Stussy could not help but cry out in disbelief.
"That's impossible!"
Devil Fruits might seem common at a glance, but across the vast seas, every single one was incredibly rare. No matter the type, each fruit was a treasure.
Even the most common Zoan-type fruits could fetch prices of over one hundred million Berries at auction.
Xu, of course, knew the truth.
Those were artificial Devil Fruits, created by Caesar and backed by Doflamingo.
But Xu had never interfered in Doflamingo's affairs. The man was, after all, loosely under his umbrella.
Still, even Xu had not expected Kaido's first target to be Stussy.
After a brief pause, Xu decided to tell her the truth behind those fruits.
When Stussy heard that it was Doflamingo's doing, her teeth clenched in frustration. However, she held herself back. There was no point venting now. She would settle that matter later.
"For now," Xu said calmly, "I understand the situation. Keep a close watch on your surroundings. If anything unusual happens, contact me immediately."
Stussy nodded seriously.
"I understand, Young Master. Please get some rest as well."
"You too."
With that, Xu hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already close to one in the morning.
"…That late again."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Gion and Tina are probably already asleep."
Leaving the office, Xu headed home.
But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see the living room lights still on.
He stepped inside quietly.
There, on the couch, Gion and Tina had both fallen asleep from exhaustion.
On the table sat untouched dishes. Clearly, they had waited for him and never got around to eating.
Just then, Gion stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
"Xu… you're back."
"Shh. Tina's asleep."
But it was too late.
Tina rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily.
"Big Brother Xu… you're back…"
Xu nodded, a hint of warmth in his expression.
"Why are you two still up?"
"We were waiting to eat with you," Gion said with a playful smile. "But we ended up falling asleep instead."
Xu gently tapped her head.
"You two didn't eat at all?"
Gion stuck out her tongue slightly.
"Hungry, right? I'll heat the food. Go take a bath first."
She gathered the dishes and headed to the kitchen.
"I'll help too," Tina added, now fully awake as she followed along.
Xu watched them with a soft smile.
With a family like this, what more could he ask for?
After a relaxing bath, the three of them finally sat down and shared a late meal.
As for the dishes, they could wait until morning.
Early the next day, Xu woke up to find the space beside him already empty.
After washing up, he made his way to the dining area.
"Oh, you're up," Gion greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did. Where's Tina?" Xu glanced around but did not see her.
"She left early. Said she had to arrange positions for seven people and rushed off."
A small smile formed on Xu's lips.
Seems like she was handling the placement of the seven eliminated candidates from yesterday.
"Come on, eat breakfast before work."
Gion placed a simple meal in front of him.
A sandwich, fried eggs, and a warm glass of milk.
Simple, but comforting.
After finishing breakfast, Xu leaned forward and kissed Gion gently on the forehead before heading out.
"I'll bring you something nice for lunch," she called after him.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
With that, he left for the office.
The moment he arrived, the workload hit him all at once.
Documents for Aokiji's promotion to Admiral. Reports for the Five Elders. Approval processes that would take days despite being guaranteed.
On top of that, he still needed to decide on the location for Zero Division's base.
There was no shortage of work.
Thankfully, Sengoku was there to help. Otherwise, Xu might have already given up entirely.
"Morning, Uncle Sengoku."
"Morning, Admiral Xu."
After a brief greeting, Xu dove straight into the pile of paperwork.
Several days passed in a blur.
Soon, a reply from the Five Elders arrived at his office.
Aokiji's official appointment had been approved. All that remained was the promotion ceremony.
Xu handed those arrangements over to his new secretary, Nojiko.
Yes, Nojiko had recently taken on the role.
Nothing unusual about it. Xu simply did not want to deal with ceremonial matters anymore.
At first, he had considered Kuina, but she was fully devoted to becoming a swordswoman.
Then there was Nami, but she was rarely around, already out at sea with Tina.
In the end, Nojiko, steady and reliable, was the best choice.
Over the past few days, her efficiency had impressed Xu.
He even discovered her sharp instincts for strategy and arranged for her to study under Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Tsuru was more than happy to teach.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
"Big Brother Xu, the platform preparations are complete. All active Vice Admirals at headquarters have been notified. Everything for Admiral Aokiji's ceremony is ready."
Nojiko entered, dressed in a white officer's uniform, delivering her report clearly and concisely.
Xu set down his pen and smiled.
"Good work, Nojiko."
"It's my responsibility."
She hesitated slightly before continuing.
"The construction team has been complaining about the site selection…"
Xu raised an eyebrow.
"Those old craftsmen again. Here, take this."
He handed her a document.
"The location and the design are inside. Tell them to follow it exactly."
"Got it."
Nojiko accepted the file and left.
Xu stretched again.
"Alright… back to work."
Meanwhile, news of Aokiji's promotion to Admiral spread rapidly throughout headquarters.
After all, he was one of Xu's direct subordinates.
Everyone was eager to see just how strong he truly was.
And just like that, the day of the ceremony finally arrived.