《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 64: Sengoku, Please Address Him as Fleet Admiral!

The next morning.

After freshening up and donning his uniform, complete with the Fleet Admiral's coat, Xayuki stepped out of his bedroom, brimming with energy.

"Do you always wake up this late?"

Before Xayuki could even head upstairs to check on the elderly lady, a familiar voice suddenly cut through the air.

Following the voice, he saw Mihawk seated at the dining table, casually dressed, legs crossed, and holding a copy of the Marine Headquarters' newspaper. "Breakfast is already ready. Since you took an extra half hour, the old lady and I didn't wait for you."

Xayuki's eye twitched slightly. Not only had Mihawk shamelessly moved into his house, but he had also taken the liberty of cooking breakfast.

However, Xayuki's attention was soon drawn to the various breakfast dishes laid out on the table.

What surprised him the most was that the elderly lady completely ignored his presence, happily munching on an onigiri while enjoying her meal.

It wasn't until she swallowed her food that the old lady finally noticed Xayuki.

Surprisingly, she didn't seem to have forgotten him this time. The moment she saw him, she waved enthusiastically. "My dear grandson, come here! Grandma saved lots of goodies for you. Don't let Sakazuki know—he's such a troublemaker!"

Not daring to delay, Xayuki quickly walked over and sat beside her. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "Grandma, where did all this food come from?"

The old lady pointed at Mihawk. "Mitaro made it. It's delicious."

"M-Mitaro?" Xayuki blinked, barely holding back laughter.

Mihawk, on the other hand, remained silent, his eyes glued to the newspaper as his facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.

He was utterly resigned to his fate.

Earlier that morning, Mihawk had been startled awake when the elderly lady barged into his room unannounced.

Thankfully, he had met her the previous day and knew who she was. He also deduced that she likely suffered from dementia.

Not daring to be impolite, Mihawk got up and began chatting with her.

But that conversation nearly drove him to despair.

The old lady was so forgetful that every time he introduced himself, she would immediately forget his name and ask who he was again.

Just as Mihawk was on the verge of losing his composure, the old lady suddenly declared she was hungry. Being someone who enjoyed cooking, Mihawk didn't dare continue the conversation and rushed to the kitchen instead.

Strangely enough, while he was preparing breakfast, the old lady didn't cause any trouble. Instead, she frequently praised his cooking skills as he worked.

It had all been going so well—until she decided to give him a nickname.

She remembered only the "Mi" from his full name, Dracule Mihawk, and inexplicably added "Taro" to it, calling him "Mitaro."

He was Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman from Kuraigana Island, not some random "Taro"!

If anyone else—be it a pirate or a Marine—dared to call him by such a ridiculous name, Mihawk wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword.

But seeing Mihawk remain silent, Xayuki decided to let the matter drop. After chatting briefly with the elderly lady, he left the dining area.

Marine Headquarters, Conference Room

Every vice admiral and rear admiral of Marine Headquarters was present, sitting upright and attentive as they watched Xayuki, who was seated in the Fleet Admiral's chair.

To Xayuki's left and right sat Sakazuki, Kuzan, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp.

Outside the conference room, rows of Marine soldiers stood guard, stationed every ten steps. They held their rifles firmly, their postures straight and expressions stern. Yet, their eyes gleamed with pride.

The reason was simple: the former vice admiral they had served had now risen to become the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, enjoying privileges equal to those of the Five Elders.

Most importantly, under Xayuki's leadership, they no longer had to endure the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons from the Holy Land.

"Gion, let's begin."

Seated in the Fleet Admiral's chair, Xayuki scanned the room before speaking in a calm tone. "Let's start by discussing the salaries of all Marine Headquarters officers and soldiers."

"Understood."

Gion stood up, holding a document, and got straight to the point. "Due to the decision to issue one year's salary in advance to all officers and soldiers, Marine Headquarters currently has very limited funds available. As a result, we are temporarily unable to pay the bounties submitted by the branch bases. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible, as failing to pay bounty hunters could damage the Marines' reputation."

"Of course, this is just one small part of the problem. The expenses required by Headquarters in the coming months will far exceed this amount."

Pausing briefly, Gion raised her voice. "I have a proposal: could we ask officers ranked captain and above to contribute funds temporarily to help us get through this difficult period? Once the Celestial Tribute is deposited, we can repay them double."

"Absolutely not."

Before anyone else could react, Xayuki immediately waved his hand dismissively. "You may not be aware of the circumstances many officers face, but I've seen it firsthand over the past few years. Many officers have families to support, and most of their salaries are sent home. Asking them to contribute now would only add to their burdens."

"I have a solution."

After a brief silence, Xayuki's eyes narrowed slightly, a sly smile playing on his lips. "In recent years, several figures in the New World have emerged as so-called kings of the underworld. Some have become transportation tycoons by monopolizing trade routes along the Grand Line, while others have amassed wealth as loan sharks. While their reputations may not rival the Four Emperors, their wealth is staggering."

"So, I plan to personally write invitations and summon them to Marine Headquarters as guests. If they're too afraid to come here, they can choose a location, and I'll meet them there."

"If they dare refuse, the Marines will do only one thing: seize control of their businesses and their wealth!"

"And it's not just the underworld kings of the New World who won't be spared. Even the Celestial Dragons of the Holy Land will have to contribute!"

"They spend billions of Belly on slaves without a second thought. It's about time they contributed to the cause of justice! Gion, personally head to the Sabaody Archipelago and book a hotel. I'm planning to organize an event to entertain the Celestial Dragons. We'll call it a 'transformation project.' Once the time is right, we'll invite some Celestial Dragons to participate!"

Hearing this, Gion covered her face with her hand.

As expected, Xayuki hadn't changed a bit. Even as Fleet Admiral, wielding authority equal to the Five Elders, he was still as adept as ever at finding ways to raise funds.

Unlike Gion, the other attendees—except for Sengoku, Sakazuki, and Kuzan—wore expressions of fervent enthusiasm.

Their Xayuki hadn't changed at all. He was still the same leader they knew, with the same methods they trusted.

When it came to raising funds, no one could match their Fleet Admiral's expertise!

"Xayuki, this is unacceptable!"

At that moment, Sengoku stood up. "The six underworld kings of the New World wield immense influence. If we forcibly seize their businesses and wealth, it could destabilize the entire world! Especially Kiberson, the King of Transport. His company handles not only trade for major pirate crews and nations but also supplies for the Holy Land."

"Sengoku-san!!"

Before Xayuki could respond, a rear admiral suddenly stood up, glaring at Sengoku with wide eyes. "During meetings, please address him as Fleet Admiral!"

The sudden outburst left Sengoku momentarily stunned, his expression frozen in disbelief.

Turning to look at the speaker, Sengoku's eyes widened even further. "Noah? When did you become a rear admiral? Did Xayuki promote you?"

The rear admiral who had spoken was none other than Noah, the same officer who had drawn his sword against Mihawk the previous day.

Standing tall, Noah replied loudly, "Yes! All officers below vice admiral who supported Xayuki during the coup were promoted one rank!"

"Sengoku-san, I'll say it again: please address Xayuki as Fleet Admiral!"

Hearing this, Sengoku's mouth twitched. Pulling out a senbei, he popped it into his mouth and, abandoning his former stern demeanor, raised his head with a haughty expression. "Well, I've been promoted three ranks and will soon be heading to the Chamber of Authority in the Holy Land to assist the Five Elders!"

"Ah?"

Noah's momentum instantly deflated. He turned to Xayuki with a pleading look.

Suppressing his laughter, Xayuki waved a hand dismissively. "Everyone, sit down. The matter of funding is settled. No further discussion is needed."

"Now, onto the second agenda item!"

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea system—I do not approve of it."

"Since its inception, the Seven Warlords have contributed little while using their status to gain immense benefits!"

"However, before abolishing the system, I plan to issue a conscription order and convene a Seven Warlords meeting to curb their arrogance!"

Turning his gaze to several vice admirals, Xayuki continued, "Momonga, Strawberry, Bastille, Hound, Yamakaji, and Stainless!"

The six vice admirals immediately stood at attention upon hearing their names.

"Take the conscription orders and depart immediately. Summon the six remaining Warlords, excluding Mihawk, and ensure they arrive at Marine Headquarters within three days for the meeting."

"Inform them that failure to attend will result in more than just the revocation of their status as Warlords!"

"They will also face the wrath of Marine Headquarters!"

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