"Holy crap, Hammer, what kind of bomb did you make?!"
Standing at the bow of the ship, Sengoku stared at the surging sea and the howling storm, unable to hold back his shock.
Hammer, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm, as if everything was going according to plan.
"All ships, full speed retreat! Do not advance any further!"
Under Sengoku's orders, every Marine vessel began pulling back through the storm.
Luckily, they were far enough from the epicenter to get away in time.
The pirate ships at ground zero weren't so lucky.
The tempest triggered by the explosion was even more violent than a natural storm, and the shockwave that followed was downright terrifying.
Though the unconscious Shiki was rescued by his trusted subordinates before he hit the water, the next second, his ship shattered.
Countless pirates were thrown into the sea.
Some of the stronger ones, relying on their own abilities, smashed through the wreckage, grabbed planks of wood, and fled.
Devil Fruit users resorted to their abilities, fighting tooth and nail for survival.
"Hammer, you still claim you don't know how to make bombs? I knew you had it in you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have blown up the headquarters' armory! Seriously, what the hell did you put in that thing?"
Seeing Shiki's grand fleet utterly annihilated in an instant, Sengoku felt a rare wave of satisfaction.
After all these years of headaches caused by him, it felt so good to see the flying bastard get knocked down a peg.
"Oh, nothing much… just"
"Sengoku! A massive explosion happened on the battlefield between Shiki and Roger! That scale, damn, even I was surprised!"
"Hm? What are you all talking about?"
A booming voice cut through the air before its owner even arrived.
No need to guess, it was Garp.
"I, too, am curious. Why would such a catastrophic explosion occur mid-battle? It even triggered a devastating tsunami and storm."
A calmer, more composed voice followed, none other than Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Chief of Staff.
Other high-ranking officers, using Geppo and Soru, quickly landed on Sengoku's ship, all staring at him and Hammer with intense curiosity.
"Ask Hammer," Sengoku said, full of questions himself. "It was his handiwork."
All eyes turned to Hammer, making him feel a little self-conscious.
"Uh… don't look at me like that. I just followed orders. Admiral Sengoku had me build a bomb to send over."
His tone was casual, as if he hadn't just altered the course of the entire battle.
'Listen to this guy, getting slicker with his words by the day.'
"Quit the crap, brat! Spit it out, or I'll let you taste my Fist of Love!" Garp raised a fist as big as a cooking pot, clearly annoyed.
"I second that!" added Dragon, now in a better mood thanks to Hammer's support. Happily egged things on.
Seeing Garp get closer, Hammer quickly raised his hands.
"Alright, alright! My fragile little body can't handle your 'Fist of Love.' Save it for Dragon!"
"I just modified one of our speedboats, stuck a trident lightning rod on it, then loaded it with kutsa ore and flameweave stones."
"You know the trident, right, Garp, Dragon? Just like when we encountered the Roger Pirates last time. As for the minerals…"
"Heh… both the kutsa ore and flameweave are highly explosive. Combine that with stormy weather and a little help from lightning, and voilà, boom!"
Everyone listening shivered slightly, especially Garp and Dragon.
They remembered all too well the disaster that Trident had caused the last time; it was devastating.
Others recalled the time Hammer blew up the armory… mushroom cloud and all…
"No wonder the explosion was that massive…"
"Hammer, this time you really did something big. Look at Shikin's grand fleet, your one bomb caused a storm that wiped out nearly all of it."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses, gazing into the distance at the raging storm.
One could only imagine the destruction at the epicenter.
"You promised me a promotion, old man! Don't you dare go back on your word!"
Sengoku: '…This little shit!'
"Set course back! The storm is expanding. Full retreat! Don't worry about Shiki or Roger. This storm won't be stopping anytime soon."
Under his command, Sengoku ordered a full withdrawal. The eight warships turned back in perfect unison.
A few days later, the fleet returned to Marineford, though a few, like Dragon and other officers assigned to patrol the New World, remained behind.
"Well done! Shiki's fleet suffered a catastrophic blow. This is a huge win for us!"
"At least things in the New World will be quiet for a while."
In the conference room, Fleet Admiral Kong was so pleased with Sengoku's report that he shattered a table with a celebratory slap.
Everyone quickly stepped back to avoid the flying debris.
"As for the Roger Pirates… forget it. Garp, you'll handle the follow-up pursuit."
Garp nodded firmly in response.
Kuzan, behind him, grinned widely.
"Seeing how capable you've all become, I'm feeling itchy to get back in action myself."
"Sengoku, make the arrangements. Soon, I'll personally set sail for the New World!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Fleet Admiral Kong…" Sengoku stepped forward, only to be cut off.
"What? You think I'm too old to move?"
"It's settled. I haven't been out to sea in years. If I don't go now, I might never get another chance!"
"Sengoku, while I'm away, everything at headquarters is your responsibility. Tsuru will assist you."
Seeing Kong puffing his beard and glaring, Sengoku swallowed the words he was about to say.
Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed lightly.
They were both smart. They understood the real reason for Kong's sudden desire to go to sea.
"As for Hammer, your contribution this time is massive. Your reward will be decided shortly."
At the word "reward," Hammer, who had been standing still like a piece of wood, immediately lit up.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! Admiral Sengoku promised me a promotion to Vice Admiral after this!"
Sengoku reluctantly nodded.
"Vice Admiral, huh? That's not impossible. But Hammer, even though you've done well lately, first taking down World, now crippling Shiki's fleet…"
"…you think that alone's enough to make you a Vice Admiral?"
Hammer's face fell instantly.
He'd been giving his all for the Marine; what more did they want? Meanwhile, Borsalino and Sakazuki were already about to be formally promoted!
As for Dragon… well, still under review.
"Hahaha! What? Upset now that I said a few words?"
"Fine, get out there. Do a sweep of the Four blues, catch a bunch of pirates, and when you're back, you can join the other brats in the Vice Admiral promotion ceremony!"
Fleet Admiral Kong laughed heartily, his hand subconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Really! I'm the Fleet Admiral, my word is law!"
"Awesome! I'm heading out right now! See you soon, folks, once I bag some pirates, I'll be right back!"
Just like that, a twist of fate, Hammer was finally on the path to Vice Admiral. One step closer to his dream of becoming Head of Logistics!
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu