The peace at Marine Headquarters, or, more precisely, Renzo's personal peace, lasted less than two months before being mercilessly shattered.
Sengoku's pent-up fury needed release, and Akainu's frustration needed an outlet.
Thus began a massive, unprecedented event at Marineford, the "Elite Marine Grand Training Exercise."
From sunrise to sunset, and sometimes even deep into the night, the air was filled with shouting, explosions from live-fire drills, and officers' hoarse yelling.
The entire base became a gigantic, noisy beehive, brimming with "passion," "hard work," and, most of all, "trouble."
Renzo's living space shrank to almost nothing.
The library? The lecture hall for recruits was right next door, loud enough to make the bookshelves shake.
A quiet corner of the training field? Now the primary noise source.
Behind the medical center?
Zephyr used to teach tactics quietly there, but now he held field simulations with his students, a bunch of youngsters chattering endlessly about formations and flanking maneuvers.
Even the cafeteria, during non-meal hours, had turned into a temporary mobilization hall!
BOOM!
Another live-ammo explosion rattled the walls, so close that Renzo's dorm windows gave a faint buzz.
Renzo lay sprawled on his bed, pressing a pillow tightly over his head, but the relentless noise seeped through. Worse, it carried that unbearable aura of "enthusiasm," "motivation," and "fighting spirit", the perfect counter to his Domain of Absolute Sloth, like sandpaper scraping his nerves raw.
Finally, he snapped. He threw the pillow aside and sat up, eyes filled with rare, sharp irritation.
"So damn noisy…"
"Never ends…"
"Can't live like this…"
Moving like a puppet drained of purpose, he climbed out of bed and shuffled to the window.
Outside, clouds of dust rose over the training grounds as soldiers bellowed and clashed. Renzo frowned so hard a fly could've been crushed between his brows.
"Need to find… somewhere quieter."
Once that thought took root, it spread like ivy through his mind.
Compared to the annoyance of going out to sea, staying in this hell of noise was clearly the greater torment.
Between two evils, pick the lesser.
That was lazy logic, simple and absolute.
He acted immediately.
First, he wandered into the kitchen and found Aunt Maggie, who was struggling to stay focused on baking cakes amid the racket.
"I'm going to sea," he said flatly.
Aunt Maggie jumped. "Huh? Commodore Renzo, where are you heading?"
"Don't know," Renzo said, his eyes dull.
"Wherever it's quiet… and has good desserts."
He paused, then added the most important part: "Prepare… lots of sweets. Long-lasting ones."
Aunt Maggie blinked, then her eyes lit up with divine purpose.
To provide provisions for Commodore Renzo's voyage, what an honor!
"Leave it to me!" she declared, pounding her chest proudly.
"I've improved the lava cake recipe, it lasts three days now! And I'll pack you special cookies, candied fruits, nut bars, you'll eat till you can't eat anymore!"
Next, Renzo found Potts, his poor, overworked orderly who'd been dealing with endless inquiries on his behalf.
"Prepare a ship," Renzo ordered.
"A small, stable one. You're coming with me."
Potts froze. "Uh… Commodore, where are we going? Should we report to the Fleet Admiral first?"
"Don't know. Too much trouble."
Renzo dismissed all procedure in five words.
Finally, he went straight to Sengoku's office, didn't even bother knocking, just pushed the door open.
Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru were in the middle of a discussion about the training exercises when Renzo entered. Sengoku's brows twitched.
"Renzo? What is it?"
A faint ache began pulsing in his temple, a familiar warning sign.
Renzo looked at him and, in the same tone one might use to announce "There's pudding at the cafeteria today," said, "I'm going to sea."
"...What?" Sengoku asked, shocked.
"...Excuse me?" Tsuru looked at him.
"It's too noisy here. I can't sleep."
Renzo said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm tired of staying here. Gonna find a quiet place. Maybe see if there's dessert I haven't tried yet."
Sengoku opened his mouth, utterly lost for words.
Others went to sea for justice, duty, or ambition; this man was going just to nap and eat sweets?
He tried to object. "The seas aren't safe right now, you-"
"Oh." Renzo cut him off, then thought for a moment before adding, almost killing Sengoku with a single sentence:
"The world's so big. I'm too lazy to look at it… But maybe I should."
And before Sengoku could react, Renzo was already leaving.
"No need to assign anyone to follow. That's a hassle. Potts will do."
The office fell silent. Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged looks, speechless.
"...Did he just say something… kind of philosophical?" Sengoku asked, his expression twisted.
Tsuru chuckled softly. "Ignoring his motives… perhaps he did. Let him go, Sengoku."
"If you keep him here any longer, he won't just fall asleep standing; he'll probably make the entire HQ fall asleep standing. That would be a far bigger problem."
Sengoku pictured that scene, shuddered, and finally waved a hand helplessly.
"Fine. Let him go!"
"Give him top-tier supply clearance, let him eat whatever he wants!"
"As long as he doesn't cause a world-ending disaster, I'll take it!"
And so, amid the roaring drills and fiery morale of Marine Headquarters, Commodore Renzo, the "Sloth God", set off on his own private culinary leisure cruise.
At the port, a small but well-equipped speedboat marked LC-02 was ready.
Potts oversaw the soldiers loading huge, sweet-smelling storage crates onto the deck.
Renzo climbed aboard at a snail's pace, claimed the sunniest deck chair with the best view, and melted into it like pudding.
"Direction?" Potts asked nervously.
Renzo closed his eyes, felt the breeze, and lazily pointed somewhere that simply "felt right."
"Over there. Feels… quieter that way."
Log Pose?
Sea chart?
Didn't exist. Renzo navigated purely by gut feeling and laziness resonance.
Potts sighed. "…Aye, sir."
He was used to this by now.
The engine hummed, and the LC-02 slowly drifted away from noisy Marineford.
As the distance grew, the din of drills faded, replaced by the gentle sound of waves.
Renzo's furrowed brow finally relaxed. He exhaled deeply.
"Finally… peace…"
From a box beside him, he pulled out Aunt Maggie's ultra-durable molten chocolate cake, took a bite, and squinted in pure bliss.
The warm sun bathed him, the boat rocked gently, like a giant cradle.
At the helm, Potts gripped the wheel, staring anxiously at the endless blue horizon.
"Commodore, what do we do next-?"
The only answer was Renzo's slow, steady breathing.
He was already asleep.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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