Michael wasn't sure how much of his speech the Marine soldiers and officers below had truly understood, but one thing was certain...
They had definitely caught the words "salary increase."
Thus, after three seconds of stunned silence, the platform erupted into thunderous applause that shook the very foundations.
Many Marines were even moved to tears.
Now this was what you called a great leader!
A real leader!
The Three Admirals? The Grand Strategist? The Fleet Admiral?
Compared to the Grand Inspector, they were nothing!
Sure, they excelled at warfare and politics.
But leadership?
They still had much to learn!
"Alright, alright, settle down now."
As he spoke, Michael raised both hands, making a gentle downward pressing motion.
Instantly, the roaring applause ceased.
This display, however, made the Five Elders observing from their elevated platform shift uncomfortably in their seats.
That simple gesture—and the Marines' immediate response—spoke volumes about Michael's current authority.
They even noticed several Vice Admirals whose allegiances had always been ambiguous now leading the fervent applause.
These were precisely the officers the Regional Justice Faction had been painstakingly courting!
Just when they thought their recruitment efforts were nearly complete, ready for the final push...
Michael swooped in with his deep pockets and literally bought their loyalty!
Was there anything more NTR-worthy than this?
But as it turned out...
Yes, there was.
"Next, on behalf of Marine leadership and the World Government, I announce a major decision."
"As you all know, since the so-called 'Great Pirate Era' began, our Marine ranks have dwindled steadily, with more and more leaving our forces... Even with new comrades joining from Amazon Lily and Fish-Man Island, we still can't match the sheer numbers of pirates and Revolutionary Army members at sea."
"Therefore, on this joyous occasion of promoting our new Fleet Admiral and Three Admirals..."
"I declare!"
"Starting today, the Marines will launch a Worldwide Recruitment Draft!"
At these words, Sengoku and the Three Admirals simultaneously lowered their heads, coughing lightly into their hands.
Then they glanced upward at the Five Elders...
Had Michael gone too far this time?
"All capable individuals, regardless of background—provided they don't carry World Government bounties—may join the Marines at appropriate ranks after evaluation."
"This Worldwide Recruitment Draft prioritizes quality over quantity. We'd rather have vacancies than compromise standards."
The good news had paved the way; now came the real impact.
The Marines, still floating on cloud nine from Michael's salary increase announcement, suddenly found themselves crashing back to earth.
While the Worldwide Recruitment Draft might seem routine, it actually narrowed promotion opportunities for existing Marines.
After all, officer positions followed fixed ratios—not everyone could become high-ranking officers, that much was obvious.
This quality-focused draft essentially meant recruiting and assimilating powerful individuals currently unaffiliated with any faction or formerly aligned with one.
These recruits would inevitably claim officer positions upon joining, directly competing with existing Marines for promotion.
But then again...
Coming right after the pay raise announcement, the Marines found this somewhat acceptable.
Let's just say... the benefits were too good to refuse.
And they believed that someone who started by demanding a pay raise would surely bring them more perks in the future.
Michael—no complaints about him!
But the Five Elders? Now they had a problem!
The five old geezers on the high platform watched Michael speak eloquently, feeling utterly helpless.
This bastard was saying...
All the things they were supposed to say!
Originally, they had planned to use this very method to further divide the factions within the Marine.
A pack of dogs shouldn't be too united—if they were, their masters would be in danger.
"This matter will also occupy a section of the World Economic Journal for the entire next year."
"And next, I will personally allocate a sum of money as a reward for those who recommend strong individuals to join the Marine."
"As long as the recommended person is assessed and granted a rank higher than Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander, the recommender can claim a bonus from me. The amount will be determined based on the awarded rank!"
After his final words, Michael ignored the stunned silence from the Marines, once again struck by his financial incentives, and simply stepped aside, signaling the Three Admirals to move—no more pretending to be dead behind him.
The Three Admirals quickly caught on, giving Michael a complicated look before taking turns delivering their speeches.
Mostly just placating and motivating their respective factions.
Being a bunch of warriors, the Marine's meetings were remarkably efficient.
Even such a solemn and important promotion ceremony was wrapped up in just over an hour.
But... none of that mattered.
When Michael saw the livid expressions on the Five Elders' faces, he felt pure satisfaction.
What he loved most was this feeling—being someone they desperately wanted to eliminate but couldn't.
Still, once the two sides were within five steps of each other, they all plastered on restrained, amiable smiles.
"Ahahaha, esteemed elders, you see, my mouth just ran away from me! Ended up stealing your lines!"
"Yes, as long as this matter is implemented, it's fine. The Grand Inspector need not feel guilty."
"Right, right! That's why you're the leaders—so magnanimous! A minor slip-up from a subordinate is nothing to fuss over, let alone sending some white-suited, weirdly masked assassin spies to silence anyone... Huh? Where's the legendary CP0? Don't they like this kind of occasion?"
Michael's sarcastic, barbed remarks made the Five Elders' already snow-white hair tremble with rage.
How infuriating! This bastard!
But right now... how could they directly target the Marine's Grand Inspector?
Did they think Kong, Sengoku, and Garp were just sitting around doing nothing?
And as long as this position wasn't treated as a retirement post, it was far from being just a ceremonial role!
In fact, it was practically equivalent to a fourth Admiral.
The Three Admirals led the Marine forward on the surface.
Meanwhile, the Grand Inspector—the Marine's internal "Admiral"—was responsible for cutting out the rot, keeping the colossal organization healthy.
They could already foresee that the Regional Justice Faction was in for some tough times ahead.
"Under the leadership of you, Sengoku, and the Three Admirals, the Marine is sure to march toward an even more glorious future... But you must also remember, while conducting worldwide recruitment, you must maintain loyalty to the World Government."
"Of course, of course. The World Government's affairs are my affairs." Michael laughed heartily.
But what he truly thought was...
Loyalty my ass.
I'll drag your whole family out to light the sky lanterns sooner or later!
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