After entering the banquet hall, Michael looked around and finally spotted Bell-mère in the corner.
At this moment, she was seated at the table, writing furiously.
Meanwhile, the three Hancock sisters were eating together with Nami and Nojiko.
Over the past half year, after enduring Michael's strict training, Hancock had clearly begun changing from a little girl into a young maiden.
Unlike the free-range style of training typical in Amazon Lily, Michael's training method for the Hancock sisters was derived from Garp's approach.
Although it wasn't as extreme as what he and Stella had once gone through, across the entire Navy it was still a nearly unparalleled level of high-intensity training.
This also highlighted the Amazon Lily people's remarkably sturdy physiques.
Under the same training regimen, the young Marines from the Alabasta branch could only last halfway before collapsing.
But now, the three Hancock sisters were not only finishing the full training course—they were even adding extra sessions on top.
Michael didn't quite understand their persistence at first, since he himself had never needed extra training.
Later, however, he gradually figured out the reason…
People simply fear comparison.
Those three little brats had actually started competing with Enel.
Originally, the three sisters firmly held the top spots in results, but then out of nowhere came a strange big-eared boy who in just one month blitzed through everything they had spent so long learning.
And the most infuriating part was that no matter where Enel went or what achievements he accomplished, he always looked like half-dead.
So, the competitive sisters started training even harder.
Enel himself, of course, had no clue this was even happening.
"Bell-mère, we're here."
Michael greeted her before sitting down with the others…
Of course, Jack simply sat on the floor.
There wasn't a chair in the room that could support his body.
"Oh, you came back sooner than I expected… and who's this?" Bell-mère lifted her head, but her gaze was immediately drawn to Jack. "What a fine lad."
"Picked him up on the way. He's Michael's die-hard fan," Stella said with a smile. "His name's Jack. He's ten years old."
"…Ten?" Bell-mère instinctively gave Jack a once-over before nodding. "Although his appearance looks nothing like a child, those eyes… only a child could have eyes like that."
The others exchanged glances.
This was the first person who hadn't blurted out "No way in hell that's ten!"
Could this be a mother's intuition at work?
But the Hancock sisters and Nojiko all stared at Jack in shock.
Ten years old!?
That meant… he was the same age as Marigold?
Immediately, the socially bold Hancock climbed onto her chair and slapped Jack's arm—which was thicker than a pillar.
"What? You're only ten? I'm already thirteen, so from now on you have to call me 'Hancock-san'! You have to obey me in everything, got it!?"
Michael's lips twitched as he watched Hancock try to rope Jack in.
This little girl's personality wasn't as twisted and extreme as Hancock's in the original story, but it definitely wasn't "good" either.
Tricking a gullible kid like Jack? She'd succeed every time.
"Ha…Hancock-san?"
Jack froze.
This tiny Marine in front of him… wanted him to call her -san?
Was this the same as how they called Jinbei and Fisher Tiger "Boss" on Fishman Island?
Which meant… he'd already been accepted as part of the Navy!?
"What's wrong? So happy you don't know what to say?"
Michael flicked Hancock on the forehead.
"Stop bullying people," he said with a laugh, watching her cover her forehead. "How do you know he'll even join the Navy?"
"If I don't know him, do you think I don't know you?" Hancock sighed like a little adult and looked at Michael. "Faced with someone like him, if you let him slip away, that really would be unbelievable. Forget him being a Navy fanatic and your die-hard fan—if he'd already joined the Revolutionary Army or some pirate crew, you'd still poach him no matter what."
"Tch, you think you know so much."
Michael chuckled.
But Hancock wasn't wrong.
If he hadn't seen it himself, that would be one thing. But since Jack had landed in his hands, there was no way he'd let him go.
At that moment, Igaram entered from outside the hall.
When he saw Michael, his eyes lit up and he hurried forward.
"Vice Admiral Michael, you're finally here."
"King Cobra has been waiting for you."
Michael raised a brow. What was up with Cobra?
From Igaram's expression, he'd clearly already come looking several times.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, nothing really. His Majesty said he was nervous and wanted someone to be nervous with him."
"…Can't you tell him to scram?"
"This is the Alabasta royal palace… so that'd be difficult."
...
In the end, Michael couldn't refuse Igaram. After giving Bell-mère and Stella a few instructions, he asked Igaram to serve more food to the table.
Couldn't he see there was an eight-meter-tall oversized baby sitting there?
And at ten years old, he was about to trigger the "half-grown boy eats his parents into poverty" buff.
After everything was arranged, Michael left the hall and followed Igaram straight into Cobra's chambers.
As soon as the doors opened, Cobra's voice rang out from inside.
"Vivi, it's Daddy! It's Daddy!"
"Vivi loves Daddy and Mommy the most, doesn't she?"
Michael stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and stared speechlessly at Cobra, who was grinning like a fool.
"Your Majesty Cobra, please don't torment a baby who's only just turned one month old, alright?"
"If you keep sticking your big face in front of her, you might scare her into crying."
Holding Vivi in his arms, Cobra turned to Michael.
"Ah, Michael, you're finally here!"
"Quick! Look at my daughter—isn't she the cutest in the whole world?"
Before Michael could respond, Cobra shoved the swaddled infant into his arms.
In that instant, the man who never flinched even before Whitebeard was completely immobilized.
After all, this was a sweet little girl, not rough-and-tumble types like Ace or Luffy.
Michael's movements became uncharacteristically gentle.
Little Vivi blinked her bright eyes, curiously staring at his wings before reaching out with tiny hands, babbling "Yiya-yaa."
"You want to touch them?"
A rare warmth appeared on Michael's face as he leaned his wings forward, wrapping Vivi inside…
"Hiss!"
"Damn it, this little brat just plucked my feather!"
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