The Pirate King, he's determined to be it!
"Hey! You little brat, what are you daydreaming about?"
The boss with a greasy apron knocked a ladle on his head, "Table 22 added grilled meat, did you forget? Hurry up and serve it!"
"Ah! Right away!" Luffy hurriedly picked up the iron plate, his mind still on what the customers were chatting about earlier.
Right, besides Big Brother Shano, what else did they mention about the Heavenly Celestial Dragon?
What kind of thing is that?
Luffy tilted his head, trying to imagine it, thinking it should be a creature whose head looks like a dragon, and its body probably is similar to the gorillas in the mountains...
Just killed four of them, and the news spread all over the world.
Doesn't make any sense.
Hmm, maybe the meat is extremely precious and super, super delicious?
I really wish Big Brother Shano would share a bite with me, hehe...
"Your drool is falling into the grilled meat, turning it into boiled meat soup, you darn brat!"
Bang! The furious boss mercilessly slammed the ladle again.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
————
At a Navy branch base somewhere along the Grand Line.
In the office, Aokiji lazily leaned back in the chair, holding a fresh newspaper, frowning slightly.
"Hey, Mr. Kuzan, although you're carrying out tasks abroad."
On the other end of the Radio Snail, Tina's voice could be heard, "But with such a big commotion, you must've heard about what's happening in Shampodi, right?"
"Yeah."
Aokiji replied nonchalantly, "Of course."
"Tina's really annoyed."
On the other end, Tina was muttering complaints like a little girl:
"What's up with this, now the entire Endgame is unforgivable, right?"
"Smoker, that idiot, you should have brought him back forcefully last time. At least back then, there was still hope, maybe a few years in prison and a chance for atonement through meritorious deeds, unlike now, where there's no turning back..."
"Hey, Tina."
Aokiji interrupted Tina's words, speaking softly, "Now that you've mentioned Smoker, it reminds me that this man named Shano has tried to recruit me twice already..."
"Eh?"
Tina was stunned at first, then suddenly alarmed:
"Kuzan! Y-you-you! You're not thinking of following Smoker's... Tina warns you, this joke is not funny at all!"
"Ah lala, don't be nervous."
Aokiji chuckled softly, casually tossing the newspaper on the table.
"Betraying the Navy, something like that I just can't do. I just remembered some past events and felt a bit sentimental."
That man, when we first met, was still at a level that I could easily capture if I tried seriously, unreservedly questioned face to face about his ambitions, wondering how far he thought he could go.
So, how about now, has he gone far enough?
Aokiji's gaze returned to the newspaper on the table. Shano's eyes in the photo seemed to pierce straight through the paper.
The answer was slammed hard right in his face.
Aokiji was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly:
"I don't know if it's far... but speaking of ambition, it's quite clear now."
Back then, it seemed like nothing more than the arrogant talk of a young person who knew nothing of the world, but now it seems, he's indeed realizing his goals step by step.
Breaking the chains named fear was already a crucial step.
On the other hand, the so-called path of justice that I adhered to seems to have become a bit more distant...
"I'll hang up now, let's talk when I return to headquarters. Let's have a meal at Zephyr-sensei's place and have a small gathering."
Aokiji ended the call.
He stared at the photo, his eyes' confusion lasted for a while, finally fading away, and the thought deeply buried in his heart gradually became firm.
"Maybe you stimulated me here, kid, has my ambition been ignited as well?"
Aokiji raised his head, gazing through the window towards the distant horizon, and muttered to himself, "Mr. Sengoku is getting on in years and might step down before long..."
"After all, the Navy still has so many comrades with a sense of justice. They can't be wasted in the tidal wave of the new era. I must strive and try, to see if I can lead them back onto the path of belief..."
————
"Not bad."
On Klaykan Island, Mihawk, with his legs crossed, lay on the sofa for a long time before putting down the newspaper, making a calm evaluation.
Such guts, such a feat, I can only say, as expected of the man I had my eyes on.
He picked up his teacup, glanced, and frowned slightly, "Tashigi, there's no tea left, bring some more."
No response.
Mihawk turned his head, glanced at the empty castle, and remembered something.
That girl, did she go to Shampodi?
His gaze swept over the newspaper, past Shano's close-up taking up most of the front page, and behind were some photos showing other angles of the battlefield. After looking for a while, he indeed found Tashigi in a corner.
Looks like she safely and successfully met her idol.
Mihawk looked for a few seconds, then retracted his gaze, his expression returning to calm, and raised his head to gulp down the last small sip of tea in his cup.
"Not bad."
————
Undersea Prison.
Level 4, the Scorching Hell.
The searing high temperature made the air shimmer, even breathing was torturous. The newly delivered prisoners were shackled with chains, forming a long queue, being escorted by Prison Beasts, heading towards the decontamination area.
"Move it! Don't dawdle!"
The Prison Guards waved their whips, urging the prisoners forward.
Chief Magellan stood on a high platform, arms crossed, coldly looking down upon the prisoners below.