The Marine office was filled with a tense, stagnant air, the kind that came from unspoken frustration building up for far too long. Sunlight filtered in through the wide windows, casting long shadows across the floor and glinting off neatly arranged documents, maps, and Marine insignia lining the walls. Everything about the room spoke of order and discipline.
Everything except the man sitting behind the desk.
Tenjin leaned back in his chair, posture lazy, a half-empty bag of chips resting against his chest as he chewed absentmindedly. His boots were planted casually atop his desk, and crumbs littered the polished wood surface. He looked completely at ease, as if the office were his living room rather than a Marine Captain's workplace.
Across from him, Tashigi let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Do you even ever take your job serious?" she asked.
Tenjin blinked, chewing slowing as he looked at her with a genuinely perplexed expression. "Huh? I do."
He paused, tilting his head slightly as if reconsidering his own words.
"…Sometimes, I guess."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Tashigi stared at him for a long moment, her red glasses catching the light as her eyes narrowed. It wasn't anger alone in her gaze, it was disbelief. Pure, unfiltered disbelief.
"I don't understand what Captain Smoker expects me to learn from you," she finally said. "Aside from your strength, I see no redeeming qualities about you."
Tenjin raised an eyebrow.
"You are lazy," she continued, voice sharp. "Irresponsible. Incompetent."
His eyebrow twitched.
"A womanizer who does his deeds in the work office," she added coldly, "which is absolutely disgusting by the way."
Tenjin shot up in his chair. "Wait. I can't just sit here and let you insult me like that!"
He pointed at her defensively. "And I cannot be a womanizer if it's just two girls. Are you not overreacting? Besides, what are you all angry about anyway? All I did was miss just a week's work. I'm sure I can catch up."
Tashigi's jaw clenched.
Without another word, she turned sharply and marched toward a cupboard against the wall. She yanked it open, rummaged through stacks of files, then grabbed a thick folder. Her footsteps echoed sharply as she stormed back.
SLAP.
The file hit Tenjin's desk hard.
Tenjin calmly reached for a wipe, carefully brushing chip dust from his fingers before even acknowledging the folder. Only after cleaning his hands did he pick it up.
"What's this?" he asked casually.
He glanced at the cover, squinting. "The Heart Pirates?"
"Yes," Tashigi snapped. "This is what's got me so angry."
Tenjin flipped the file open, skimming the report.
"We currently know exactly where the Heart Pirates are right now," Tashigi continued. "Actually, we've known for the past three days. That's why I've been trying to contact you for the past three days. I was worried they would leave the island they're currently on."
Tenjin hummed softly. "Mhh… Captain Trafalgar Law. Twenty-seven million berry bounty, huh."
"Exactly," Tashigi said. "This is the only chance we have to capture his crew."
Tenjin glanced up. "Is he still there?"
"Yes."
Tenjin frowned slightly. "Are pirates nowadays that stupid? Staying in one place for that long without making any effort to hide themselves."
"Whatever," Tashigi replied. "This is good for us."
Tenjin sighed dramatically and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "I just got back, and now I have to get back into combat almost immediately."
"That's not our fault," Tashigi snapped. "It's yours."
Tenjin stood. "Get the warship ready. We are moving out."
Before she could respond, the door creaked open.
"I'm coming in!"
A cheerful voice filled the room as a woman stepped inside, wearing a wide sun hat and a flower-patterned sundress. She held a neatly wrapped gift and wore a bright, warm smile that felt entirely out of place in a Marine base.
Tenjin froze.
"…Mom! What are you doing here?"
"MOM!?" Tashigi exclaimed, shocked looking back at Makima.
Makima laughed lightly. "Why Tenjin? You don't want your mom to visit you in your workplace?"
Tenjin waved his hands quickly. "No, not at all! I just expected you to call or something."
Makima pouted. "It's been a whole week since your birthday, and I haven't been able to see you the entire time. Where the hell have you been?"
Tenjin scratched the back of his head. "I had a little holiday. Sorry. Calling you slipped my mind."
"Bad boy," Makima said sharply, then sighed. "I got you a gift."
She placed the wrapped box on his desk and turned toward Tashigi. "Oh? Who's this? Is it your girlfriend?"
Tashigi's face went beet red. "G-Girlfriend!? No! Me and Tenjin are just coworkers!"
Makima narrowed her eyes. "What? Is my son not good enough for you?"
Tashigi froze, unsure what to say.
"Mom, stop it," Tenjin cut in. "Not everyone likes your jokes."
Makima chuckled. "You caught me. Sorry, Tashigi-chan. I was just joking."
"O-Oh… okay," Tashigi said awkwardly.
Makima tilted her head. "Wait, Tashigi-chan. You said coworkers. Is he not your captain?"
"No," Tashigi replied. "I'm stationed at Loguetown in the East Blue. My captain sent me here to shadow Captain Tenjin because he's a young Marine who has proven himself."
Makima laughed. "Shadow Tenjin? What could you learn from this incompetent son of mine? Unless it's beating people up, he does nothing else."
Tashigi's eyes lit up. "Thank goodness someone else sees him for who he is! I've never seen a more incompetent captain in my twenty-one years of living."
Makima nodded. "Of course. He's been like this since he was a child."
"Oh," Tashigi added eagerly. "So he's been useless since he was a child."
A vein popped on Tenjin's forehead. "Are you two just going to insult me right in front of my face?"
Makima turned to him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Tenjin. I know you hate being told the truth. I actually came to spend the day with you. Why don't you get your mother some tea?"
Tenjin sighed. "I'd like to, but I have to go capture some pirates right now. An infamous one."
"Oh?" Makima asked. "Who?"
Tenjin placed a picture on the desk. "That's him."
Makima picked it up and froze.
"…Law-kun."
Tenjin's eyes widened. "You know him?"
"Yes," Makima said quietly. "He's the pirate captain of Hakugan-kun."
Tenjin stared in disbelief.
"Hakugan… is a pirate now!?"