Evening had fallen. After seeing off a stream of visiting officers, and with the doctor's final checkup confirming there were no lingering issues, Sakazuki finally made his way home.
Warm light spilled from every window. As he pushed open the door, he was greeted by the sight of Karol, Enel, and Vice Admiral Morris gathered in his living room.
A tableful of steaming dishes awaited him.
For a moment, Sakazuki felt almost disoriented by the cozy scene. But he quickly collected himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he strode toward the table.
—
After dinner, Sakazuki sat back and asked about what had transpired over the past six months.
Karol took a moment to organize her thoughts before reporting:
"The Battle of Scree left over twenty thousand dead or wounded. Headquarters has been running short on manpower, so this year's recruitment started ahead of schedule. The Elite Class was also launched early.
Admiral Zephyr suffered grave injuries fighting Roger—injuries that left permanent scars. On top of that, he's been caring for his child every day, so he resigned as Admiral and transferred to the Headquarters Academy as Chief Instructor.
Admiral Sengoku went missing during the Battle of Scree, but there's been some recent news about his possible whereabouts. Vice Admiral Garp has set sail to search for him.
That's the gist of things on our end."
Sakazuki nodded. "What about the pirates?"
Karol continued, "The pirates have quieted down a lot. With Whitebeard dead and most of Golden Lion's fleet destroyed, pirates everywhere have been keeping a low profile these past six months.
No one knows where the Roger Pirates are. Both the Flying Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates are licking their wounds and recruiting new followers.
And this year, the number of countries applying to become World Government member states has skyrocketed. Plenty of weaker nations have even pleaded in the newspapers, begging to be accepted as affiliates."
Sakazuki grunted in acknowledgment, lost in thought. The others were wise enough to stay silent.
After a moment, he turned to Vice Admiral Morris. "Will Admiral Zephyr's new position have any effect on the troops' mindset?"
Morris sighed. "Not really. Zephyr has changed a lot since then. Besides, combat training and ideological classes are kept separate. His old beliefs aren't being passed on to the soldiers. It won't affect the big picture."
Sakazuki nodded. "Good."
He glanced at Enel, then stood and headed outside. "We set sail tomorrow—patrol across all four seas."
He shot a look at Enel. "Let's see what your training's amounted to."
Karol pulled out a Den Den Mushi to relay orders. Enel bounced out the door, excitement written all over his face, with Vice Admiral Morris following.
—
In the courtyard, Sakazuki faced the spirited young man across from him, Armament Haki swirling around his hands.
But after a moment's thought, he let the Haki fade, standing relaxed. "Come at me with everything you've got."
Enel gave his golden staff a twirl. In an instant, his whole demeanor shifted—lazy, cocky, and oozing mischief.
"Oooh, scary~ Uncle~" he drawled, voice dripping with mockery. "Ever been struck by lightning before~?"
With a crackle, his body transformed into living lightning, preparing to lunge at Sakazuki.
Something seemed to snap in the minds of the three onlookers.
Sakazuki's face turned thundercloud dark as he looked over his shoulder at the other two. Their faces were just as black—they were clearly just as blindsided.
A dangerous aura radiated from Sakazuki as he glared at Enel.
Suddenly, Armament Haki surged back over his fists.
"Enel..." His voice was low and deadly. "Who. Taught. You. That?!"
Each word landed like a hammer, brimming with fury.
Enel instantly realized he'd stepped in it. He dropped the cocky act at once.
"Uh... well... um..."
He shot a desperate look at Karol and Grandpa Morris—only to find they'd vanished from their spots.
He spun around. The two of them had reappeared behind him. Karol had drawn her sword, blackened with Armament Haki. Morris's fists were similarly armored.
Whoosh!
The air split with a sharp sound—Enel whipped back around to see Sakazuki right in front of him.
All three had him surrounded.
Enel slumped in despair, slowly let go of his golden staff, and crouched down, clutching his head.
"Help! Somebody save meeeeeee!"
According to some reports, that night, half the residents of Marineford heard the screams echoing through the night. Some brave souls went out to investigate, but no one could pinpoint where the cries came from.
It became one of Marineford's great unsolved mysteries.
And as for Sakazuki—who'd originally planned to set sail the next day—he changed his plans.
He decided to pay a visit to the Marine Headquarters Academy's Elite Class and give the top students some "guidance."
It was said that the stronger you were, the more "guidance" you received.
Especially this year's so-called monster: the Logia-type Glint-Glint Fruit user, Borsalino.
Rumor had it he spent three days in the hospital after his session.
When he was finally discharged, his strength had skyrocketed—even Admiral Zephyr couldn't help but praise him, and invited Sakazuki to come teach more often.
—
The next day, at Marineford's harbor.
Vice Admiral Morris—with a bruised, swollen Enel in tow—came to see Sakazuki off.
They waved their goodbyes.
The soldiers, who hadn't seen Sakazuki in half a year, seemed to have found their anchor again. Excitement buzzed through the ranks.
When Sakazuki announced there'd be a banquet that night, their training enthusiasm soared even higher.
On deck, Barrett had grown even more imposing, already showing hints of the powerhouse he'd one day become—though he was still just a kid.
Sakazuki grinned. "Come on, Barrett. Let's spar."
Barrett blinked in surprise, then broke into a grin of his own.
"Yes, sir!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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