Behind those frog-like glasses, Sengoku's eyes were hard to read.
Ever since Roger died, the seas had been anything but calm.
Powerful pirates had been popping up like mushrooms after rain—one after another, loud, flashy, and full of trouble.
That's why the World Government had no choice but to kick off the Seven Warlords of the Sea initiative.
But using pirates to fight pirates?
Yeah... that was never going to be a real solution.
Especially when those guys were more about doing their own thing than following actual orders!
Sengoku had been promoted to Fleet Admiral, and three new Admirals had taken their places.
But the future?
He couldn't help worrying.
Sure, Kizaru and Garp's recommendation, Sentomaru, showed promise…
But raw talent was one thing. Lacking a powerful Devil Fruit made things way harder. Climbing to the top?
Borderline impossible.
The Navy was in the middle of a messy generational handoff.
The old were... well, grumpy and stubborn. The young? Just as unreliable. And the only one who had his act together looked at everyone like they'd murdered his dog.
Aside from that?
The rest were a bunch of small fry playing at war and the World Government?
Sengoku didn't pin much on them either. Sure, he was loyal—but not stupid.
He saw things clearer than most.
That's why he was willing to do whatever it took to strengthen the Navy's power and rein in the pirate threat.
But the thing was...
No matter how much pressure you put on them, wannabe pirates just kept sprouting up like green onions in the dead of winter—withered leaves, rotten stalks, but a heart that just refused to die.
You could never catch them all, Then Kisame showed up.
And for the first time in a long while, Sengoku saw a flicker of hope. That water-manipulating ability of his? A rare and terrifying gift.
As for where he came from? Didn't matter in the slightest.
One way or another, Sengoku had to keep Kisame on their side.
Zephyr said nothing as he watched Sengoku.
He got it. He really did. The Navy these days? Better not to talk about it at all.
———
Marine Headquarters, Elite Training Camp
Once a cozy seaside villa, now just a muddy, half-collapsed mountain outpost.
For once, the cadets had a break from actual training.
Not that it meant they got to relax. Under the instructors' barked orders, they were out cleaning the battlefield instead.
"Hey, Smoker—you're still a kid and already puffin' cigars? You're gonna be very single in the future, y'know."
On the soggy, smoke-filled training grounds, Binz wrinkled his nose, waving a hand in front of his face like he was fending off poison gas. He finally snapped and turned to grumble at his teammate.
And oh boy.
He hadn't even noticed till now—the guy was smoking two at once.
Binz's eyes went wide. "Dude! You trying to stay single forever or what?!"
"...Tch," Smoker grunted, clearly not giving a damn.
Smoker exhaled a thick puff of smoke, eyes narrowed coolly.
"Women only get in the way of my cigar appreciation."
"…Uh."
Binz stared at him, momentarily speechless. "Right. Sure. You do you, man."
He shook his head, then brightened with a new idea.
"Hey, Smoker—how about we go look for Kisame later?"
Smoker paused, turning to give him a suspicious side-eye. "Why?"
"To learn that move, obviously!"
"You didn't see it? Even Instructor Zephyr couldn't do anything against it!"
"And don't forget Admiral Akainu! If Fleet Admiral Sengoku hadn't stepped in, the whole damn volcano might've gone cold! I mean—come on!"
Binz was practically vibrating with excitement now, eyes sparkling like he'd just seen his first live concert.
"It was freakin' awesome!"
"Learn how to splash water?" Smoker muttered, leaning on his mop and giving Binz's lower half a suspicious glance.
"Don't you already know how to do that?"
"You wake up every morning, head to the toilet, and it's whoosh, whoosh—sound familiar?"
His mouth was full of mockery, but in truth?
Yeah, he kinda wanted to learn that tsunami move too.
Actually, nearly everyone who had seen the fight was secretly obsessed with it. At least 80% of the cadets were dreaming about mastering that wave-summoning technique.
A wall of ocean, roaring down like judgment day… what guy wouldn't want that kind of power?
Even the girls at the training camp were caught up in it, starry-eyed and swooning.
As for the remaining 20%?
Well, they were like Smoker—Devil Fruit users. And for them, playing with water was basically asking to be buried.
It was like feeding arsenic to a 100-year-old man.
Do it right?
You're a legendary Sea King.
Mess it up?
Welcome to the bottom of the ocean.
———
Marine Headquarters, Office
"…You're saying you're promoting me?"
Kisame blinked his sharp, shark-like eyes at Sengoku, momentarily stunned.
If he remembered right, he'd only just arrived at Marine HQ…
Like—what, two days ago?
And now this?
He thought they needed, y'know, actual achievements for promotions?
What had he even done? Beat up Zephyr once? That counted?
Man… if this was how it worked, being a "hero" was easier than expected.
Sengoku nodded seriously.
"Yes. After internal discussion among the top brass, I've decided to nominate you as a candidate for Admiral."
"You may not have Haki, but your control over water is a rare and powerful weapon. Against Devil Fruit users, it's practically tailor-made."
"I'll be submitting your file to the World Government."
"If they approve it, you could officially become the fourth Marine Admiral—within the year."
He adjusted his glasses, peering at Kisame with a firm gaze.
"In the meantime, personnel will assign you a Vice Admiral-class warship and crew. If you have specific people in mind, you're free to request them."
"People in mind?"
Kisame blanked for a second.
He wasn't even from this world. Who the hell was he supposed to request? The mailman?
He shook his head instinctively.
"No one for now."
"In that case… how about a codename?"
"Codename?" Kisame echoed.
"Yeah, just like the other Admirals and Vice Admirals—Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, Momousagi…"
As Sengoku rattled off codenames one by one, Kisame's face gradually stiffened.
In his mind's eye, a massive cage popped open.
Inside?
A zoo. A full-blown zoo. Packed with animals of all shapes and sizes.
Wait. This is the Navy?
Why did all the top-tier names sound like they belonged on a jungle safari!?
Was he being drafted into the Marines… or a traveling circus?
"Uh… Fleet Admiral Sengoku… do we have to use an animal codename?" Kisame finally asked, hesitant but dead serious.
Honestly, he didn't want to be the next rare specimen in this increasingly suspicious menagerie.
Who knew if these guys weren't just becoming their codenames?
He didn't know the others well, but just look at Kizaru.
And that guy—Akainu?
His first impression of the man had been... unsettling. Those brooding, bloodshot eyes gave off serious feral mutt on a leash vibes.
The kind that bites and asks questions never.
Sengoku blinked. "Well… no, not necessarily. It's not a requirement. It's just… you know, kind of fitting."
"Fitting?" Kisame looked at him sideways. "Did you have an animal codename when you were Admiral?"
"Ah—no, not me," Sengoku admitted. "It actually started with this generation."
"If you've got a better one, we don't have to follow the trend."
Kisame mulled it over for a second.
He had considered calling himself "Blue Shark," just to mess with the theme—but it still felt off. Too on-the-nose.
So he shrugged it off and went with something that had always suited him.
"Then call me 'Nanto.'"
"Nanto? As in the martial arts?" Sengoku echoed, eyebrows rising.
He paused, considering it, then gave a nod.
"Alright. I'll add that to your file."
Then his tone shifted, turning just a shade more formal.
"From this point on, you're a candidate for Admiral—your every move represents the Navy."
"I don't have many demands—just don't do anything that would damage the Navy's image…"
"Although the appointment needs to be formally processed by the World Government, which takes time…"
"You can already enjoy the privileges of an Admiral candidate within the Navy."
"And, to make those old geezers up there look good…"
"Headquarters has a mission for you…"
(End of Chapter)
—————————
If you're enjoying the story so far please consider adding a review, it really helps the story reach more audience and it would help me a lot.
If you want to binge-read ahead, join my Patreon— beast0x1, starting with just 4 USD, you'll get access to 20-40+ chapters in advance, currently I have 2 ongoing novels The Mist Admiral and Days wondering around Hogwarts, plus some sneak peaks of planned novels are also going to be there.