Chapter 114 - 114: Operation Fortress: Rogers Pirate

Words : 1265 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

At the cabin door, Fleet Admiral Sengoku gave Yoriichi a firm pat on the shoulder as he explained the upcoming meeting arrangements. The moment he mentioned Yoriichi's promotion to Rear Admiral, Garp couldn't stop smiling. A fourteen-year-old Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters—this was unprecedented. Even Aokiji, who stood next to Yoriichi and was considered one of the fastest-rising young officers in the Navy, hadn't advanced that quickly. Aokiji had both strength and merit, was a disciple of Zephyr, had once served as Garp's adjutant, and now reported directly to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Despite all that, it had been two years since Aokiji was promoted to Rear Admiral, and he was already around twenty. But Yoriichi? He was still technically a minor, yet he was about to be made a Rear Admiral. You couldn't find a second case like this in the entire Navy. Garp was thrilled because Yoriichi was someone he had personally scouted—no, more accurately, a prodigy he had discovered. The better Yoriichi did, the more it reflected Garp's judgment and ability to cultivate talent. Now well into middle age, Garp had already achieved success in his career. Although his current rank was Vice Admiral, and technically there were higher ranks like Admiral and Fleet Admiral, his reputation in the Navy was unmatched. Even Steelbone Kong couldn't rival him. What else did Garp want at this stage of his career? Aside from maintaining peace on the seas, he had no desire for further promotions. What mattered most to him now was nurturing a new Marine who could carry on his ideals. Originally, he had placed that hope in Dragon. But children grow up, and not always in the way you expect. As Dragon witnessed more of the Navy's darkness from within, he gradually distanced himself from it. Since that rebellious son could no longer carry Garp's ideals, he shifted his expectations onto Yoriichi. Yoriichi wasn't related to him by blood, but that didn't matter. When a man entrusts his dreams, who needs blood ties? Yoriichi's talent gave Garp hope that the Navy could truly change. Strictly speaking, Yoriichi was Zephyr's student. But so what? There was no real difference between Zephyr's disciples and his own. "Rear Admiral, huh..." "Pretty impressive, Yoriichi. So now we're the same rank?" "You already ignore my orders. Great, now I'm basically your adjutant..." Aokiji sighed in mock envy. He didn't say the last part aloud, only muttered it in his heart. Sengoku and Garp both chuckled at Aokiji's exaggerated expression. Garp walked up beside him, gave him a hearty slap on the back, and said with a laugh: "No need to be jealous, Aokiji." "You've got a promotion too." "You both fought off the Golden Lion, severed his arm, and recovered the famous blade Kogarashi. It was a team effort." "Do you think the Navy would overlook your accomplishments?" "You're being promoted to Vice Admiral, Aokiji." Hearing that, Aokiji scratched his head and smiled. He didn't look surprised. After all, he'd been a Rear Admiral for a while now and had built up a solid record. Most of the pirates he'd taken down, though, were the kind worth less than 200 million. This time, however, he had faced off against the Golden Lion. With that kind of achievement, a promotion to Vice Admiral was practically guaranteed. Originally, he had hoped to be promoted straight to full Admiral, but that was wishful thinking. Still, he was satisfied. At least for now, he was outranking Yoriichi. He'd still have the authority to boss him around, even if Yoriichi had only ever given him attitude in return. "Looks like I'm in luck, Yoriichi. Seems you'll still be my adjutant for now." Aokiji winked at him, showing a rare bit of youthful playfulness in front of Sengoku and Garp. Yoriichi just shook his head with a wry smile and replied, "Serving as your adjutant is actually pretty exhausting." "You bastard! Exhausting, my ass!" Aokiji threw an arm around Yoriichi's shoulders, grinning and yelling, drawing curious looks from nearby Marines. Sengoku and Garp exchanged amused glances. Watching the two bicker reminded them of their own younger days, back when it was the two of them, Tsuru, and Zephyr. The bond between Yoriichi and Aokiji mirrored those memories. As more officers gathered on the deck, Sengoku, Garp, and the others didn't linger long. They led Yoriichi and Aokiji into the ship's interior toward the meeting room. Unlike Aokiji's spartan vessel, this ship had everything, even a gym for Marine soldiers to train in. The conference room held seven or eight neat rows of chairs, easily capable of seating 200 officers at once. Once inside, Garp took a seat in the front row. Sengoku headed straight for the podium. Aokiji and Yoriichi casually grabbed seats toward the back. When all the high-ranking officers stationed on Lodestar Island had assembled, Sengoku adjusted the microphone Den Den Mushi and cleared his throat before announcing: "Before we begin our official strategy meeting against the Roger Pirates, there will be a special awards ceremony." "As you all know, not long ago, something truly world-shaking occurred on these seas." "The infamous pirate Golden Lion Shiki was driven back by then-Rear Admiral Aokiji and then-Captain Yoriichi Tsugikuni." "They even succeeded in severing one of his arms. This is the first time in years the Navy has managed to deal a real blow to a pirate of that caliber." "Rear Admiral Aokiji and Captain Yoriichi have made extraordinary contributions." "Therefore, after discussion with myself and Fleet Admiral Steelbone Kong, it has been decided. Aokiji will be promoted to Vice Admiral. Yoriichi Tsugikuni will be promoted to Rear Admiral." "Now, would our two heroes please come to the stage." Sengoku's voice echoed through the room via the broadcast Den Den Mushi. Marines throughout the conference hall turned to look as Aokiji and Yoriichi rose and walked to the front. Applause thundered. Familiar officers whispered among themselves. "That's Yoriichi Tsugikuni? First time seeing him. He's so young." "Aokiji's the one with the Ice-Ice Fruit, right? Incredible that he helped take down the Golden Lion." "Promotions are really tough at Headquarters. Even after something like that, they only went up one rank?" Before a sea of gathered Marines from across the world, Sengoku personally removed their old shoulder boards and affixed new ones. Yoriichi's plain yellow epaulettes were replaced with ones bearing a red base, blue trim, and golden tassels—a proper general's insignia. Amidst the applause, the brief ceremony came to a close, and Yoriichi and Aokiji returned to their seats. Then, the real meeting began. "Now, let's begin the strategy session." "Our target is the Roger Pirates." "Vice Admiral Aokiji and Rear Admiral Yoriichi were the first to arrive at Lodestar Island. They succeeded in capturing two of the Roger Pirates' crew." As Sengoku spoke, he used the projection Den Den Mushi to cast the images of Shanks and Buggy onto the white wall behind him. The room erupted. "Given the circumstances, I've decided to change our operational strategy." "I'm calling this revised strategy Operation Fortress." ///////////////////////// Support me by adding this fic into your library! 100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter For Advance Chapters, please visit and consider joining me on P(a)treon! p(a)treon.com/Lnee 1-2+ Chapters daily on P(a)treon, will go up depends on the powerstone extra chapters.

Chapter 114 - 114: Operation Fortress: Rogers Pirate

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