"Not bad."
Monkey D. Garp walked over and slapped Karl on the shoulder.
"Not bad? Kid, you're even more popular than I was!"
"At this rate you'll replace me soon!"
Karl smiled politely.
"How could that be? Vice Admiral Garp has countless achievements. Your contributions will never be forgotten."
Garp instantly brightened.
"Hahaha! That's what I like to hear!"
He grabbed Sengoku's rice crackers from the desk and ran away before Sengoku could stop him.
Sengoku sighed.
"Forget that idiot."
"Let's talk about tomorrow's ceremony."
He handed Karl a stack of papers.
"This is the speech you'll give during the award ceremony."
"I know you didn't have time to write one, so I prepared it for you."
Karl flipped through it quickly.
"No problem."
"Thank you, Fleet Admiral."
Then he asked:
"I heard tomorrow's ceremony will be broadcast worldwide. Is that true?"
Sengoku nodded with a smile.
"That was my idea."
"Ever since Shanks became a Yonko, the Marines' reputation has been declining."
"So this ceremony will remind the world—"
"The Marines are not weak."
Karl raised an eyebrow.
"So… it's basically a military parade?"
"Exactly."
"You don't mind, do you?"
Karl immediately shook his head.
Mind?
Of course not.
The bigger the event—
The more famous he became.
More fame meant more followers.
More followers meant stronger system bonuses.
At this point, the system's daily rewards were far from enough.
Grinding them to the EX rank would take five or six years.
But Monkey D. Luffy would set sail in just three years.
Karl needed to become stronger before that future arrived.
After the Ceremony
Sengoku continued:
"There's another thing."
"After the ceremony, you'll get one week of vacation."
"You can go anywhere."
"But after that…"
"You'll need to start moving."
Karl frowned.
"You mean… missions?"
Sengoku nodded.
"We finally have another Marine Hero."
"The public needs to see what that means."
"When Garp first became a hero, he traveled everywhere defeating pirates."
"The number of Marine recruits skyrocketed."
He sighed.
"Right now the Yonko dominate the seas."
"Recruit numbers are falling every year."
Karl immediately saluted.
"Understood."
"I'll complete the mission."
Sengoku smiled.
"Good."
"Go rest."
"Come back tomorrow before the ceremony."
The Next Day
Karl stood in front of a mirror.
He inspected himself carefully.
Still handsome.
Still perfect.
Satisfied, he walked out and headed toward Marine Headquarters.
Around the World
Across the Grand Line and the Four Seas, Marine bases activated their Den Den Mushi broadcast platforms.
The ceremony would be shown globally.
For now the Marineford plaza only showed busy workers preparing the stage.
The ceremony was still two hours away.
But crowds had already gathered.
People sat on stools watching the screen like it was a festival.
Entertainment was rare in the One Piece world.
A live broadcast like this was a huge event.
One girl holding a Karl fan poster looked disappointed.
"I thought Vice Admiral Karl would appear already…"
Nearby women complained.
"Move aside!"
"You're blocking our view!"
A man with acne shouted angrily.
"You women are so shallow!"
"Does Karl's appearance matter?"
"His strength is what matters!"
A woman scoffed.
"You're not shallow?"
"Have you looked in a mirror?"
"…"
The poor man gave up.
Karl's fanbase was terrifying.
If they knew their admiration was literally boosting Karl's abilities through the system, they would probably faint.
Fleet Admiral's Office
Karl entered and immediately noticed a massive man standing beside Sengoku.
A tall figure like a steel tower.
Dark skin.
White hair and beard shaped like a mountain.
A large scar under his eye.
Muscles bulging beneath a sleeveless shirt decorated with medals.
This was:
Kong.
Sengoku introduced him.
"Karl, perfect timing."
"This is Kong."
"Commander-in-Chief of the World Government."
"And the former Fleet Admiral."
Karl saluted immediately.
"Sir! Marine Vice Admiral Karl reporting!"
Kong stared at him silently for a moment.
The room became quiet.
Karl stared back.
A silent contest.
Finally Kong laughed.
"Good."
"A fine young man."
"I hear you awakened Conqueror's Haki, just like Sengoku."
Karl nodded.
"Yes."
"I awakened it during a battle with Kaido."
"By accident."
Kong shook his head.
"Accident?"
"Only those with the qualities of a king can awaken that power."
"I'd call that destiny."
Sengoku nodded.
"If Zephyr hadn't kept recruiting new Marines every year…"
"This kid might have been lost among the masses."
The name Zephyr made Kong nostalgic.
He sighed.
"One generation replaces another."
"The future belongs to young people like you."
"Just don't forget us old men when we're gone."
Sengoku chuckled.
The two veterans shared a knowing smile.
Then Kong asked:
"Karl."
"I heard your ability can strengthen bodies and heal injuries."
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