"…"
Sakazuki noticed the way Hawk's eyes practically clung to the cigar case in his hand, and he immediately understood.
This brat… the lecture about quitting smoking was fake. What he really wanted was the cigars!
"Take them."
He tossed the case to Hawk with clear irritation.
"You don't need to beat around the bush with me."
"If you want something, say it directly."
To him, a single box of Admiral-issued cigars was nothing special he had plenty.
"Admiral, I couldn't possibly trouble you like that!"
Hawk caught the case eagerly, a radiant grin spreading across his face.
Admiral's special issue cigars!
The weight alone told him there were at least twenty inside.
Beautiful!
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Sakazuki snorted. "A soldier should speak plainly, not mince words."
"Yes, sir!"
Hawk immediately straightened his posture, answering with crisp formality.
"Admiral… about these cigars."
He smiled brightly. "Why not make it twenty boxes?"
"…"
"…What did you just say?"
The veins on Sakazuki's forehead bulged, pulsing like molten rock.
His glare was scorching, his voice hot with restrained fury.
"You think Admiral-issue cigars grow on trees?! I only get one box per month. One!"
"And you dare ask me for twenty in one breath?!"
"What am I supposed to smoke, then? Thin air?!"
"Admiral, you were the one who told me to speak directly!"
Hawk put on an innocent face, as if deeply wronged.
See? I'm speaking plainly, but now you're angry again…
"I told you to be direct, not to open your mouth like a lion demanding tribute!"
Sakazuki's right fist began to glow, molten magma gathering in his palm. The heat warped the air, scorching the ground beneath them.
"Fifteen boxes, then!"
"Hmph…"
The magma roared hotter.
"Ten! Ten is fine too!"
Hawk had no doubt that if he said the wrong thing next, that blazing fist would crash straight into his skull.
"Great Eruption—!"
"Five! Five boxes, I'll settle for five!"
"…"
"Hawk, five boxes I can give you."
The magma slowly receded from Sakazuki's fist, cooling back into flesh. His expression, however, was unreadable.
"But," he added gravely, "there will be conditions."
"…?"
Hawk exhaled in relief, his chest loosening.
Even with all the strength he had gained, a serious punch from Sakazuki was no joke. That was the same fist that scarred Whitebeard's face, after all.
"Admiral, what are your conditions?"
Sakazuki didn't answer right away. He fixed Hawk with a long, steady look.
Ever since his promotion to Admiral, his responsibilities had only multiplied. Day after day, hunting pirates left him with no time to breathe.
And his daughter… she too had chosen the hard road of the Navy, walking the thorny path of justice.
Stubborn, like her father.
Just like Vice Admiral Tsuru's granddaughter, Kujaku, she was already one of Headquarters' rising elites despite her youth.
But as for his own child, he could barely spare the time to guide her, let alone accompany her.
He needed someone he could trust. Someone strong. Someone who could discipline her in his stead.
Hawk fit the role.
Finally, Sakazuki spoke. "Before that, Hawk, I need to confirm something with you."
"Would you consider becoming my adjutant?"
"…"
The words struck like thunder.
Across the training ground, the Headquarters Marines froze mid-run, sweat dripping, necks craned and ears straining.
Did we hear that right?!
Commodore Renn Hawk… directly invited to be Sakazuki's adjutant?!
This was Sakazuki the iron fist of Headquarters!
Since his promotion to Admiral, that adjutant seat had remained empty.
Countless elites had dreamed of it, schemed for it, but not a single one had qualified.
Everyone knew how impossibly high his standards were. Harsh to the point of perfectionism.
And now, he was offering it outright?
The weight of this recognition was earth-shattering.
Jealousy, awe, disbelief all eyes turned sharply to Hawk.
Even Hawk himself fell silent.
Sakazuki's adjutant?
The benefits were endless.
It was a direct step into the Navy's inner circle of power. A golden road to promotion.
And after the Summit War, Sakazuki would succeed Sengoku as Fleet Admiral.
To be his adjutant now meant being groomed as his most trusted right hand. The influence, the prestige, the rapid ascent in rank…
It was a dazzling future.
But…
Hawk's brow furrowed.
Following Sakazuki meant glory, yes. But would there be pirates left for him to fight?
No. Sakazuki would slaughter them all before Hawk even raised a fist.
And without enemies, how could he earn Justice Points?
Justice Points were his lifeline his way of buying survival days and advancing in strength.
If he gave that up, then what? Stand beside Sakazuki clapping politely while the Admiral burned through every pirate in sight?
No. Absolutely not.
Temporary glory was worthless. True strength was eternal.
The calculation was instant, the decision clear.
"Forgive me, Admiral."
Hawk raised his head, no hesitation in his eyes.
"I am grateful for your offer."
"But I cannot accept."
"…Oh?"
Sakazuki's brows lifted, surprise flashing in his gaze.
He hadn't expected such a flat refusal.
"Why?"
"Admiral, serving as your adjutant would indeed be an honor. I would learn much, and the road ahead would open wide."
Hawk met his eyes steadily, his voice firm, unyielding yet respectful.
"But what I truly want is to go where crime festers, and with my own fists, drag the scum of the seas into the light of justice."
"The East Blue was only the beginning."
"The Four Seas, the Grand Line, the New World countless vile pirates still wait to be judged."
"By your side, I fear I'd never even get the chance to warm up."
"My fists are still hungry."
"Hmph."
Sakazuki listened silently, then gave a short, approving chuckle.
This boy saw clearly.
Yes keeping him as an adjutant would only smother his fire.
Perhaps it was this unshakable conviction that would let Hawk blaze brightest on the chaotic seas.
"Very well," Sakazuki said at last.
"I understand."
"The adjutant post will not be mentioned again."
"But about those five boxes of cigars…" His tone grew heavy, his gaze pressing down like a weight.
"There is still a condition."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I have a daughter. Her name is Hibari. Fourteen years old. Gifted, already in the Navy."
"She is wild. Needs discipline."
"I intend to place her under your command. You will train her. Shape her."
Sakazuki's eyes carried an unmistakable finality.
"You, Hawk I trust."
"???"
Three massive question marks practically popped above Hawk's head.
Wait a second, Admiral. My training regimen is brutal. Harsh. You're really putting your precious daughter in my hands?
What if I scold her? What if she gets hurt? What if she trips and skins her knee are you going to melt me alive?!
These five boxes of cigars… suddenly felt scalding hot in his grip.
"Admiral, maybe… we can negotiate this again?"
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