On the deck of the warship, a large number of Navy soldiers were intently watching the movements inside the cabin.
Until suddenly…
"I think I just heard Vice Admiral Sakazuki admit he was wrong!"
A shocked major cried out in disbelief.
"Huh?!"
"No way!"
"You must've misheard!"
Chaos instantly broke out among the soldiers.
After all, who was Vice Admiral Sakazuki?
Even within the entire Navy, he was known as a true monster of a man—an absolute powerhouse rumored to be on the verge of promotion to Admiral.
He was also infamous for his uncompromising pursuit of Absolute Justice, a man who would sacrifice anything to fulfill a mission and leave no trace of evil behind.
And yet... this very man had apologized?
Apologized to someone he had believed to be a criminal?
The idea was practically unthinkable.
As the soldiers buzzed in disbelief, the heat-filled figure of Sakazuki emerged from the cabin, and his very presence silenced the deck in an instant.
"What's with all this noise? Such disorder, such lack of discipline—how is it any different from the pirates we fight?" Sakazuki's stern rebuke cut through the air, and every soldier immediately lowered their head in shame.
"All right, that's enough," said Vice Admiral Yamakaji from the side, stepping in to ease the tension. "The troops just finished a 'Buster Call' mission. Let them unwind a little."
Sakazuki glanced at Yamakaji and replied coldly, "As long as we sail these seas as Marines, there's no room for carelessness. Vice Admiral Yamakaji, I suggest you enforce stricter discipline on your subordinates."
(Since the author doesn't know who is the original 5 vice admirals on Ohara Buster Call. He just includes Yamakaji. Yamakaji is younger than Sakazuki. Sakazuki and Kuzan will be promoted here as Admirals. Yamakaji will always remain as Vice Admiral. Gion is a little younger than Yamakaji but still a captain since she doesn't have much Merit yet. But soon she will also be a Vice Admiral.)
With that, Sakazuki stepped into the air using Moonwalk/Geppo—one of the Navy's Six Styles—and leapt away, returning to his own ship.
Yamakaji didn't seem too concerned by Sakazuki's words. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the gathered soldiers and ordered preparations for the return voyage to Marineford.
Now that the Buster Call had concluded, they needed to return for repairs and to resume their suppression of the seas.
Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, the Navy had only increased its efforts to clamp down on piracy. Yet new pirates continued to rise like weeds after a storm, their numbers growing year after year.
Even an organization as vast as the Navy was starting to feel the strain.
Soon, once the report was submitted to Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the World Government, and a full inspection of the Ohara region confirmed no remaining threats, Sengoku gave the order:
The ten massive Navy battleships—iron beasts of war—began their journey home.
However, during the return voyage, the ship carrying Kuzan quietly veered away from the fleet, heading toward a different route.
---
"Hey, hey, hey—Vice Admiral Kuzan, don't joke around. The seas are chaotic enough already. Especially in the second half of the Grand Line, those big-shot pirates are causing endless trouble. And now you want to take me to deal with the Mafia?"
Yahn's expression twitched as the bandages wrapped around his face loosened slightly. He looked incredulous.
"Are you serious?"
"Completely," Kuzan replied, his face unreadable, not betraying a single emotion.
Yahn stared at him.
"Kuzan, you've changed. You used to believe in 'Burning Justice,' but now you're slacking off."
Kuzan was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Maybe… it's time I reexamined what justice really means."
At that moment, Yahn understood.
Kuzan… was lost.
Once a disciple of the former Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr, Kuzan had later served under the Navy hero Vice Admiral Garp—someone he deeply admired. His ideals were heavily shaped by Garp.
Unlike Sakazuki, who stood firmly with the World Government, Kuzan's allegiance was never so clear-cut.
In fact, Kuzan's skepticism toward the World Government was almost identical to Garp's.
And that's why, after the Ohara Incident, it wasn't Yahn—the one Sengoku had been so worried about—who suffered psychological trauma.
It was Kuzan who fell into self-doubt.
'So, rather than taking me to chase down the Mafia, maybe… Kuzan just needed some time to quietly reflect and clear his thoughts?'
Yahn began to piece it together.
Looking at Kuzan's frosty, distant expression, Yahn said nothing more. He quietly returned to his room and lay down on the bed.
'Take your time to think, old pal. It's not like I'm in a hurry to get back to that geezer anyway. He'll just "punish" me again somehow.'
He muttered to himself lazily, sipping on a juice "gifted" to him by the mess hall.
Yehs, gifted, not stolen—though even if Yahn had tried to refuse, he wouldn't have succeeded.
In the eyes of Kuzan's subordinates, Yahn had always seemed like a frail and mysterious figure with an air of nobility, someone who likely had a prestigious background. They never paid him much mind.
But everything changed after the Ohara Incident.
After seeing Yahn block Sakazuki's cannon fire and save the entire refugee ship...
And after the rumors began to spread—that even the hard-headed and fierce Vice Admiral Sakazuki had personally gone to Yahn's bedside to apologize for "accidentally firing on the refugee ship"...
Yes. "Accidentally."
Had Sakazuki actually succeeded in sinking the ship, the world would've never known it even existed.
But since the ship survived thanks to Yahn, the story couldn't be hidden.
To protect the Navy's reputation, Marineford's high command quickly concluded that it was a mistake: a rookie gunner had violated protocol and misfired.
As for the follow-up barrage of multiple shots?
That was blamed on the same gunner panicking and accidentally firing again.
As a result, the Navy discharged the gunner, sending him back to his hometown, and issued a sincere apology to the traumatized refugees.
So, when Yahn woke up, dazed and confused, he was surprised to hear from the soldiers that Sakazuki had visited him not in anger—but to thank him for stopping the "accidental attack" and to offer an apology.
Thus, despite not even being part of the Navy yet, Yahn's reputation aboard Kuzan's ship skyrocketed overnight.
He was suddenly treated with surprising respect.
And now, the one thing Yahn was really worried about...
'Don't tell me the old man's going to credit me for this...'
Sipping his juice again, Yahn sighed, a mix of amusement and exasperation in his heart.
---
Currently at chapter 200 for advance chapters
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