Chapter 89: The World Reacts
Once Satoru's title was confirmed, Fleet Admiral Sengoku moved with decisive speed. He mobilized the Navy's entire propaganda apparatus to broadcast the news across the world. The goal was clear: to amplify public faith in the Navy's strength and usher in a new era of confidence.
By the next morning, thanks to the World Economic Journal and Marine communiqués, nearly everyone on the globe had heard: the Navy had a Fourth Admiral. And he was a twelve-year-old boy.
The reaction was… mixed, to say the least.
"A twelve-year-old… Admiral?" a shopkeeper in East Blue sputtered, staring at the paper. "Have they gone mad at Headquarters? Is there no one left?!" To many ordinary citizens, it seemed like a joke, a blatant misuse of their trust.
"Perhaps the boy is genuinely powerful?" a younger man nearby ventured, trying to have faith in the institution.
"Powerful? Look at your own twelve-year-old nephew! Does he look like he could be an Admiral?" the shopkeeper shot back. The younger man fell silent, picturing his scrawny, playful nephew. The comparison was laughable.
"The Navy's judgment is slipping," an older woman sighed, shaking her head. "They were doing so well after that big purge last year. This… this will just embolden the pirates again."
Among the pirates, the news was met with derision and greedy ambition.
"Hahaha! A child Admiral! What are those fools at Marineford thinking?!" a captain in Paradise roared, sloshing his ale. "If that brat can be an Admiral, maybe I should enlist and aim for Fleet Admiral!"
"I remember that face," a more cautious first mate said, frowning at the grainy photo. "A year ago… the papers said he helped Kizaru repel Kaido."
"That was obviously Navy propaganda! Kizaru fighting Kaido, maybe. But a kid? Don't make me laugh!" the captain waved a dismissive hand. "Forget the details. This is our chance! Think of the fame! The bounty! We find this 'White Dragon,' we beat him, and the world will know our name! A real Admiral's head on our mantle, even a wet-behind-the-ears one!"
The idea spread like wildfire among ambitious, mid-tier crews. A seemingly weak, young Admiral was the perfect stepping stone to infamy.
In the quiet, familiar lanes of Windmill Village, the news caused a different kind of shock.
"Satoru… an Admiral?" Mayor Woop Slap adjusted his glasses, staring at the front-page photo of the boy with the serious eyes and white hair. They'd watched him grow, seen his unnatural strength, but this… this was another level entirely.
"It must be Garp's doing," one fisherman muttered. "Pulling strings for his grandson."
"If that's true, it won't help Satoru. It'll paint a target on his back!" another villager worried.
The Mayor, his face etched with concern, hurried home. He needed to hear it straight from the source. A Den Den Mushi call later, he returned to the village square, where a small crowd had gathered.
"Was it you, Garp?" he'd asked directly.
Garp's booming laugh had been answer enough, followed by a firm, "The boy earned it with his own fists! He beat a CP0 champion in a fair fight!"
The square erupted. The initial shock melted into incredulous pride. Satoru wasn't from their blood, but he was of their soil. He was Windmill Village's boy, and he'd climbed to the very peak of the Navy.
In the storm-wracked skies above Onigashima, Kaido of the Beasts held the newspaper in one massive hand, a deep frown on his face. He remembered those pale blue eyes, the shocking power in that small frame that had managed to wound him. This wasn't a joke.
"Shall I deal with him, Kaido-sama?" King asked, his voice a low rumble.
Kaido took a long swig from his gourd. "...You'd lose."
The statement hung in the air, stunning the Beast Pirates present. Their All-Star, their second-in-command… not a match for the child in the paper?
"That brat… his growth is monstrous," Kaido grunted, a grudging respect in his tone. "I underestimated him before." He crushed the paper in his fist. The balance of power had subtly shifted. The Navy wasn't just maintaining; it was breeding a new kind of monster.
On a sunny, unnamed island, the Red-Hair Pirates were, as usual, throwing a party. The occasion this time? The newspaper in Shanks's hand.
"BOSS! The kid really did it! He's an Admiral!" Lucky Roux cheered, spraying meat as he spoke.
"Does this mean we gotta run next time we see him?" one pirate laughed.
"Three days and nights! I'd need to drink for three days and nights to process this!" Yasopp grinned.
"Run? Why would we run?" Shanks laughed, taking a huge swig of sake. "If we meet, he'll be the one with the headache! Don't forget, we're an Emperor's crew!" But his single eye held a sharp, knowing glint. He was genuinely pleased. The world needed interesting people, and Satoru was becoming one of the most interesting of all.
The newer members of the crew looked on, confused. Why were they celebrating the promotion of a Navy Admiral, their nominal enemy? They didn't understand the history, the shared moments in a East Blue village, or the recognition of sheer, extraordinary potential. To the old guard, this wasn't about sides; it was about the grand, unpredictable story of the sea, and a remarkable chapter had just been written.
Across the world, from disbelieving civilians to scoffing pirates, from proud villagers to wary Emperors, the name "White Dragon" began to take root. Admiral Satoru's era had officially begun, and the seas would soon learn what that truly meant.
(End of Chapter)
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