Of course, having clawed his way from a bottom-tier sailor to a Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters without any background, Carmage was no brainless fool.
The reason he dared to raise an objection at this moment was that he had thoroughly investigated the history of this mentor to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp. To have raised so many legendary Marines and to be the sworn brother of Commander-in-Chief Kong—Rowan's decades of dedicated service and the legendary nature of his career were things even Carmage couldn't help but respect.
However, those legends belonged to the past. Old Man Rowan had been retired for decades; he hadn't even set foot in Marine Headquarters for nearly twenty years. Furthermore, according to Carmage's investigation, back when Rowan was still on active duty as a Vice Admiral, his personal strength wasn't particularly outstanding—even compared to branch Vice Admirals, he was considered at the bottom of the pack.
Now that Rowan was nearly a hundred years old, his strength could only have declined significantly. As for the news and reports from a few days ago, Carmage dismissed them as pure fantasy. If Old Man Rowan truly had the strength to battle the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, he wouldn't have been so unremarkable when he originally retired.
This was exactly why Rear Admiral Carmage was so dissatisfied. If Sengoku were simply giving Rowan a desk-job Vice Admiral title, Carmage wouldn't have said a word. But the rank Sengoku intended to restore was a frontline combat position. If Rowan used his privilege to occupy a Headquarters Vice Admiral seat, the difficulty for Carmage to ascend to that rank would increase exponentially.
"So, Rear Admiral Carmage, you are raising an objection because you have doubts regarding Vice Admiral Rowan's personal strength?" After hearing Carmage's explanation, Sengoku's expression actually relaxed considerably.
Sengoku wasn't surprised by Carmage's words. In the beginning, his own concerns had been identical to the Rear Admiral's. But after seeing the Old Man demonstrate his power, Sengoku's doubts had vanished completely. Setting aside the Master's Haki, the mere fact that his Taijutsu could briefly suppress Garp was proof enough. Even if those moves had the element of surprise, being able to make a monster like Garp eat dirt spoke for itself.
Sengoku was now fully confident that even if Rowan didn't use Haki, his strength was enough to make Carmage submit.
Therefore, seeing Carmage nod, Sengoku spoke directly: "I understand Rear Admiral Carmage's concerns. Since you feel Vice Admiral Rowan is unqualified for the restoration of his rank, you may test his strength yourself."
"Not just Rear Admiral Carmage—any Rear Admiral present who has an objection may challenge Vice Admiral Rowan."
"To prove that restoring Vice Admiral Rowan's rank is not an abuse of privilege, I hereby announce: if any Rear Admiral can defeat Vice Admiral Rowan in a challenge, I, Sengoku, will take responsibility and promote them to Vice Admiral on the spot."
"Commander-in-Chief Kong can serve as our witness!"
As soon as these words were uttered, the room erupted.
"Sengoku, isn't this a bit..." Kong frowned, leaning in to whisper with a worried look. Having known Rowan the longest, he felt he knew the "old brat's" strength better than anyone. Even fifty years ago, before his physical strength had declined, Rowan might not have been a guaranteed winner against an elite like Carmage.
"Don't worry, Mr. Kong. Master is very strong. Don't underestimate him," Sengoku said with absolute certainty.
Hearing this, though still worried, Kong said nothing more. If Sengoku believed in Rowan this much, he had no reason to keep questioning it.
"A challenge? If I win, I get promoted to Vice Admiral?!" Carmage's heart raced with excitement, but he asked tentatively, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you serious?"
"I am serious!" Sengoku nodded solemnly.
With the confirmation, Carmage took a deep breath and walked from his seat to the open space in front of Rowan. He saluted the old man and fell into a combat stance. "Vice Admiral Rowan, I, Rear Admiral Carmage, ask for your guidance."
Looking at the battle-hungry Carmage, Rowan shook his head, feeling a touch of melancholy. It seems I've been away from the Navy for too long. Long enough that even restoring my rank draws complaints.
Thirty years ago, even though he was already aged, no Headquarters Rear Admiral—or even a Vice Admiral—would have dared to treat him with anything but the utmost reverence due to his prestige. But now, decades later, a junior Rear Admiral dared to challenge him directly for the sake of a seat. It seemed that in the eyes of these youngsters, the "Marine Godfather" was just a relic left behind by time.
This wasn't good for his "Prestige" growth.
Rowan stretched his muscles slightly, nodded to Carmage, and then scanned the murmuring crowd. "Is there anyone else who has an objection? You can all step forward. I'll accept all your challenges at once."
Today, Rowan intended to make the name "Marine Godfather" thunder through Headquarters once again!
"All at once...?"
Hearing such "arrogant" words, dozens of officers in the conference room knit their brows, and the commotion grew louder. Kong glared at Rowan as if to tell him not to play with fire. Sengoku and Tsuru remained calm. As for Garp and Zephyr, they were already grinning ear to ear.
As Rowan's foster son, Garp believed in the Old Man one hundred percent. The words might sound arrogant, but Garp knew his "Pops" never made a bet he couldn't win. A measly Rear Admiral Carmage wasn't even enough to serve as an appetizer.
As for Zephyr, he had personally witnessed the majestic power Rowan displayed when he crushed Weevil. Forget a Rear Admiral—even the three Admirals he had personally trained might find it hard to get an advantage over the Old Man.
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