One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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In the next few days, the staff began to work overtime and no longer deliberately made things difficult for the CPs.

After all, Akira had given the order personally, and they didn't have the courage to disobey him.

As a result, in the past few days, all of the Marine's reports for the past year were handed over at lightning speed.

Graeme would burst into laughter every day as he looked over the intelligence and data.

The same went for the other CP members. Seeing that the task progress was just a tiny bit away from being 100% complete, they felt ecstatic.

Of course!

While they were happy, the Marine officers were less than pleased.

However, before they could remain uncomfortable for too long, the high-level Marine meeting commenced that day.

All Admirals, Vice Admirals, and Rear Admirals were ordered to gather in the conference room.

"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral."

"Good morning, Fleet Admiral."

"Fleet Admiral Akira, good morning."

As Akira walked in from outside, wearing his cloak of justice, all the officers stood up in unison and greeted him loudly.

Akira gave a slight nod, walked to the podium, raised his hand, and motioned for them to sit.

"Sit down."

After his words fell, the three Admirals at the front—Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan—sat down first.

Then, Admiral Sengoku, Tsuru, and the other Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals followed suit, sitting back down.

"During this period, I know many of you have been bottling up a lot of frustration."

Akira placed his left hand on the edge of the podium and his right on the document. After scanning the room filled with officers, he continued:

"I understand. After all, you are the ones constantly on the move, working tirelessly."

But… I want to tell you all that this ultimately changes nothing and will not alter the facts."

Everyone in the room looked grim.

Of course, they understood what Akira was saying. After all, the Five Elders were the true leaders of the Marines.

But just because they understood didn't mean they weren't angry about it.

Akira let out a deep breath and patted the documents on the desk.

"Since you're angry and frustrated, why not take it out on the pirates?"

"The staff department has already prepared a plan. Just follow it."

Akira waved his hand, and soldiers from the corner stepped forward, distributing printed documents to all the officers.

Sakazuki was the first to take a file.

[Outline of Marine's Plan to Enter the Second Half of the Grand Line!]

"Looks like we really are heading into that dangerous part of the sea," Borsalino commented as he glanced at the document, scratching his head with a distressed look. "The monsters there aren't easy to handle."

"Yeah, and Whitebeard isn't the only big monster we'll have to face," Kuzan agreed after skimming the document. "I imagine there'll be plenty of tough battles ahead."

The second half of the Grand Line was universally acknowledged as a treacherous place.

Even with reinforcements, it didn't mean the Marines could move through it unchallenged.

Even Kuzan knew there was no guarantee of victory in every battle.

"No matter how hard it gets, even if we pay a high price, it'll be worth it."

Sakazuki neatly placed the documents on the table, crossing his arms over his chest, and said firmly, "This world can't have any place where justice can't reach."

Hearing this, Borsalino and Kuzan merely shrugged. They didn't say anything further.

As high-ranking Marines, the three Admirals knew each other well. They understood what kind of man Sakazuki was.

For Sakazuki, as long as it meant eliminating pirates and ensuring that the light of justice covered the entire world, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anything—even himself.

He was the purest and most extreme representative of military justice in the Marines.

Behind them, voices of discussion began to rise from the other officers.

"It's about time we entered that sea. Back during Fleet Admiral Kong's time, we Marines couldn't even touch it."

"Ever since Rayleigh's trial, there've been fewer pirates in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line. Things have been calm recently."

"It's fine. We've all been getting restless lately, so it'll feel good to go out and fight some pirates."

"Hey, I wonder if the casualties will be heavy."

Because the news had already spread, the generals were mentally prepared for the upcoming expedition into the second half of the Grand Line.

Although there are many factions within the Marines, those who make it to the top aren't afraid of death.

Some of the generals were eager, others were worried, but none showed fear or hesitation.

What concerned them was the likelihood of heavy casualties once the Marines began battling the powerful pirates in that region.

After all, since the creation of clones, the casualty rate among soldiers had dropped significantly.

But in truth, being a Marine in this world isn't about living a life of comfort. Especially with Akira in charge, the benefits had been multiplied several times over.

Earning high salaries and enjoying elite status wasn't just for the sake of living well—it was for shouldering the burdens of justice.

Knock knock knock.

Akira silently observed everyone's expressions.

After waiting for the noise in the room to subside, he tapped his fingers on the table, commanding the room's attention once more.

"I understand your concerns. It's unrealistic to expect us to take control of the entire second half of the Grand Line in one move."

"So, my plan is to achieve this gradually, over several years, maybe even over a decade."

"In the early stages, our Marine strategy will be to spread justice slowly, starting with one island, one country, and one region at a time."

Akira flipped through the documents on the desk, running his fingertips across a report written by Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, and continued:

"There's no need for large-scale conflicts with pirates right away. We just need to secure specific areas."

"As for which areas, the staff will hold a separate meeting to determine that."

"As for personnel arrangements, we'll leave Sengoku and Zephyr, along with 10,000 soldiers, at Marineford."

"In the first half of the Grand Line, we'll have the Commodores and veterans sail with the Leaf ships."

"As for the three Admirals, one will remain behind to guard the Holy Land and ensure its security. Borsalino will be permanently stationed in Mariejois."

"All remaining high-ranking officers will lead the fleets into the second half of the Grand Line."

Marineford will have Sengoku and Zephyr, both with Admiral-level strength, and a large number of clones in charge, so there's no need to worry about its safety.

Even if Whitebeard were to launch a full-scale attack, they could repel him.

As for the first half of the Grand Line, it's sufficient to leave it in the hands of the Commodores and experienced veterans.

Although the suppression of pirates is gradually winding down with Rehabilitation's closure, there aren't as many pirates to deal with now.

And honestly, if things go south and you can't defeat them, the worst-case scenario is abandoning ship and retreating.

With the addition of Fishman warriors, no one can really catch up to us in the sea. 

Unless you come across a high-ranking officer with no Devil Fruit powers.

But individuals at that level are incredibly rare, and they mostly operate in the second half of the Grand Line. The odds of encountering them for your average soldier are slim to none.

As for the matter of the three Admirals being stationed in Mariejois, it's a standard practice for the Marines.

Normally, they're on duty in shifts, but since we'll be venturing into the dangerous second half of the Grand Line, it's clear that rotating them would waste time and effort.

For the Five Elders, all that matters is having someone stationed there. 

Given the situation, Borsalino, also known as the "Fishing King," is perfect for this role. He fits the bill perfectly for the kind of presence needed at the Holy Land. (T/N: It mean procrastinator/lagger)

Akira was also confident that neither Sakazuki nor Kuzan would object to this arrangement.

He glanced at the three Admirals.

As expected, Borsalino's face lit up with a pleased and grateful smile.

Both Sakazuki and Kuzan remained calm, showing no signs of disapproval.

'This lazy Kizaru... if it weren't for his terrifying strength, no one would tolerate him.' Akira thought to himself, shaking his head.

It's normal to have idle thoughts, but to show it so blatantly? That's something else entirely.

Without missing a beat, Akira made the announcement and, ignoring the reactions from the Vice Admirals, turned his attention to Tsuru.

With a simple signal that the rest of the meeting would be left in her capable hands, Akira casually walked away, hands in his pockets.