One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

"Early?! And we're meeting Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Commander-in-Chief Kong?!"

Monet couldn't help but exclaim at Kizaru's words.

For someone who had been an ordinary villager not long ago, the idea of meeting some of the most powerful figures in the world in less than two months left her with a sense of unreality.

Kizaru, naturally understanding her reaction, chuckled and reply.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Commander-in-Chief Kong specifically requested both of you—Monet, the Snow-Snow Fruit user, and Jake, the Zoan-type Mythical Seraphim. That's the exact message the Den Den Mushi relayed.

Oh, and by the way, with the Admiral position now vacant, the promotion will likely happen within the next six months. You two are the bets Sakazuki and I have placed—don't drop the ball at the critical moment."

Though Jake was surprised, it wasn't entirely unexpected.

Still, he couldn't suppress the excitement bubbling up inside, and it showed plainly on his face.

Noticing Jake's grin, Kizaru teased in a lighthearted tone.

"You little brat. That 'big gift' you mentioned—Sakazuki and I were speculating what it could be. We thought it might be some unique Devil Fruit ability development, or maybe you'd found a cure for Flevance's plague. But we never imagined you'd actually awakened Conqueror's Haki. So, spill—when did it happen?"

Monet pinched Jake's arm in mock annoyance, scowling as she added.

"Yeah, you even kept it from me! How annoying!"

Faced with this, Jake wasn't quite sure how to explain, so he resorted to the prepared explanation he'd thought of earlier, addressing Kizaru and Monet.

"Actually, mastering Conqueror's Haki happened on the very day I mentioned having a big gift for you. Before that, I couldn't even release it properly, so I wasn't very confident and didn't mention it to you or Monet."

"To be honest, even when I clashed Conqueror's Haki with Katakuri yesterday, it was more luck than skill that allowed me to release it. As for when I awakened it, that would be just a few days ago.

While training my Observation Haki, I suddenly sensed another energy within me besides Armament Haki—something unexplainable. Remembering what Borsalino-sensei had said about Conqueror's Haki, I made an educated guess."

Since neither Kizaru nor Monet possessed Conqueror's Haki, they couldn't tell if Jake was being truthful.

But after some thought, they realized Jake had no reason to lie to them, so they dropped the subject.

Kizaru nodded, stroking his stubbled chin before scratching his head and continuing.

"If that's the case, I'm not blaming you. But now that you've awakened Conqueror's Haki, you're destined to become one of the Marine's top brass. Combined with your partnership with that Morgans fellow, you've basically become the talk of the Marines. Let's just say you're officially famous now. Do you realize how much pressure comes with that kind of reputation?"

Kizaru's usually lecherous expression turned uncharacteristically serious, his eyes gleaming with an unfamiliar intensity.

Jake nodded, then met Kizaru's gaze with equal sincerity.

"Believe me, Borsalino-sensei, I'll make sure my strength lives up to my reputation."

After studying Jake's eyes for a few seconds, Kizaru suddenly chuckled.

He leaned back in his chair, stretching lazily.

"Pressure's good, but don't let it strangle you. If it gets too much, just say the word. Once I get promoted to Admiral soon, my achievements won't matter as much—I can toss you a few to lighten your load. Remember, too much pressure changes people. I like you as you are now, so don't overdo it."

His words warmed both Jake and Monet's hearts.

They stood and bowed deeply in unison.

After discussing some Marine Headquarters protocols, Kizaru rose to leave.

But just before stepping out, he turned back and tossed two certificate-like documents from his coat.

"Oh right~ These are your rewards from Marine Headquarters for flawlessly resolving the Gourmet Town incident~ Combined with the newspaper coverage, your promotions are practically unprecedented~ Well then, I'll be off~ Lieutenant Jake, Ensign Monet~"

Without waiting to see their stunned expressions, Kizaru sauntered out the door.

The two who remained in the dormitory stared at the positions marked on the certificates with expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

Jake had jumped directly from Chief Petty Officer to Lieutenant, bypassing five ranks: Master Chief Petty Officer, Warrant Officer, Ensign and Lieutenant Junior Grade, straight to Lieutenant!

Monet, meanwhile, had skipped five ranks, becoming an Ensign!

And these weren't just ordinary branch Lieutenants or Ensigns—both of their gold-embossed appointment letters bore the unmistakable words "Headquarters" at the front.

The difference between branch and headquarters positions was three ranks.

In other words, Jake was now equivalent to a branch Captain, while Monet was equivalent to a branch Commander!

No wonder Kizaru had remarked that their promotion speed was unprecedented in Marine history!

Still, given their current strength, such positions weren't inappropriate.

Moreover, facing the Big Mom Pirates in Gourmet Town was a feat substantial enough to warrant such leaps in rank.

Yet, as Jake looked at the words on the appointment letter, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.

Especially because, beneath Jake's appointment letter, there was a form for him to fill in his specific physical data—this was to tailor a custom "Justice" cape for him.

In the Marines, those ranked Lieutenant and above could bear the words "Justice" on their backs.

Captain and higher typically paired their Justice coats with suits as the standard, while officers at the rank of Lieutenant and below couldn't use this combination.

Under their Justice coats, they could wear either their private clothes or Marine uniforms, but not custom-tailored suits.

First-Class Seamen to Third-Class Seamen were required to wear standard Marine uniforms—the typical grunt attire often seen.

Petty Officers to Ensigns could wear their casual clothes or Marine uniforms, but nothing too extravagant.

At the very least, they couldn't dress in a way that made them look like pirates.