One Piece: Starting as a Marine Lieutenant, I Slack Off and Get Stronger

Luffy: "I know!...Um, I don't think I actually knew..."

Luffy gradually calmed down and said with a worried look, "What should I do? I can't just watch Shanks suffer in Impel Down!"

"Luffy, since Shanks deliberately sent us away before the battle with the Navy, he definitely didn't want you to get involved. By the way, did he say anything to you when he was on Aregia Island?"

Faced with Robin's question, Luffy scratched his head: "Uh, let me think... Oh right, Shanks told me to take good care of Uta, and he also said that the last piece of the Road Poneglyph is in Elbaf. If we find it, we can go to Laugh Tale and find the One Piece left by Roger."

Robin's eyes lit up immediately: "That's right, I think Shanks means that we should get to Laugh Tale first and find the One Piece, so that things might still turn around."

Luffy scratched his head, somewhat bewildered: "A turning point? Could there be something in the One Piece that can rescue Shanks?"

Sanji, standing to the side, exhaled a smoke ring and said calmly, "Robin-chan means that not only pirates want the One Piece, but the Navy is also very interested in it. If we can reach Laugh Tale and find the One Piece, perhaps we can make a deal with the Navy."

"You mean, trade Shanks for One Piece?"

"Hmm...more or less. Otherwise, what do you want to do? Turn around now and search for Impel Down in the perilous Calm Belt?"

Luffy took a deep breath and shouted, "Everyone, next stop, Elbaf, the land of giants!"

Seeing Luffy regain his energy, everyone smiled, and the ship quickly became lively again.

After the excitement subsided, Luffy suddenly asked, "By the way, I need to talk to Uta about this."

Chopper whispered, "Uta's in the infirmary, do you want to go?"

"Okay, I'll go check on Uta and tell her about Shanks while I'm at it."

Everyone immediately fell silent, watching Luffy walk into the infirmary.

"Uta, there's something I need to tell you."

Uta propped his head up and turned to look at Luffy: "About Shanks?"

"Yes, Shanks, he..."

Chapter 352 The Naval Tournament is About to Begin

Marie Joa, Pangu City.

slap~

Saturn slammed the newspaper reporting the Navy's "victory" on the table in a huff: "Shanks has been captured. The Navy's strength is really getting stronger and stronger!"

"Sigh~ If we could have used the navy's power, we wouldn't be in this passive situation now."

Mercury replied calmly, "The Navy is just a bunch of opportunists, waiting for us to fight the Revolutionary Army to the death."

"That's not necessarily true. I've heard that the Navy is holding some kind of Navy Grand Tournament, which seems to be imitating that... Cross Guild that Bucky the Clown created a while ago?"

Saturn shook his head: "There's no point in talking about this now. We must actively mobilize the forces of the army and science units to deal with the rebellion wave that the Revolutionary Army has stirred up in the member states. Don't forget, the Revolutionary Army now has Vegapunk. If they are given a respite, the consequences will be unimaginable."

......

Naval Headquarters, Marinevandor.

The naval competition will be held in 5 days and last for 10 days. At that time, 50% of the navy will be eliminated, either voluntarily retiring or joining the new department led by Sakazuki - the Adventurers' Guild.

For most of the navy, the ideal would be to remain at Navy Headquarters and carry out justice as a member of the navy, rather than become one of the first adventurers in some adventurers' guild. However, some navy members saw this as an opportunity.

A new department means new opportunities. They can't get promoted within the naval system, but they might have a chance within the Adventurers' Guild.

As a result, Zephyr's training camp has been packed with people lately, all hoping to make a final push before the Navy Championships, even though the current head instructor is Shuzo and Zephyr is just an instructor advisor.

Meanwhile, Sakazuki is engaged in a heated debate with Karl.

"Karl, isn't an investment of 2000 billion Berries too little? Don't forget, according to our calculations, we need to establish at least 80 Adventurers' Guild branches to cover all the islands and countries to the greatest extent possible. 2000 billion Berries, divided among all branches, only amounts to 25 billion Berries. Do you think that's reasonable?"

"Admiral Akainu, 2000 billion Berries is already a lot. How much more do you want? Of those 80 adventurers' guilds, at least 40 can be established on the basis of the original Navy branch. That will save a lot of money!"

"Moreover, my Holy Light Group invested 2000 billion yuan to only own 49% of the shares. That's already considered charity. What more do you want?"

Seeing the two arguing fiercely, Kuzan had no choice but to step in as a peacemaker: "Alright, alright, stop arguing. I have an idea, what do you think?"

"Look, the Revolutionary Army is currently at war with the World Government, and some countries are still in turmoil, so I think it makes sense that we don't need to build so many Adventurer's Guilds in the first place, right?"

Sakazuki nodded, but he preferred to get it over with in one go.

"You have to eat one bite at a time, don't be too hasty. The most important thing now is to confirm the location of the Adventurers' Guild. First, we need to settle things with the guilds in the Four Seas and the Grand Line, and then we can consider expansion."

Karl nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's exactly what I mean. In short, I want the Adventurers' Guild to gain a reputation and get things running. This way, we can not only identify and correct problems in time, but also make money for expansion, creating a virtuous cycle."

"My 2000 billion Berries is definitely more than that. If it weren't for the fact that you're responsible for paying the Adventurers' Guild's salaries, I might not have given 2000 billion! 1500 billion would have been enough."

Sakazuki's face darkened: "It's a deal for 2000 billion, you can't go back on your word!"

Karl waved his hand: "Don't worry, I always keep my word and won't go back on my word. Have you decided on the address for the Adventurers' Guild headquarters?"

Sakazuki remained silent for a moment, then pointed to the map and said, "East Sea, Rogue Town."

"West Sea, Newdecco Island."

"North Sea...."

"South China Sea...."

"The first half of the Grand Line: Little Garden and the Sabaody Archipelago; the second half: Dressrosa Island."

That's all for now!

In general, the Adventurers' Guilds of the Four Seas are all located on islands near the Reverse Mountain of the Red Line, while the Paradise and the New World are located close to the Red Line.

This way, no matter what happens to the adventurers, the navy can provide immediate support; that's the first point.

Secondly, adventurers or customers, no matter where they come from, will pass through at least one or two adventurer guilds if they want to come to the Grand Line or the New World. The presence of these guilds can serve as a form of publicity.

Karl and Kuzan nodded in unison. Karl said, "Then go and make the preparations! I'll have someone send Bailey over. Ideally, the Adventurers' Guild should be up and running by the time the Naval Grand Tournament is over."

"By the way, let Lieutenant General Peng En accompany you during this period!"

It's a shame not to use the power of the Float Fruit for earth and wood engineering.

Five days later, the naval competition began.

The world's navies were on high alert, except for officers of the rank of vice admiral and above, as the limit for officers to participate in the naval competition was up to vice admiral.

There is no disagreement on this point. Both the headquarters vice admirals and the branch vice admirals have proven their abilities and are the best of the best, the backbone of the navy. Therefore, they do not need to participate in this elimination round.

However, the lieutenant generals weren't idle; they were responsible for serving as chief referees and overseeing the matches in each "zone."

"Gentlemen, two years ago, the Whitebeard Pirates were destroyed. Although the Navy was not severely weakened, I still decided to allow the Navy to recuperate and build up its strength."

"Now, the Big Mom Pirates are destroyed, the Beasts Pirates are destroyed, and the Red-Haired Pirates are destroyed."

"The four sea emperors who once dominated the oceans are now relics of the past, and the great pirates still roaming the seas are few and far between..."

"In short, the navy's power is now too large, even somewhat bloated, so I had to make this decision."

"The purpose of this naval competition is to select a more outstanding and promising navy, because the navy now only needs elites to concentrate its efforts on major tasks."

"However, those who are eliminated do not need to worry about their future."

"You can choose to leave the Navy, and the Navy will pay you a generous severance package."

"Alternatively, you can choose to join the Adventurers' Guild and continue to serve the Navy!!!"

.....

"As the Fleet Admiral, I hereby declare the Naval Grand Tournament officially open!!!"

The atmosphere finally reached its peak, exploding like a bomb. The naval officers' eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and they couldn't help but look at their comrades around them; if they could, they would rather be among the remaining 50%!

It's rolled up...

Chapter 353 The Adventurers' Guild is Established

A few days later, the naval competition concluded.

According to statistics, those who voluntarily retired accounted for 8% of the total number of naval personnel in this naval competition, while those who were eliminated accounted for 59%. Only 33% of the original naval personnel remained, which was slightly more than expected, but the impact was not significant.

In addition, of the 59% who were eliminated, about 8% of the naval officers and soldiers were willing to join the Adventurers' Guild and continue to contribute to the Navy. I heard that Akainu was practically beaming with joy.

Therefore, immediately after the Navy Tournament ended, Akainu urged Kuzan to issue an official announcement in the name of the Navy regarding the establishment of the Adventurers' Guild.

Navy Bulletin

To the esteemed officers and soldiers of the Navy, bounty hunters, and all those who uphold justice.

I, Fleet Admiral Kuzan, on behalf of the Navy, hereby issue this announcement to you, solemnly announcing the establishment of the Adventurers' Guild, a subordinate organization of the Navy. The establishment of the Adventurers' Guild aims to further strengthen our power and enhance our ability to hunt down and combat pirates and other disruptors. Admiral Sakazuki will serve as the Guild's president, making it an important component of our Navy's strategy.

The role of the Adventurers' Guild is:

While maintaining peace and order at sea, we will cooperate with the navy to hunt down, punish, and eliminate wanted pirates and other criminals, and distribute commissions from various sectors of society to the Adventurers' Guild. The Adventurers' Guild will become an extension of the navy, undertaking tasks that complement the navy's. Adventurers will become our important partners, working together with us to contribute to the stability and prosperity of society.

We sincerely invite all those who are righteous, adventurous, wealthy, and honorable to join the Adventurers' Guild. Whether you are a retired navy officer, a bounty hunter, or an ordinary person, your participation and contributions will help us achieve greater goals.

May the establishment of the Adventurers' Guild be a great success!

Admiral

Kuzan

Appendix: Detailed introduction to the Adventurers' Guild

The announcement caused another uproar at sea. Just a while ago, everyone was shocked by the destruction of the Red-Haired Pirates, and now the Navy is up to something again? Wait, this doesn't seem like a joke; the Navy is... serious.