@Malintex_Terek:
Why would the government offer Shichibukai level pirates a clean slate, when to become a Shichibukai, one has to do incredibly legendary and violent deeds (presumably)?
Uh? Because the Marine and the Shichibukai don't obey to the same set of rules? The Marine is a military unit, I doubt disobeying to orders and deserting would do good to your career. Look at Smoker, hasn't it been stated that without his rebellious nature he'd have a far higher rank? And Smoker never even came close to what Saul did.
@Malintex_Terek:
He could still be of use to the Navy; Saul's a VA, the highest officer rank below the three Admirals; to promote him to such a high rank already is an investment, and one that would be a great waste.
He was a VA. Listen, predictions are fine and all, but it should really be based on some solid evidences. You're saying that first, Saul isn't dead, and then, the Marine forgave his betrayal and the fact he destroyed their battleships AND rewarded him with a promotion. Completely baseless assumptions.
@Malintex_Terek:
Gonna paraphrase Ivotas on this one; "those silhouettes were released nearly sixty chapters before the actual character appeared". Blackbeard's first "appearance" was the same way.
Oda made the admiral appearences more distinctive than Blackbeard, but we still can't trust them fully.
Sorry but I don't get your point here. You could still recognize the Blackbeards pirates, their stature was the same than when they appeared later for real. The skinny one was obviously Laffite, we could clearly see Auger's hat and rifle, and the difference in size between Teach and Burgess was clear. Oda drew Kizaru as a human, not a giant.