Chapter 88: The White Dragon
"Well done, boy. You didn't disappoint me."
As they disembarked at Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself was waiting on the dock. He had received the report the moment the battle ended. While the outcome was expected, the thrill of victory was no less potent. With a Fourth Admiral secured, he could see a new golden age for the Navy under his command, a force to truly stand against the Four Emperors.
"The World Government's agent just made it easy for me. Sent someone far too weak," Satoru replied, his tone deceptively casual.
"Don't be so modest now!" Sengoku laughed, clapping him on the back. "I heard the details. It was a masterful display. A real boost to morale. The only regret is I didn't get to see that CP0 Captain's face when his man lost." He'd dealt with that particular agent before—the arrogance was infuriating. Part of him, the part that wasn't Fleet Admiral, wished he could have been there to witness the humiliation.
"Now," Sengoku said, his expression turning more official. "Have you given any thought to your Admiral title?"
The question gave Satoru pause. He hadn't. A title needed to be domineering, impressive. Something that inspired fear or respect.
"How about… 'Black Hand'?" Zephyr suggested, his face perfectly serious. "It would pair well with my 'Black Arm.'"
Satoru's eye twitched. Black Hand? That sounded more like a mob enforcer than a Navy Admiral.
"Absolutely not," Vice Admiral Tsuru cut in, shooting a warning look at Garp, who had just opened his mouth, undoubtedly to suggest something worse. "We are not letting you two name anything. Be serious."
Garp deflated, muttering under his breath. "I didn't even say anything yet…"
"What about 'Blue Eye'?" Kizaru offered, adjusting his sunglasses. "Given the young man's rather… distinctive ocular features." He remembered the chilling, pale blue eyes from a year ago.
It was better than 'Black Hand', but it made Satoru think of a bug's eye. Not quite the image he wanted.
"Lacks gravitas," Sengoku dismissed with a shake of his head.
Aokiji and Akainu had already checked out of the conversation, looking profoundly uninterested in the entire naming process.
Satoru thought hard. "What about… 'Invincible Admiral'?" he finally proposed. "Since I am invincible, after all."
A profound, awkward silence fell over the dock.
Garp and Zephyr took a synchronized step back, their expressions screaming, 'We don't know him.' Even the usually impassive Admirals winced.
"No," Sengoku said flatly, his face darkening. "That is not an Admiral's title."
"Then I'm out of ideas," Satoru said, throwing his hands up and mimicking Kizaru's earlier posture of surrender. He was a little miffed, though. 'Invincible' had a nice ring to it.
Sengoku and Tsuru shared a long-suffering look. As usual, when it came to matters of taste and propriety, the men were useless. The task fell to them.
"'White Devil'?" Sengoku mused, looking at Satoru's hair fluttering in the harbor breeze. "A demon who brings terror to pirates."
"Too sinister. It carries the wrong kind of weight," Tsuru countered, shaking her head. She was beginning to feel the burden of being the only sensible person in a room of powerful idiots.
Honestly, it always comes down to the women, she thought with a touch of pride.
After another moment of thought, she spoke again. "Then… 'White Dragon.'" A symbol of power, majesty, and supreme strength.
Sengoku's eyes lit up. "Yes. It's imposing, regal. It has presence."
Garp and Zephyr nodded their approval. It was a proper, fearsome title.
The three current Admirals, however, exchanged subtle glances. A Dragon? Their own titles were… a Dog, a Pheasant, and a Monkey. The new guy was getting a Dragon? The disparity in prestige was glaring.
"Satoru, what do you think?" Sengoku asked.
"It's fine," Satoru shrugged. It was still a little cheesy to his ears, but it was leagues better than 'Black Hand,' 'Blue Eye,' or 'White Devil.' 'White Dragon' would do.
"Then it's decided!" Sengoku declared, not giving the disgruntled Admirals a chance to object. "Henceforth, your official title shall be… Admiral, White Dragon!"
Despite his nonchalant shrug, a spark of genuine excitement ignited in Satoru's chest. The specific title was one thing. But the two words that preceded it—Admiral Satoru—that was the real prize. The weight, the authority, the promise they carried… that was satisfaction enough.
The Navy's Fourth Admiral, the White Dragon, had officially risen.
(End of Chapter)
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