201 With the Justice System

"Tap—"

Kizaru sat comfortably beside Hawke, lifting a steaming cup of black tea.

"Hawke-kun..."

"Rear Admiral Zoro and Rear Admiral Sanji's strength has already reached the level where they can wrestle with elite Vice Admirals."

He took a sip of tea, his eyes behind the lenses sweeping toward the two figures in the distance, struggling to get up and supporting each other as they went to rest.

"With a bit of my careful guidance..."

"Give them a little more time to grow, and they'll both be genuine Marine Headquarters Admiral-level powerhouses."

"..."

Hawke listened quietly, then set down the intelligence summary in his hands and chuckled softly.

"With you saying that, old man, I can rest easy."

"But, Kizaru..."

He looked over at Kizaru, a teasing note in his voice.

"If I recall correctly, that hefty bonus old man Sengoku promised you already came through a long time ago."

"Your retirement account must be overflowing by now..."

"So why are you still so eager to earn all these side gigs?"

"You planning to empty out the G-3 Branch treasury?!"

He knew Kizaru's personality all too well — the textbook wage earner who never lifts a finger unless there's profit involved.

Back when he asked Kizaru to help train Zoro and Sanji, he honestly hadn't expected much.

Because...

Sengoku himself had promised Kizaru a sky-high bonus just to get him motivated!

Those bonuses had already been paid out after the war...

Hawke thought his own offer for training assistance wouldn't be enough to tempt him.

But to his surprise, Kizaru agreed immediately!

"Ha ha—"

Kizaru chuckled, setting his teacup down.

He removed his sunglasses and slowly wiped the lenses with a white handkerchief.

The motion revealed his eyes completely — eyes that were usually half-lidded, filled with laziness and mischief, but now carried a rare seriousness.

"The Navy has been my home for most of my life!"

"Mm..."

Hawke nodded slightly, listening in silence.

"I used to think this job was nothing but dull and troublesome. Every day was just dealing with foolish bureaucrats and troublesome pirates... I couldn't wait to retire."

Kizaru's tone had lost its usual drawl; there was genuine emotion in it now.

"But now... it's different."

"Ever since the Summit War, pirates across the seas have visibly dwindled."

"There aren't so many emergency deployments anymore, no endless piles of meaningless reports, and we don't have to bow to those idiotic Celestial Dragons."

"Ha ha—"

A faint smile tugged at Kizaru's lips.

"Sengoku is living comfortably at the G-3 Branch, smacking around arrogant little Paradise pirates and training new recruits. He's got more spirit now than he ever did as Fleet Admiral."

"He's even mended things with Zephyr-sensei — they chat on the Den Den Mushi every few days, discussing Devil Fruit development. All those techniques I've figured out on my own... the old man's practically stolen them all!"

"Even Sakazuki, that old friend from back home, sometimes puts work aside to have a meal with me — just a simple chat over dinner."

"He even asked me to guide that little Hibari girl with her speed development whenever I have time~"

"..."

As Kizaru spoke, his eyes gleamed with mischief as he glanced toward Hawke.

"Speaking of which... that girl can't stop talking about 'Hawke this' and 'Hawke that.' Maybe I should... set you two up?"

"Uh..."

The muscles on Hawke's cheek twitched slightly. He took a sip of tea to hide his awkwardness.

"Heh—"

Seeing that, Kizaru chuckled slyly.

"Young folks' business, I'll stay out of it~"

"But if you ever need my help, you know where to find me~"

He stretched lazily before continuing.

"Vegapunk's been busy too — reverse-engineering Kuma, studying civilian tech and new weapons, chasing his dream like a man possessed."

"Kuma will be fully restored to human form after a few more operations."

"And Sentomaru's been put in charge of looking after Bonney for now. That little brat drives him crazy every day with her tricks... I can't help but laugh whenever I see it!"

"Tap—"

Kizaru slipped his sunglasses back on. His eyes turned lazy again, but beneath that laziness was a quiet warmth — a sense of belonging.

"..."

Hawke listened silently, understanding in his heart.

The Navy had changed.

It was no longer the institution shackled by the World Government, torn by factions, and constantly compromising for so-called "balance."

It was becoming something real — an organization with heart, ideals, and a future.

"That's why," Kizaru said, smiling faintly, "I really like the Navy's atmosphere these days!"

"And besides..."

He winked at Hawke.

"If I work a little harder now, help you youngsters pave the road ahead, then I can truly relax and enjoy retirement later, right?"

"Tap—"

He stood up, patted Hawke on the shoulder, and with a leisurely stride, walked toward Zoro and Sanji.

"Training continues, yo~"

...

"Vrrrmmm—"

Amid the deep rumble of engines, five massive warships and one large battleship slowly entered the harbor of Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"Clang—"

The heavy metal gangway fell with a loud crash onto the dock.

A tall, imposing figure was the first to step out — Dane.

Following close behind was a man with two cigars in his mouth and an irritated scowl, striding down from the battleship.

"Hmph—!"

He blew out a thick puff of smoke, snorting heavily.

Just thinking about missing the chance to wipe out two Yonko crews made his whole body itch with frustration.

If only he'd been there — how glorious it would've been!

"If I'd been there, I'd have unleashed a 'White Out,' turned the entire bay into a cloud of thick smoke! Then with a little spark of Sakazuki-sensei's magma..."

Smoker's fists clenched tight, cracking audibly.

"I guarantee Whitebeard and Red-Hair's bastards would've gotten the most spectacular explosive funeral imaginable!"

"Tina thinks your plan is far too simple, Smoker."

A cool and elegant voice came from the side as Hina approached with composed steps.

She removed her sunglasses, her long pink hair swaying gently in the sea breeze.

"At that moment, guarding Alabasta was just as important."

"That was the key transition base — if anything had gone wrong there, all the arrangements... would've been for nothing."

"You—"

Smoker was about to retort when Dane laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Smoker, Hina..."

"Let's head inside. Don't keep Hawke waiting too long!"