One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 27: The Draft Proposal

Ulquiorra was a master of the poker face. A forced smile from him would only appear terrifying. The aura of dominance that emanated from his very soul, the presence of a Vasto Lorde, would only send chills down anyone's spine.

"This presence..." The Marines in the room felt a sudden drop in temperature.

"Quite impressive, eh?" Borsalino drawled, a lecherous smirk on his face.

Sakazuki was about to erupt. Did this newcomer intend to make a show of force right out of the gate? This was Marine Headquarters! The chill was different from Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit. It was more akin to being surrounded by malevolent spirits, the palpable aura of a seasoned killer.

"Easy there, son!" Garp intervened, placing a hand on Ian's shoulder, instantly subduing him. It was understandable for a young man to struggle with control.

"My apologies. I got a bit carried away." Ian directed his words to Garp, though his demonic visage betrayed no hint of gratitude.

"Whew..." Gion sighed in relief. After all, she was the one who brought him here. With several Admiral-level figures present, if a fight were to break out...

Ian would be annihilated in an instant. Even Chaton sensed a formidable opponent. Although he was an Admiral candidate, he felt Ian would likely surpass him in strength within a short period of time.

"With Moria's defeat, a Warlord position has opened up. We need to find a replacement swiftly to maintain the balance of power between us and the Yonko. Does anyone have any suitable candidates in mind?"

To everyone's surprise, Sengoku made no mention of who 100% defeated Moria or why Ian had been granted the rank of Vice Admiral directly. However, the higher-ranking officers remained silent.

It was clear they knew the truth. The lower-ranking officers, however, had only heard about Ian's background—a survivor of a pirate attack, imbued with extraordinary powers through some stroke of luck.

Such stories were commonplace at Marine Headquarters.

Therefore, they wouldn't oppose his recruitment. But granting him such a high rank immediately, despite his potential with his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and swordsmanship, felt like a slap in the face to those who had dedicated their lives to serving the Marines.

Ian smirked silently. Was this the Wise General's tactic? Applying pressure on him right from the start? Let them think what they wanted. They were all insignificant in his eyes.

If their ranks were still low after years of service, it was either due to laziness or incompetence. They couldn't blame him for his good fortune. He would crush them all if they dared to challenge him.

"Fleet Admiral, Eustass Kid from the South Blue seems like a good candidate. He might be a bit brutal, but compared to the current Warlords, he's practically a saint. And his Magnet-Magnet Fruit allows him to control all metals. His power and potential shouldn't be underestimated..."

Finally, someone broke the silence, unable to contain their suggestion any longer. After all, aside from the Moria incident and the events in the South Blue, the clash between the two strongest Supernova rookies had been a hot topic, second only to the Thriller Bark incident.

The news of Ian's victory over Moria, coupled with the Crocodile and Marine Vice Admiral incident, was even more astonishing.

The other Marines remained neutral, but Gion and Sakazuki glared at the speaker. You're recommending a brutal pirate? Why are you speaking out of turn when others haven't?

Do you think you're clever? Then why is your rank still so low? Those with higher ranks haven't even spoken yet.

"I say we should abolish the Warlord system altogether! Why should we rely on bloodthirsty pirates to enforce our justice? The World Government has gone mad!" Sakazuki roared.