Sengoku returned to his office, grabbed a fresh shirt, and put it on. Then he stood in front of the mirror, checking himself out.
Today, his mood was through the roof. Looking at the man in the mirror, a rare expression of admiration surfaced on his face.
Sure, he was seventy years old now—but just look at that thick, jet-black hair. He could easily pass for fifty!
What? You're saying it's dyed?
So what if it is? It's not like he had to end up looking like that old coot Garp! A man deserves to be well-groomed too!
The more Sengoku looked at himself, the more pleased he became. He even puffed out his chest and struck a pose, right fist across his chest like a hero.
Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to close the door when he came in—and Corazon came barging in with an excited look.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Vice Admiral Shikiryū—uh?"
Corazon blinked at the sight of Sengoku still posing in front of the mirror and hesitated for a moment.
"Sorry, Fleet Admiral. I saw the door open... did I interrupt something?"
Although Sengoku wasn't facing him directly, Corazon could still see his bright-red face and twitching mouth through the mirror.
Sengoku's mind was in utter chaos. He swore that from this moment on, he was installing a double door on his office!
But as expected of a fleet admiral, he composed himself quickly. Turning around slowly, he naturally moved the fist from his chest to his chin and coughed.
"Ahem. It's you, Corazon. What were you saying about Vice Admiral Shikiryū?"
"Vice Admiral Shikiryū is back! And he's brought some new recruits with him!"
At the mention of Kaito, the slight awkwardness on Sengoku's face vanished, replaced by sheer joy. And new recruits? That was a double blessing!
Anyone Kaito brought back personally had to be trustworthy and full of potential. Sengoku felt more and more fond of the man—he couldn't wait to see him.
With excitement lighting up his face, Sengoku said eagerly,
"Kaito's back? Don't just stand there—no, I'll go myself!"
Without another word, Sengoku strode out of his office at full speed. Before Corazon could even react, he was already gone.
Coming to his senses, Corazon quickly chased after him and shouted,
"Fleet Admiral! You're going the wrong way! Vice Admiral Shikiryū didn't go to his office—he's outside, in front of headquarters!"
...
In front of headquarters
Kaito stood with his arms crossed while Aokiji had one hand in his pocket. The two Marine heavyweights stood there in silence, watching Garp's "performance" on the ground.
Kaito had just used Flying Thunder God to return to his office. After releasing Kalifa, he had—very considerately—handed over all the paperwork he'd accumulated during his absence.
Under Kalifa's deadly beautiful glare, Kaito left the office. On his way out, he ran into Corazon, who excitedly greeted him before rushing off to report to Sengoku.
Kaito had originally planned to look for Zephyr—to see if his stubborn old teacher had eaten the Devil Fruit he gave him.
Of course, his real goal was to see what the Ox Demon King looked like. Mythical Zoans were always fascinating.
But just as he stepped out of the building, he saw a crowd of Marine soldiers gathered around—and even Aokiji was there.
That piqued his curiosity, so he decided to pause and join the "civilized Garp-watching club." Aokiji greeted him with a nod, which Kaito returned.
As for Garp...
He'd been lying on the cold ground for over half an hour, muttering, "Sengoku's changed. Sengoku's changed," like some kind of bitter housewife.
Some soldiers had tried persuading him to get up, warning that it hurt his image. Garp yelled at them to mind their own business.
He didn't care about image or any such crap! Today, unless Sengoku came and lifted him personally, he wasn't moving!
Watching the unyielding old man on the ground, Kaito's face twisted into a wicked grin—so much so that Aokiji shivered beside him.
Aokiji looked at Kaito warily.
Has he gotten stronger again? Even as an Ice-Ice Fruit user, he felt a chill. That was insane.
But Kaito's evil grin came from a delightful thought.
He still had Ace and Yamato inside his Door-Door Space.
Yamato was whatever.
But Ace? He was still in there for a reason. Kaito wanted him to watch this scene—he needed him to see it.
What kind of reaction would Garp have once he realized Ace had been watching him this whole time?
Would his proud "Fist of Love" ever be able to punch again?
...
Inside Kaito's Door-Door Space, Ace stared blankly through the dimensional wall at Garp, who was throwing a tantrum on the ground.
He couldn't believe this was the same Iron Fist Garp who had once barked orders over him and Luffy.
Yamato, unaware of Ace's connection to Garp, simply copied Kaito's posture—arms crossed—and commented with exaggerated seriousness,
"Who's that old man lying on the ground? He's pathetic. I wanna go out and punch him."
Ace's lips twitched. He didn't argue. He even nodded and said,
"Yeah... pathetic. I wanna punch him too."
...
Outside, Garp had no idea that his image in Ace's heart had utterly crumbled. At that moment, he was staring up at the blazing sun with annoyance.
He'd been lying there for over half an hour. Why hadn't Sengoku come out yet?! Did he not realize how damn hot it was today?
Sure, he wasn't afraid of heat, but this was still deeply uncomfortable. Garp glanced over at Aokiji and shouted,
"Kuzan! Don't just stand there like an idiot—use your powers to cool me off! I'm roasting out here!"
Aokiji didn't argue. With a casual motion, he released a cold mist, forming a thin layer of ice on the ground beneath Garp. Instantly, Garp's expression relaxed. With this kind of treatment, he could lie there all day.
Suddenly, Sengoku burst out of the headquarters building. His eyes immediately locked onto Kaito—completely ignoring Aokiji standing right next to him.
Sengoku shouted,
"Kaito! Excellent work this time! Let me see the recruits you brought back!"
Hearing Sengoku's voice, Garp's eyes lit up.
Ha! Can't hold back anymore, huh? That guilt's been eating at you, hasn't it?
But outwardly, he stayed perfectly still, even closing his eyes like he didn't care.
Sengoku did walk over—only to grab Kaito and head right back the way he came. He didn't spare Garp so much as a glance.
It was Aokiji who gently reminded him,
"Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral Garp is still lying on the ground..."
At the mention of Garp, Sengoku frowned.
Damn it, Kuzan. Way to ruin the moment. That name just sucked the joy right out of the air.
He glanced sideways at Garp and snorted,
"Oh? I didn't see anyone there. Alright, everyone—disperse. Kaito, come with me to the office."
And with that, Sengoku dragged Kaito off into the distance without another word.
The surrounding Marines looked at each other, then shrugged. If the Fleet Admiral said it was over, it was over—they quietly dispersed.
Aokiji gave Garp one last sympathetic look, shook his head, and left in silence.
Soon, the plaza in front of headquarters was deserted, leaving only Garp lying alone on the ground, gazing up at the sky with a 180-degree angle of despair.
So... love can be transferred, huh?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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