"Well, well, isn't this our dear Admiral Kizaru? Why are you drinking alone here in such a gloomy mood?"
Admiral Borsalino raised his head and saw who it was, the man walking in with his usual sarcastic tone.
"Hmph, Michael, if you have this much free time, wouldn't it be better to catch some pirates instead of coming here to mock me?"
"My work right now is far more important than catching a few pirates."
Michael wasn't giving Borsalino any respect, because he knew even if Borsalino got annoyed, he wouldn't take it out on him.
After all, he wasn't Sakazuki.
"To be honest, I've been feeling a bit lost these past two years…"
Borsalino held his glass of wine.
"The World Government… is it really still worth our loyalty? The pirates I just captured are sent back to Fishman Island for political bargaining right after…"
Michael wiped away some cold sweat.
Truthfully, it had been his idea to advise Neptune and the others to use some small concessions to please the World Government in exchange for the return of the Sun Pirates.
He hadn't expected that his scheme to disgust the World Government would accidentally implicate one of the Navy's three Admirals.
And the one supposedly with the most stable temperament at that.
So after warning Fisher Tiger to stay obediently on Fishman Island these past few years, Michael had hurried back to Navy Headquarters to clean up the mess.
Being a spiritual advisor…
He'd done it too many times!
A veteran at it!
"So, you became a Marine just to serve the World Government?"
"Didn't you?"
"That's a pointless question… You've seen what I've done all these years."
Michael smirked dismissively.
"The World Government? The only thing I care about is profit… the benefit of everyone in the world."
"Does that include going against the World Government?"
"Borsalino, you have to admit, the World Government now stands opposed to the entire world."
Michael sighed.
"As Vegapunk's close friend, I believe you're not some blind loyalist… Even if you were, could you possibly be more blindly loyal than that old man Sengoku? And now, even he no longer serves the World Government with blind devotion."
Borsalino looked at the man sitting on his desk.
"Michael… come to think of it, you're already thirty, huh?"
"…Damn, your topic jumps around too fast. And so what if I'm thirty? Thirty is the prime age to make my mark!"
Michael rolled his eyes, the two pairs of wings on his back fluttering slightly as he turned toward the door.
"Since you have the mind to tease me about my age, I guess you don't have any pressing issues left, right? Then I'll be on my way."
Without a trace of reluctance, he left Borsalino's Admiral office.
Borsalino raised his head, looking at the plaque above him…
"'Unclear Justice'… Tch. Compared to me, Michael, you suit this motto much better."
"So, that big thing you told us you were planning back then… what is it, really?"
"Oh well, whatever… It's not like you're leading us into rebellion or anything… right?"
"Tch, knowing Michael's nerve and twisted logic, nothing seems impossible for him…"
Borsalino's eyes carried some suspicion, but then he raised his glass and downed the wine in one gulp, washing away all distracting thoughts.
Forget it. Thinking about it gave him a headache.
Might as well just go with the flow.
With smart people leading the way, why waste his own brain cells?
...
"Heading out again?"
Garp looked at Michael coming out of Borsalino's office and asked in a low voice.
"Heading to the Revolutionary Army now?"
"Garp, you do realize your so-called 'low voice' is just one step short of shouting through a megaphone, right?"
Michael rolled his eyes.
"Luckily, no one's around the Admiral's office right now. Otherwise what, you want people to think I'm defecting?"
"Hey, you're the Chief Inspector now! If anyone heard, just say you found a way to negotiate with the Revolutionary Army and want to test it out… Who'd dare question you? Everyone knows the Chief Inspector's recruiting skills rank even above his combat strength!"
Garp laughed "hehehe," then threw an arm around Michael's shoulder.
"Do me a favor and pass a message to that brat… Luffy's not young anymore, and now he's eaten some random Devil Fruit… He's not planning to check on his kid?"
"You want the Revolutionary Army's leader to come to Navy Headquarters to see a kid?"
Michael shoved away Garp's giant fan-sized hand in disgust.
"Old man Garp, trying to check on three kids at once… has senility finally hit you?"
"Even if I'm senile, your Maria family's half to blame!"
Garp grumbled angrily.
"Ever since you and Sengoku got promoted, when have you had time for the kids? In the end, wasn't it all dumped on me and my precious daughter!? Aside from Reiju, have any of those little brats ever behaved?"
"Please note, one of those little brats is your own grandson… If he's a brat, then what does that make you? The old brat?"
Michael sighed.
"Even if you don't mind being the old brat, I refuse to be the middle-aged brat."
As he spoke, Michael's body suddenly lowered, easily dodging a so-called "Fist of Love."
"Tsk, old man Garp, did you think I'm still that hotheaded rookie you used to beat up back then? You've been slacking off on your training, huh? Careful you don't run into Chinjao again and get headbutted off the sea."
With that, Michael spread his wings and soared high into the sky, growing smaller and smaller.
Garp shook his fist angrily.
"Tsk, Michael might not have had any training breakthroughs these years… but damn, that physique is enviable. Comparing myself to him just pisses me off."
"That punch just now… I used full strength…"
The spot where Garp's punch had missed suddenly erupted into a massive crater.
...
East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
Ever since the Revolutionary Army firmly rooted itself in all four seas and built countless public facilities, they had won the hearts of ordinary people.
Shimotsuki Village, as the East Blue's most famous grain-producing region, was especially valued by the Revolutionary Army.
The East Blue's main base was even set up directly in Shimotsuki Village.
"Flame of Revolution" Ginny, who had just given birth to Bonney, was now at Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village, watching the children practice swordsmanship while cradling the sleeping Bonney in her arms.
Shimotsuki Kōshirō had gone with Dragon and Kuma to the granary to check this year's harvest, leaving Ginny bored with nothing to do but watch the kids to pass the time.
Just then, a green-haired little brat came running in, crying his lungs out.
"Help! Help!"
"Kuina fell down… from the stairs!"
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