Xu burst out laughing at Kaiji's words.
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Relax. Issho isn't that fragile. Besides, haven't the two of you already become friends?"
Only then did Kaiji nod in relief. Still, he headed off toward the infirmary to check on Issho personally.
Soon, only Xu and Aokiji remained on the deck.
"Aokiji, what do you think of Kaiji?"
Aokiji had just settled into a chair and looked slightly puzzled by the sudden question. After thinking it over, he answered honestly.
"He's got a strong personality. Aside from going a bit overboard in fights, there's nothing bad about him."
He paused, then added,
"But why are you asking, Admiral Xu?"
Xu did not answer directly. Instead, he continued,
"What about Kira?"
Aokiji shrugged slightly.
"Kira… he's a bit too honest. Too straightforward, maybe."
Xu nodded faintly.
"Between you and those two, who do you think is more suited to be an Admiral?"
Aokiji raised an eyebrow at the question, but he did not hesitate.
"Me. Obviously."
A smile slowly formed on Xu's lips.
"Good. Looks like you've truly decided to follow through on your sense of justice."
Aokiji shrugged again, a relaxed grin on his face.
"Well… sometimes you've got to give it your all."
"Then start preparing your speech when we get back," Xu said suddenly.
Aokiji froze for a moment, then quickly realized what Xu meant.
"Wait… you don't mean that kind of speech, right?"
Xu smiled.
"What do you think?"
A flash of excitement crossed Aokiji's face.
"Admiral Xu… thank you."
Xu waved it off.
"No need to thank me. That position was always meant for you."
With that, he closed his eyes to rest.
Nearby, Aokiji pumped his fist into the air, unable to hide his excitement, before lying back down on his own lounge chair.
Night fell, and the Pluton finally sailed into the harbor of G-1 Headquarters. Tina's warship followed closely behind.
As everyone disembarked, Tina walked over to Xu.
"Admiral Xu, I'll arrange accommodations for them first. Later, I'll go see Sister Gion."
Xu smiled and gently patted her hair.
"Go ahead. She happens to be on leave right now."
"Got it."
With that, Tina led the group away.
Xu turned slightly toward Aokiji.
"It's getting late. I'll leave Kaiji and the others to you. Once you've settled them in, get some rest."
Aokiji nodded.
"Understood, Admiral Xu."
After saying their farewells to Xu, Kaiji, Issho, and Kira followed Aokiji away from the harbor.
Xu stretched and made his way toward his office.
At this hour, Sengoku would not be asleep yet.
As expected, when he pushed the door open, Sengoku was still seated behind his desk, buried in paperwork.
"Admiral Xu, you're back."
"Working hard as always, Uncle Sengoku."
Xu greeted him casually before sitting down.
"How are the application documents for the unit coming along?"
"Almost done. Take a look."
Sengoku handed over a file from his desk.
Xu reviewed it carefully, page by page, then nodded.
"Looks good. I'll have it delivered to the Five Elders tomorrow."
Sengoku nodded, then asked,
"Admiral Xu, who are you planning to place in Zero Division?"
"The three from the World Recruitment."
"All three?" Sengoku frowned slightly.
Xu then realized he had not mentioned Kira's background yet. After explaining briefly, Sengoku's expression eased.
"I see… someone recommended by Garp."
The two chatted for a while. Once Sengoku finished processing the remaining documents, he left the office.
Xu stayed behind, spending over an hour going through everything.
Stretching again, he suddenly remembered something Junior, Kaido's undercover agent, had mentioned.
"So… time to stir things up in Stussy's territory."
Tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, Xu dialed Stussy's Den Den Mushi.
"Hello? Young Master… it's been so long since you contacted me… I'm starting to feel neglected…"
Hearing her exaggerated, almost tearful tone, Xu could not help but twitch slightly.
"Enough. This is serious."
Stussy immediately composed herself.
"I've received intel. Kaido's Beast Pirates are heading your way. Stay alert and monitor the surrounding seas closely. If anything happens, contact me immediately."
Her expression turned serious.
"Young Master… do you know why Kaido is coming after me?"
"I don't have a clear answer yet. Has anything changed on your end recently?"
Stussy fell into thought, then suddenly realized something.
"I know! It's Tesoro. It has to be him."
Xu raised an eyebrow.
"Tesoro? Gild Tesoro?"
"That's right. The man who took the Gold-Gold Fruit from Doflamingo and built a massive casino empire."
Xu frowned slightly.
"What does he have to do with Kaido?"
Stussy then explained everything in detail.
Previously, when Tesoro came to her, it was because Kaido had been trying to force him into joining the Beast Pirates and funding them.
But Tesoro had refused.
At the time, he was not strong enough to resist, so he sought protection from one of the Four Emperors.
He had originally planned to approach Whitebeard, but before he could, Whitebeard had already been killed by Xu.
As for the Red-Haired Pirates, they had little interest in wealth.
In the end, Tesoro turned to Stussy for protection.
After getting Xu's approval, she allowed Tesoro to stay and even partnered with him to build a massive casino.
For a long time, Kaido made no move.
But as Tesoro grew more powerful, he eventually chose to leave Stussy's crew. Before departing, he ensured the casino was running smoothly and left behind a large amount of gold as thanks.
"So I think Kaido's real target is still Tesoro," Stussy concluded.
"He probably didn't have the confidence to challenge me before, so he let Tesoro stay. Now… he must believe he's strong enough to wipe us out."
Xu nodded slightly.
"That sounds right. He's built a unit made entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users."
Stussy inhaled sharply.
"All of them… Devil Fruit users?"