One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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"About the plan, I'm ready."

Akira opened the drawer and took out a large stack of documents.

People who don't think ahead are the ones he worries about.

In fact, as soon as the Honey Plant set off, Akira already anticipated the situation he would face now.

After all, empty promises can't be eaten.

All problems eventually trace back to Berries, the root of all trouble.

If Akira really wants to secure the position of Fleet Admiral, he must handle things himself when the time comes, even if it means mobilizing all the soldiers.

So, during this entire month, apart from using his Devil Fruit abilities and reviewing documents, Akira spent most of his time thinking about how to make money—a lot of money—even while recovering his strength.

The office fell silent.

Everyone's eyes were on the document.

Especially Zephyr, whose eyes were burning like an old man who had just discovered treasure after years of searching.

There's no need to question his righteous heart; he's the person most concerned that the Marines won't generate enough revenue.

So when he saw Akira's plan, which could potentially earn trillions of Berries in half a month, he couldn't help but step forward eagerly.

If it weren't for the restraint in his mind, he would have grabbed the file and executed it immediately.

Akira noticed Zephyr's eagerness and smiled at him calmly.

"Kizaru, this is the next task I need you to handle."

Akira flipped through the files, took out three sheets, and handed them over.

At the same time, his expression became very serious: "We don't have much time left, so I hope you can set off today."

"Ah, don't worry. If I procrastinate now, I might really get beaten to death."

Kizaru took the document, tucked it into his coat without looking at it, and his whole body began to emit a dazzling light.

"Mr. Zephyr, goodbye."

As soon as he spoke, he disappeared from the office.

"Gion, Rouge, this is your next task."

Akira took out a few more documents, handed them to Gion and Rouge, who had been watching him, and nodded. "I know it's tough, but I need you to go on another trip."

Rouge was surprised.

She didn't expect to receive her own mission.

But after realizing that she wanted to contribute more to the world, she stood up without hesitation and moved closer to Gion.

Gion nodded firmly and, after taking the document, glanced at it subconsciously.

Upon seeing the contents, a shocked expression appeared on her face.

"This plan, this..."

"How on earth did you come up with that? My God!"

Seeing this, Zephyr, who had been paying attention, felt even more restless.

Akira smiled slightly.

He took out a small wooden box from under his desk and pushed it over. "Use this at the right time. As long as you follow the plan, there won't be any danger."

"Akira, don't worry. I'll do my best to complete it."

Gion held the document tightly in her palm, made a solemn promise, and left with Rouge, who picked up the small wooden box.

It wasn't until the two figures disappeared from sight that Akira turned his attention to Zephyr, who was still staring at him.

"Is the rest of the work for me?"

Zephyr couldn't wait as he pointed to the thick stack of documents, patting his chest confidently.

"Don't worry, no matter how many tasks you have, just hand them over."

"I'll make sure to handle everything perfectly."

Akira felt a bit helpless.

Good grief, I know you're eager, but there's no need to rush, Mr. Zephyr.

We only have half a month left, and if I entrust all these tasks to you, we might miss our deadline.

"Mr. Zephyr, these tasks are for the other generals."

"Here's yours."

Akira took out a document and waved it in the air.

"Why is there only one?"

Zephyr frowned. He had just seen Kizaru take three documents, and Gion had taken several, but when it came to him, there was only one left.

But then he reconsidered. Perhaps his task was more challenging, and Akira expected it to take longer to complete, so he only assigned one.

"Alright, I'll set off now."

Zephyr reached out to take the file.

But this time, Akira pulled it back.

Akira placed the document back in the pile, tidied it up a bit, and then stepped out from behind the desk.

"Before you go, I need you to do one last thing."

"What is it?"

"Accompany me to the Holy Land Mariejois. We need to see Fleet Admiral Kong... to secure funding and power."

Akira adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zephyr was taken aback for a moment, but when he saw Akira leave the office, he hurriedly followed.

...

The warship cut through the wind and waves, heading steadily toward their destination.

Naval Headquarters was strategically located near Mariejois to better protect the Celestial Dragons. This proximity ensured that warships could sail at full speed and arrive quickly.

Before long, Akira and Zephyr's warship docked at the port below the Red Line. The two of them took the elevator, slowly ascending towards the top.

"Akira, why did you go out of your way to dress like this for our meeting with Fleet Admiral Kong?" Zephyr asked, scratching his head with a puzzled look.

Akira's appearance was indeed unusual—his normally neat hair was disheveled, his pale skin looked sickly, and his hands resembled claws. He had swapped his clean white uniform for clothes that reeked of sour sweat, which he had changed into back at Marineford. He even held a mirror, glaring angrily into it, with artificially induced bloodshot eyes.

To appear pale, Akira had used his Devil Fruit ability to creating several leaves on the spot, and then written the name of Bartholomew Kuma. This physical strain made him look genuinely unwell. If Zephyr hadn't witnessed the transformation himself, he might have thought Akira hadn't slept for days.

But this was exactly the effect Akira wanted.

He explained, "If I don't look miserable, how can I convince Fleet Admiral Kong and the Five Elders to give us more funding and power?"

"Convince? Why would you need to deceive them?" Zephyr was taken aback. "If they have the resources, they'll allocate them. Our headquarters has been running on tight resources, so Fleet Admiral Kong must be managing things carefully."

Akira couldn't help but glance at him, his lips twitching slightly.

'Teacher Zephyr, you're still a bit too naive.'

But instead of voicing his thoughts, Akira sighed and said, "Maybe."

"Do you really think this approach will work?"

"Teacher Zephyr, if two people stood before you asking for money—one neatly dressed and the other disheveled and ragged—who would you give money to?"

"..."

Zephyr thought carefully, his jaw gradually dropping.

There was no question about it—he'd give it to the one in rags.

Even though it's wrong to judge people by their appearance, the reality is that appearance often influences people's decisions.

Though he didn't like the idea of comparing the Marine Headquarters asking the Five Elders for money to begging, he couldn't deny the logic.

"So, playing the part really does work, huh?" Zephyr asked.

"Absolutely."

"You could have mentioned that earlier."

Zephyr grumbled in frustration and suddenly leaped off the elevator. With a loud "plop," he plunged into the sea below.

After a few moments, Zephyr resurfaced using Moonwalk, now drenched from head to toe.

"How's this? Do I look miserable enough?" he asked, his muscles rippling as he exerted force, causing the blood in his body to surge like a torrent. A burst of heat radiated from him, quickly drying his clothes. But now, a stronger, heavier scent of the sea clung to him.

Akira could only stare in silence.

...

Before long, they arrived at Mariejois.

Akira and Zephyr proceeded without hindrance, guided by the guards to a luxurious building. An Acting Fleet Admiral and a Marine Admiral and Instructor visiting their superiors in the Holy Land wasn't something the guards had any authority to question, so they didn't even consider reporting their arrival first.

This unannounced visit put Fleet Admiral Kong in an awkward situation.

As Akira and Zephyr pushed open the doors, they found Kong in the middle of enjoying himself. He was lounging on a chair with his legs crossed like a king, while beautiful attendants catered to his every need.

One attendant delicately wiped the corners of his mouth with a pristine white napkin, while another expertly poured high-grade red wine into a glass. The table in front of him was laden with plate after plate of steaming, aromatic dishes. Five chefs stood by, ready to whip up new creations according to Kong's whims.

The scene was one of pure luxury and comfort.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, the Marines are so poor we can't even afford to eat..." Zephyr, who had been ready to play up his misery, froze in place as he took in the scene.

Kong, too, was caught off guard, momentarily stunned.

"You—why are you here?" he stammered, clearly not expecting their sudden appearance.