One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

Outside the royal palace hall.

The Five Elders, followed closely by Garling, were the first to emerge, standing before the assembled members of the God's Knights. Behind them, Sengoku and his group of six strode forward, positioning themselves directly opposite.

The Five Elders were consumed by complex emotions.

Of all the terms proposed by Xayuki, most had little direct impact on them.

The one exception was the rotating seats for the Five Elders, a condition they found utterly unacceptable.

Xayuki's intentions were crystal clear: with his complete control over Marine Headquarters, he could have easily led the Marines to break away from the World Government entirely.

The only reason he hadn't done so was simple—such a direct confrontation would result in catastrophic losses for both sides, potentially leaving them both weakened and vulnerable to the Revolutionary Army, the lawless pirates of the Grand Line, and the allied nations.

This was a dilemma that even their revered Imu had to contend with.

Both sides had their reasons for sitting down at the negotiating table: one sought to retain the Marines, the other aimed to maximize gains and power from this mutiny.

And yet—

While they understood the stakes, why did it have to be the rotating seats of the Five Elders?

Rotating seats meant any of the five could be replaced. Having wielded supreme authority in the Chamber of Authority for so many years, they had grown accustomed to and relished their power. The prospect of relinquishing it, even temporarily, was naturally hard to swallow.

But now, they had no choice but to face reality.

Observing the reaction of the Five Elders, Gunshi first glanced curiously at the six-person Marine delegation across from her. Then, she turned to their captain, Garling, noting his equally displeased expression. Blinking in confusion, she finally shifted her gaze to Shamrock.

Shamrock, though outwardly calm, had already deduced from his father and the Five Elders' expressions that the negotiations had likely ended in a resounding victory for Xayuki.

Still, he was curious about the specific outcomes of the talks. Taking a step forward, he approached Garling and asked, "Father, is it over?"

Garling nodded.

Unlike the Five Elders, Garling saw the rotating seats as a potential opportunity rather than a drawback.

After all, who's to say the rotation wouldn't eventually favor him?

The reasoning was simple: for Imu to accept Xayuki's proposal, she must have been dissatisfied with the Five Elders' performance over the years. Even without Xayuki's intervention, the Five Elders were likely due for some form of restructuring in the near future.

Half an hour later.

The tightly shut palace doors swung open once more.

Xayuki emerged with a radiant smile, striding confidently into the sunlight.

Ignoring the Five Elders and the assembled God's Knights, he walked directly to Gion, handed her a document, and then strolled to the edge of the palace steps. There, he turned his back to the crowd, spread his arms wide, and took a deep breath of the Holy Land's fresh air.

Xayuki's sudden and peculiar actions left both the Marine delegation and the God's Knights, along with the Five Elders, utterly baffled.

But soon, Xayuki clasped his hands behind his back, surveying the surroundings from his elevated position. Speaking to no one in particular, he remarked, "Such a vast expanse of the Red Line, controlling so much land, yet so much of it is wasted!"

Before anyone could respond, Xayuki turned to the Marine delegation and addressed them, "Zephyr-sensei, when it's your turn to serve in the Chamber of Authority as one of the Five Elders, make sure to assign some people to cultivate a piece of land. Plant something. Back in my homeland, nearly everyone enjoyed farming, and I'm no exception."

Zephyr, choosing to ignore Xayuki's fondness for farming, widened his eyes in shock. "Me? A Five Elder?"

Xayuki nodded. "You and Sengoku-san."

Before Zephyr or Sengoku could react, Xayuki shifted his gaze to the Five Elders.

Taking in the sour expressions on their faces, Xayuki couldn't suppress a laugh. "What's wrong with you lot? It's just two seats. Do you really need to look so miserable?"

"Hey, Izambaro, do you need a mirror? Look at your face right now—especially your eyes, bulging like saucers. Be careful they don't pop out!"

"And you, Saturn—"

At this point, Xayuki's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "I know you're all upset, but have you ever stopped to think about why Imu agreed to this condition of rotating seats for the Five Elders? At the end of the day, it's because of your incompetence."

"Especially in recent decades. First, the Rocks Pirates attacked God Valley. Then came the dawn of the Great Pirate Era. As the seas grew increasingly lawless, what did you do?"

"Aside from issuing bounties, what else have you accomplished?"

"If you lack the means to govern effectively, step aside and let someone capable take your place!"

Not giving the Five Elders a chance to retort or lash out, Xayuki waved his hand decisively and declared, "We're leaving!"

Hearing this, Gion quickly secured the document and hurried after him.

The three admirals followed suit without hesitation.

Zephyr and Sengoku, however, lingered, exchanging a look of disbelief.

After several seconds of stunned silence, they both snapped out of it simultaneously, exclaiming, "We're becoming Five Elders?!"

Already some distance away, Xayuki glanced back at the pair, who were still reeling from the news.

"Sakazuki!" he called out suddenly.

Out of reflex, Sakazuki snapped to attention.

Seeing this, Xayuki couldn't help but chuckle. "Relax, it's not working hours. No need to be so serious!"

Sakazuki remained silent, his posture as rigid as ever.

"Alright, if that's what you prefer," Xayuki said with a shrug. "Next time it's your turn to rotate into the Chamber of Authority, make sure to give Topman and Izambaro a hard time."

"Me?" Sakazuki, like Zephyr, was caught completely off guard, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Not just you," Xayuki replied, his tone serious. "From now on, the seats of the Five Elders will rotate among you three, along with Gion."

At these words, Gion, Borsalino, and Kuzan all looked up in shock. They wanted to say something, but no words seemed adequate. In the end, like Sakazuki, they straightened their postures, saluted Xayuki, and shouted in unison:

"Loyalty!"

"Hahaha, excellent!"

Seeing the four of them saluting him, Xayuki burst into hearty laughter.

"The storms of the Grand Line converge, the seas churn with fury."

"Let us sweep away all who harm the innocent. Absolute power!"

"Yes, that's the spirit..."

Author's Note:

(As of now, 998 gifts have been received. Rounding up, that's a thousand—time for an extra update!)

(Love powers this story. Whether you vote or not, the love remains unchanged.)

(More updates tomorrow!)

(Don't ask why. If you must, the answer is love~)

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