One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Jake let out a long sigh of relief.

He had finally taken the first step towards realizing his plan.

Hiding one's abilities wasn't the best strategy in the world of One Piece—at least, not in Jake's eyes.

This world was dangerous.

Natural disasters of the highest caliber could injure even legends like Shiki the Golden Lion.

Ruthless pirates would resort to any despicable means to plunder ordinary civilians of their property and safety.

And at the pinnacle of power, the Celestial Dragons could arbitrarily decide the life or death of commoners—including low-ranking Marines deemed expendable.

Jake had no intention of risking an unfortunate encounter with a Celestial Dragon when he was with Monet someday.

To avoid that, he needed to be flamboyant from the very beginning!

He needed to be groomed as the future pillar of the Marines!

Koby had merely caught Garp's attention before being recruited into SWORD, mingling with the Marine's privileged elite and even rising to a core position among them.

When Koby was captured, the Hero of the Marines, Garp himself, led a squad to rescue him—despite Koby was just a mere captain at the time.

And this had happened while Koby openly disagreed with Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's principles.

So, what if Jake could enter the entire Marine high command's radar and earn their collective mentorship and recognition?

To achieve that, all he had to do was remain unabashedly high-profile and demonstrate enough value at every turn.

With his own system allowing for daily fixed improvements, given enough time, he was confident not only of surpassing Lucci but even of defeating Kaido with a single strike.

What Jake needed now was a long-term, secure guarantee time with a lot of training resource.

The reason for summoning Morgans was to seize the high ground of public opinion.

Such territory, if not occupied by himself, would be taken by the enemy.

And the influence of public opinion on ordinary citizens far outweighed any grand decisions made by higher-ups.

A single statement from Gol D Roger had ushered in the Great Pirate Era and Whitebeard's dying words had propelled it to a second peak.

Public opinion was the ultimate weapon!

Even if he didn't perform perfectly and was labeled as the "Publicity Marine" as long as he had enough attention focused on him, he would remain safe for the time being.

Infamy was still fame!

Moreover, Jake's ambition this time was set on Katakuri's Conqueror's Haki.

With his system, Jake faced no learning barriers or prerequisites for any skill.

If Katakuri demonstrated Conqueror's Haki even once, Jake could acquire that power, becoming the sole leader among the Marine's new generation to possess it.

It was worth noting that while the Marines currently had the "Three Admirals" as successors, signs of a talent gap were beginning to show.

Though it wasn't obvious now, anyone with foresight could predict that the Marine Headquarters would soon face a shortage of capable leaders, leaving lesser figures to take the forefront.

In an era devoid of heroes, even someone like Koby could rise as representatives of the new Marine generation—so why couldn't Jake?!

Watching Jake exhale deeply, Monet asked in confusion.

"Jake, we'll soon be facing a Yonko crew. If you invite those reporters and things don't go well, won't it be risky? Like damaging the Marines' reputation?"

Hearing Monet's concern, Jake reassured her.

"Trust me, Monet. I won't let that encounter fail. It's crucial for our future at Marine Headquarters. If it goes as planned, our potential will be limitless!"

Monet smiled at Jake and nodded earnestly.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I want to contribute."

"Stay with me. It's too lonely alone here."

At Jake's words, Monet's face flushed slightly.

She turned away, and answered in a whisper.

"Mmm."

****

At dawn the next day, as the first light spilled over the sea, the already warm air buzzed with the disciplined movements of the Marines.

"Quick! Second squad! Board the warship immediately! Prepare the cannons, check the firearms, and assume Level One combat readiness!"

"Inspect the ship, raise the sails, hard to starboard! Destination: Gourmet Town, Pucci!"

Waves crashed against the hull, rocking the ship slightly.

Jake stood behind T-Bone, outlining today's battle plan.

"T-Bone-san, today we're just sending troops to the island separately, but we must not enter Gourmet Town. If some members of the BIGMOM Pirates are in the town, this will give them time and opportunity to withdraw. If we directly enter the town, we might be attacked by those foolish pirates, leading to a direct conflict between the Marines and a Yonko's crew."

"Such an outcome wouldn't only damage the town but also cause unnecessary deaths among our soldiers. It might even injure or sacrifice some civilians caught in the crossfire."

Listening to Jake's words, T-Bone sighed, his slightly terrifying face showing a trace of helplessness.

"Although I don't like all these roundabout tactics, when it comes to the safety of our soldiers' lives, I'll follow your advice, Jake. In this regard, my mind really isn't as sharp as yours."

"Thank you for your trust!"

****

Katakuri watched as the Marine warships gradually approached.

His subordinates were in chaos, yet he remained seated without showing the slightest hint of panic.

The Marines' course of action wasn't aimed at attacking them.

Neither the range of their cannons nor the formation of their warships suggested combat readiness.

Judging by the warships' movement, they would land on the opposite side of the island—the farthest point from entering the town.

Thinking this, Katakuri narrowed his eyes slightly, immediately understanding their intention.

It seemed these Marines knew quite a bit about the current situation.

Among them must be someone who knew about the fire incident—or perhaps even... the one who caused it!

"All hands, retreat to the ships! Tell those still in town: anyone who hasn't returned to the ship within an hour will be treated as deserters!"

Katakuri's voice instantly calmed the panicked pirates.

As if finding their backbone, they began steadily carrying out his orders.

****

Meanwhile, a golden light streaked across the sky.

Kizaru wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and murmured.

"How strange~ This old man rarely exerts himself so much~"