Chapter 176: 176. Graeme: You Choose The Place When The Time Comes!
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The warm sun hung high in the sky.
Seagulls, symbolizing peace, roamed freely over Marineford.
"Robin, once you finish eating, go work with your brother."
In the Fleet Admiral's residence, Akira put down his bowl and chopsticks, grabbing a clean white cloth nearby to wipe the oil from the corners of his mouth.
Upon hearing this, little Robin, who was mentioned, immediately scooped the last bite of rice into her mouth.
With her cheeks puffed out, she said, "Brother, I'm full."
Akira laughed, stood up, picked her up, and strode toward the door.
"Eat slowly," he said, raising his arm and waving behind him.
At the table behind them, Rouge, Stella, and the little mermaid Shyarly quickly chimed in:
"Okay, Fleet Admiral, please remember to come back for lunch. I've already told the kitchen to prepare your favorite dish."
"Fleet Admiral, I'll practice my Devil Fruit abilities after I eat."
"Brother Fleet Admiral, I'll do my best with the divination."
In the square, amid the respectful greetings of many Marines and officers, Akira brought little Robin to the office building.
"Brother, it's okay, I need to head to the staff department and get busy."
Arriving at the office reserved for civil servants, little Robin wiggled out of Akira's arms, cheerfully speaking.
Akira gently patted her head with his large hand and chuckled, "Thanks for the hard work, go ahead."
"Hee hee!" Little Robin, already accustomed to this, grinned widely, showing her bright white teeth before hopping off.
Akira placed his hands in his pockets and headed toward his office on the top floor.
"I'm telling you, don't drag this out. It's obvious the handover can be done quickly. What's the point of stalling?"
"Are we stalling? Hey, hey, hey, don't spit at people, or I'll come right back at you."
"You... forget it, whatever. As long as the handover is delayed, our CP has to stay here another day. If you're comfortable with that, fine~"
On the way, the argument between a staff department official and a member of CP could be heard clearly.
Akira paused, peeking in through the window.
Listening to the heated exchange, it became clear what was going on.
So, the civil official's little game hadn't ended yet?
Akira thought to himself.
He had heard bits about how the staff had been causing delays just to frustrate CP, but he hadn't paid it much mind. After all, in this Marine base, the civil servants wouldn't really face any consequences.
Plus, with the Marine's assets about to be handed over to CP, a little pushback and frustration was understandable.
So, Akira had always turned a blind eye to it.
But today was different.
If Graeme failed to complete the mission, he wouldn't be able to leave headquarters.
'Where's the opportunity in that?'
Akira's eyes narrowed slightly, and the frame of his glasses glinted.
Rehabilitation and the other industries had to be handed over. Delaying it was just a waste of time, with no real advantage.
He'd also ensure that Graeme stayed here. After all, as the CP0 captain, Graeme couldn't leave until he completed the mission assigned by the Five Elders.
Otherwise, if word got out that he was this passive and slow in his work, he wouldn't get any good rewards.
But if Akira didn't let Graeme complete the mission and escape, how would he have the chance to kill him and take Graeme's place for himself?
With this thought, Akira made up his mind and headed toward the staff office.
Tap... tap...
The crisp sound of his footsteps echoed through the room, silencing all arguments.
"Fleet Admiral Akira!" When the CP members saw Akira's figure, they swallowed nervously, their voices cut short after greeting him.
The civil servants were startled, quickly looking over.
Seeing that it was indeed their top superior, they stood up from their seats and greeted him respectfully:
"Good morning, Fleet Admiral."
"I've met the Fleet Admiral."
"Hello, Mr. Akira!"
Akira nodded lightly in response and headed straight to the civil servant who had been making the most noise earlier.
He glanced at the CP members, then at the civil servant.
Both of them instinctively lowered their heads, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
Knock, knock, knock.
Akira didn't bother to embarrass either of them; he simply tapped the table to draw everyone's attention.
"Stop these little delaying tactics and hand over all the properties as soon as possible."
"We've got more important things to focus on next. There are still many innocent people in the second half of the Grand Line waiting for justice."
"Wasting time on something like this is unacceptable," Akira said expressionlessly.
The civil servants looked panicked, assuming that their behavior during this time had drawn Akira's dissatisfaction.
Without hesitation, one of them immediately shouted: "Y-Yes, Fleet Admiral, we'll complete the handover as soon as possible!"
"Good! Just work overtime if you have to. The pirates are the ones we should be dealing with."
Akira nodded, and after this light warning, he turned and left the room.
"Fleet Admiral Akira! Thank you for your cooperation."
Graeme appeared from the CP office after hearing the commotion, speaking up specifically.
No matter what, Akira's order was nothing but beneficial for him. He was very grateful.
Akira didn't respond but gave him a meaningful smile before leaving.
'Strange, why does that smile give me such a creepy feeling?'
Graeme looked at the empty doorway in surprise, thinking to himself.
But before he could dwell on it for long, the CP members behind him gathered around.
"Captain, I didn't expect Fleet Admiral Akira to go out of his way to help us."
"Looks like those civil servants will be working overtime, so we'll be busy too."
"Captain, you'll have to treat us to a meal outside, right?"
Hearing the chatter from the CP members, the other colleagues around them joined in, their eyes full of expectation.
Graeme glanced back at them, thought for a moment, and grumbled:
"Alright, alright, I know you've been thinking about getting a free meal."
"I'm not a stingy guy. Once the handover is done, you can pick the place."
The CP members immediately cheered in excitement, with one of them shouting: "Long live the captain!"
Not to be outdone, the others joined in: "Long live the captain!"