on the phone with Sengoku.
"Master?"
Sengoku's voice came through cautiously, seemingly confused by Rowan's sudden silence.
Rowan shook his head to snap out of it. "Oh, it's nothing. I'll head back shortly."
"Understood. In that case, I'll schedule the meeting for this afternoon." Sengoku paused, then added, "By the way, Master, Mr. Kong said that when we hold your commissioning ceremony, he will also be in attendance."
"Kong?"
The image of a man who had joined the Navy during the same era as him flashed through Rowan's mind—a man with physical talent far exceeding the norm and terrifying strength. Rowan laughed. "Alright. I'll pack up and head back now."
After a bit more small talk, Rowan hung up. He looked out the window at the green-haired silhouette in the hotel courtyard, practicing his swordsmanship with single-minded focus. Rowan nodded in approval. "Zoro really is the hard worker. As for Luffy... that brat is probably still asleep, isn't he?"
Thinking of Luffy's personality, Rowan shook his head. While the boy had staggering natural talent for combat, he was definitely a bit lax when it came to discipline. Compared to Zoro, Luffy was practically lazy. During their few days on Sabaody, all Luffy did was eat and play. Zoro, on the other hand, never missed a day of training and pushed himself at every opportunity.
"Forget it. I'll grab some breakfast and head to Marineford to settle things."
Rowan washed up, put on the high-end shirt and shorts he'd bought yesterday, slipped into his signature flip-flops, and stepped out of the bedroom.
"Mr. Rowan, you're awake?"
Momousagi (Gion) was busy in the suite's lounge. Seeing Rowan, a sweet smile broke across her usually cool face. "Breakfast is almost ready. Eat quickly; it won't taste as good if it gets cold."
"Breakfast?" Rowan looked at the beads of sweat on Gion's forehead and the lavish spread on the table. He raised an eyebrow. "You made all this?"
"Of course, Mr. Rowan. I've been busy all morning," Gion pouted playfully.
"Was there a need for so much trouble?" Rowan rubbed his temples. This was a hotel district; breakfast was sold right outside the door, and the hotel's room service wasn't bad either. Gion getting up at the crack of dawn to prepare such a feast made him feel a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
"This was prepared specifically for you; you're not allowed to refuse," Gion insisted.
"Fine, fine." Rowan didn't argue further. He walked to the table, popped a fragrant octopus ball into his mouth, and said while chewing, "Go call the others to eat. After breakfast, we're going back to Marineford. My commissioning ceremony is this afternoon."
"Everything is finalized?" Gion's face lit up with excitement.
Rowan chuckled. "Sengoku-boy works fast."
Gion praised Rowan with a few more flattering words before leaving to fetch Ain, Luffy, and Zoro from the courtyard. After the group finished eating, they took a bubble car back to Grove 65.
Vice Admiral Toller had already prepared the warship. Seeing Rowan's group, Toller snapped into a salute. "Mr. Rowan, your ship is ready to depart at a moment's notice."
Rowan nodded and patted Toller's shoulder. "Thanks for these past few days, little Toller."
Toller smiled broadly. "Please don't say that, Mr. Rowan. I wouldn't be where I am today without your guidance. It is my honor to serve you."
You brat... Rowan shook his head at the hero-worship. He didn't mind the respect, but the level of reverence made it hard to be casual.
[Host gained Vice Admiral Toller's admiration: Prestige +10]
The system prompt rang in his mind. Seeing Toller's sincere gaze, Rowan decided to let it be. He offered a few words of encouragement—farming a few more prestige points in the process—before leading his group onto the ship. The warship slowly set sail, heading back toward the heart of the Navy.
Roughly half an hour later, the ship sailed into the inner bay of Marineford. Because of the proximity between Sabaody and the Headquarters, the trip only took thirty minutes at full speed.
As they entered the bay, Rowan saw a "powerhouse lineup" waiting for him on the pier.
Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and a mostly-recovered Zephyr were there, of course. But this time, they were led by a towering, heavyweight figure. Standing at the very front was a white-haired man with a powerful build and a faint smile on his lips.
The Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's military, and Rowan's sworn brother-in-arms through life and death: "Cyborg" Kong.
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