Chapter 71: Rear Admiral

### Chapter 71: Rear Admiral

The rewards for Carl and the others came in swiftly, and when people saw the details, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

The three female cadets, led by Lucia, were all promoted to the rank of Colonel. However, the promotions for the four male cadets, led by Carl, were even more astonishing. The lowest-ranked among them was Kuma, who was made a Commodore.

Meanwhile, Carl, Akainu, and Borsalino were all promoted to Rear Admiral. However, as the most distinguished among them, Carl's promotion was particularly special.

Since they were still students, these ranks were technically honorary, meaning they couldn't command their own fleets or subordinates yet. But Carl was the exception. The Marine high command granted him a unique privilege—he had the authority to mobilize part of the Marine forces and could embark on missions independently, only needing to report back afterward.

In other words, Carl was already a true Rear Admiral.

Even for Akainu and the others, whose ranks were more symbolic for now, this level of recognition was unheard of. Many Marines spent decades climbing the ranks and still never reached Rear Admiral. But Carl and his peers had started at Headquarters with ranks that others could only dream of.

Although Rear Admirals in the anime sometimes seemed unimpressive, in reality, it was an elite position that few could attain in a lifetime.

In Carl's dormitory, four Marine coats now hung on the wall—each with a distinct color: gray, black, red, and yellow. These matched their Devil Fruit abilities.

For reference, Marine officers ranked Colonel and above could personalize their uniforms through the Logistics Department. Higher-ranking officers could even go shirtless, like Admiral Aramaki. However, aside from trying on their coats initially, Carl and the others rarely wore them. Training while wearing them would've felt a bit too pretentious.

Yet, when Carl and the others returned to the training grounds, the way the other students looked at them had completely changed.

Before, no matter how talented they were, they were still just students. Now, as full-fledged Marines with official ranks—especially as Rear Admirals—they were seen as "big shots."

Some students even started addressing them as "Sir."

On the girls' side, Lucia and the others received the same treatment. Lucia remained indifferent, given her status as the third captain of the Figarland family, which was already prestigious.

Gion, under Vice Admiral Tsuru's mentorship, didn't think much of it either.

Ginny, however, seemed slightly overwhelmed by the sudden change. Fortunately, her best friend Jessica treated her the same as before, which helped her adjust.

### **Half a Year Later…**

Carl was training as usual on the Marineford training grounds.

Since the gap in strength between him and his peers had grown significantly, basic exercises no longer challenged them. Beyond developing their Devil Fruits, they engaged in intense physical combat to push their limits.

Akainu particularly enjoyed sparring with Kuma, probably because both were silent powerhouses, and their fights were purely physical—an intense clash of brute strength.

Borsalino, on the other hand, had a rougher time. Every time he sparred, his opponent was Carl—the strongest among them.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Carl's cursed sword, Muramasa, clashed repeatedly against Borsalino's lightsword. The shockwaves tore up the turf around them.

To make it a fair fight, Borsalino was the only one allowed to use his Devil Fruit ability, as his weapon was created from his Light powers. However, even with this advantage, he struggled.

Each time their swords met, Muramasa chipped away at the lightsword, dimming its glow. It looked like it might collapse at any moment.

Carl suddenly dodged and pulled back. A faint red aura began to wrap around Muramasa's blade. Seeing this, Borsalino's pupils shrank.

"…!"

Carl was about to unleash his next attack when Borsalino abruptly called out,

"Timeout!"

Carl froze mid-motion, his Conqueror's Haki dissipating.

Akainu and Kuma immediately halted their match as well. Akainu, wiping sweat from his brow, frowned.

"Borsalino, since when do you call timeouts? Are you getting soft just because Teacher Zephyr isn't here?"

Borsalino pursed his lips, looking like a scolded child.

"Sakazuki, you're having fun brawling, but have you ever considered *my* feelings?" he grumbled.

Akainu looked at him, utterly bewildered. Kuma, as usual, remained silent.

Carl sighed and sheathed Muramasa. Looking at Borsalino, he said,

"Alright, alright. I might've gone a little overboard that time, but it really wasn't intentional!"

A few days ago, Carl had used the same technique on Borsalino, who had never encountered such an attack before. The invisible sword energy pierced him, forcing him to his knees.

Even for someone as thick-skinned as Borsalino, the embarrassment was unbearable. So the moment Carl assumed the same stance today, he immediately called a timeout.

After all, in these training sessions, his only privilege was using the lightsword. Since he wasn't allowed to use photonization to dodge, he was forced into a head-on fight every time. And while his willpower was strong, it wasn't on Akainu's level.

That meant Carl had yet another easy way to beat him—his sword techniques.

Seeing Borsalino's reluctance, Carl and the others decided to take a break. They sat on the ground to cool off, and after a while, Lucia and Ginny joined them. Lucia sat silently beside Carl, while Ginny chimed in on the conversation now and then.

Lucia's quiet presence didn't go unnoticed. Every time Carl glanced at her, she would smile softly. Many male students secretly admired her, captivated by her elegance.

Their break was soon interrupted by Momonga, who rushed over urgently.

"Carl, Teacher Zephyr is at the recruitment office! He asked for you!"