Time always moves in a frantic rush. Before long, the entire morning had vanished.
It was 1:00 PM.
Currently, inside the largest conference room at Marine Headquarters, high-ranking officers draped in "Justice" coats were filing in one after another. Within a short window, more than twenty generals and admirals had gathered.
This elite group included the three Admirals—Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu—as well as the Hero Garp, Great Staff Officer Tsuru, Chief Instructor Zephyr, and even the former Fleet Admiral and current Commander-in-Chief, "Cyborg" Kong.
Soon, the vast room was mostly filled. Seeing that everyone had arrived, Sengoku, sitting at the head of the table, cleared his throat and tapped the surface, bringing silence to the room.
Scanning the quiet crowd, Sengoku spoke with a solemn expression: "I believe many of you already know the purpose of this meeting. I won't waste any more of your time."
"This is a special commissioning ceremony I have convened on short notice."
"After discussions between myself and the Commander-in-Chief, we have unanimously decided to accept the request for rank restoration from former Vice Admiral Rowan."
Sengoku paused, giving Rowan a nod before continuing to the crowd. "If none of the generals present have any objections, we shall proceed with Vice Admiral Rowan's commissioning ceremony."
The Navy values the ability to command respect. Before an officer is commissioned as a general-level officer, they technically require the consensus of the high-ranking leadership. Generally speaking, this "consent" is a mere formality. Those eligible for promotion have usually earned it through military merit or strength that matches the rank. Furthermore, the recent generations of Fleet Admirals were not the type to play favorites or rely on nepotism.
However, commissioning ceremonies are usually held on fixed dates annually. Because of this, the official commissioning day is often referred to by Headquarters personnel as "Promotion Day."
A special, temporary meeting convened specifically for one person's rank had never happened in the history of the Navy. This alone spoke volumes about the position Rowan held in Sengoku's heart—Sengoku was willing to act "out of line" for his mentor.
Even more critically, this wasn't about a promotion; it was about bringing a man retired for nearly twenty years back into the fold and restoring his rank of Vice Admiral. There were even rumors that Commander-in-Chief Kong intended to break precedent even further by awarding Rowan the title of Honorary Admiral.
This was unprecedented in history.
After a brief silence, Kong, sitting beside Rowan, patted his shoulder. Rowan nodded and walked into the open space in the center of the conference room. Once he reached the middle, Sengoku picked up the prepared Vice Admiral shoulder boards and the Justice coat to walk toward him.
But at that moment, a voice rang out from the corner that did not fit the occasion.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have an objection!"
Hearing this, Sengoku's brow furrowed. He pulled back the foot he had just stepped forward with, his face clouding with displeasure. However, he quickly reined in his emotion and traced the source of the voice.
Every other eye in the room followed suit. One had to admit, whoever dared to object at this moment was incredibly "brave." Did this person not know the status Old Man Rowan held in the hearts of Sengoku and the others? To object to this ceremony was essentially to object to the entire upper echelon of Marine Headquarters.
"Rear Admiral Carmage, what is your objection?" Sengoku asked, his eyes narrowing.
As the "Resourceful General" and Fleet Admiral, Sengoku kept the files of every officer from the rank of Lieutenant and above in his head. The moment the man spoke, Carmage's data appeared in Sengoku's mind.
Carmage, 46 years old. Joined the Navy 28 years ago. Spent the first 24 years in the North Blue. Five years ago, he ate the Ox-Ox Fruit: Buffalo Model, becoming a Devil Fruit user. His strength improved significantly. Promoted to Rear Admiral four years ago and transferred to Headquarters. A subordinate of Admiral Akainu. High personal combat power, considered top-tier among Headquarters Rear Admirals.
Sengoku's eyes thinned. Sakazuki's subordinate? Why is he jumping out to oppose this now?
Rear Admiral Carmage stood up, saluted Sengoku and the other officers, and began to speak.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I know that Mr. Rowan is your mentor, as well as the mentor of Vice Admiral Garp and Chief Instructor Zephyr. He has carried the burden of Justice for decades and earned great merit for the Navy."
"But Vice Admiral Rowan has been fully retired for nearly twenty years. While I, Carmage, support his desire to return and shine for the sake of Justice from the bottom of my heart..."
"Retirement is retirement. Simply restoring his rank like this seems... inappropriate."
"After all, if his rank is restored, Mr. Rowan is no longer just a retired old gentleman. Fleet Admiral, you surely understand the significance behind the rank better than anyone. If it were..."
Carmage hesitated. Even though he didn't finish the sentence, everyone understood his meaning. He was suggesting that Rowan's strength no longer matched the rank of Vice Admiral.
After expressing his point, Carmage looked directly at Sengoku. Even when Rowan turned to look at him with a surprised expression, Carmage showed no hint of guilt. He believed he was right.
Rumors of Sengoku restoring Rowan's rank—and even giving him an "Honorary Admiral" title—had spread through Headquarters days ago. Sengoku doing this wasn't surprising, but Carmage hadn't expected Commander-in-Chief Kong to agree to it.
It was common knowledge that while there are always three Admiral positions, the number of Vice Admiral seats is also effectively fixed. For a Rear Admiral to be promoted, a Vice Admiral must step down—whether through retirement or death. Only when a seat opens can those below move up.
In recent years, most Headquarters Vice Admirals were in their prime; very few were retiring. With Carmage's strength and merit, competing for those few precious seats against other elite Rear Admirals was already difficult.
Now, Sengoku and Kong were, in his view, using their personal influence to restore the rank of a man retired for decades. By taking up a Vice Admiral slot for no reason, Rowan was making Carmage's chances of promotion even smaller.
He was forty-six. While the Devil Fruit had boosted his power a few years ago, he felt his strength beginning to plateau or even decline with age. If he couldn't make Vice Admiral in the next few years, he would never reach that seat in his lifetime.
For the sake of his future, Carmage felt he had to stand up and play the contrarian.
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