Chapter 85: Awarded the Medal and Promoted to Colonel! (Updated)
Mid-December of the Haiyuan calendar year 1498.
A symbol of peace, the East China Sea.
An unprecedented and vicious kidnapping incident occurred. A group of Celestial Dragons, traveling to the East China Sea for sightseeing, were kidnapped by a Dragon, a member of the Self-Defense Force, while visiting the island of Sica in the Kingdom of Goa.
At that time, Vice Admiral Garp of the Marine Headquarters was returning from a "visit to relatives" and "accidentally" encountered the kidnappers on the sea. He successfully rescued the Celestial Dragons from the hands of the Self-Defense Forces and saved their lives.
Many years after the destruction of the Rocks Pirates, another evil organization extended its claws to the Celestial Dragons.
The World Government has issued a wanted order for the kidnapper, Dragon of the Self-Defense Force, with a reward of a terrifying 1.5 billion berries - regardless of life or death.
All the marines who "assisted" Vice Admiral Garp in rescuing the Celestial Dragons were commended by the Marine Headquarters.
…
End of December.
In the early morning, thick cold fog enveloped Marinford. The sunlight shone through the fog onto the ground, making people feel no warmth at all.
The naval port of the Naval Headquarters is sparsely populated. Apart from the marines on daily patrols, there are no other people to be seen.
However, unlike the deserted port, the auditorium of the Naval Headquarters was crowded with people.
Today, a special awarding ceremony is taking place in the auditorium of the Naval Headquarters.
This auditorium, large enough to hold two thousand people, was completely packed. At the front of the auditorium was a platform, upon which Admiral Sora of the Navy Headquarters was speaking through a loudspeaker, Den Den Mushi.
The general meaning is nothing more than a "simple" summary of some of the Navy's contributions and deeds last year, while looking forward to the Navy's future.
Sitting in the front row of seats in front of the podium was a row of the most powerful and influential generals in the navy.
The Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, Buddha Sengoku. Next to Sengoku sat his two old comrades, Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru. Sitting on the outside was the former Marine Admiral Zephyr.
On both sides of these mainstays of the navy sat many older officers with golden tassels on their shoulders.
In the second row, sat the vice admirals of the Navy Headquarters, including Borsalino, Sakaski and other young generals, all of whom sat in the second row.
The further back the seat is, the lower the rank.
On the podium, Gang Gukong gave a long speech, and then invited the protagonists of today's awarding ceremony to come on stage.
The first person to walk onto the stage was Garp's adjutant, Colonel Bogart, and following closely behind him was a young man with long red hair, who was none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who had just returned to the Marine Headquarters a day earlier.
After the two men came on stage, several young marines came on stage one after another. These people were all marines on Cap's ship who witnessed and participated in the "La Cortina Kidnapping Incident."
Below the stage, Zefa saw Ji Guoyuan coming on stage, a bright smile appeared on his face, he stretched out his hand and clapped gently. Under his leadership, the auditorium broke out into warm applause.
"Hey, Garp, why aren't you clapping?"
"Although your son has left the navy, he did a good deed before leaving."
Zephyr clapped his hands lightly, and seeing Garp sitting next to him with his arms crossed and not saying a word, he couldn't help but laugh.
After the "Xijia Island Kidnapping Incident", Garp and his crew, who successfully rescued the Celestial Dragons, were commended by the World Government.
The hero Garp has made great contributions again. Originally, Steel Bone Kong was planning to award Garp a medal today, but was rejected by Garp.
Garp, who treated the Celestial Dragons like trash, still wanted to protect them. He was already very unhappy when he did such disgusting things, and now Steel Bone Sora wanted to award him a medal? How could he accept this?
However, the other marines on Garp's ship were not as arrogant as Garp. Promotion was a rare opportunity for most junior marines, so everyone accepted it with peace of mind.
Bogart himself wanted to respond to Garp, but after being scolded by Garp, he had no choice but to accept the "reward" obediently.
As for Tsugikuni Yoriichi, he has no burden at all. What he has to do requires strength and a higher position. Yoriichi will not refuse any opportunity for promotion.
What's more, this promotion opportunity was a "gift" given to him by Long. He had no reason to refuse.
Bogart, who assisted Garp in rescuing the Celestial Dragons, was promoted to brigadier general, while Yoshiichi Tsugakuni was promoted directly from major to colonel. The rest of the Marines were promoted to varying degrees, most of them skipping two levels, and a few skipping three levels.
Garp, sitting in his seat, looked at Yunyi who was being awarded the title on the platform, and listened to Zefa's teasing beside him, and couldn't help but curse:
"You're right, that idiot did one right thing before he left."
"Yuichirō was able to rise to the rank of colonel thanks to that idiot."
"At such a young age, he's already a captain in the Marine Headquarters. Yoriichi will definitely become the backbone of our Navy in the future!"
When Zefa heard what Garp said, he was stunned at first, then frowned and couldn't help but remind him: "Hey, Garp, you guy, stay away from Yuanyi!"
"You have taught Long the wrong way. I will not allow you to interfere with Yunyi's growth."
However, Garp seemed not to have heard what Zefa said. He looked at Tsugikoku Yoriichi on the stage, a bright smile appeared on his rough face, and he said casually:
"How can that be? I will do my best to teach Yunyi. After that brat Long leaves, I will train him well and will never let him follow the path of Long."
It would have been fine if Garp hadn't said anything. As soon as Garp said it, Zephyr immediately glared at him, grabbed Garp's collar, and said angrily: "I said, I don't allow it!"
"Hahahahahaha!" However, what answered Zephyr was Garp's cheerful laughter.
When Zephyr and Garp were arguing, Crane and Sengoku both turned their heads to look at Garp and Zephyr and sighed at the same time. Their two old comrades were really like children sometimes.
However, the noisy Garp and Zephyr did not attract much attention. Their voices were drowned out by the warm applause.
After the ceremony, Ji Guoyuan and the others walked off the stage and returned to their seats. As the simple ceremony concluded, the atmosphere in the auditorium grew solemn.
"The investiture ceremony ends here."
"Next, this is the real reason why I gathered everyone here!"
"Now, let's begin the combat meeting!"
"The goal! To encircle and destroy the Roger Pirates, a large pirate group with a total bounty of nearly 10 billion!"
As Cyborg Sora was speaking, the auditorium darkened. A huge screen suddenly lowered from the podium, and a Den Den Mushi projected an image onto the screen. On it was Roger's pirate ship, the Oro Jackson.
Below the picture of the pirate ship, there are more than twenty wanted posters for the crew members of Roger's pirate group, with amounts ranging from billions to tens of millions.
"The Roger Pirates have made a huge name for themselves in the New World. The bounty on the entire group is as high as 10 billion!"
"Our goal this time is to completely destroy the Roger Pirates!"
"This is war!"
(End of this chapter)
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