Not long after the Five Elders made their decision, Morgans urgently contacted Wright.
"Vice Admiral Wright! You were absolutely right!"
Morgans fumed. "The World Government really did plant a spy in my ranks!"
"My newspaper's location has been exposed! This has to be their way of teaching me a lesson..."
"Oh? Need any help? Did you catch the spy?"
Listening to Morgans' agitated squawking, Wright suspected the old bird was merely exaggerating for effect.
"The spy has already been captured. That little bastard actually tried to make me obey the World Government's orders! Ha! No one working under Morgans would ever stoop so low!"
"But this is actually a good opportunity! I was thinking of abandoning my current location and setting up shop somewhere new..."
Morgans lowered his voice. "Say, Vice Admiral Wright... Germa and Gran Tesoro's business collaboration has been going quite well. I wonder if..."
The world's greatest media mogul and the so-called Emperor of the Underground, who controlled nearly 20% of the world's Berries, were on equal footing in terms of influence, but their actual power differed greatly.
"Oh? And now you're coming to me for help?"
"You visited Gran Tesoro last time, and right after that, Germa struck a deal with Tesoro. Others might not know the connection, but I certainly do..."
The Den Den Mushi adopted a knowing look.
"I'm so miserable..."
"..."
Wright watched the Den Den Mushi give him a sly glance, and only then did he remember—Morgans was quite the performer. This guy had been playing the role of a bird for so long that he nearly forgot he was human!
"Hmm, Lord Morgans, I must say, this move of yours has truly impressed me. As expected of the world's greatest media mogul. I'll discuss this matter with Lord Tesoro."
"Ahaha..."
The Den Den Mushi immediately switched to a beaming expression. "As expected of Vice Admiral Wright... No, soon-to-be Admiral Wright!"
"The World Government pulling this kind of trick on me means they've grudgingly accepted the situation. With this new admiral seat being added to Marine Headquarters, your promotion is practically guaranteed!"
After ending the call with Morgans, Wright contacted Tesoro and gave him a brief rundown of the collaboration.
Tesoro couldn't help but marvel once again at Wright's overwhelming influence. No wonder Morgans was going all out—now, even the World Government wouldn't be able to control him.
With Morgans' backing, vengeance was now one step closer!
Leaving the two underground bosses to discuss the details among themselves, Wright hung up. Just then, his Den Den Mushi rang again—it was Sengoku.
"Come to Headquarters. It's important."
"Understood."
Wright teleported back to Marineford and entered Sengoku's office, only to see an unexpected figure.
"Señor?"
"Vice Admiral Wright!"
Dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses, Señor Pink stood at attention and saluted with textbook military precision, momentarily catching Wright off guard.
"What are you doing here?"
Wright turned to Sengoku with a questioning look.
Sengoku coughed and gave a small smile. "Wright, Major Pink has been waiting for you. He has something he wants to discuss."
"Major?"
Wright was speechless. Well, it looked like Señor Pink had completely turned over a new leaf… though he probably didn't even understand how it happened.
Still, if the old man Sengoku had given his approval, Wright had no objections. He himself had granted Señor Pink a covert naval intelligence position, and given his strength and contributions, the rank of Major was more than fitting.
Since faking his death and leaving Impel Down, this was the first time Wright had seen him again.
Hmm… at least he wasn't wearing that baby outfit anymore. And his physique hadn't changed either.
"It's been years. You seem to be doing well—I heard Russian has been performing exceptionally under Vice Admiral Tsuru's command. She's already a Lieutenant now."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Wright. Thank you for giving us a second chance at life. My wife and I even had another child—we named him Mojito."
"Ah, congratulations! It seems you've finally found peace."
Wright noticed the genuine smile on Señor Pink's face—it was real, not a façade. He was happy.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Vice Admiral Wright, in these years at Marineford, I've finally stepped out of my past..."
Señor Pink removed his sunglasses, his expression resolute.
"At first, I thought it was best to stay in the shadows since… well, Doflamingo did become a Warlord after all."
"But after hearing the news about you recently… I realized I shouldn't keep running away."
"Russian is walking her own path with determination. As a man, should I really be hesitating like this?"
"I want to do something meaningful. Not just for Russian's ideals, but also to repay my debt to you!"
"So I requested to officially enlist in the Marines—but I never expected Fleet Admiral Sengoku to directly appoint me as a Major..."
"You're a Devil Fruit user with considerable strength. The rank is meant to facilitate your operations."
Sengoku explained, "Your abilities make you perfect for intelligence work. This role will also minimize the risk of your identity being exposed."
"I see..."
Señor Pink nodded in understanding.
"What about Russian? You have a family now, after all."
Wright leaned back, studying him. "This time, it's not just a cover—this is the real deal."
"Russian supports my decision. She told me not to worry—she'll take care of everything at home!"
Señor Pink grinned widely. "She said that if I can help you in any way, I should give it my all!"
"Then please thank her for me."
Wright chuckled. "As for Doflamingo, don't worry. Your missions won't bring you into direct conflict with him. Besides… he won't be around much longer."
"I happen to have a mission that suits you perfectly."
"Please entrust it to me!"
Once Señor Pink left for G-5 to await orders, Wright turned to Sengoku with a smirk.
"So, old man, do you miss Rosinante?"
"I saw him just the other day. The idiot set his coat on fire while lighting a cigarette again!"
"..."
Sengoku buried his face in his hand. Of course he missed him, but that habit of his...
"Rosinante has already established the Wano Rebellion's framework. All they need now is time to gather strength. The fifth generation Lightforged Beacons solve that problem perfectly."
Sengoku calculated. "This way, Señor only needs to maintain 'Kyoshiro's' deterrence and keep intelligence flowing to the rebellion. Given his abilities, he can operate even more covertly than Rosinante."
"Exactly. The Swim-Swim Fruit is ideal for this. With Señor in place, Rosinante can return to Marineford as a frontline force."
Wright nodded. "I'll be heading to Wano soon anyway. I'll inform Drake as well."
"Hmm."
Sengoku nodded. "Now, onto another matter."
"The World Government has approved the addition of a fourth admiral seat in Marine Headquarters."
"..."
Wright's expression twitched. "That fast? That damn bird was right!"
"Morgans? Well, at least he's been cooperative this time."
Sengoku smirked. "Prepare yourself."
"The announcement will go public first. In one month, the promotion ceremony will be broadcast live from the Sabaody Archipelago!"
"One month? That's a bit rushed. Just transferring my current responsibilities will take time."
Wright stretched.
"The promotion itself isn't much—just a simple oath and receiving the new insignia. My three seniors didn't make a big fuss when they were promoted either."
"This time is different."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses.
"You will be the first-ever fourth admiral in Marine Headquarters' history. And your reputation far surpasses even the combined influence of Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji."
"So, we need to capitalize on this momentum. Tsuru and I will personally prepare your speech. Memorize it and deliver it with passion!"
"This is about the Marine's honor!"
"..."
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