the incoming commander of the North Sea Fleet, to do such a ridiculous thing within the naval base... it's simply too much!"With a golden blade in her hand, Gion glanced at the woman huddled under the...Where did they all go!

Suddenly, the conference room of the Marshal's Mansion trembled. The furious roar of Warlord Sengoku, a Fleet Admiral from the Marine Headquarters, startled several Marines on duty outside the door.

"Such an important military meeting!!"

"Where's Sakaski! I haven't settled the score with him about what happened in the New World, Badak Kingdom!!"

"What about Polusalino How much work is still left for the newly formed Marine Science Department"

"And what about that damn duo, Dragge and Kapu! They haven't even explained the details of this Roger Pirates extermination operation yet!"

In the conference room, Zhan Guo's face was ashen. He slammed his fist heavily on the table and glared angrily at the administrative staff responsible for gathering the meeting attendees.

Steel Bones Kong went to Saint Mary Geosia to report to the Five Elders, handing over this military conference to him to preside over. This also allows him to adapt to the duties and responsibilities of the Fleet Admiral in advance.

This is a military meeting where

the plan is to prove to the Grand Admiral that they are capable of becoming Naval Grand Admiral.

This is also an opportunity to send a political signal to the many senior and middle-level commanders in headquarters.

This was the first time that Kaigen had called such an important military meeting. Besides Zefa, a veteran who had retired from active duty, there was only him, the host of this meeting!

Once this gets out, what will the rest of the Navy Headquarters think of me, a Grand Admiral, a future Fleet Admiral!

'For the first time, the future Grand Admiral convenes the highest military council, but high-ranking officials from Headquarters are all absent!'

What kind of logic is this!

Is he still concerned about his reputation in the Warring States period

How will I lead and command the Marine Headquarters from now on!

Have you told them the specific time and location of the meeting

Zhan Guo glared fiercely at those administrative personnel.

He still had a glimmer of hope in his heart.

Well, they probably didn't receive the notice, so they didn't attend the meeting.

No matter what, he's a Navy Admiral after all. This time, he's even representing the Air Marshal in presiding over the military conference.

Even if they fight all the time, they still need to save face in this kind of situation.

That's right.

It must be like this… right

Several administrative officials, watching the warlord from the warring states era gasping for breath with bloodshot eyes, were so frightened they couldn't even breathe.

They looked at each other, and the last remaining colonel stammered:

"That... warlord from the Warring States period, the notice for the conference was actually sent out in advance, and the confirmed attendees have already received it."

Ze Fa's eye twitched, he turned his head away, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

The countenance of the Warring States Period darkened further.

So, those bastards... were they intentional!

Veins bulged menacingly across his forehead, and white steam puffed from his nostrils. His back teeth chattered together with a sharp click-clacking sound.

"Where are they! Find them for me!!"

The Warring States era gritted their teeth, words coming out between clenched jaws.

Immediately! Right now!!

Several administrators were visibly shaken and rushed out of the meeting room as if fleeing.

"Ze Fa couldn't help but smile as he looked at Wanguo, whose head was practically smoking with anger."

"This isn't like you, Sengoku... It's just a meeting, it's not that big of a deal..."

"Look, even though other people didn't come, at least I did, right"

During the Warring States period, Zhan Guo sat on the main seat with a huff and rolled his eyes impatiently.

"What use is a doddering old fool like you, who doesn't care about anything You act as if you're going to help me share the burden..."

He thought for a moment, his tone somewhat resentful.

"Ze Fa, our manpower is dwindling more and more these days. You also know that Grand Marshal Kong is about to entrust me with this heavy responsibility… To be honest, I don't have much confidence."

Facing his former comrades who were once worthy of entrusting his life to, Zhan Guo spoke frankly without any concealment.

"I need my former comrades standing by my side…"

He looked at Ze Fa solemnly and earnestly, his eyes blazing.

"Think about it, how long has it been since we fought side by side"

Hearing his old comrade's words, Zefa's eyes flashed with a touch of sentimentality and remembrance, but soon it was replaced by a barely perceptible disappointment and indifference.

He said calmly and faintly:

"Isn't this Kaido And Sakaski, Doflamingo, and the others of the new generation have also grown up."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Guo let out a silent sigh and shook his head.

"But the times we live in are not giving us much time."

Although the War of the Divine Valley is long over and history, Locke's shadow has not dissipated.

Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion... and then Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, who rose to power with terrifying speed.

"You know Kap's personality, he doesn't care about orders from above. He ignores even Old Kong, so don't expect me to control him."

As for Sakaski and the rest... although their talents are indeed as monstrous as their nicknames suggest, they're still quite a distance from the top tier of this sea.

"It will take some time for them to be truly able to stand on their own two feet."

"This time, the incident with the Kingdom of Baadar is the best proof. If you were here, you wouldn't have caused such a big fuss… Ultimately, the problem still lies in the fact that our Marine Headquarters currently doesn't have enough high-end combat power available."

Ze Fa fell silent.

They will grow up.

After a moment, he slowly raised his head and looked at Warring States.

A smile, far too serene, appeared on his face.

As for me, I'm nothing but a waste who can't even protect my own family.

"Now I'm just a hot-headed instructor here. That's all...The position of Fleet Admiral, such an important responsibility in the Warring States period, leave it to someone else."

Zhan Guo looked at Ze Fa's smile and a strange bitterness welled up in his heart.

That kind of smile, is a smile that's clearly full of disappointment, yet still persists silently because of the responsibilities on their shoulders.

He knew he couldn't persuade Zefa.

“Okay, I understand.”

ZeFa smiled and comforted,

"Don't worry, it won't be long before our navy has many more admiral-level forces."

"Sakaski, Borusalino, Doflamingo... and I heard there are some promising recruits in this year's Officer Training Camp"

During the Warring States period, he cast aside his inner worries and nodded with a smile:

"That's right, both Gion and Kage know, after the trip to Behai, they have all grown a lot. With a little guidance, they are sure to become the backbone of our Navy."

Besides those two, there were also two other young recruits in this year's officer training camp who were comparable to the three of them.

One of them was named Kuzan, hailing from the South Sea. He possessed monstrous talent. What's even more noteworthy is his unwavering belief in justice, burning brightly like a raging inferno.

"Oh" Ze Fa finally became interested, his eyes lighting up.

...

Please note that without more context, I can't translate the "..." portion. Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

···

···

···

I ask for everything, and I am deeply grateful.tly, and a shockingly large pit suddenly formed. Dense cracks kept generating and spreading within it.With the entire head "immersed" in a deep pit, two legs clad in geta sandals dangled precariously...