The sun shone over the top edge of the Gate of Justice, casting its light across the polished deck of Vice Admiral Tsuru's warship, glinting off the waves, and spilling onto Kuzan's face. The warmth reached his half-lidded eyes, still lost in thought.
When he finally came to his senses, he was still sitting on the deck, staring up at the two enormous kanji for "Justice" gleaming in the sunlight.
This was his first real encounter with justice.
The warship docked smoothly at the harbor of Marineford. Kuzan lazily followed Vice Admiral Tsuru down the gangplank and into the crowd.
The pier was full of Marines—officers and recruits alike—gathered like old friends awaiting someone they'd heard much about.
"Welcome to the Marines, Kuzan."
Fleet Admiral Kong stood at the front of the welcoming party, his voice steady but warm as he greeted him personally.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your respect."
Kuzan's usual laziness fell away; he straightened his back and replied solemnly.
The senior officers gathered behind the Fleet Admiral exchanged curious looks. For a recruit to be personally welcomed by the Fleet Admiral himself—this was something unprecedented.
Kong personally led Kuzan to an independent courtyard near the residences of Marine Headquarters' top officers. For a new recruit to be stationed here was another clear sign of how highly the Navy valued him.
"This used to belong to Vice Admiral Ewing," Kong explained calmly. "He fell in battle last year during the campaign against the great pirate Rocks. He had no family, so this house remained empty. When I heard a promising young man was coming, I had it refurbished for you. I hope it suits you."
His voice wavered slightly when he spoke of Ewing's sacrifice, and Kuzan could feel both the Fleet Admiral's sincerity and the weight of the Navy's expectations.
"Thank you for the trust, sir. I'll do my best not to disappoint."
Kuzan answered firmly. Warmth flickered in his chest. In all the years since he'd arrived in this world, only Sister Selina had shown him such care. Now, for the first time since leaving her, he felt that same sense of belonging.
After allowing him to settle his luggage, Kong brought Kuzan to Marine Headquarters' main conference hall.
There, Kong personally completed his personnel file, sealed it under top-secret classification, and stored it in the restricted archives. With that, Kuzan officially received his new identity: Petty Officer Third Class Kuzan, Marine Headquarters.
Later, Kong called in one of Zephyr's elite trainees to show Kuzan around and help him familiarize himself with Marineford.
"Hello, I'm Tsubaki—one of Instructor Zephyr's elite students," the young woman introduced herself with a polite smile after they left Kong's office. "Vice Admiral Tsuru told me someone exceptional was joining today. I was curious, so I volunteered to help."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kuzan."
He spoke simply, keeping his tone even. Despite his past life's flirtatious nature, standing before one of the most striking women he'd seen since arriving in this world, even he found himself tongue-tied.
"Ah—o-okay! Then let's get you familiar with the place," Tsubaki replied, a bit flustered, quickly changing the subject.
"Thank you. You're beautiful, by the way."
The sudden compliment caught her off guard; color rushed to her cheeks.
"T-thank you for saying that. Let's go."
Her face still pink, Tsubaki led him through the bustling grounds of Marineford, introducing various divisions and training zones.
"I heard from my sister that you're really strong. Is that true?" she asked curiously as they walked.
"That's right," Kuzan said, puffing his chest a little. "Vice Admiral Tsuru was right—I'm great in every way."
Tsubaki shot him an exaggerated eye roll. From his tone alone, she pegged him as a bit of a braggart.
"You're good in every way, huh? Then, do you use a sword? Show me how good you are," she teased, half-challenging.
"My swordsmanship? Fastest in the world. I'm not bragging—people get scared when I draw my blade."
Kuzan's proud grin only made her shake her head harder.
Number one in the world? Not bragging? It was such a bold claim it bordered on absurd.
"So that's how it is? In that case, how about a little sparring match? I'd love to see this 'world's fastest swordsmanship' for myself," she shot back, her interest piqued.
"I don't spar," Kuzan replied quietly. "My sword is meant for killing, not for practice."
His calm seriousness made Tsubaki falter for a moment, then roll her eyes again. She took it as more grandstanding and politely excused herself, saying she wasn't feeling well.
Before Kuzan could respond, she slipped away, leaving him alone along the main path of the residential district.
Kuzan didn't mind. He wandered the base at his own pace until evening, bought a few daily necessities, and finally returned to his new home.
Once there, he cleaned every corner carefully, using water and a rag with quiet focus. When everything shone, he sat down, opened a book, and began to read in peace.