It seemed that being Fleet Admiral meant you were never done with paperwork.
Fleet Admiral Kong kept his head bowed over a stack of documents, signing off as he spoke, "Have a seat, Sakazuki. Give me a minute."
Sakazuki obeyed, settling into a chair nearby. Enel, perched on his floating Maxim, hovered beside him, wide-eyed and curious as he took in the office.
The room was simple—wooden beams carved with plain patterns, a few sofa-like chairs, and a massive desk. Dominating the wall behind Kong was a colossal framed calligraphy, two bold characters: Justice. They filled the whole wall, radiating the Admiral's unwavering sense of duty.
After the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Kong finally set down his pen, looked up at Sakazuki, and gave a satisfied nod.
"Glad you're alright. Don't be so reckless next time," he said, his tone stern but not unkind. "You're not ready to take on those infamous pirates just yet. If we lost you, it wouldn't just be the Marines' loss—it'd be a blow to the whole world."
Sakazuki nodded crisply. "Understood, sir."
Kong eyed him, then sighed, knowing his words would likely go ignored. He shook his head helplessly and reached for his teacup. "You…"
His gaze landed on Enel floating on the Maxim. "And this is?"
Sakazuki waited until Kong had lifted the cup to his lips, then replied, "This is my new recruit, Enel. He's a Logia-type—Rumble-Rumble Fruit user."
PFFT!
Tea sprayed everywhere as Kong choked in surprise. He stared at Enel—this was one heck of a surprise.
Meanwhile, Enel thought he was seeing things: the corner of Sakazuki's mouth seemed to twitch upward as Kong sputtered. That look… it was just like Karol's!
Enel's eyes went wide, staring at Sakazuki in shock. So that's where Karol got her mischievous streak!
Kong looked back at the wide-eyed Enel, his delight only growing.
"Excellent, excellent! This is wonderful." He grinned broadly. "The little guy's got spirit too—hahahaha! So, how do you plan to train him?"
Sakazuki smiled, getting straight to the point. "I'd like to leave him under Vice Admiral Morris's care for now, and find some teachers to help with his studies. In a couple years, we'll send him to the Marine Academy."
Kong nodded approvingly. "Morris, eh? Good choice. The man's got no family—having a kid around might brighten things up for him."
He paused, his expression darkening for a heartbeat as if remembering a painful past, but quickly brushed it aside. "Work out what Enel needs to study. I'll make sure the best teachers in the Marines are assigned to him. Let him stay at Morris's place, keep the old man company."
Sakazuki nodded. "Thank you, Fleet Admiral."
Enel piped up, his voice clear and sweet, "Thank you, Grandpa Fleet Admiral!"
Kong's smile grew even wider. Polite and thoughtful—what a great kid! "Go on, go tell Morris the news."
Sakazuki nodded and, with his purpose accomplished, led Enel out of the office. As they left, Enel's voice rang back cheerfully:
"Goodbye, Grandpa Fleet Admiral!"
Kong couldn't help but chuckle, the sound lingering long after they'd gone. That bright voice seemed to wash away the day's fatigue. He picked up his pen and returned to his mountain of paperwork, feeling that everything was moving in the right direction.
Beneath the towering walls, Sakazuki and Enel left the fortress, making their way toward the Marine Academy. At this hour, Vice Admiral Morris was probably still there.
Sakazuki glanced at Enel floating beside him and smiled. "You did well. Keep it up."
Enel's grin was unstoppable. "Hehe!"
Like a parent and child out for a stroll, their tall and small figures slowly faded into the sunlight…
Marineford, Marine Academy
Sakazuki led Enel across the training grounds, passing classroom after classroom. Some cadets drilled in formation, others sparred, while a few listened as instructors explained the mysteries of the sea.
Everything was so orderly and impressive that Enel couldn't take his eyes off it. One day, I'll be one of them… He couldn't hold back his smile.
In the principal's office, Vice Admiral Morris was poring over curriculum plans. The training guidelines from headquarters would shape Marines all over the world. Unlike later years, when Admiral Zephyr became an instructor, a Vice Admiral's rank was enough to serve as principal. Zephyr had chosen to teach personally, raising generations of elite Marines by example.
But Morris's goal was to reshape the entire Navy—one generation at a time.
Knock, knock, knock!
He looked up from his work. "Come in."
Sakazuki entered with Enel. Morris broke into a warm grin. "You rascal, when did you get back? Hahahahaha!"
Sakazuki allowed himself a rare smile. "Just this morning." He nodded to Enel. "This is Vice Admiral Morris."
Enel looked up at him, voice clear and sweet. "Hello, Grandpa Morris!"
Morris's smile grew even warmer as he regarded the little Marine in uniform. "Hello to you too, little Marine soldier."
Sakazuki made the formal introduction. "Vice Admiral Morris, this is Enel. He's a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user."
Morris's eyes widened. "Rumble-Rumble Fruit?" His face lit up. "Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is fantastic, Sakazuki!"
He couldn't stop saying "excellent," his joy overflowing.
Sakazuki continued, "I'll be counting on you to mentor him."
Morris looked almost disbelieving. "You're leaving him with me?"
Sakazuki nodded, smiling. "That's right. He can keep you company, too."
Morris stood and walked over to Enel, his gaze growing ever more gentle. He asked about Enel's background, and as the boy recounted his experiences, Morris's heart ached for him.
A messenger arrived, interrupting the moment. After a quiet word to Sakazuki, the Vice Admiral stood. "Duty calls," he said, rising to leave.
Enel waved, calling goodbye. Sakazuki didn't look back, but he raised a hand in farewell.
Once Sakazuki had gone, Morris couldn't contain himself. He abandoned his paperwork and took Enel out shopping.
In town, Morris's voice boomed inside a shop: "Wrap up this, this, this, this, and this—send them all to 17 Lane, No. 2!"
Enel asked, puzzled, "Grandpa Morris, isn't that too much?"
Morris just laughed, "Not at all! And just call me Grandpa—no need for the name."
Enel echoed back, "Grandpa!"
Morris's laughter grew even louder. "Good, good, good! Hahahaha! And pack these up too! Come on, Grandpa's taking you home!"
Their voices faded into the distance…
Elsewhere, Sakazuki had just left his warship and returned to the harbor—this time, not to board his own ship.
Led by a messenger, he found Admiral Sengoku supervising the loading of supplies.
Approaching, Sakazuki greeted, "Admiral Sengoku."
Sengoku glanced over, a slight smile on his lips. "Sakazuki."
At this time, Sengoku sported a wild afro and round glasses. He looked sharp and fierce, a far cry from his gentler later years.
Sakazuki got straight to the point. "Admiral, what's the urgent mission?"
Sengoku's face darkened, a headache clear in his eyes. "It's that mad dog, Byrnndi World. He's been raiding everywhere for materials—apparently to build some giant ship. Because of his Devil Fruit, we've never managed to catch him."
He continued, "This time, HQ got a tip—Byrnndi World was spotted on a small island in the New World. We're ordered to check it out and, if possible, take him down in one go. Preferably alive."
Sakazuki nodded. Byrnndi World—a real handful. With the More-More Fruit, he could boost his speed thirty or even fifty times. If he wanted to run, no one could catch him.
So, CP agents are already being deployed for intel…
After briefing Karol on daily duties when she arrived, Sakazuki boarded the warship bound for the Red Line. Standing on deck, gazing at the endless sea, he muttered to himself:
"More-More Fruit…"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong