After apologizing to Granny Tsuru and Gion, Rosinante returned to his room with the clothes Tsuru had brought. He changed into a perfectly fitted suit, and when he reappeared before the two women, Gion's cheeks flushed bright red.
"Rosinante looks so handsome!"
"Sengoku!"
Just as Garp was finishing up repairing the door, Fleet Admiral Kong and Z walked in together.
Kong had traded his Fleet Admiral uniform for a brown suit, while Z wore a tailored violet one.
"Rosinante, come here. This is Fleet Admiral Kong, and this is Z, one of my oldest comrades." Sengoku said, beckoning Rosinante over.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kong. Hello, Mr. Z."
"Wahahaha! What a polite little guy. Sengoku, looks like you really struck gold this time."
Kong chuckled heartily, then reached into his coat and pulled out an elegant, compact flintlock pistol, handing it to Rosinante.
"You're Sengoku's son now, so it's only a matter of time before you become a great Marine. You'll need to get used to firearms eventually. This pistol is a brand-new model, just retrieved it from the World Government conference a few days ago. There's only one like it in the entire Navy. It's yours now."
"Th-thank you, Fleet Admiral Kong!"
Rosinante stared at the pistol, speechless.
This thing can actually kill people... and he's just handing it to me like a toy? These top brass types were truly in a league of their own.
"Oi oi, Rosinante! I brought a gift too!"
Not wanting to be outdone, Garp bounded over enthusiastically. Sengoku frowned. "You done fixing the door?"
Garp thumped his chest. "Of course! It's not like this is my first time fixing your sorry excuse for a gate. Now come on, Rosinante—see what Uncle Garp brought you!"
He pulled out a tattered cloth bag and tossed it to Rosinante. The moment he caught it, Rosinante was yanked off his feet by the sheer weight, landing in an awkward tumble. The bag hit the ground with a heavy thud.
"So heavy!?"
Rosinante cried out. He quickly untied the cloth, revealing a full set of lead-weighted training gear.
"That's the weighted outfit my son Dragon used when he was little." Garp explained proudly. "Base weight is a hundred kilograms, but it's modular. You can add lead blocks to push it up to a full ton."
Rosinante's eyes sparkled. For all Garp's usual silliness, this was hands down the most practical gift so far.
"Thank you, Uncle Garp! I really like it."
"Haha! Glad to hear it! Hey, Z—we've all given Rosinante gifts. What about you?"
Z's face remained cool. "I came in a hurry. I didn't prepare anything."
"Tch… stingy." Garp muttered under his breath. But Z heard it loud and clear. His face turned ever so slightly red, though his expression remained impassive, projecting the seasoned calm of a man who could make you feel embarrassed just by not reacting.
"Alright, alright—everyone's here." Sengoku cut in. "Kalit, tell the chefs to start bringing in the food."
"Yes, Admiral Sengoku."
Kalit left to relay the message. Soon after, the kitchen began serving dish after dish of exquisite delicacies. The centerpiece was a massive platter of grilled Sea King meat. After Sengoku's ship had docked, his men had transferred the frozen Sea King from the hold straight to his estate. It would be the main course for tonight's banquet.
Once the table was set, Kalit came back to ask, "Admiral Sengoku, the kitchen wants to know what kind of drinks we'll be serving tonight."
"Alcohol?" Sengoku's brow furrowed.
At the mention of alcohol, Kong, Garp, and Z all involuntarily swallowed—but Sengoku immediately shook his head. "Alcohol dulls judgment. As the Navy's top fighting force, we must always remain sharp. I won't be drinking. Tell them to prepare green tea for me."
"Yes, sir. And for Fleet Admiral Kong, Mr. Garp, Mr. Z, and Vice Admiral Tsuru?"
"Uh… I'll have tea too." Kong said.
"Same here." added Garp.
"Make that three." Z echoed.
The three men had been craving a drink, but with Sengoku abstaining, they couldn't very well make themselves look irresponsible. Tsuru followed suit and requested a cup of green tea as well.
As for Rosinante and Gion, they were children—alcohol was out of the question. Kalit served them each a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice.
With drinks sorted, the group dug into the meal, their conversation shifting into casual chatter.
"Z, how are things going at the Marine Academy?" Kong asked.
"Quite well." Z replied. "The quality of the first batch of students is impressive. Two of them, in particular, have been labeled prodigies—tremendous potential. Either could one day become a Navy Admiral."
"Prodigies?" Kong perked up. "Who?"
Z sipped his tea, then explained, "One is Borsalino, he ate the Glint-Glint Fruit and became a light-man. Incredibly powerful, but his lazy demeanor holds him back. If he could overcome that, he'd be virtually unstoppable."
"The other is Sakazuki, a magma-man, thanks to the Magma-Magma Fruit. He's quiet, tenacious, and intensely principled. His idea of justice is extreme, though if properly guided, he could even surpass Borsalino."
Hearing this, Kong's stern face lit up with rare enthusiasm. "Excellent! This is fantastic news. To think the very first batch at the Marine Academy would produce such exceptional talents. These are the future of the Navy. Z, train them well."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral. I'll be putting them through the harshest training possible. After all, they have the makings of future Admirals."
Z's voice held both pride and weight.
Garp, meanwhile, chomped on a massive hunk of meat and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Z, what's the big deal about Admirals? I'm telling you, my son Dragon's got the makings of an Admiral too! Mark my words, there'll be a Marine Admiral named Dragon one day!"
Pffft!
Rosinante couldn't hold it in. A mouthful of juice shot out of his nose.
Gion blinked. "Are you okay?"
"Cough cough! I'm fine! Just swallowed wrong…" Rosinante waved his hands defensively.
"Shut it, Garp!" Kong snapped. "Quit bragging about your kid. If you really cared, you could've been an Admiral years ago."
"Ahaha... Forget about that." Garp laughed, brushing it off. "Let's eat!"
He knew full well that becoming an Admiral meant serving the Celestial Dragons, and that was never going to happen on his watch.
"Marine Academy, huh?" Rosinante suddenly stood up and looked at Z.
"Mr. Z, is the Academy still accepting new students? Can I apply?"
(End of Chapter)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to access the advance chapters, please visit: patreon.com / PMadz_23