One Piece: I am the Fleet Admiral?

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"Fleet Admiral-sama, a large amount of berries suddenly appeared in the bank warehouse at Marine Headquarters today.

"It is reported that they came from Akatsuki."

"They also sent a piece of information."

The soldiers managing the bank warehouse at Marine Headquarters rushed in, out of breath, handing over the file.

"Understood. Keep this money separate!" Akira said as he took the file, opening it to read.

Soon, he finished reviewing the document and gained a full understanding of the situation in the Bertomy Passion Kingdom.

Click, click.

Akira put the file down, tapping his fingers on the table, lost in thought.

"Whitebeard..." he murmured.

He glanced at the summary in the document again:

[Akatsuki's success is due to Whitebeard's cooperation!]

This sentence had been specifically highlighted by his clone.

Although Akira hadn't personally witnessed it, he knew Whitebeard had played a crucial role. It seemed like he had given it his all; otherwise, there would be no need for "himself" to emphasize it so clearly.

"The original records don't talk much about Whitebeard's past!"

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly as he picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed the staff department.

Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~.

"Send me all the information about Whitebeard that we have at headquarters."

"Yes, right away, Fleet Admiral-sama."

With a puff of his cigar, the civil servant sent all the available information about Whitebeard's life.

Akira flipped through it briefly and asked without much thought, "Is there any internal data in here? Don't just give me the stuff meant to fool the public."

Not all pirates are outright villains, just like not all Marines are righteous.

This is a viewpoint most Marine top brass agree on. However, among the entire pirate population, good ones are extremely rare—finding one is like panning for gold.

Because of the conflicting sides, publicizing the good deeds of such pirates could lead to negative consequences. People might mistakenly believe that pirates are good more often than not. Soldiers chasing pirates could also be misled and end up being killed.

Therefore, when good pirates do good deeds, the Marine either smears them or treats the information with indifference, never publicizing it.

But the internal records in this department documented everything accurately to help determine bounties and threats.

"It's there, at the bottom," the civil servant replied.

Akira ignored the rest, pulled out the final document, and read it carefully.

["Whitebeard" Edward Newgate's Deeds]

[Born into poverty, he went to sea at a very young age, possessing a monstrous physique.]

[Unlike ordinary pirates, Newgate didn't seem interested in treasure. Although the pirate crews he joined committed all sorts of atrocities, he personally remained law-abiding.]

[…]

[After the Rocks era, he grew stronger, founded his own crew, and began his role as a father to many.]

[Very different from Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard typically avoids direct conflict with the Marines, often fleeing when encountering warships.]

[According to Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, Whitebeard desires a family, and his goal is for his "sons" to sail the seas freely.]

[The biggest blemish on his record is the fact that many of his adopted pirate sons are notorious criminals. However, under Whitebeard's command and name, most have tempered their actions and are no longer as reckless as before.]

[…]

[According to CP intelligence, the primary sources of income for the Whitebeard Pirates are:]

[1. Defeating rival pirate crews and taking their spoils.]

[2. Protection fees paid by the kingdoms, towns, and islands under Whitebeard's name. (Note: These amounts are modest compared to other notorious pirates charging for protection!)]

[Assessment: His current threat level to the World Government and the Marines is "moderate," with no apparent intention of disrupting the established order. It is not recommended to initiate a costly war against him at this time.]

The document is quite comprehensive. After all, dealing with a powerhouse like Whitebeard would require extensive manpower and resources.

Whitebeard has been a pirate for most of his life, and it's unrealistic to claim he hasn't committed wrongdoings.

For instance, his incredible tremor-based powers. According to records, during a fierce battle with another powerful pirate, he shattered an entire island into pieces, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.

Additionally, he didn't carefully screen the pirates he accepted as his sons. Many of them were notorious criminals.

Although Whitebeard's influence has restrained their behavior, the debts of their past actions remain unpaid.

Because of Whitebeard's reputation, he's able to live freely and comfortably on the seas.

"He can be seen as a unique presence among pirates, though he has his darker sides as well," Akira remarked after setting down the document, summing up his thoughts on Whitebeard.

With all this detailed information, Akira now knew exactly how to handle Whitebeard going forward.

"Lu Feld did well in this matter. He deserves a reward," Akira decided, picking up the Den Den Mushi again.

Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~.

Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~.

The Den Den Mushi rang for ten minutes without an answer, which took Akira by surprise.

Lu Feld was known to always keep his personal Den Den Mushi close, whether he was asleep or busy with women. It was unusual for it to ring unanswered for so long.

Given that he had convinced Whitebeard to play along with the plan...

"Could he have been beaten to death?" Akira wondered with a strange expression.

If Lu Feld really got killed over this, it would be quite a mess.

The worst part? The Marine wouldn't avenge him, since it was merely a business deal. 

Lu Feld had risked his life to convince the world's strongest pirate, and he would face the consequences of failure. If he succeeded, the Marine would reward him and profit together. 

But now that the plan had succeeded, Akira was ready to share the gains—only to find that Lu Feld was unreachable.

"Guess I'll just have to wait for Lu Feld to contact me," Akira muttered, hanging up the Den Den Mushi and brushing off the situation.

'Akatsuki in the second half of the Grand Line has been a success, so it's time to start promoting it across the Four Seas and the Grand Line,' Akira thought to himself. 

And the news that the Marine had severely injured Whitebeard? That couldn't just be wasted.

Even though Akatsuki's earnings had eased the Marine's financial strain for now, it was still not enough.

No one ever thinks they have enough money, and Marine's monthly expenses, from logistics to paychecks, never stopped. They couldn't wait for another crisis to start scrambling for funds.

Marine needed a major, profitable project.

Right now, the most lucrative option that required little to no investment seemed to be the "real estate" business of selling safety and protection in the second half of the Grand Line. With the Marine's power and influence, they could lean on this for now.

But the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line weren't enough. Something bigger had to be done.

It's quite normal for a kingdom to have a Akatsuki. So, in order to boost property sales, the story of Whitebeard's attack on the Bertomy Passion Kingdom last night—where he was severely injured and repelled—should be spread far and wide. 

Not only should the news be given away for free, but it should also be blasted across the world.

Only then will the reputation of Akatsuki shine, allowing it to fully bloom and bear fruit globally.

"Fleet Admiral-sama, the shipbuilders from Water 7 have arrived in the meeting room," a messenger suddenly reported, running in and saluting.

"Oh? Perfect timing," Akira muttered, eyes glinting behind his glasses.

With the large sum of berries from Akatsuki now in hand, he had the funds to commission sailboats, ensuring that his soldiers could set sail with the modified leaves. This group of shipbuilders was the final piece of the puzzle in his plan to complete the god general project.

Without hesitation, Akira rose from his seat, but then paused for a moment.

In the next instant, a leaf appeared in his left hand, and he quickly signed his name on it.

With a puff of smoke, a copy of Akira appeared before him.

"The next step is to launch Akatsuki across the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line," Akira said. "I'm leaving it to you to spread the news that Whitebeard was seriously injured."

He gestured toward the pile of documents on his desk.

The clone adjusted his glasses with his palm, saying nothing, but nodded in acknowledgment.

Akira was confident in leaving things in "his own" hands. The staff department civil servants knew they were working with the Fleet Admiral's clone, so there'd be no slacking.

In the meeting room...

Squeak!

The door creaked open, and Akira entered with several soldiers in tow.

The tense and frozen atmosphere shattered instantly.

The gathered shipbuilders stood up, greeting him one after another.

"Hello, Fleet Admiral-sama!"

"We've been expecting you, sir."

"Akira-sama, it's an honor!"