Meanwhile, on Sabaody Archipelago, a silver-haired man and a short-haired woman watched the war, speechless. One let out a bitter laugh. The other was furious.
"An old scammer couple?!"
"Hahaha!"
——
"Now that I think about it… it was weird from the start," someone began.
"That Straw Hat, without even using Haki, was able to save his brother right under the Fleet Admiral's nose…" Suspicions swirled. They quickly spiraled out of control.
"…"
Shun was speechless. His harmless lie, combined with that ridiculous encounter with Kizaru, was spawning insane rumors.
"Wheeeen I mentioned his grandson, the Fleet Admiral got really angry," a man in yellow-patterned clothes said eagerly.
"I thought it was unusual… It's not like you're having an affair. Why hide your grandson?" He joined the Marines in fueling the gossip.
"So, is he on our side?!" a Marine shouted. "Whoa, we've got some serious power with Kuma's ability! Wait… Kuma's ability?!" Finally, someone noticed the strangest detail of all.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard and his crew had been hit by a hundredfold amplified poisonous roar. It should have been lethal without an antidote. But the Darkness Fruit once again worked its wonder. It completely nullified the poison for Teach and his men. They quickly fled.
Without the power of Whitebeard's fruit, they couldn't hope to defeat even one Admiral. Staying was not an option.
Shun noticed their escape but didn't give chase. He held no particular grudge against Teach.
Ace vs. Teach rematch… I'm interested to see that too. Shun thought, amused. Ace will probably lose again.
Meanwhile, the madman Akainu finally returned. "GREAT ERUPTION!" he roared in fury. Because of this bastard, the sinful bloodline had survived. Even Luffy was still alive.
As Shun moved to counter, a man deeply grateful to him stepped in.
"Stop, you fool! He's Sengoku's grandson!" Garp arrived. He delivered another mighty punch, swatting Akainu far into the distance. Garp seized this chance gladly—this was the man who had nearly killed Ace!
LHahahaha! I wish my grandson were like you," Garp boomed, ecstatic.
"Training in secret and joining the Marines!" He was undoubtedly the happiest man in the entire war. 'Join the Marines? Who decided that?' Shun was about to argue.
But his "grandfather" had arrived as well. The Whitebeard Pirates had long since escaped. Aokiji had given a lazy, dutiful chase, but they had somehow gotten away. Sengoku stared intently at Shun. Shun stared back without a hint of shame.
"Ahem. It's been a long time… my grandson," Sengoku said, his voice stiff. A subtle wink begged Shun to play along.
"…"
"Yeah, I just finished my training," Shun said. "Did you get the gift I asked for?"
"G-Gift? Of course. Let's discuss it back at my office," Sengoku offered.
"I have something to do first. I'll visit you later." Shun gave a slight wave.
"Bye, Grandfather." With that, he vanished without a trace.
"He can teleport, too?!" Garp asked, genuinely shocked this time.
"Just how much are you hiding?"
"A resourceful Admiral…" Tsuru said, joining them.
"You have some explaining to do."
" I will explain," Sengoku replied.
"But let me end this war first." He found a Den Den Mushi with a loudspeaker.
"The war is OVER! This is our VICTORY!" he announced. Cheers erupted across the globe. 'This will be awkward for that red-haired guy coming to stop the war,' Shun thought, looking down from above. 'Oh well.' Nami and Robin waited for him there.
"Shun!" Nami rushed over and hugged him tightly. He'd kept his promise! She was emotional. Shun hugged her back.
"Was all that necessary?" Robin asked. Her meaning was obvious.
"Of course," Shun said. "They need a reason to grow strong. If I intervened and weakened Luffy's resolve, I couldn't leave you two in his care." Hearing his reasoning, the two women smiled. Their hearts felt warm. But suddenly, Shun collapsed against Robin's chest.
. "Shun?!" they cried out in worry.
"I'm fine. I just used too much energy in that fight." Robin and Nami weren't surprised. He had reversed time to heal injuries and created a massive poisonous tsunami.
"I almost used ten percent of my total energy," Shun said dramatically.
"I might need… some rest." He earned twin looks of exasperation. Even now, he couldn't stop acting. Shun couldn't help himself. He was rather fond of their pre-timeskip looks. He was determined they wouldn't undergo any transformations that, while not horrible, weren't to his taste.
"We've tried a lot of things…" Shun suggested. "…but never in the sky." Without waiting, his hands began to move on their own.
—— The moment the war broadcast ended—perhaps even during it—Morgans the newsman began spreading the headlines.
"THE WAR OF THE STRONGEST ENDS! THE WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN VS. THE MARINES' STRONGEST NEPO BABY!"
"PRODUCT OF NEPOTISM! FLEET ADMIRAL SENGOKU'S GRANDSON REVEALED!"
"THE FLEET ADMIRAL'S AMBITION! WHAT IS HIS TRUE GOAL?!" Meanwhile, the subject of global attention was… fruitfully spending his time.
—— Post-War, Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders convened. Their expressions were as if they owned the world.
"To think Sengoku had a grandson…"
"Why do you suppose he hid it?"
"And what exactly is his power?" They spoke in turn.
"From what we observed, he possesses multiple abilities. He has found a way to wield many powers. Note the ritual we saw him perform with Whitebeard's corpse…"
"!!"
"Are you suggesting he also acquired Whitebeard's power?!"
"It is highly likely."
"He is dangerous. Summon Sengoku."
"Are you certain the boy is truly his grandson?" "Does it matter at this point? To the world, they are grandfather and grandson."
Bere bere bere bere~ The familiar sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out. Click.
"Yes, this is Sengoku." A weary voice answered. "Sengoku. Do you know the details of your grandson's Devil Fruit?"
"No, I do not." So, it's finally settled that we're related, is it? Sengoku sighed inwardly.
"He has no criminal record. Extend him an invitation to join the Marines!" a commanding voice ordered. The call ended. Sengoku sighed deeply.
—— The next day.
Shun awoke inside his Paw Bubble. They were still in the sky. He pondered a strange thought. 'Do I have some special ability? Can I create family out of strangers just by calling them 'Mom' or 'Grandpa'?' He hadn't even been a fan of the fraud Sengoku in his past life. With a sigh, he headed to their usual room on Sabaody. He left Nami and Robin there. Then, he went to meet his "grandpa."
——
The highest-ranking members of the Marines were holding a meeting. It was attended only by admirals and a select few vice admirals.
"Let's discuss the results of the war," Sengoku began, opening the discussion.
"What's there to discuss? Your damn grandson saved two future worst-generation criminals!" Akainu seethed, his fury palpable.
Garp bristled, ready to retort, but then the truth of the statement settled over him. He sank back into his chair, eventually he stopped thinking.
"!!"
"Hey, you noticed me pretty fast!" Shun's voice cut in, his tone playfully exaggerated.
"What are you doing here?!" Akainu barked again.
"He's not a pirate. He's Sengoku's grandson. Save the hostility—it's getting annoying," Aokiji said, surprisingly coming to his defense.
So that's how their relationship is, Shun mused, watching this real-life scene unfold like a missing piece from the anime.
"So, did you prepare the gift?" Shun asked, utterly shameless.
"Which one are you referring to?" Sengoku replied, deciding to play along with the charade.
"The one about giving me a Logia fruit to give to one of my wives," Shun said, his brazen words leaving a ripple of shock through the room.
"Soooo the newspapers were right," Kizaru drawled, leaning back. "Sengoku's been feeding him high-quality resources all this time. That explains the 'Resourceful Admiral' nickname." He'd been pushing against Sengoku hard lately—did he have some kind of grudge? Shun found it highly amusing.
A crease of irritation formed on Sengoku's forehead. Then, an idea struck him.
"That gift is far too valuable to just give away," Sengoku said, making his move. "But if you join the Marines, I'll hand it over."
"Join the Marines? In what position?" Shun asked.
Asking about the position… so he's not entirely against the idea.
"Rear Admiral. No one has ever started that high before—"
"Make it Admiral, or don't bother mentioning it again."
"..."
"Vice Admi—" Sengoku tried, but Shun cut him off.
"Alright, since you don't have my gift and there's nothing left to discuss, I'm leaving." Shun turned toward the door.
"W-Wait! Come back in two days. I'll… consult the higher authorities."
"Okay."
With that, Shun left.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Those who had been blaming Sengoku until now couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity, watching the Fleet Admiral be so thoroughly maneuvered by his own grandson.
——
Two days later, Sengoku and Shun met privately in the Fleet Admiral's office.
"So, what did the five elders say?"
"!!"
Sengoku almost chided him for the disrespectful term, but his own respect for them wasn't much greater—at least not enough to defend them in a private conversation.
"The Admiral rank is impossible."
"I see," Shun said. He hadn't truly wanted it anyway; he was just testing their limits.
"But…"
"Hmm?"
"They are willing to create a new position: Honorary Admiral. You would wield the authority of an Admiral, but without the standard duties. No summons to aid the Celestial Dragons, for instance, and far fewer operational obligations." Sengoku paused. "And, as you asked, a Logia fruit will be provided for your… wife. I need your answer now. The higher-ups are growing impatient."
"What type of Logia?"
"The Kiri Kiri no Mi—the Fog-Fog Fruit."
Shun pretended to consider it deeply. Then— "Alright. Deal."
"Huh?!"
"An Honorary Admiral sounds even better than a regular Admiral, plus a Logia fruit. Why would I refuse? It's not like I have some grand ambition in this world."
Hearing his reasoning, it almost made sense to Sengoku. Almost.
"Enough about the deals," Sengoku said, his demeanor shifting into something more solemn. It was the first time grandfather and grandson had spoken alone like this. "Now, a serious question."
"What is it?"
"What… is your name again?" Sengoku asked, his face utterly serious.