“So only the winners get to decide what justice is…” Zephyr quietly repeated Kael’s words.
The more he thought about them, the more bitter they felt.
He raised his cup and drank.
The aged liquor went down smoothly, its lingering sweetness mixing with the bitterness already sitting in his chest.
Across the table, Borsalino’s hand had gone still halfway to his mouth.
For once, even he had nothing casual to say.
The winners decide what’s justice.
If that was true…
Then perhaps good and evil had never been as clear-cut as people pretended.
Kael’s expression shifted slightly.
Then he smiled.
“All of you are trapped inside the system.” He raised his cup.
“That’s why it’s easier for someone standing outside it to see things clearly.” “Enough heavy talk.” “Drink.” “Tonight, we’re not stopping until someone passes out.” People burdened by too many thoughts often loved alcohol for exactly that reason.
Once drunk, they could finally let everything spill out.
Or, at the very least…
Forget for a little while.
That night, after Garp and Borsalino eventually left, Zephyr cried.
Only Shakky and Kael saw it.
Mihawk didn’t.
He was already unconscious.
Peach Blossom Dew had been aged for years, and its strength had only deepened over time.
Mihawk had been slightly tipsy almost from the beginning.
By the end of the night, he was sprawled across the table, fast asleep.
Kael stayed with Zephyr for a long time.
They talked about many things.
By the next morning, neither of them remembered much of the conversation clearly.
…
The sky had only just begun to brighten when Quinn stepped quietly into the bar.
He approached Kael and lowered his voice.
“Young Master.” “Everything is ready.” “We can leave whenever you wish.” “Good.” Kael stood and placed 1,000,000 Berries on the counter.
Then he called toward the bar.
“Thanks for having us, Shakky.” “Oh?” Shakky had only just woken up.
Her face was still slightly pale, her hair completely disheveled.
Even she had underestimated Peach Blossom Dew.
The liquor didn’t simply make someone drunk.
It left the mind foggy for hours afterward.
“Leaving already?” She rubbed her temple.
“I was planning to talk business with you properly.” “About the liquor?” Kael smiled.
“I brought twelve jars of Peach Blossom Dew.” “We went through two last night.” Shakky’s eyes narrowed.
Kael continued, “Ten jars would normally be fifty million Berries.” “If you want the remaining stock, I’ll give it to you for forty-five million.” “But you’ll owe me a favor.” The smile on his face immediately made Shakky suspicious.
That was the smile of a man counting money in his head.
“Wow.” She stared at him.
“You’re really charging that much?” Kael said nothing.
His expression made it perfectly clear that the price wasn’t changing.
Shakky laughed.
“Fine, fine.” “I’ll take the Peach Blossom Dew.” Kael nodded politely.
“Pleasure doing business.” He had known she would agree.
Shakky ran a bar literally named after ripping people off.
Give her something rare enough, and she would always find someone willing to pay even more for it.
“Mihawk.” “Yes!” Mihawk jolted awake instantly.
His eyes remained unfocused for several seconds.
Then he recognized Kael’s voice and straightened at once.
“Brother?” He blinked.
“Are we leaving?” “Yeah.” “We’re heading home.” “There are still plenty of things to arrange.” “Understood.” Mihawk politely said goodbye to Shakky before following Kael back toward Grove 66.
By then, Quinn and the others had already finished purchasing the meat, firewood, charcoal, and livestock they needed.
Borsalino had been waiting there for some time.
He personally escorted Kael part of the way back.
After all, what Kael had said the night before had helped clarify something in his own mind.
Until now, Borsalino’s life had been simple.
Follow orders.
Complete missions.
Grow stronger.
Earn promotions.
But perhaps…
There was nothing wrong with taking it easy when the situation allowed it.
…
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Garp and Zephyr had vanished for an entire day.
Sengoku was furious.
“Where the hell did you two go?!” His voice thundered through the meeting room.
“How old are you?!” “And you’re still acting like reckless brats!” He slammed a hand against the table.
Neither man had reported where they were going.
For an entire day, they had practically disappeared from Marine Headquarters.
Because of that, the departure order for their next operation had been delayed considerably.
“And then I find out you went to Sabaody!” Sengoku glared at them.
“Who exactly were you meeting?” Garp scratched the back of his head and laughed.
“Someone important.” “Don’t worry about it, Sengoku.” “You wouldn’t know him anyway.” There was no chance Garp was telling him about Kael.
Not when Sengoku had been one of the commanders involved in the Shikkearu campaign years ago.
If Kael found out…
He might not be very pleased.
Sengoku’s face darkened further.
“Fine.” “Both of you get a formal reprimand.” Unlike Garp and Zephyr, Sengoku paid close attention to his conduct and reputation.
He might currently be only an Admiral, but Headquarters was clearly preparing him as a future candidate for Fleet Admiral.
He couldn’t afford to behave as casually as those two.
Then Sengoku’s expression shifted.
“Still…” He looked toward Zephyr.
“That Jackal Pirates captain you submitted yesterday was an odd one.” “You didn’t happen to run into him while you were on Sabaody, did you?” He frowned.
“Did you just take care of him along the way?” That immediately irritated Zephyr.
“You’ve got some nerve bringing that up.” His eyebrows drew sharply together.
“Why did Headquarters stop honoring bounties below fifty million?” “Do you have any idea how bad that makes the Marines look?” The anger in Zephyr’s voice immediately changed the atmosphere.
This was still Admiral Black Arm Zephyr.
And when he became serious, the weight of that rank was impossible to ignore.
Lately, the Marines had made far too many decisions that disappointed him.
And disappointment, when allowed to pile up long enough…
Eventually became something harder to swallow.
Sengoku frowned.
“That wasn’t my decision alone.” “It came from higher up.” He paused.
“And besides…” “There aren’t that many pirates right now.” Zephyr stared at him.
Then he gave a bitter smile.
“Is that really what you believe…?” Kael’s words from long ago surfaced in his mind once again.
Hardship keeps people sharp.
Comfort makes them careless.
And lately…
Zephyr was beginning to wonder whether the Marines had become far too comfortable.
Add to library.
Send some Power Stones.