One year later, aboard the Six Paths of Reincarnation...
Kaito lay on a lounge chair wearing a pair of black sunglasses, soaking up the sun. Ever since he'd gotten his own warship, he'd taken a liking to relaxing like this. No wonder Kuzan always lounged around like this—it really was comfortable.
Ain stood beside him, wrapped in a petite "Justice" coat. She wore a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, black thigh-high socks, and a pair of black high heels. Her expression was serious, standing there like a proper little bodyguard.
Her dynamic with Kaito was a bit like Smoker and Tashigi in the anime. But unlike Tashigi, Ain wasn't airheaded—she was sharp and capable.
Kaito opened his eyes and glanced at Ain. Seeing how serious she looked, he couldn't help but smile slightly and patted the empty spot beside him.
"You've been working hard. Come sit down and relax for a bit."
Ain shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but there were still plenty of soldiers standing watch on deck—she'd feel too awkward taking a break like that.
Kaito didn't press the issue. He closed his eyes again, ready to continue enjoying his sunbath.
Suddenly, the sharp sound of high heels clicking against the deck echoed toward them.
Kalifa approached with a Den Den Mushi in hand.
She glanced at Ain standing beside Kaito but said nothing. With a calm face, she bent down slightly and whispered,
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is calling."
"Hm?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. Ever since getting his warship, he'd frequently been dispatched on missions—mostly patrolling or taking out pirate crews. This was the first time Sengoku himself had reached out directly.
Something big must've happened.
Kaito nodded and took the Den Den Mushi from Kalifa. As soon as he connected the call, Sengoku's anxious voice came through.
"Kaito? Get back to headquarters immediately. A major incident has occurred—we need you to handle it!"
"This is Kaito. What's going on, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"The Ope Ope no Mi has surfaced. This fruit is extremely important. I'll explain the rest when you get back!"
"Understood."
After hanging up, Kaito stood up. Kalifa immediately handed him his "Justice" coat from the side and draped it over him. Ain, watching this, couldn't help but purse her lips.
Kaito gave Kalifa a small smile, then his expression turned serious. With a wave of his hand, he gave the order for the warship to return to base immediately.
...
Marine Headquarters, High-Level Conference Room
Today, the Three Admirals weren't present. Each of them had other duties outside of headquarters. In Kaito's mind, Akainu probably had legitimate business, Kuzan was likely off scaring little girls again, and Kizaru was most definitely slacking somewhere.
Gion wasn't present either. Tsuru had handed her a warship and tasked her with leading a group of female marines out for training. Gion's dream of boarding Kaito's ship had to be put on hold, and it had taken quite a bit of sweet-talking from Kaito to soothe her disappointment.
Sengoku sat at the head of the long table, his expression grave. Once most of the officers had arrived, he finally spoke.
"You probably already know why I've called you here. The Ope Ope no Mi is incredibly special. The World Government has issued a direct order: the Marines must acquire this fruit. Currently, it's in the hands of the Barellus Pirates."
Tsuru nodded from the side and asked,
"So what's your plan? Are you going to send forces to wipe out that pirate crew directly? That seems risky. Maybe we should consider a more measured approach."
Sengoku fully agreed. In fact, that's what he had in mind from the start.
"Yes. The Barellus Pirates' captain, Barellus, was once a Marine. He's already contacted us through the underground network. He wants to sell the Devil Fruit."
"That's the safest method. How much are we offering?"
"Five billion Belly."
"What!?"
The moment that number came out of Sengoku's mouth, several officers nearly jumped out of their seats. Five billion Belly?! Even if they worked their entire careers, they might not save up that much.
If Kizaru were here, he'd probably leap into the air. With a fruit like that in hand, who the hell would bother showing up for work? He'd retire on the spot and open a kindergarten, dancing PPAP with little kids every day. Okay, off-topic...
Even Garp, who hadn't been paying much attention, opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
What?! Five billion Belly?! Do you know how many bags of senbei that could buy!?
Among everyone present, only Tsuru and Kaito remained calm.
Kaito understood the fruit's value. Forget about turning a doctor into one of the world's top surgeons overnight—just the fruit's combat applications made it an absolute top-tier Devil Fruit.
And then there was the rumored "Perpetual Youth Operation." In Kaito's eyes, five billion Belly was a bargain. The fruit's true value couldn't be measured in money.
The World Government was still as stingy as ever. Kaito shook his head slightly where he sat.
Tsuru thought for a moment and then said,
"The price isn't beyond expectations. I think it's acceptable."
Garp turned his head in disbelief to stare at her. His mind was still stuck on how many snacks five billion Belly could buy. To him, it was like Tsuru was tossing five billion Belly worth of senbei into the trash.
But since Tsuru had said so, Sengoku finalized the plan. The next step was to assign someone to ensure the trade went smoothly.
Sengoku's eyes swept across the room before settling on Kaito.
Among everyone here, only Kaito met the dual criteria of being strong and reliable. It sounded simple, but it was rare to find both traits in the same person.
Kaito sensed Sengoku's gaze and stood up with a raised arm, signaling that he would take the mission.
Seeing how cooperative Kaito was, Sengoku couldn't help but smile like a proud father.
Look at that—this is the man I believe in. And next to him... what even is that dazed-looking thing (Garp)?
Kaito sat back down and began thinking through the mission's details.
He'd already planned to get involved in this. He had to save Corazon. He had to get the Ope Ope no Mi. And most importantly, he absolutely didn't want to be the one taking the fall for this whole thing.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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