"Huh?"
The moment the sharp voice reached him, Yahn instinctively released his Observation Haki, sensing the sudden presence of a tall figure nearby.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Sengoku saw Yahn, who had just been lying on the couch, flash across the room and reappear on the far side of the office.
"So fast!"
Sengoku narrowed his eyes slightly, having witnessed the entire movement.
"And that technique just now... It's somewhat similar to Soru, one of the Navy's Six Styles, but clearly it's a completely different movement skill altogether."
"You little brat, Yahn—so you've been hiding this from me all this time, huh?"
Yahn, now fully awake, looked around and realized with growing dread that he was still inside Sengoku's office. Worse, Sengoku was staring at him intently, clearly trying to size him up.
Damn it, Yahn cursed inwardly.
He'd been completely relaxed, but the sudden voice startled him so badly that his instincts kicked in. Lacking a sense of security, he had unconsciously used Shunpo, a movement technique, to distance himself from the source of the sound.
The problem was… he had never shown this particular technique to Sengoku before.
Thinking fast, Yahn put on a flustered expression and patted his chest as if recovering from a fright, muttering repeatedly, "Scared the hell out of me! Who was that? I jumped so hard I nearly gave birth!"
As his gaze shifted, he finally saw the man standing beside the sofa—tall and lean, wearing a bandana, dark-skinned, and sporting a pair of sunglasses.
'Admiral Aokiji'?!
But Yahn quickly corrected himself.
Back in this period, even Sengoku hadn't yet become Fleet Admiral, so Kuzan wasn't yet the Admiral known as "Aokiji." If Yahn remembered correctly, Kuzan was currently only a Vice Admiral.
Still, after Sengoku's eventual promotion to Fleet Admiral, monsters like Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino—whose strength already far exceeded most Vice Admirals—would all be promoted around the same time.
Kuzan now slowly pushed up his sunglasses and scrutinized Yahn.
"Not bad. You've got some skills. But how come I've never seen you before? And more importantly, why are you being so disrespectful—sleeping in Admiral Sengoku's office?"
By the end of his sentence, Kuzan's tone carried a clear note of dissatisfaction, leaving Yahn utterly confused.
Sleeping in Sengoku's office? Weren't you the one who used to do that the most, Kuzan? Didn't you even carry a sleep mask around everywhere?
If someone had blindfolded Yahn, he'd have thought Sakazuki was the one scolding him.
Then again, Yahn quickly recalled—
The Kuzan of the future, known for his laid-back motto of "Lazy Justice," was once a passionate young man who stood for "Burning Justice." So, hearing such a reprimand from him now wasn't all that surprising.
With that in mind, Yahn awkwardly scratched his head and said mildly, "Sorry, guess I couldn't help myself and just dozed off."
"Couldn't help it?" Kuzan's tone grew even more disapproving. "This is Admiral Sengoku's office—a place that represents the justice and order of the seas. Just how shallow must your sense of justice be if you can fall asleep here?"
Hearing that, Yahn gave him a rather odd look and replied, "Well... once you experience how good it feels, you won't be able to resist either."
"Impossible! Even if I never sleep again and die from mental exhaustion, I, Kuzan, would never do something so disrespectful!" Kuzan declared, full of conviction.
Yon didn't argue further. He simply made a mental note to repeat those exact words to Kuzan in the future—at the most ironic time possible.
Watching the exchange, Sengoku nodded in satisfaction.
Kuzan's fiery sense of justice might be the perfect antidote to Yahn's usual laziness.
Didn't Yahn, who always had some excuse or clever retort, suddenly go quiet under Kuzan's righteous rant?
Looks like entrusting Yahn to Kuzan's guidance might actually be a smart move, Sengoku thought with silent approval. He cleared his throat to get their attention, and once both turned to him, he said:
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, this is my son, Trafymore Yon—a promising young man who aspires to join the Navy and uphold justice."
Hearing that, the corners of Yahn's mouth twitched violently. He almost instinctively wanted to retort: "No, I'm not. That's not true. Stop making things up."
But he swallowed the urge—no point in making Sengoku lose face in front of his subordinates.
Kuzan, on the other hand, looked completely stunned. He glanced at Sengoku, then back at Yahn, and said skeptically, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku… this guy is really your son? You two don't look anything alike."
Sengoku's expression stiffened noticeably. He glanced at Yahn as well.
Handsome. Gentle. Refined.
Aside from both of them wearing glasses, even Sengoku had to admit—there was almost no resemblance between them.
"He's my adopted son," Sengoku clarified somewhat grudgingly. "I took Yahn in many years ago while stationed in the seas."
He continued before Kuzan could ask further:
"Because Yahn has lived outside of Marineford for most of his life, his temperament is admittedly more... relaxed."
"I see." Kuzan nodded, then asked, "So, what's your intention, Admiral?"
Sengoku shot a look at Yahn—who was clearly feigning indifference—and allowed a small, smug smile to creep onto his face.
"As you just witnessed, Yahn's strength is considerable. Simply making him a rank-and-file soldier would be a waste of talent—especially with the Grand Line's situation becoming increasingly unstable..."
He paused, noting the subtle shift in Yahn's expression, then continued.
"So I've decided to invoke the Special Combat Force Mobilization System."
At that, Yahn couldn't take it anymore.
"Oi, old man—don't push it! That system wasn't meant for someone like me. You're abusing it!"
"How's it not applicable?" Sengoku replied with a chuckle. "Wasn't it you who suggested we create that system in the first place? Think back."
In that instant, Yahn felt like he'd shot himself in the foot.
Back then, the whole reason he proposed the "Special Combat Force Mobilization System" was to create a loophole in the Navy's rigid promotion system—one that could later allow powerful outliers like Fujitora and Ryokugyu to be recruited without going through normal channels.
"This is wrong, old man. My strength doesn't even begin to qualify me as a special combat force. You're just making things up at this point," Yahn protested.
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Currently at chapter 90 on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27