Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

"Do I really have to read the script word for word? Isn't that kind of insincere? I bet the marines would rather see me go off script…"

While the Vice Admirals rehearsing for the promotion ceremony chatted idly, Borsalino himself was on stage negotiating with the ceremony's chief coordinator, Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Traditionally, before officially taking office, each new Fleet Admiral would deliver a speech outlining their vision—part retrospective, part projection.

Unless the previous Fleet Admiral had been a complete disaster, the retrospective section was typically full of formulaic praise. The projection portion, however, was the new Fleet Admiral's moment to shine.

But Borsalino had a sudden burst of creativity and wanted to spice things up a bit.

After all, the same format had been used for centuries. It was getting stale. Why not give the marines, who'd never seen another world, a taste of something new and exciting?

Unfortunately, both former Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru firmly rejected Borsalino's proposal. Having dedicated their lives to the Navy, the two elders just wanted a smooth and orderly transition—no surprises.

"With your reputation at Navy HQ, you don't need to do anything fancy. Just take over Sengoku's position properly."

Vice Admiral Tsuru replied with an expressionless face. Whether as Borsalino's senior in service or from her connection through Gion, Tsuru understood Borsalino better than most.

If it had been the old, lazy Borsalino, she wouldn't have worried. But this man had clearly reverted to the "Navy monster" he once was.

From the Navy's perspective, this was actually a good thing. A lifeless slacker was hardly fit to be Fleet Admiral.

But every blessing came with its curse—Borsalino hadn't just become active again; he'd also regained his old habit of doing things his own wild way.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, tasked with organizing the promotion ceremony, was practically losing her mind thanks to him. But there was no one else more suitable for the job, so she had to grit her teeth and carry on.

"Every ceremony's the same—don't you get bored of it?"

Borsalino tapped lazily on the podium, sounding utterly uninterested.

According to the rehearsal schedule, this was supposed to be the time for his speech. But if Borsalino wanted to slack off, no one was going to be stupid enough to call out the newly appointed Fleet Admiral for breaking protocol.

Even Vice Admiral Tsuru turned a blind eye—as long as Borsalino didn't go completely off the rails, everything was negotiable.

"When Fleet Admiral Kong was appointed, I was just a regular sailor,"

Tsuru said calmly. Not many marines had witnessed three different Fleet Admirals come and go like she had. Most retired after their prime years. The odds of making it to the top ranks were less than one in ten thousand.

"That's really something... So, this should be the final rehearsal, right?"

Borsalino shook his head a little regretfully, though it was really just a passing whim. Since Vice Admiral Tsuru didn't agree, he didn't press the matter.

To ensure Borsalino's promotion to Fleet Admiral would proceed in a grand and dignified manner, Marine Headquarters had been thrown into complete chaos lately. Rehearsals like today had already taken place no less than ten times.

Thankfully, Borsalino only needed to attend the final few. Even the overworked Sengoku, who barely had time for a proper day off, had been dragged out by Vice Admiral Tsuru to run through the ceremony process ahead of time.

"Mhm, this will be the final one. The promotion ceremony will officially take place in three days," Tsuru said, visibly letting out a subtle sigh of relief. While things hadn't gone perfectly smoothly, everything was still within the range of what she had anticipated.

The ceremony's procedures were on track, and most of the Marine high command had already arrived at Headquarters. Only a few remained en route — Zephyr, as well as Vice Admirals Merdavia and Vivian, who were still on assignment.

But three days was more than enough time for them to return. If necessary, seating arrangements could be adjusted on the fly. After all, not every high-ranking officer was strictly required to attend the Fleet Admiral promotion ceremony.

"Three days, huh… still plenty of time," Borsalino quietly calculated in his mind, glancing toward the direction of the New World and murmuring to himself.

The New World — Wano Country

The Beasts Pirates, now all part of the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates, had moved their base from Onigashima directly onto the mainland of Wano Country.

Onigashima itself had been repurposed by Boros into a gladiator arena—or more accurately, a personal amusement park where he relentlessly beat up Kaido for sport.

Boom! Boom! BOOOM!

Even from the coastlines of Wano, one could feel the intense tremors coming from Onigashima's direction. It was like two monstrous titans clashing nonstop on the island.

What once resembled a horned skull had now been almost completely flattened. The land was pockmarked with countless deep craters. Flying overhead in his pterosaur form, King couldn't help but shudder at the sight of them.

Every crater and collapsed area on the island had been hammered into existence by Boros—using Kaido himself as the hammer.

Still, recalling Boros's orders, King could only grit his teeth and descend.

The moment he landed, a violent quake shook the ground beneath him, followed by a deafening roar from the central region of the island.

Ironically, that put King more at ease. From experience, that sound usually marked the end of one of Boros and Kaido's "fights."

While most would call it a one-sided beatdown by Boros, out of respect for his boss, King and the other All-Stars would never frame it that way. To them, Kaido was still their "Big Brother Kaido," and his dignity mattered.

"Huff… huff… you bastard… what kind of monster are you…?"

Still in his half-man, half-dragon form, Kaido lay sprawled in a crater, disheveled and covered in grime, chest heaving. His dragon-scaled face was full of confusion and frustration.

Even now, he couldn't understand why a monster like Boros existed in this world. Not even Captain Rocks could've taken this guy down, could he?!

"You've asked that question many times already. I'm just a humble spac- pirate," Boros replied coolly, glancing at Kaido with his single giant eye. Despite the beating, not a speck of dust had landed on him.

Boros was quite satisfied with Kaido, whom Borsalino had recommended as a top-tier fighter.

Stronger than Melzargard, incredibly tough, and most importantly, with a head hard enough to take the punishment. Unlike previous top-tier warriors who treated fighting Boros like a chore, Kaido kept coming back for more.

Even after taking so many beatings, there was still fire in Kaido's eyes. Boros admired that kind of unbreakable spirit.

Kaido involuntarily shrank back under Boros' gaze, then, realizing how pathetic that looked, grit his teeth and glared back with renewed fury.

"Don't screw with me! There's no way the sea could produce a monster like you! And if you're that strong, why the hell are you messing with me?!"

Thinking back on his recent experiences, even Kaido couldn't help but curse.

He was beginning to understand the fear and helplessness felt by those he'd once trampled over.

Boros was a force of nature—an unchallengeable calamity. Even someone as hard-headed as Kaido was starting to feel his fighting spirit waver in the face of an opponent he simply couldn't defeat.

What made it worse was how this damned one-eyed freak kept picking fights with him just for fun. His incredible defense and regeneration had become a curse, subjecting him to endless sparring sessions.

"Because I want to become Pirate King. And to do that, I need strong subordinates. You're my chosen top-tier combatant."

Boros answered casually. Conversations like this were practically daily occurrences. Kaido never believed Boros' origin story, but Boros never budged—always insisting he was just a normal cosmic pirate.

"Bullshit! I'm Kaido of the Beasts! I'm nobody's damn 'combatant'!"

Kaido roared, then struggled to get back on his feet, ready to go another round.

Thankfully, before Boros could knock him out again, King appeared in their field of vision.

"Boss Boros, Brother Kaido—I have something to report…"

King took one look at Kaido's pitiful state and nervously knelt on one knee.

Aside from Kaido, the rest of the Beasts Pirates had quickly come to terms with the reality of Boros' overwhelming power. Even the All-Stars had fallen in line.

Thankfully, Kaido hadn't blamed them. But he had become even more enraged at Boros.

"What is it?" Boros asked casually, briefly scanning the area with Observation Haki. When he sensed no idiots planning rebellion, he looked slightly disappointed.

"As per your instructions, we've been monitoring Marine Headquarters. Admiral Kizaru's promotion to Fleet Admiral is set to begin soon…"

King reported dutifully. Loyal as he was to Kaido, he had considered planning a rebellion or a rescue operation.

But Boros' power was just too absurd. Even with King's intelligence and tactical skills, the problem of how to defeat Boros had no solution.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Boros "trained" Kaido day after day. Fortunately, Kaido's endurance and healing factor were insane—so he probably wouldn't die from all this… probably.

"Tch… So it's about that time, huh? Still not joining me, Kaido?"

Boros' eye narrowed as he turned to the still-prone Kaido, voice flat.

°°°

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