Returning to Marineford, the first thing Hammer did was dash to the logistics department to get money and materials, he needed to repair his Warhammer.
There was a huge hole in it! The shattered steel plates were completely unusable and needed to be replaced. The deck and railings, too.
By the time he returned to the port, several bigwigs had already gathered on the Warhammer.
"So Hammer wasn't bluffing… Chinjao really wrecked his ship?"
"You know, this steel plating isn't normal stuff. That drill-head of Chinjao's… could it really be that strong? Makes my hands itch to test it out."
"Hey Lance, where is Hammer? He disappears the moment he's back?"
Zephyr curiously examined the gaping hole and broken steel on the ship.
"Hammer went straight to the logistics office as soon as he returned," Lance replied.
"Said he needed to apply for military resources to repair the warship…"
At that, Sengoku and Kong both felt their hearts clench like someone had physically grabbed them.
They stared helplessly at the silver-colored hull. Just thinking about Hammer's notoriously greedy face made their wallets ache.
"Oh, hey, big shots! Here to admire how badly I got my ass kicked?"
Hammer jogged over to them, putting on a pitiful face, obviously faking it.
Vice Admiral Tsuru glanced at Lance's bandaged arm and the soldiers' "bloodstained" uniforms, her lips twitching in exasperation.
With her sharp eyes, she could instantly tell that none of them were seriously injured; this was all for show.
But the ship damage? That was real. The hole was right there in plain sight.
"Huh? Where's Garp? Didn't he come back?"
Hammer looked around and noticed someone was missing.
"After your call, he took leave and went back to his hometown in the East Blue to 'train' with some mountains. Said he wanted to settle things with Chinjao, see whose attack was stronger, his fists or that damn cone head."
'Ha! As expected, Garp's the perfect weapon of vengeance.'
"Alright, now that we've seen the damage, back to the office. Hammer, it's time for your debriefing."
Fleet Admiral's Office
"Well done, Hammer," Kong said. "Crocodile has already made contact with us. The Five Elders are very pleased with the first Warlord appointment."
Hammer wiped some cold sweat from his brow.
'If only they knew what really happened behind the scenes…!'
"Hammer, why don't we have you take charge of the Warlord program?"
"You seem to have a knack for this kind of thing."
"Huh?!" Hammer looked up, shocked.
"I was just following the process. Honestly, it only worked out because of some wild coincidences. Someone more experienced should really handle this."
"Hmm…" Kong pondered for a moment. "Still, I believe you're capable. And right now, there's no better candidate. It's decided. You'll handle the Warlord affairs for now."
"What do you mean, no one else? Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino all seem qualified to me!" Hammer protested.
"Nonsense!" Kong snapped.
"Sakazuki? He'd incinerate all the candidates. Kuzan? He'd freeze them into statues. And Borsalino? He's busy heading the Science Division. Doesn't have time for anything else."
"Besides, Sakazuki is in the New World, Kuzan is on the Grand Line, and the rest are all old-school Vice Admirals. And you know full well those geezers hate the Warlord system. They'd just screw it up."
Hammer nodded begrudgingly. Knew it. Kong was scheming something.
But suddenly, inspiration struck, and he spoke up:
"Fine, I'll do it. But I need more resources. I just got beat up and my ship smashed in, look at this mess!"
"The sea is a dangerous place. As a substitute Vice Admiral, I have zero sense of security out there."
"Give me a bigger budget so I can reinforce my ship and upgrade my arsenal, and then we're good."
Kong's face turned pitch black. Sengoku and Tsuru were also left speechless.
'This little punk has already as 9 billion and now he wants more money?'
"What's with those looks?! That's my money! My retirement fund! What if I lose a limb someday? That's my insurance!"
Kong: 'You're in your twenties! What damn retirement fund are you talking about?!'
"Hmph! You want a cow to plow the field? Gotta feed it first! I'm injured, I need rest!"
Hammer shamelessly rolled on the floor and kicked the ball back to Kong, who was fuming, blood pressure skyrocketing to 200.
"Get lost, you little brat! We haven't even finalized the candidate list yet. Once that's done, then you go! Until then, stay at HQ!"
"That's what I was waiting for, Old Man Kong."
"Off to fix my ship now! Bye everyone~!"
He bolted from the office in a blur.
Kong just shook his head helplessly and picked up a report.
"Let's see… every single one of them is a walking disaster."
Sengoku took the report. It listed the latest updates on Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino.
Sakazuki: Sank two Big Mom Pirates ships. Engaged Charlotte Linlin in combat, retreated injured.
After recovery, sank a Beast Pirates ship. Fought Kaido, retreated injured.
Killed thousands of pirates, incited chaos in the New World, suppressed rebellions, and sustained injuries.
Infiltrated several World Government member nations to complete missions, burning countless homes and roads in the process.
Complaints received: 1,756
Sengoku's face twitched violently after reading that.
"This lunatic attacks every pirate he sees, doesn't matter who it is!"
"And what's with all these complaints?! Doesn't he think about consequences at all?!"
Despite the headache, Kong and the others couldn't really blame him.
After all, Marines fighting pirates is justified, but this guy only picks the toughest ones.
Thankfully, his Magma-Magma Fruit powers were absurdly strong, letting him barely survive every encounter.
Still, Sakazuki's obsession with "mission completion" meant anyone who stood in his way became an enemy, and his collateral damage was off the charts.
First line: Complaints
Captured thousands of pirates, but his Devil Fruit abilities caused massive ice formations across the Grand Line.
Several countries were severely affected, most notably Alabasta, where desert regions turned into ice plains, causing massive disruption to native life.
Locals protested: "We like sand! Not ice!"
But Kuzan completely misinterpreted their needs and built entire neighborhoods out of ice...
Sengoku finally lost it:
"This bastard has to be doing it on purpose! Ice houses in the middle of a desert?! What is he thinking?!"
"According to reports from Punk Hazard…"
"That bastard, other than occasionally helping test new weapons… spends the rest of his time resting, eating… and playing with penguins?!"
"PUNK HAZARD HAS PENGUINS??"
Sengoku's scream echoed through the entire Marineford building.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu