[V3] - Extra: Times Have Changed!
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"Kuzan-san! You're here?"
"Mm~"
Two years had passed, yet Kuzan still looked exactly the same.
His hair remained as unkempt as ever, giving off a perpetually lazy vibe. The only difference was that the white "Justice" cape he used to wear was no longer draped across his shoulders.
At the moment—
He was dressed in a thick, dark green overcoat with a white V-neck long-sleeved shirt underneath, black trousers, and tall black boots. A brown backpack hung from his shoulders. The eye mask that once sat on his forehead was gone, replaced by a pair of round-framed sunglasses.
After casually greeting the receptionist at the entrance, Kuzan didn't linger and headed straight inside.
Buddha Iron Fist Shipping Company!
That's right.
This was the shipping company founded by Fleet Admiral Sengoku—or rather, former Fleet Admiral Sengoku—and the former Marine Hero, Garp.
Ever since that war two years ago, which had shaken the entire sea, everything had spiraled out of control.
Half the Marines had remained behind in Wano Country, and after that, the seas descended into chaos. When the World Government failed to broker peace with forces like the Yuto Group and others, they declared war instead.
That great war…
To this day, it remained unforgettable.
But, well… there was no point dwelling on all that now. After all, the World Government had ultimately been defeated, and the Celestial Dragons were now a thing of the past.
Heading deeper into the building, Kuzan reached a spacious courtyard. Raising his head, he spotted a familiar figure basking in the sun. The corners of Kuzan's lips lifted into a faint smile.
"Sengoku-san!"
At his voice—
Sengoku, who had been resting in the courtyard, removed his sunglasses and shifted slightly to sit up. His eyes fell on Kuzan, a hint of surprise flashing across his face before he broke into a hearty laugh that hadn't been heard in years.
"Kuzan? Hahaha~ Why are you here, you rascal? Don't you have work at the Alliance today?"
"Me?" Kuzan chuckled softly. He glanced at Sengoku, casually tossed his backpack aside, and sprawled out on a lounge chair in the courtyard. Stretching lazily, he replied:
"I'm too tired. So… I quit."
Although only two years had passed, Sengoku looked as though he'd aged considerably. His hair had turned white, and there were more wrinkles lining his face. Clearly, the defeat in that war that had reshaped the seas had taken quite a toll on him.
"I already resigned."
Yet despite his age, Sengoku actually seemed much more at ease now.
"How can you say you're tired when it comes to upholding justice?" Sengoku immediately adopted the stern expression of a former Fleet Admiral upon hearing Kuzan's words. But before long, he chuckled again, lay back down, and sighed, a trace of nostalgia clouding his eyes.
"Since when was it… that you and Borsalino were always slacking off? As long as there weren't direct orders from above, you two wouldn't lift a finger. Either you'd be off wandering the seas, or lazing around Marine Headquarters, snoozing the days away! Hmph!" He snorted twice. "Did you really think I didn't know what you two were up to?"
Kuzan crossed one leg over the other, unfazed and pretending not to hear Sengoku's complaints as he leisurely enjoyed the sun. His voice softened slightly as he replied, "Forget it. Let's not talk about that. Where's Borsalino?"
His tone gradually turned a bit resentful.
"Last time, just like you, he resigned from the Alliance. Out of the kindness of my heart, I took him in here. And what happened? Before he even finished his probation period, he ran off again! Seriously! He didn't even finish his work! I have no idea where he's gone now. Ever since he stopped being an Admiral, he's gotten even lazier. How could he just up and leave without even submitting a resignation letter?"
"…"
He's already gone over to the Yuto Group.
As for why he ran off…? Don't you at least have some idea in your mind?
Kuzan pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and shot a sidelong glance at the old man's aggrieved face, quietly sighing inwardly.
Afterwards—
The World Government fell. Under the leadership of the Ninja World Trade Organization, they joined forces with the Revolutionary Army to form the Alliance and restore order.
Not long after that, to help maintain maritime security, quite a few Marines returned to duty. Over these two years, they'd been busy wiping out pirates. Nowadays, pirates were a rare sight on the seas. And with the extensive coverage of the Yuto Network, anything that happened was instantly visible online.
So now, the seas… were truly much calmer.
But while the seas were peaceful, work within the Alliance itself had become far more exhausting. Even when there wasn't much going on, officers were required to patrol the waters constantly.
Borsalino worked there for a while but eventually found it too tiring and resigned. After that, he came to work for Sengoku.
Originally, he'd thought working under Sengoku would be just like the old days—reading the newspaper, sipping coffee, trimming his nails, and sneaking naps during work hours.
In the end—
Sengoku wasn't the same old man he used to be, either. Ever since he'd started a company with Garp, he'd become much more tight-fisted. Borsalino had complained that because he'd been late for a week straight, he hadn't received any salary for an entire month!
Sengoku was no longer the fair and just Fleet Admiral he once was. Now, he'd become a ruthless capitalist!
So it wasn't long before Borsalino, who'd initially wanted a cushy retirement job, packed up and fled.
These days, he was working as the Head of Logistics at the Yuto Group—his job consisted of drinking tea, taking naps, stamping documents, and collecting his salary punctually every month.
A pretty leisurely life indeed.
"How about it? Why don't you come work for me?" Sengoku continued, leaning closer. "Don't worry—I'd never mistreat one of my former subordinates! Once you finish your three-month probation, I'll make you permanent staff right away! Buddha Iron Fist Shipping is booming right now! As long as you join… when the company grows bigger and stronger, I promise you'll get a share of the profits! And the job is easy and flexible!"
"…I've already heard all about it from that guy Borsalino~!"
"…"
Hearing Kuzan's languid reply, Sengoku's eyelid twitched. He sighed and shook his head. "Young people… how can you talk about sleeping all day? Now's the time to work hard and strive forward!"
"I'm not that young anymore. I'm over fifty."
"Over fifty is nothing! You're still… still young!"
"…"
You weren't like this before, Sengoku-san!
Kuzan lifted an eyebrow but then stretched lazily, unfazed. "Forget it. I don't want to work anymore. I'm planning to travel around a bit—explore the seas, and maybe visit that ninja world."
"…Is that so?" Hearing Kuzan's words, Sengoku looked slightly disappointed, but he didn't try to persuade him further. He lay back down, gazing lazily at the afternoon sunlight. "The ninja world… thinking about it now, it's incredible, isn't it?"
No wonder the Marines had never found a trace of them after years of searching the seas—they were from another world entirely!
Sengoku recalled a few things he'd read online…
The man who defeated the God—Uchiha Yuto!
"What a terrifying guy he is."
It was that very man—so monstrously strong that even the World Government couldn't handle him—who had ultimately led to their crushing defeat.
"Speaking of which! Buddha Iron Fist Shipping has even established a shipping route to the ninja world now. We've got cargo going there daily. Why don't you join that route? The probation's only one month!"
"…Spare me!" Kuzan gave a wry smile, then seemed to remember something and glanced around. "By the way, where's Garp-san?"
"Really… One after another, you're all so lazy! Back when you guys first joined the Marines, you were such diligent young men!" Sengoku, sounding every bit the grumbling elder, complained again. Then he continued, "Garp just went back to his hometown a few days ago! I hear his grandson is about to drive him crazy!"
As he spoke, a hint of mischievous glee slipped into his tone.
"That old fool actually tried to profit off Roger's name. If Roger found out, he'd beat him to death for sure! And speaking of which, Garp and Roger really ought to thank the two of us, you know. Now Roger's son has come ashore and become a high-ranking executive in the Yuto Group, managing several departments. That Sabo kid… he's following Garp's son in the Alliance and is also a senior official there. The only one left is Garp's own grandson… who still insists on becoming a pirate! Didn't he check the internet? Shanks, that guy, has gone into shipping. Whitebeard has already set up Whitebeard Delivery and is running food deliveries now! As for the Big Mom Pirates…"
At this point, Sengoku's expression grew even more cheerful.
"Because of frequent mental breakdowns and being a danger to public safety at sea, she was ordered into a mental hospital. She refused, had a breakdown right in front of everyone, and in the end… was beaten to death! Her entire pirate crew collapsed instantly—those who should've been captured were captured, those who should've been arrested were arrested! I heard only one of the former Sweet Commanders was released from prison not long ago… what's his name again? Oh, right, Charlotte Katakuri! Supposedly, he's now selling mochi over in the Grand Line, shouldering the burden of supporting his huge family! And Charlotte Mochi… I have to say, it tastes amazing!"
However…
As he rambled on, Sengoku suddenly felt a wave of emotion wash over him as he looked at Kuzan, who sat quietly, lazily listening without saying a word. Resting his head on his arms, he gazed at the afternoon sun, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he murmured softly: "The times have really changed~"
…
Meanwhile…
Over in the East Blue…
"The times have changed, you little brat!" Garp roared, punching Luffy hard on the head. "Get your ass out there and find a proper job! If nothing else, join the Alliance! Your father and Sabo are both working there! And you're still dreaming of becoming the Pirate King? Are you trying to piss me off to death?! Look at Shanks—that so-called Red-Hair Transport Company? A bunch of guys who abandoned their families and can't do anything right! Trying to run a transport business? And what happened? They're always throwing parties and drinking, delaying their shipments, and now they're on the verge of selling their ships to pay off debts! Just a few days ago, he came begging me for money! I refused—no way I'm letting him be a bad influence on my grandson!"
Still thinking of becoming a pirate?
Did he really expect that when he's old and gray, he'd still have to visit his grandson in prison?
"That damn Shanks is such a bad influence on kids!"