In the family quarters, White Ghost sat across from Kuro, quietly drinking tea.
They'd just seen Mjosgard Saint off.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Out in the corridor, the others were just returning from the concert when they spotted the Celestial Dragon leaving with his guards.
They all bowed slightly.
"Lord Mjosgard Saint."
The Celestial Dragon waved a hand lazily.
"Now, now, didn't I say there's no need for all that empty formality? Anyway, it's a shame I couldn't make it to your concert tonight. Truly regretful, truly."
"You're joking, Lord Mjosgard Saint," Brook said with a polite bow of his own. "If you ever want to listen, you can hear us any time."
Mjosgard shook his head.
"White Ghost told me something—'If you don't trouble others unnecessarily, it's much easier for them to have a good impression of you.'"
Gaji and Gion both stared, eyes huge.
"H–he's fake, right?" Gaji whispered. "That can't be a real Celestial Dragon. I heard he changed a lot after coming back from Fishman Island, but this…? Is this really one of those brainless Heavenly Dragons?"
They watched as Mjosgard and his guard detail disappeared down the path.
Gaji turned to Zan Gao.
"Punch me so I can see if I'm dreaming."
Zan Gao's eyes lit up. He happily raised his fist—
—only for Gion's punch to slam Gaji straight into the floor.
"Pretty sure you're awake," she said mildly, flexing her hand.
When everyone finally filed into the house, Zan Gao and Brook hauled Gaji out of the dirt.
He had tears streaming down his face… but looked oddly blissful.
"You alright there, Vice Admiral Gaji?" Zan Gao asked carefully.
"Sob… it's fine… It's just… It's been over half a year since Gion last hit me… This moment… wasn't easy to come by…"
Brook and Zan Gao exchanged a look that said, We should leave him here.
Unfortunately, they didn't have the heart, so they dragged him inside.
Inside the living room, Kuro and White Ghost showed no surprise. Their Observation Haki had picked everything up outside anyway.
What annoyed White Ghost was that Gion had shown up again.
Does she not realize I've been avoiding her this whole time…?
Gaji thick-skinned his way onto the cushion next to White Ghost.
The women slipped off to wash up. The kids were herded off to get ready for bed.
Soon, only a cluster of men remained in the corridor, drinking tea.
Gaji glanced at Kuro—who, as usual, looked deep in thought.
Then he looked at White Ghost—who looked calm as a still lake, sipping slowly.
"If it's not top secret," Gaji said finally, "tell me, you two—besides that box full of goodies, what exactly did Lord Mjosgard Saint say to you?"
White Ghost gave him a sideways look.
"Ever heard of 'Torch'?" he asked.
Gaji's expression instantly tightened.
"Where did you hear that name? From Lord Mjosgard Saint?"
White Ghost took a slow drink.
"I suspected something before," he said. "Today I just went to verify it."
Brook, Gordon, Pedro, and Zan Gao all looked completely lost.
"'Torch'? What's that? An oil lantern?" Brook asked.
Gaji sighed, glanced around, and lowered his voice.
"I don't know much myself," he admitted. "I only heard the Fleet Admiral mention it in passing. Not sure if it's a group that's been around since ancient times or something that formed gradually in the shadows. Point is, they're dangerous. Stay away from them. That's the best advice I can give you."
White Ghost handed him a cigar.
He lit his own and exhaled.
"I only know a few people connected to them," he said. "And even those are guesses. Back in East Blue, they already tried to recruit me. I turned them down."
His eyes cooled.
"Then some time ago, I went to Wano. After that, they tried to kidnap people around me to threaten me. That's why I went digging a bit deeper today."
"What's so important they'd crawl out of their rat holes over it?" Gaji muttered, scratching his head.
"Three swords," White Ghost said. "And a little girl."
"That's it?" Gaji frowned. "Even if all three are famed blades and the kid's a noble from some country—given Wano's current state, they shouldn't be coming after you for that…"
He squinted.
"What kind of swords make you run all the way to Wano to fetch them, anyway?"
Everyone who'd finished washing up came back out.
The air instantly filled with the clean, warm scent of soap and shampoo.
The wave of "good-smelling women" hit White Ghost like a truck. He had to fight to tamp down the dragon instincts churning in his blood.
Even Senor Pink and Lucia had come out now that Mjosgard was gone.
White Ghost pointed at the sword in Shirohiko's arms—Ame-no-Habakiri.
Then he flicked his wrist.
From his bracelet, he brought out:
Enma, a famed blade.
Second-Generation Kitetsu, a cursed blade.
The moment the two blades appeared, everyone—even those without Observation Haki—could feel the sinister aura seeping off them.
Only now did Shirohiko realize how many treasures White Ghost had brought back from Wano.
Gion, wearing one of Styla's pajamas, sat herself down right beside White Ghost and picked up the Second-Generation Kitetsu, admiration gleaming in her eyes.
White Ghost could smell the fresh, clean scent of her still-damp hair. No perfume, just pure, lethal, mature-woman charm.
He closed his eyes.
Can't touch this woman. Can't touch. Absolutely cannot touch.
Gaji didn't dare look at her too much.
Playful roughhousing was fine, but if Gion ever hit him seriously, he knew he'd be bedridden for half a month.
White Ghost swept his gaze around the room.
Uta and Shirohiko in Wano-style outfits.
Ain and Styla in normal clothes.
And Gion—this walking disaster in borrowed pajamas—practically draped across his arm.
Yep, White Ghost thought. She came here to cause trouble.
"Click, click… what a good blade," Gion murmured, examining the cursed sword. "Hey, White-chibi, wanna give it to me?"
"You already have Kintōryū. What do you need another famed sword for, when you're not even a dual-sword user?" White Ghost snorted, putting Enma away. He took the Second-Gen Kitetsu back from her and sealed it as well.
Then he summoned another sword into his hand.
"I think this is what they were really after."
Gion was even faster this time. She snatched it away and drew it in a smooth motion.
"Beautiful… I've heard rumors you had more than just your own black blade," she said. "So this really is Wano's national treasure—the black blade Shusui."
Shirohiko stared, stunned.
"Shusui…? Our country's national treasure…?" she whispered. "You really brought it back…"
"Yeah. Got it off Moria," White Ghost said. "Well—technically, Ain defeated the zombie body of Ryuma, and we took it from there."
He briefly explained what happened with Ryuma's corpse.
"I see," Shirohiko said quietly. "When I was very young, there were rumors that Lord Ryuma's tomb was robbed. His body and Shusui both disappeared. So it was like that…"
Gaji rubbed his chin.
"If that's the case, it adds up. They must have gotten wind that Shusui is in your hands. That's why there was that little… incident."
White Ghost nodded.
What else do they want from me? he thought. Devil Fruits? Don't make me laugh, I only have a few dozen…
Most likely, it had started with the swords.
Once he had Shusui, Enma, Second-Gen Kitetsu, and Ame-no-Habakiri all together… and later that pervy samurai came back…
Heh. Handing Wano back its treasures while tying the country to my ship? Not a bad long game, he thought, lips quirking upward.
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