"What are you talking about? Takakura Bunta became a Rear Admiral so quickly?"
Lynch had just returned to the West Blue when he received a call from Smoker and Momonga at Marine Headquarters. They were talking about Bunta Takakura.
Yes, that Bunta Takakura—the one summoned from Crayon Shin-chan, who looks exactly like Kizaru.
But he was just an ordinary person! Even with two Vice Admirals supporting him, how could he rise through the ranks so fast?
In less than a year, he went from a regular soldier to a Rear Admiral. That kind of promotion speed was like a rocket!
"Oh… it's hard to explain…" Smoker started, but for a moment, he didn't even know where to begin.
…
My name is Bunta Takakura, and I'm just an ordinary kindergarten principal.
But the past six months have felt like a dream.
As Bunta Takakura walked across the training grounds of Marine Headquarters, greetings came from all directions.
"Hello, Admiral Kizaru!"
"Huh? Admiral Kizaru, why are you so short today?"
A nearby soldier was stunned. Kizaru, who usually over three meters tall, was suddenly only about 1.7 meters.
"Wait a minute..." A bold thought crossed the soldier's mind.
"Could it be that… Admiral Kizaru used to wear booster pads?"
"Idiot!" A Rear Admiral beside him smacked the soldier without even looking at him.
"Stop flexing your brain muscles! No booster pad could add over a meter in height. Obviously, Admiral Kizaru just changed his clothes today!"
"Oh, that makes sense! Even though it's the same awful yellow outfit, it's still different from before!"
In their minds, they pictured it perfectly:
Admiral Kizaru had found a new outfit he liked. But his towering height made it impossible to wear, so he used Life Return to shrink himself just to fit into his new clothes.
Yes! That had to be it!
Their "brilliant" deduction earned them praise from those around them.
Doubt that Takakura Bunta isn't Kizaru? Not a chance!
After all, who else could look that wretched?
Wretched and just asking for a beating.
The same yellow plaid clothes, the same hairstyle, the same age, the same beard, the same aura of sleaziness…
They were identical in every way except for the height.
And let's be real, who in Marine Headquarters would dare to impersonate Admiral Kizaru?
Everyone thought the same thing.
As greetings poured in, Takakura Bunta simply nodded indifferently. He was already used to it.
At first, he would stop and explain, but after a while, he couldn't be bothered.
For over six months, every time he stepped outside, people mistook him for Kizaru.
Eventually, he started avoiding unnecessary outings, sticking to clerical work to minimize the confusion.
Yet, deep down, he was curious about this so-called Kizaru.
"Looks just like me… He must be a handsome, hard-working man, dedicated to serving the people and caring nothing for money,"
Takakura Bunta thing.
Somehow, though, the mission recorder, one of the few who actually knew his true identity kept attributing Kizaru's missions to him.
In just half a year, Takakura Bunta had done almost nothing—yet, somehow, his rank had skyrocketed to Rear Admiral.
Today, he was summoned by Admiral Kizaru himself.
That made him incredibly nervous.
Had someone finally realized he was taking credit for another man's achievements? Was Kizaru here to settle the score?
Before he could think further, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
"Kizaru, you look so cute like this. Come to my house tonight, let's have a drink."
There was no room for rejection. By the time Takakura Bunta turned around, Akainu was already walking away.
His face twisted into an expression uglier than crying.
"I'm really not Kizaru!"
Hopefully, Admiral Akainu wouldn't be too angry when Kizaru failed to show up tonight.
Then, more voices followed.
"Boss Kizaru, I found the second volume of Intimate Paradise you asked for. Should I send it to your office?"
"Mr. Kizaru, are you sure you don't want to reconsider? That girl may be on her second marriage, but she's got a big ass and is very fertile~"
"Kizaru Admiral, about the 108 Ways to Fly on Cannonballs you mentioned, I've finished the technical summary. I'll bring it to you soon."
Takakura Bunta had assumed Kizaru was just another high-ranking Marine.
But if this was what being popular looked like… something felt very off.
Slowly, the image of Admiral Kizaru upright and powerful began to waver in Takakura Bunta's mind.
He quickened his pace.
…
Knock, knock, knock.
"Admiral Kizaru, may I come in?"
Standing in front of the Admiral's office, Takakura Bunta gathered his courage and knocked on the door.
"You're welcome, come in."
A lazy voice drifted from inside.
Takakura Bunta pushed the door open and saw a man dressed almost exactly like him, reclining with his long legs propped up on the desk, completely at ease.
Then, their eyes met.
Takakura Bunta froze.
They looked identical.
No wonder so many people mistook him for Kizaru.
"Hey~ So you're Bunta Takakura. Just call me Kizaru. Let's get along, yeah?"
As Takakura Bunta stared at Kizaru, Kizaru studied him right back.
It wasn't the first time he'd observed Takakura Bunta, but every time, it felt like looking into a mirror.
There was actually someone in the world who looked this much like him.
On the fifth day after Takakura Bunta joined the Marines, Kizaru had already noticed him and used his authority to pull up his records.
Same place of birth North Blue.
Same childhood parents died young.
Kizaru's own past was identical to Takakura Bunta's. It made him doubt everything.
"My parents never mentioned a twin brother…"
Of course, that childhood was just the fake identity that Momonga and the others had arranged.
Still curious, Kizaru secretly used his Devil Fruit powers to take a drop of Takakura Bunta's blood and sent it to the lab for testing.
The results? No blood relation.
Kizaru could only sigh at how strange the world was.
...
"Yes! I am Bunta Takakura, please take care of me!"
Takakura Bunta was flattered by Kizaru's easygoing attitude and quickly returned the greeting.
But the moment he stood still, his conscience weighed on him.
"I'm sorry! I took credit for your achievements by mistake. Please punish me!"
"Whether it's a demotion or anything else, I'll accept it unconditionally!"
As a kindergarten principal, living off someone else's merits gnawed at him every day.
If Smoker hadn't stopped him, he would have turned himself in long ago.
Now, standing face-to-face with the real Kizaru, he couldn't bear it any longer.
But instead of getting angry, Kizaru just chuckled lazily. His carefree laughter echoed through the room.
"Hahahahaha… I've known about this little thing for a long time."
"Huh? What did you just say?"
Now it was Takakura Bunta's turn to be shocked.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
___________________
I've added an advanced chapter on P@treon, where you can read 120+ chapters ahead of everyone.
Link : patreon.com/MoonEater18