One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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In the Fleet Admiral's office.

After Akira hung up the Den Den Mushi, he stood up and began sifting through the one-meter-high stack of documents beside him.

After a long search, he found the reports he was looking for.

[Report on the Recent Sinking of Several Warships!]

[Sinister Tactics Developed by Pirates to Counter the Enhanced Marine Forces!]

[Officers Across the Country Request A-Level Clones for Reinforcement!]

These were additional issues that needed addressing, beyond the concern about berries that the Chief of Staff, Tsuru, had brought up previously.

The main issue was that during battles, pirates would specifically exploit the weaknesses of the clones by diving into the sea, wreaking havoc on the warships.

Not only do these enhanced clones lose their effectiveness upon contact with seawater, but the expensive warships are also rendered useless.

This behavior further strained the already tight Marine finances.

Therefore, this problem needed an urgent solution.

As for the report suggesting the deployment of A-level clones for support, that could be considered in the future.

When the Marine's stock of clones is abundant, they can eliminate the weaker ones.

But for now, it's simply not feasible!

A-level clones should be stationed in the front and second halves of the Grand Line to handle the more powerful pirates; deploying them globally would be wasteful.

Thus, the solution must start with "people."

In fact, Akira had already come up with an idea.

He wanted to see if he could recruit some Fish-Men to assist.

It wouldn't take much; equipping a warship with just one Fish-Man to handle underwater issues and prevent pirates from sabotaging it would suffice.

So, he called Tokikake back, hoping to learn from him whether this idea was feasible.

After all, Akira didn't know enough about the Fish-Men race and needed detailed information from someone familiar with them.

But what Akira didn't expect was this!

Tokikake was about to be executed for kidnapping a mermaid.

Although this sudden incident caught him off guard, after calming down, he decided to use this opportunity to see if he could recruit the Fish-Men to work for the Marines.

There are giants in the headquarters, so there's no reason the Fish-Men can't be accommodated as well.

"The words I said on purpose, you shouldn't be able to hear them," Akira muttered to himself, as he took the report and ignored the situation for now.

He continued focusing on processing the information from the Bertomy Passion Kingdom.

Even if there were stubborn Fish-Men who wouldn't listen, there was still Queen Otohime and Neptune.

Both of them have normal intelligence, and in the original story, Queen Otohime was very intent on achieving peaceful coexistence between Fish-Men and humans.

Now that such an opportunity was before her, Akira believed she would definitely be moved.

Time passed slowly.

Early the next morning.

When Akira left the mansion and arrived at the office, three figures suddenly came into view.

Covered in bandages, though his nose was bruised and his face swollen, he appeared very energetic.

And there she was—Queen Otohime, whom he had seen on the screen just the day before.

And standing beside her, holding a crystal ball and wearing a hooded top, was a young girl with short black hair—Shyarly.

"Fleet Admiral Akira, good morning, good morning."

Tokikake was the first to notice Akira's arrival, his eyes lighting up. He quickly stood up from the sofa, trotting over to the front and saluting, albeit a bit flustered.

At this moment, there was no trace of the previous dissatisfaction or rivalry in his eyes. Instead, they were filled with gratitude and conviction.

It was clear that Akira's actions yesterday, saving him in front of all the Fish-Men and standing by his side, had deeply moved him.

After all, Tokikake was well aware of his own actions. Although the residents of Fish-Man Island had been led there under false pretenses, Akira had known all along that Tokikake was indeed attempting to kidnap the mermaid.

Yet, even with this knowledge, Akira had stood firmly by his side as a Vice Admiral, backing him up and saving him from the wrath of the Fish-Men.

This was not just a matter of duty—it was an act of life-saving grace.

After waking up yesterday, Tokikake had spent the night in deep thought.

He realized that after this incident, he no longer harbored any desire to compete with Akira for Gion's affection.

Not to mention that Akira was truly outstanding—he had already secured the position of Fleet Admiral, while Tokikake was still just an ordinary Vice Admiral.

In other words, after letting go of his prejudices, Tokikake found himself admiring Akira more and more, realizing that he was handsome, talented, and much better than himself.

If he were a woman, he would definitely choose Akira.

Therefore, he wanted to take the initiative to mend their relationship, but due to the previous events, there was still some embarrassment and worry on his face.

"It's fine, thanks for your hard work."

Akira understood that Tokikake was concerned about lingering issues from the past, so he took the initiative to pat him on the shoulder, offering reassurance for the situation he had endured.

"No hard work!" Tokikake heaved a sigh of relief and quickly replied with a loud salute.

"Well, but you did make a mistake, and you must be punished." Akira narrowed his eyes, a deeper meaning in his tone.

Tokikake understood. He knew Akira was referring to the incident with the Fish-Men kidnapping.

But instead of feeling anxious, he felt a sense of relief. At least, after being punished, it meant the matter was truly behind them.

"No matter what the punishment is, I am willing to accept it."

"Good. Report to Admiral Sengoku."

"Yes, Fleet Admiral. Should I continue to apply for the G-3 base?"

"No, that territory now belongs to Hououin."

Tokikake walked away, visibly relieved.

Akira clasped his hands behind his back, silently watching Tokikake's receding figure.

Although only the two of them knew the truth about the Fish-Man Island kidnapping incident, it was still important to maintain discipline.

Even though the mistake could have been overlooked due to the lack of witnesses, necessary small punishments were important to uphold order.

Of course, the Marines were currently very short on high-end combat power, and Sengoku was not a rigid person. After understanding the situation, he would likely impose an appropriate punishment.

Akira then turned his attention to Queen Otohime and Shyarly, who had been quietly observing the interaction.

He smiled slightly at the two, then took his seat, resting his chin on his hands as he looked at Queen Otohime.

"Queen of Fish-Man Island, why didn't King Neptune come here in person?"

"Fleet Admiral, I deeply apologize for this! Due to the unique location of Fish-Man Island, King Neptune cannot leave his post," Queen Otohime quickly bowed and apologized, concerned that Akira might take offense.

"Oh!" Akira responded casually. He wasn't particularly concerned about Neptune's absence—he had only mentioned it to start the conversation.

"Then I believe you should have an explanation for the Marine, correct?"

"Yes."

Queen Otohime took a deep breath, gently patting Shyarly's head before speaking, "I spoke with Shyarly last night, and she has agreed to use her divination abilities to serve you, in hopes of easing Marine's concerns."

Understanding it was her turn to speak, Shyarly stepped forward with a serious expression. She bowed deeply and said, "Fleet Admiral, Shyarly is willing to serve you."

Akira studied her carefully, recalling what he knew about her.

Shyarly, the sister of Arlong, was destined to become a famous fortune teller. With the crystal ball in her hand, she had the extraordinary ability to predict the future. Although she couldn't pinpoint the exact timing of events, her predictions had an astounding accuracy rate of 100%. She foresaw the beginning of the Great Pirate Era and even predicted Whitebeard's fall before the Summit War.

Compared to Katakuri's ability to briefly see into the future, Shyarly's gift was truly remarkable. Her talent could be invaluable for making decisions or planning strategies in the future, helping him foresee outcomes and adjust accordingly.

As Akira silently observed Shyarly, Queen Otohime misinterpreted his quietness as dissatisfaction with Fish-Man Island's apology.

It wasn't hard to understand why she felt this way. After all, Shyarly was someone Marine desired, and offering her as an apology might seem inadequate.

Luckily, Queen Otohime had prepared for this.

"Fleet Admiral, we have also brought you a treasure from Fish-Man Island."

Her words snapped Akira back to the present. Following her gesture, he noticed a treasure chest on the ground, about calf-high, which had been obscured by Queen Otohime and Shyarly.

"The treasure of Fish-Man Island? What's inside?" Akira asked, his curiosity piqued as he hadn't noticed the chest before.

"My husband said this treasure is known as the Tamatebako! What's inside is more than enough to express our sincere apologies from Fish-Man Island," Queen Otohime explained.

The Tamatebako!

Akira's brow furrowed slightly. He remembered this item from the story. In the future, it would be rigged with explosives and cause the destruction of the Cake Tower at Big Mom's banquet, leading to her rampage.

But...

Akira's eyes gleamed with realization. In the original story, the reason the Tamatebako was filled with explosives was because its original contents had been stolen.

However, this event was still twenty years before the start of the original story.

This time, the chest likely still contained its original and highly valuable treasure.

"Fleet Admiral, the Tamatebako has a mythical backstory," Queen Otohime added, concerned that Akira might not realize the value of this gift.

"Oh? What's the story?" Akira inquired, turning his attention back to her.

"The tale goes like this..." Queen Otohime began, her voice filled with emotion as she patted the treasure chest.

"It is said that in ancient times, a young man once saved a mermaid princess in the sea.

"As a token of her gratitude, the princess gifted him this treasure chest.

"However, there was a condition for opening it. The young man had to wait until he grew old before he could unlock the chest!

"But as hundreds of years passed, the young man never grew old. Unable to wait any longer, he opened the chest prematurely!"

Queen Otohime paused dramatically, leaving her story unfinished.

Akira, who had been listening quietly the entire time, tilted his head slightly and asked, "And then?"

"Er..." Queen Otohime hesitated, pursing her lips as she struggled with how to continue.

But before she could speak, Shyarly, seemingly familiar with the story, filled in, "Then the young man instantly became an old man and died."

Akira's expression froze for a moment.

He quickly understood why Queen Otohime had hesitated to finish the story—the mythical tale of the Tamatebako had a rather grim ending, making it an awkward choice for a gift.

However, Akira's eyes flickered with thought, and after a moment, he nodded with a satisfied smile. Turning to Queen Otohime, he said, "I'm very pleased with this gift. Regarding the incident with Vice Admiral Tokikake yesterday, we can consider it settled."

Both Queen Otohime and Shyarly looked visibly relieved, their expressions softening with surprise and gratitude.

Akira watched them with a smile, understanding their reaction. The Marines held significant power, and once they took issue with someone, even a place as isolated as Fish-Man Island, 10,000 meters below the sea, would be in serious trouble.

There was no doubt about that.

After all, if someone like Kuzan were to unleash the full power of his Ice-Ice Fruit over Fish-Man Island, its very existence would be at risk.

"Is there anything else?" Akira asked after seeing Queen Otohime compose herself.

"There is," she replied, nodding quickly. "You mentioned yesterday that this era of great pirates presents an opportunity for our Fish-Men to demonstrate their goodwill. Could you please explain in more detail? This is very important for our people. I want my people to be able to live freely on the sea in the future."

After finishing her plea, she knelt down directly on the ground, performing a traditional seated bow.

Seeing this, Shyarly followed suit and knelt down as well.

Akira quickly stood up from his seat and personally helped them both to their feet.

"There's no need to go this far."

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral. Will you guide us?" Queen Otohime asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Please, sit down first," Akira instructed.

Queen Otohime and Shyarly obediently returned to the sofa, sitting down with wide, attentive eyes fixed on Akira.

Akira leaned against his desk, arms crossed over his chest as he considered their request. "What understanding do you have of this era of great pirates?"

Queen Otohime thought for a moment before replying, "Although I have never left Fish-Man Island, I often hear terrible things from the hearts of the passing pirates. I know that this era of great pirates is a disaster for many people."

Hearing the voice of a pirate's heart? Oh, I almost forgot—her innate ability is similar to that of Patrick Redfield, Akira thought, his pupils narrowing slightly.

Without saying a word, Akira enveloped himself in Conqueror's Haki. He also activated his Observation Haki, which he had been honing recently, carefully controlling his presence.

Queen Otohime, who had been speaking confidently, suddenly paused.

"Continue!" Akira's voice grew cold, his demeanor shifting dramatically.

"You..." Queen Otohime was taken aback by Akira's sudden change, her earlier confidence replaced by fear.

"It's very impolite to listen to others' hearts, Otohime," Akira remarked, his eyes narrowing. He couldn't be sure if she had been eavesdropping on his thoughts, but her reaction suggested she might have been.

The very idea of someone prying into his innermost thoughts without consent left him deeply unsettled.

With that, Akira unleashed a powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki, directly targeting Queen Otohime and Shyarly.

The air around them grew tense and oppressive.

Shyarly's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, unconscious.

Queen Otohime's pupils dilated, her face paling as she struggled to breathe. Her consciousness began to blur, and the world around her started to fade.

Just as she felt like she was on the brink of death, Akira's voice cut through the haze.

"What did you just hear?"

"Off... on... but... I couldn't hear anything!" Princess Otohime managed to reply with difficulty before her consciousness slipped away entirely.