The moment Rowan stepped off the warship, "Cyborg" Kong couldn't wait. He strode forward and gave Rowan a massive bear hug, lifting him off the ground and spinning him around several times.
"Ahahaha! You brat, it's been so long! I've missed you to death!"
This legend from two generations ago showed none of the steady composure expected of a high-ranking World Government official. He looked more like an overgrown child.
"Alright, alright! We're both at an age where this is embarrassing. I'm about to be squeezed to death by you," Rowan said, caught between laughter and tears.
After spinning for nearly three minutes, Kong finally set Rowan down. He grumbled, "You have the nerve to say that? Who told you to stay away for so long? If I hadn't heard news of you occasionally from Garp and Sengoku, I would've thought you'd kicked the bucket!"
"What kind of talk is that? Are you cursing me?! I can eat, I can sleep, and everything tastes great. There's no way I'm checking out before you do, brat!" Rowan glared.
Despite the bickering, the two men looked at each other and shared a genuine smile before embracing once more. Rowan patted Kong's solid shoulder and remarked, "Old man, I didn't expect that even at your age, you'd still be as strong as an ox."
"You're not bad yourself. I heard about what happened recently—even a Celestial Dragon tripped over you. I see how it is; you don't cause trouble for decades, but when you do, you go for the biggest target possible, eh?"
"Enough, don't bring that up. Thinking about that guy just brings bad luck. I finally go out for a trip and of all the people to run into, it's that brat," Rowan waved a hand dismissively, his face full of disgust.
"Look at you, it's not like you're too old to walk. Why haven't you come back for a visit in so long? Since the last time you were here, it's been... twenty years?" Kong sighed with nostalgia.
"Yeah, nearly twenty years," Rowan agreed with a sigh. "Time flies. Most of our generation of Marines were already gone by the time I retired. Now, I suppose it's just you and me left?"
Listening to the two legends, Sengoku, Garp, and the others felt a wave of poignancy. Weren't they in the same boat? The comrades they had joined the Navy with had either retired or died in battle. Very few remained. One day, they too would be standing here in their twilight years, lamenting the passage of time just like Master Rowan and Mr. Kong.
"True. Calculating the time, you're almost a hundred years old, aren't you?" Kong draped an arm over Rowan's shoulder and continued, "By the way, at your age, instead of enjoying your retirement in the East Blue, what made you want to return to duty?"
"What? Got lonely and wanted to taste the sea air again? Can that old body of yours still handle it?"
Rowan laughed and punched Kong's chest. "What's a hundred years? My health isn't just talk—if a Yonko showed up today, I could flatten him in three punches!"
Kong feigned shock. "Really?"
"If you don't believe me, let's head to the training grounds and go a few rounds!" Rowan challenged.
"Forget it! In all these years, when have you ever been a match for me? Back when we first joined the Navy, I was the one who taught you how to hold a rifle!" Kong laughed, clearly not believing a word of it.
Back when they joined, their timing was similar, but Kong's physical talent had been monstrous, and he was incredibly hardworking. Whether it was military merit or personal strength, Kong had left Rowan in the dust. Even in rank promotions, Rowan couldn't keep up. By the time Rowan became a Rear Admiral in his thirties, Kong was already an elite Vice Admiral. Before Rowan could even reach Vice Admiral, Kong was already being groomed for Fleet Admiral.
However, back when they were recruits, they had saved each other's lives multiple times. Their personalities clicked, and over time they became sworn brothers through life and death. Rowan eventually making Vice Admiral was partly due to Kong's support behind the scenes.
"Hmph, you old stubborn mule. Don't believe me then, I'm not in the mood to put on a show for you anyway!" Rowan snorted.
"You're a fine one to talk. When Sengoku told me you were back at Headquarters, I was ready to see you the next day. But you? You didn't even bother to contact your old brother. Instead, you took a few kids to Sabaody for a vacation."
Kong widened his eyes in a mock-resentful glare. "What, is our decades of friendship worth less than that scrap of an archipelago?"
Rowan scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled. "I just didn't want to disturb your work."
"Don't even start. Being the Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's military sounds grand, but it's actually quite dull. I sit in that office all day until I'm bored out of my mind!"
Kong sighed, then suddenly turned serious. "By the way, have those World Nobles been giving you trouble these past few days? If there's anything you can't handle, just tell me. Your old brother still has plenty of influence in the World Government."
Kong thumped his chest with a look of absolute loyalty. He didn't care about most people's business, but Rowan was different—they were brothers. He wouldn't stand by and watch him suffer.
Rowan rolled his eyes. "If I couldn't even handle a little thing like that, would I be fit to call you brother? Rest easy, that brat's 'trouble' has been completely settled."
Kong grinned. "With those words, I'm relieved. But remember, if anything happens in the future, come straight to me. I'll get it sorted for you, guaranteed!"
Regarding his old brother, Kong's attitude was simple: help if he could, and if he couldn't, find a way to help anyway! For example, when Sengoku reported that Rowan wanted his rank restored, Kong had approved the request without a second thought. He didn't care why Rowan wanted it; as long as Rowan was back in Marineford, he finally had someone to keep him company.
Rowan smiled. "Don't worry, there will be plenty of times I'll have to bother you in the future."
Suddenly, Kong remembered something. "By the way, what's the deal with you and Hawkeye Mihawk? Why did that guy challenge you? You're a hundred-year-old man with average strength—why would the World's Greatest Swordsman want a piece of you?"
Rowan snapped back, "Hey! Watch your mouth, old man! What do you mean 'average strength'? I'm very powerful now, okay!"
"Exactly! Great-Grandpa is super amazing!" Luffy chimed in, unable to help himself.
"What does this have to do with you?!" Garp promptly delivered a fist of love to Luffy's head, making everyone burst into laughter.
"Oh? This little one is Garp's grandson? He looks exactly like Garp did when he was young," Kong noted with a nod.
And so, the two old friends, reunited after nearly two decades, walked toward the Marine Headquarters building, chatting and laughing. Behind them, serving as their entourage, was a row of the most powerful and influential figures in the Navy.
In the entire world, only Rowan and Kong had the status to command such a scene.
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