《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 20: Rewards in Advance, Abilities Maxed Out!

Sengoku stared at the document before him, his expression caught between defiance and resignation.

After a moment of internal struggle, he chose compromise. With a steady hand, he took the pen and signed his name with swift, decisive strokes.

The moment Sengoku's signature was complete, Hound stepped forward, collected the document, and passed it to a waiting adjutant. His voice cut through the tension: "Distribute copies to all branches and fortresses immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

The adjutant accepted the document with both hands and hurried from the conference hall, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Hound remained at attention, now presenting a broadcasting Den Den Mushi to Sengoku. He bowed slightly and said, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we require you to make an announcement. All officers and soldiers still resisting must be ordered to assemble at Marineford Plaza within ten minutes. You must also formally announce that Vice Admiral Xayuki will temporarily assume the duties of Fleet Admiral."

Without further hesitation, Sengoku took the Den Den Mushi, its eyes reflecting his own weariness.

After a measured pause, he drew a deep breath and spoke with deliberate clarity: "This is Sengoku. To all officers and soldiers hearing this broadcast—cease all combat operations immediately. Lay down your weapons and proceed to Marineford Plaza. This... conflict... must end now."

His voice resonated through the network of loudspeakers strategically positioned throughout Marineford, reaching every corner of the vast Marine headquarters.

Marineford Women's Barracks

Major Hina and the assembled female officers stood rigid as Sengoku's voice filled the room. As one, they turned toward headquarters, tension visible in their postures.

"Major Hina, that's Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice!"

"Thank goodness, the rebellion is over!"

"Have we prevailed?"

Hearing the hopeful murmurs around her, Hina's elegant brows drew together in concern. "Did none of you comprehend the Fleet Admiral's actual message? He's ordering us to cease resistance, surrender our weapons, and report to the plaza."

"What does that mean?" a junior officer asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

Without offering clarification, Hina turned and strode from the barracks, her movements precise and controlled.

Outside, she found hundreds of female officers already gathered, forming disciplined columns as they began their march toward Marineford Plaza.

The scene was mirrored at the men's barracks nearby, where streams of officers and enlisted personnel emerged in growing numbers.

Within minutes, the thoroughfares leading to the plaza teemed with Marines. Some faces reflected anxiety and uncertainty, while others maintained casual conversation—as though the night's violence had been nothing more than a training exercise.

Despite numerous colleagues attempting to engage her, Hina maintained her characteristic detachment, her gaze fixed forward as she moved with the tide of bodies toward their destination.

Minutes later, Hina reached the plaza entrance alongside the swelling crowd.

The enormous plaza—designed to accommodate up to one hundred thousand personnel during major addresses—blazed with light. The previously animated conversations died away as the Marines entered the vast open space.

Their sudden silence wasn't born of discipline. Rather, it stemmed from the sight that greeted them: the plaza perimeter bristled with armed soldiers, each bearing a distinctive red scarf tied around their shoulder—the unmistakable mark of Xayuki's faction.

"What... what's happening?"

A junior officer beside Hina shrank back, her voice trembling as she noted not only the armed perimeter but also the strategic positioning of rear admirals and brigadier generals at regular intervals around the plaza. "Hina," she whispered, "does this mean the rebels have won? Will they execute us?"

Before Hina could respond, Sengoku's voice once again resonated through the loudspeakers.

"I apologize for the events that have transpired tonight."

"Effective immediately, Vice Admiral Xayuki will temporarily assume the authority of Fleet Admiral..."

The previously hushed plaza erupted into pandemonium.

Officers who had been confined to their barracks during the coup broke ranks, their voices rising in outrage.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, how could you capitulate to these traitors?!"

"By what right does Xayuki claim your position?!"

"Sengoku must be speaking under duress!"

As the crowd's agitation intensified, the soldiers surrounding the plaza raised their rifles in unison, the mechanical click of safeties being disengaged cutting through the growing clamor.

A rear admiral and his hundred-man unit surged into the plaza, moving with military precision toward the center of the disturbance. "SILENCE!" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the chaos. "RETURN TO ORDER IMMEDIATELY!"

"TRAITOR!" came the response from the crowd.

"We will NEVER recognize Xayuki as our commander!"

From among the dissenters, another rear admiral thrust his fist skyward and shouted, "Who stands with me? Together we can retake headquarters!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sharp report of rifle fire cut through the air without warning. The protesting rear admiral's body jerked violently as crimson bloomed across his uniform, his expression frozen in shock.

"Fool!"

The soldiers who had fired didn't pause. Rushing forward, they struck the fallen officer's head with their rifle butts, the sickening impact echoing across the suddenly silent plaza.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. A rear admiral—one of the Marine's elite commanders—had been summarily executed by common soldiers.

Every eye in the plaza was fixed on the crumpled form, disbelief etched on thousands of faces.

In the top-floor conference room of Marine Headquarters, Sengoku rushed to the window at the sound of gunfire, his heart pounding.

Though distance obscured the details, the abrupt silence that followed told its own story. The atmosphere had crystallized into something dangerous—the unnatural stillness before catastrophic violence.

Xayuki showed no concern. He observed Sengoku with calculated interest, the faintest smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The situation remained firmly within his control. He had anticipated that Sengoku's announcement alone wouldn't quell all resistance—some demonstrations of force were inevitable, perhaps even necessary.

Sensing the volatile tension radiating from the plaza, Sengoku raised his voice and called out with renewed urgency: "Would you see Marineford drenched in the blood of your comrades? If that is your wish, then continue this futile struggle! The pirates who plague our world would rejoice to witness the Marines tear themselves apart!"

His voice gained strength, resonating with the authority that had commanded respect for decades. "But if you wish to end this bloodshed, then heed my words."

"I hereby declare that Vice Admiral Xayuki will temporarily assume the duties and authority of Fleet Admiral."

"From this moment forward, any act of resistance will be considered..." he paused, his voice dropping to a grave tone, "...treason."

As the final word left his lips, Sengoku seemed to physically diminish. The strength that had sustained him through decades of service appeared to drain away in an instant. His knees nearly buckled beneath him as the full weight of his surrender pressed down upon his shoulders.

Though Xayuki's forces were the true instigators of rebellion, Sengoku had made his choice to prevent further bloodshed. The future of the Marines now rested in Xayuki's hands—and in whatever response might come from Mariejois.

The moment Sengoku completed his announcement, an unexpected voice resonated within Xayuki's mind:

Ding!

"Congratulations, Host! Your coup has succeeded, and you have claimed the position of Marine Fleet Admiral!"

"Reward delivery initiated."

"Scanning current ability profile..."

"Scan complete. Detected abilities: Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Conqueror's Haki, Swordsmanship, and the Six Powers technique."

"Beginning comprehensive enhancement of all detected abilities."

"Enhancement complete: Swordsmanship has been maximized to ultimate mastery level!"

"Enhancement complete: Six Powers technique has been maximized to ultimate mastery level!"

"Enhancement complete: Armament Haki has been maximized to ultimate mastery level!"

"Enhancement complete: Observation Haki has been maximized to ultimate mastery level!"

"Enhancement complete: Conqueror's Haki has been maximized to ultimate mastery level!"

As the system notifications cascaded through his consciousness, Xayuki experienced a momentary disorientation, his vision blurring.

In the next instant, he found himself suspended in an unfamiliar dimensional space. Information about his enhanced abilities surged toward him from all directions, like tributaries flowing into a mighty river. The profound knowledge of the Three Colors of Haki, the subtle techniques of swordsmanship, and the secret principles of the Six Powers technique flooded his mind, integrating seamlessly with his existing skills.

In what seemed like the span of a heartbeat, Xayuki experienced what felt like years of intensive training and enlightenment.

As awareness of his surroundings returned, he could feel the raw power coursing through his body—each ability not merely improved but perfected to its theoretical limit. Though he hadn't anticipated receiving his reward so soon—merely for securing temporary authority rather than formal appointment—the premature enhancement was a welcome development. The sensation of complete mastery over his abilities was intoxicating.

After savoring the moment, Xayuki rose to his feet with fluid grace, his expression betraying none of the exhilaration he felt within. "Gentlemen," he announced with measured authority, "the transition is nearly complete. Let us proceed to Marineford Plaza. I have an address to deliver to our forces."

His gaze then shifted deliberately to Yamakaji, Stiles, and the other officers who had remained loyal to Sengoku until now.

Understanding the unspoken message in Xayuki's eyes, the officers rose as one. They straightened their backs, raised their hands in perfect salutes, and declared with one voice: "Loyalty!"

Xayuki acknowledged their submission with a slight nod. "You have chosen wisely. This decision will serve you well in the days to come."

Without further ceremony, he turned and strode from the conference room, his steps measured and confident—the walk of a man who had just seized the reins of absolute power.

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