Caron stood at the railing, feeling like his steel jaw was about to drop clean off his face.
The order he'd received was simple: come pick up Kael-sama and the executives after ten days.
Kael-sama had said they were going to an uninhabited island for a "vacation and team-building."
But what he was looking at now, what part of this looked like a vacation?
Half the island had basically been erased from the map.
The mountain range that used to spear into the clouds was now a bottomless crater.
The dense primeval forest was gone too, not a single whole tree left standing, only scorched charcoal, shattered stone, and debris.
This wasn't the aftermath of training.
This was the aftermath of a war, the kind that could wipe a kingdom off the face of the sea.
And the people responsible were lying at the bottom of that crater like five… no, six dead dogs.
"Kael… sama?"
Caron called out carefully, his voice full of uncertainty.
Down in the pit, Kael lifted one hand with tremendous effort and waved weakly.
"Caron… you picked a great time… hurry, get us up… I'm starving to death…"
Only then did Caron fully accept it.
That blood-soaked man in rags, looking like a beggar who'd crawled out of hell, really was his all-powerful master.
He didn't dare waste a second. He immediately barked orders to the crew to lower rope ladders and stretchers.
When the sailors finally hauled all six of them onto the deck, everyone flinched at the sight of their injuries.
Kael was still… Kael. With that abnormal regeneration of his, the wounds on his body were already scabbing over.
The others, though, were beyond miserable.
Mihawk was pale as a sheet, his breathing thin, like he might stop at any moment.
Crocodile's arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.
Moria looked like he'd shrunk, as if his vitality had been sucked dry.
Tesoro's beloved golden armor had long since been beaten into scrap metal, jammed tight into his flesh like shrapnel.
The worst was Doflamingo.
His signature pink feather coat had been reduced to a few sad strands clinging to him. His sunglasses were gone, and his exposed eyes were bloodshot, furious, and hollow all at once.
Caron's scalp went cold. He hurriedly called the ship's doctor to perform emergency treatment.
After a chaotic round of bandaging and patchwork, the six of them regained a bit of color and were settled into the lounge in the cabin to rest.
Caron carried in carefully prepared food and alcohol… and froze.
The atmosphere inside was nothing like he'd imagined.
There was no heaviness. No post-battle gloom.
Instead, it was strangely harmonious.
Doflamingo wasn't even doing his usual "fuffuffuffu" laugh. He was actually sitting with Crocodile, speaking in low voices like they were old colleagues reviewing a project.
"…Your Desert Sunflower timing was still too early. If you waited until after Kael-sama used that 'Dragon Purge' move, it would've been ten times more effective."
"Hmph. Easy to say. At that point, could you even keep him contained with Birdcage?"
Meanwhile, Moria had squeezed over to Tesoro, gesturing wildly with his hands.
"Kishishishi, listen, next time my shadows and your gold can sync like this! I attach shadow to your gold soldiers, and then they can…"
"Not a bad idea, but gold conducts too well. Your shadow might get suppressed by Kael-sama's abilities."
Even Mihawk, the eternal lone wolf, wasn't sitting in a corner polishing his blade.
For the first time in forever, he was sitting right beside Kael, quietly listening to Kael brag.
"…See? Mihawk, I'm not even bragging. Your 'Divine Departure' is still undercooked. Back in the day when I sparred with Captain Roger, every strike he threw was just a basic swing…"
Everyone was talking and laughing, as if what they'd been through wasn't ten days of hellish slaughter but a satisfying, hard-fought match.
They debated their mistakes, dissected Kael's techniques, even started sketching tactics for their next "challenge."
Caron stood at the doorway holding the tray, suddenly unsure whether he should go in.
He felt out of place.
The techniques they were discussing, he couldn't understand.
The combat experience they were sharing, he couldn't truly relate to.
All he could do was prepare food and medical care when they returned from battle.
A faint sense of loss rose in his chest.
Once upon a time, he could stand at Kael-sama's side and charge into the fray for him.
But as Kael-sama's forces grew, as more and more monsters gathered under his banner, Caron, the "Iron Jaw" who had followed from the beginning, had been left far behind in battle.
Now he was more like a steward.
A logistics chief.
Important, yes, but still…
Deep down, Caron still wanted to fight alongside them.
Just as he sank into that quiet sadness, Kael's voice rang out.
"Caron, why are you standing there like an idiot? Bring the food over here! I'm starving!"
Caron jolted, snapping back to himself, and hurried inside.
"Kael-sama, everyone. Please, eat."
He laid out the dishes and drinks across the table.
The group pounced like wolves, devouring the feast in a storm.
Kael snatched the biggest drumstick, chewing as he mumbled through a mouthful of meat, "Caron, seriously, this time we owe you. If you hadn't come, we might've starved to death on that trash island."
"Kishishishi! That's right, that's right! Caron, you're our savior!" Moria shouted, lifting his cup high.
"Fuffuffuffu… Caron, next time bring more medicine. Kael-sama's hands are really black." Doflamingo rubbed his aching ribs and complained.
Everyone chimed in one after another, loud and lively.
The last bit of bitterness in Caron's chest dissolved instantly, replaced by warmth.
That's right.
Maybe he couldn't help on the front line, but he was their strongest backline.
This "home" could lose a lot of things, but it couldn't lose its housekeeper.
Kael watched Caron smile again and nodded with satisfaction.
…
By the time they returned to the villa on Sabaody, it was deep into the night.
Robin had been waiting. Seeing this group of "upper management" looking like they'd crawled out of a refugee camp, she gave them a smile that was equal parts resigned and understanding.
"Welcome back. Looks like your 'team-building' was quite… 'enjoyable.'" She put extra weight on the word enjoyable.
"Of course! Kishishishi!" Moria puffed out his chest proudly, only to tug his wounds and wince in pain.
"Cherry-chan, Rin-chan, hurry. Get hot water and bandages ready," Kael ordered weakly, then collapsed onto the sofa and immediately looked like he never wanted to move again.
Robin directed the staff to support the injured back to their rooms for treatment. Then she returned with a thick stack of documents and walked up to Kael.
"While you were enjoying your 'vacation' these ten days, a lot happened outside."
Her voice pulled Kael out of his post-battle haze and back into reality.
The lazy man on the sofa sharpened instantly.
The "madman" who had been laughing with his comrades on the battlefield vanished.
In his place sat the man who commanded from the shadows, looking down upon the whole world.
The underground emperor.
Aaron Kael.
"Go on," he leaned back, closed his eyes, and spoke calmly. "Let's hear it."
"What kind of new 'fun' did this world prepare for me?"