One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

Marine Headquarters, Marineford:

In the office of the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku sat in what used to be Kong's seat, surrounded by piles of documents, with a goat munching on discarded papers beside him. Since returning to Marineford, Sengoku had taken over the arduous duties of Fleet Admiral, overwhelmed by the chaos following the Navy's defeat and the death of the former admiral.

He had expected to become Fleet Admiral eventually, perhaps in five or six years, but Kong's murder accelerated his promotion, mirroring how Kong had been hastily appointed after the previous admiral's death at the hands of Rocks.

"Bruru Bruru!!" The Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang, displaying the face of Saturn Saint of the Five Elders.

"Sengoku, with Kong dead, you're now the Fleet Admiral. I've sent someone over, and your inauguration will take place today," Saturn Saint announced calmly, as if the death of a Fleet Admiral was trivial and easily resolved by appointing a successor.

"Lord Saturn Saint, with our recent defeat, we need substantial funds for compensation and to replenish our forces. One reason for our loss was the technological gap between us and the Infinite Pirates; we need to acquire more powerful weapons," Sengoku pleaded, though he wished to demand answers for Kong's death and the lack of support from the World Government. He knew such questions were futile, as the Five Elders would neither admit fault nor offer compensation.

Instead, Sengoku aimed to secure financial support to rebuild the Navy, understanding why Kong had been deferential to the Five Elders, who controlled the Navy's funding. Without their backing, the Navy couldn't sustain its operations, pay its troops, or cover compensation, risking collapse if the financial flow stopped.

"The priority now is your inauguration and stabilizing the Navy, not expansion. This year's budget has been allocated; use what's available from the Navy's finances. We'll disburse more funds after next year's Heavenly Tribute is received," Saturn Saint replied, ending the call abruptly, leaving Sengoku no chance to respond.

The World Government, already financially strained, couldn't afford additional military spending.

"Damn it!" Sengoku cursed, slamming his desk in frustration, scattering documents across the floor.

"Admiral, the inauguration is ready to proceed," reported a sailor, startled by Sengoku's outburst.

"I understand. I'll be there shortly," Sengoku sighed, feeling the weight of his new responsibilities. The constraining oversight left him frustrated, unable to vent his anger at those who imposed it.

At Marineford's square, over 40,000 sailors stood solemnly. Though they should have been proud and spirited, a somber mood prevailed, including among Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp, who faced this humiliation for the second time.

With Sengoku's appearance, all eyes turned to him, now the Navy's figurehead. While others could show sorrow and frustration, he, as Fleet Admiral, had to project strength and resolve.

"Comrades, I am your new Fleet Admiral, Sengoku. You're aware of former Admiral Kong's tragic death. We know the killer's identity and are preparing to capture and bring him here for public execution before the entire Navy!" Sengoku declared passionately, rallying the troops.

"Capture the killer, justice will prevail!"

"Capture the killer, justice will prevail!"

"Capture the killer, justice will prevail!"

The sailors' unified roar dispelled the earlier gloom, reigniting their fighting spirit.

Sengoku felt relieved seeing the renewed determination. In the Navy's decline, maintaining morale and belief was crucial to avoid prolonged stagnation. Though his promise to capture Redfield was a fabrication to boost morale, it served its purpose.

Redfield had vanished into the Calm Belt after killing Kong, eluding both the Navy and World Government.

"I'll send Garp on a mission to capture Redfield as a pretext for pirate hunting," Sengoku thought. With no admirals left—Zephyr retired and Garp refusing promotion—Sengoku was essentially alone in leadership.

"Fortunately, two promising young marines have emerged, and in four to five years, they could assume greater responsibilities," Sengoku noted, spotting the familiar faces of Sakazuki and Borsalino, whom he considered future admiral candidates.

In Wano:

Shakky opened the passage to the Calm Belt refuge, and a group of excited children emerged from the mirror. Leading the group were Esdeath and Wei Zhuang, now around 1.5 to 1.6 meters tall at just fourteen years old. The youngest, Roz and Asuna, only two years old, followed their siblings eagerly.

"Daddy, daddy, hug me!" Roz and Asuna, having not seen their father for over a week, ran excitedly towards Li Yuan.

"My adorable Roz and Asuna, have you been listening to your siblings while I was away?" Li Yuan asked, lifting both children into his arms affectionately.

"Daddy, I was so good! My siblings even took me to catch wild chickens!"

"Daddy, I was good too! Brother Ares taught me to punch," the two little ones boasted, eyes gleaming.

While Li Yuan played with the youngest, the older siblings, like Wei Zhuang, no longer sought hugs, showing their maturity.

"Mommy!!" Nine-year-old Ares, though less attached to Li Yuan now, still clung to his mother, Yadina.

"Ares, stop being so clingy. What you want is with your father, not me," Yadina said, understanding her son's desires.

Ares was her child; she knew what he was thinking.

"Oh? Ares, what do you want? Why go to your mother instead of coming to me?" Li Yuan teased, holding Roz and Asuna as he approached Yadina, amused by Ares' behavior. Ares used to be even more attached than the younger ones.

"Brother's embarrassed, asking Aunt Yadina for help!"

"Yeah, brother's too shy to ask Dad, how embarrassing!" Roz and Asuna teased, sticking out their tongues, making Ares want to scold them.

"Ares, your father's right here. If you want something, speak up. Mommy can't give you what you want," Yadina encouraged, patting Ares' head.

"Dad, I want to be like my siblings, to eat a Devil Fruit and gain powers," Ares finally confessed after much hesitation.

Li Yuan had promised Ares a Devil Fruit at ten, but seeing his siblings' abilities, Ares didn't want to wait. After all, nine and ten weren't much different, so he wished to eat one sooner.

"So that's it? No problem, if you want it now, you can have it," Li Yuan agreed, smiling. The Devil Fruits he collected were for his children, and he saw no reason to refuse if they wanted them.

"Roz, Asuna, come to Mommy," Toki said, knowing Li Yuan was about to fetch something, and took Roz and Asuna from him.

The two little ones, clearly preferring their mother, eagerly jumped from Li Yuan's arms to Toki's embrace.

"Ares, here is the list of all the Devil Fruits I've collected. Choose one," Li Yuan said, returning with the list and some powerful fruits for Ares to pick from.

"Paramecia: Door-Door Fruit, Plasma Fruit, Comet Fruit, Fusion Fruit, Box-Box Fruit, Bag-Bag Fruit."

"Logia: Steam Fruit."

"Zoan Ancient Species: Night Bat Form, Iron Feather Eagle Form."

Li Yuan presented the list, highlighting the powerful Devil Fruits he believed would be suitable.

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