Mid-October brought with it the deepening chill of autumn.
A light drizzle drifted in on the breeze, shrouding the early morning of Marineford in a misty veil.
At the docks of Navy Headquarters, a middle-aged man sat atop a stone bollard, gazing out at the vast, empty sea. His white coat bearing the word Justice billowed in the wind, and the fine rain soaked his purple hair.
Click… click…
"Hey, Zephyr, what are you doing sitting out here?"
"No classes to oversee at the Academy today?"
A tall, broad-shouldered Navy officer approached from behind, asking with a note of curiosity.
"Oh, Garp."
Zephyr turned to see Garp standing behind him, casually munching on a rice cracker, his face etched with suspicion.
"It's nothing," Zephyr replied offhandedly. "If my timing's right, that kid Yoriichi should be arriving this morning."
"Since I've got nothing else to do, I figured I'd wait at the pier."
As he spoke, something seemed to occur to him, and he glanced at Garp. "What about you? What brings you here? Heading out to sea?"
"Heh heh heh…"
"Not really. There's been no word from Roger lately, what would I even sail out for?"
"I'm here… well, for the same reason you are."
Hearing this, Zephyr's brows knit together. His voice dropped, tinged with suspicion.
"You're here to meet Yoriichi? Why?"
Garp feigned innocence. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm the one who brought Yoriichi into the Navy. Is it so strange for me to check up on him now and then?"
"BAHAHAHA!"
Garp swallowed the last of his cracker and burst into hearty laughter. But Zephyr's expression shifted at those words. He sprang up from the bollard and snapped at Garp in a booming voice:
"You damn fool, Garp! Can't you stay away from that kid for once?!"
"He only went to sea with you for three months, and he's already picked up all your bad habits!"
"Don't pretend you don't know what happened in the West Blue!"
"That boy's still a Navy cadet, just a third-class seaman on internship—and yet he stirred up such a ruckus! Who else could've influenced him if not you?!"
Unbothered by the scolding, Garp calmly picked his nose with his pinky finger, utterly unfazed by Zephyr's tone. He turned away to face the sea, replying with a grin:
"Don't go blaming me now. You really think I'm the one who influenced him?"
"You were the one who gave him permission, remember? Don't think I didn't hear it from Sengoku."
"He told me everything. You even pushed through the order to promote him to lieutenant commander."
"Heh, a twelve-year-old promoted straight to Headquarters lieutenant commander... That's one hell of a rise!"
As he spoke, Garp flicked away the bit of gunk from his finger and shrugged off any blame. He even shot Zephyr a teasing glance, which only fanned the flames of Zephyr's growing irritation.
"Yeah, and who do you think had to clean up that mess?!"
"If that brat hadn't acted so recklessly, things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand!"
"Internal investigations are supposed to be done discreetly—what does he do? He arrests everyone outright! It's like he wants the world to know!"
"He used to be such a good kid—level-headed and calm. What the hell happened to him?!"
"Garp, stay away from Yoriichi. Your idiocy is rubbing off on him."
"Shoo! Go on!"
As Zephyr grumbled, he waved his hand at Garp like he was chasing off a stray cat or dog, even making shooing noises with his mouth.
"BAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"He did well. Decisive like someone destined for great things!"
"Zephyr, you're wrong about one thing. I couldn't influence that kid if I tried. He might be young, but there's something unshakable inside him."
"You've felt it too, haven't you?"
As Garp spoke, a mast appeared on the distant horizon.
Moments later, a sail bearing the insignia of Navy Branch 133 emerged through the mist.
Garp spotted it and turned to face the sea, breaking into a wide grin.
"That unwavering will…"
"You don't have to tell me that."
"I already know—he has his own understanding of justice. That's exactly why I chose to clean up after him."
"My judgment is never wrong. Yoriichi is the future of the Navy!"
"And that's precisely why I'll never allow him to become a bastard like you!"
Zephyr finished speaking, then turned his head toward the approaching warship. The stern expression on his face softened—just slightly.
"Didn't expect him back so soon."
"It's only been about a month… He barely did anything, and his internship's already over."
"Feels like a bit of an anticlimax."
On the deck of the 133rd Naval Branch's warship, Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood at the bow, both hands resting on the railing. Staring at Marineford, now visible in the distance, he couldn't help but sigh.
It had only been a little over a month since he'd left Marineford for the West Blue in early September. Nearly twenty days of that time were spent just sailing back and forth between headquarters and the West Blue.
In truth, Yoriichi had only spent about twenty days actually stationed in the West Blue.
Despite the short duration, his rank had indeed risen—from Seaman Third Class all the way to lieutenant commander. But Yoriichi knew full well: this so-called "internship" had hardly taught him anything.
Did he gain hands-on sailing experience? No.
Did he bond with rank-and-file Navy personnel? Also no.
If he gained anything at all, it was that his blade—and his sheer presence—had earned him the title of Headquarters lieutenant commander. That, and the fact that the name Yoriichi Tsugikuni had begun to spread.
As for exposing the corruption within the branch? To Yoriichi, that was merely incidental—a casual afterthought. In truth, the experience had left a bad taste in his mouth. It had even lowered his opinion of the Navy. Hardly what he would call a gain.
The most significant outcomes of this trip to the West Blue were his new rank—and the fact that he'd met Nico Olvia, the mother of Nico Robin.
To this day, Yoriichi still vividly remembered Kuzan's sulky expression when he returned from escorting Olvia back to Ohara. Just the memory of it made Yoriichi chuckle.
A smile crept across his face once again.
"Now this is rare, Yoriichi, look at the docks."
Just as he was mentally replaying Kuzan's gloominess, Victor stepped up beside him and pointed toward the naval port, his tone filled with surprise.
Yoriichi followed Victor's finger and spotted two familiar figures, Zephyr and Garp standing on the dock. His smile grew wider as he murmured softly:
"I'm home."
The warship of the 133rd Naval Branch slowed as it approached the harbor. Before long, it pulled smoothly into the center of the naval port. The anchor had just splashed into the sea; the gangplank hadn't even been lowered, yet Yoriichi's figure had already vanished from the bow.
On the dock, both Zephyr and Garp looked up at the now-docked warship. A second later, as if in sync, the two men sensed something and turned their gazes away.
"Looks like you've grown again this past month, kid."
Garp turned his head slightly, glancing behind him out of the corner of his eye.
"Yeah. His speed's improved a lot. The integration of Armament Haki with Soru—he's nearly perfected it."
Zephyr turned his head too, smiling as he offered praise.
Behind them stood Yoriichi Tsugikuni, now clad in a crisp white Marine officer's uniform. Draped over his shoulders was the Navy's Justice cloak, and a long sword hung at his side. A warm smile lit up his face as he looked at his two mentors.
Gone was the young man who had once worn a sailor's uniform like a low-ranking crewman. Now, Yoriichi stood tall with the bearing of a true naval officer.
"Vice Admiral Garp," he said.
"It's been a while."
"Teacher Zephyr… I'm back."
*********
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