Borsalino remained silent, furiously slurping his noodles.
It wasn't that he didn't know what to say; rather, Xayuki's sudden suggestion that he visit the Revolutionary Army headquarters to meet with their leader, Dragon, had left him feeling deeply awkward.
After all, on the night of Xayuki's coup, it was only after Xayuki had laid out every detail of his background and presented it to him that Borsalino chose to remain silent during the rebellion.
Because of this, Borsalino had felt uneasy over the past few days. With Xayuki now in sole control of the Marine Headquarters, he knew that Xayuki could eliminate him, this unpredictable factor, at any time.
What he hadn't expected was for Xayuki to address the matter so openly, even entrusting him with the task of representing the Fleet Admiral in negotiations with the Revolutionary Army.
This meant that the young Fleet Admiral wasn't worried about him doing anything out of line. It also subtly indicated that, despite knowing about his dual identity, Xayuki still had expectations for him.
For this alone, Borsalino had to admire Xayuki's magnanimity and decisiveness.
He was certain that no one else in the Marine Headquarters, upon learning of his secret, would treat him with such cordiality—let alone prepare a piece of his favorite ginger for him.
At that moment, Xayuki, who had just finished devouring his noodles in a whirlwind, suddenly shifted the conversation. "This is also the moment for you to make a choice: if you return to Marine Headquarters after meeting Dragon, it means you've abandoned the other side."
"If you can't make that choice, then stay there."
Standing up, Xayuki grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth and continued, "I'm giving you your freedom. But the next time we meet, I'll personally measure the weight of your 'speed'—and see how heavy it really is."
Hearing this, Borsalino adjusted his glasses with one finger, his expression turning serious. "Finally, it's my turn, huh? Rest assured, Fleet Admiral Xayuki. I'll give you an answer you'll be satisfied with."
With that, he resumed slurping his noodles with renewed vigor.
"Bruru-bruru-bruru—"
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on the desk rang.
Xayuki, unfazed by Borsalino's presence, walked over to answer it. "Marine Headquarters, Xayuki speaking."
"It's me."
From the other end came a voice that sounded as if it were being forced through a tight throat—a voice tinged with a questioning tone. It was Imu. "You're planning to bring Nico Robin to Marine Headquarters to decipher the ancient texts?"
"Oh?"
Xayuki glanced at the clock on the wall, slightly surprised. "You're only now getting Gunshi's report? I thought she'd inform you immediately after the Seven Warlords meeting ended!"
"Yes, I do plan to assemble a fleet tasked with finding the Road Poneglyphs and ultimately reaching Laugh Tale!"
Pausing briefly, Xayuki's tone suddenly turned cold. "And next time, don't use that questioning tone with me. Otherwise, if I'm ever in a bad mood, I might just move into the Flower Room for a while!"
As Xayuki's words fell, silence descended on the Den Den Mushi.
Perhaps—just perhaps—some ancient entity of indeterminate gender in the Flower Room had been utterly stunned by his audacity.
However, the person on the other end of the line didn't seem angry or upset.
The Den Den Mushi remained eerily quiet, showing no signs of emotional outburst.
After a brief silence, Imu, having seemingly regained composure, spoke in a measured tone. "Your rebellion, your treaty with the World Government, and the lawless pirates across the seas—all of that is irrelevant to me. My concern is solely with those who can decipher the ancient texts."
"I won't interfere with your actions."
"But you must agree to one condition."
Uninterested in prolonging the conversation, Xayuki cut straight to the point. "I know what you're worried about. It's about the Void Century, isn't it? That history has been sealed for 800 years. Even if the truth were laid bare before me, I'd have no interest in it!"
Hearing this, Imu's tone noticeably relaxed, and they asked curiously, "What do you intend to do?"
"Find Laugh Tale and erase it from the map!" Xayuki replied without hesitation.
"That should be something you'd be pleased to see."
"But I won't make it too easy for you. If I do find Laugh Tale and destroy it, you'll have to reward me."
Imu responded decisively, "If you truly keep your word, I'll grant you three conditions."
"Deal," Xayuki said simply.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, twilight began to fall.
After a brief exchange with Borsalino, Xayuki left the headquarters building and made his way toward the residential quarters.
As he approached the gate of his courtyard, he noticed two pieces of "clothing" fluttering on the clothesline in the yard.
What surprised him was the eerie silence. Despite the laundry hanging outside, there wasn't a single sound coming from the courtyard. The atmosphere felt unusually strange.
"What's going on?"
Pushing open the gate, Xayuki glanced around and muttered to himself, "Have they worn themselves out fighting and signed a ceasefire agreement?"
He had deliberately stayed in his office with Borsalino to avoid returning too early and reigniting the ongoing feud between Boa Hancock and Gunshi.
Though he didn't fully understand why the two women were constantly at odds, ever since they had moved in, peace had been a rare commodity.
Hancock's temper was understandable—after all, she was the Empress of Amazon Lily, spoiled and headstrong by nature.
But Gunshi had initially presented herself as a poised and aloof woman, exuding an air of elegance. Yet, within just two hours of interacting with Hancock, she had transformed into a fiery spitfire, engaging in heated exchanges that even drove the world's greatest swordsman to flee in fear.
Still—what was going on today?
Entering the courtyard, Xayuki scanned his surroundings once more. Confirming that no sounds of argument were coming from any corner or room, he blinked in confusion and pushed open the door to the living room.
"Huh?"
As soon as he stepped inside, Xayuki froze in place.
Sitting on a chair in the living room, draped in her Vice Admiral's coat, was Vice Admiral Tsuru. She was leisurely reading a newspaper, one leg crossed over the other.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru?"
Seeing her here, Xayuki was momentarily stunned. Quickly removing his Fleet Admiral's coat, he hurried over. "When did you return? Why didn't you let me know in advance?"
Setting down the newspaper, Tsuru looked up at him. "The Fleet Admiral is a busy man. How could I trouble you?"
"Absolutely not!"
Feeling a pang of guilt over his rebellion, Xayuki quickly pulled up a chair and sat across from her, grinning sheepishly. "Anyone else I might ignore, but for you, I'd drop everything to welcome you back!"
"Do you think I had a choice?" Tsuru said with a hint of exasperation. "Others may not understand you, but I do. As Fleet Admiral, you're not the type to sit in headquarters like Sengoku, issuing orders. If one day you get swept up in your passion and rush out to capture pirates, who's going to keep an eye on Marine Headquarters?"
Xayuki nodded earnestly. "That person has to be you, Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
"Good that you understand!" Tsuru's expression softened slightly. She gestured toward the kitchen. "You must be hungry after a long day. I've prepared some food for you—it's all your favorites. Go help yourself."
"Thank you!"
Standing up, Xayuki headed to the kitchen, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
If he had known Tsuru was back and had prepared dinner, he wouldn't have eaten that massive bowl of ramen with Borsalino in the office.
Still, ever since the system had maxed out all his abilities, his appetite had grown significantly. Another meal wouldn't hurt.
After bringing the dishes to the dining table, Xayuki suddenly remembered something. Turning to Tsuru, who had resumed reading her newspaper, he asked, "Vice Admiral Tsuru, when you arrived, was anyone home?"
"Yes," she replied, her eyes never leaving the paper. She casually pointed toward the clothesline outside. "They're hanging on the line."
"Huh?"
Turning to look, Xayuki saw the two pieces of "clothing" fluttering in the breeze. They were unmistakably the human-shaped garments of Boa Hancock and Gunshi, transformed by Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit ability.
Staring at the two women-turned-clothes, Xayuki's face twitched uncontrollably.
This was—
Perfect!
Finally, he could enjoy a quiet meal at home!
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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