"Marine Admiral Aokiji?! Why are you here?!" the Straw Hat crew shouted in unison as they jumped into fighting stances.
"I am a former Marine Admiral now," Aokiji replied with the relaxed face of a talkative uncle. "I am not a Marine anymore, so I cannot be here to arrest you. There is no need for such murderous looks."
Zoro, Sanji, and Law instinctively looked toward Luffy and Carl. When they saw the calm expressions on the faces of their two strongest leaders, they felt a wave of relief. The rest of the partners slowly lowered their weapons and relaxed their posture.
Aokiji leaped onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny. His eyes immediately drifted toward Robin, and he froze for a moment. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "It turns out you are married. Congratulations."
Robin glanced down at the ring on her finger and offered a gentle smile. "Thank you," she responded.
Luffy walked right up to the tall man. "Hey, Aokiji! Did you come here specifically to find us? Could it be that you want to join the Straw Hats? Hahaha! You have great vision. Welcome aboard!"
Aokiji let out a helpless sigh. "While your welcome is very kind, I have to disappoint you. I came to look for you, but not to find a refuge. I just want to ask about something. I will leave soon."
"What? You really have no vision at all," Luffy pouted. He sat down against the main mast, clearly losing interest in playing the host.
Aokiji looked a bit stunned by the blunt rejection, but he seemed used to Luffy's behavior, which reminded him of Vice-Admiral Garp. He remained calm and found a place to sit on the deck. Without acting like a stranger at all, he asked Sanji to bring him a drink.
"What is it that you want to ask?" Zoro asked, stepping forward to act as the diplomat for the group.
"I need the contact information for the Revolutionary Army," Aokiji stated clearly, hiding nothing.
"Do you want to join them?" Zoro questioned. "We heard rumors that you were heading toward the Blackbeard Pirates."
"Ah la la, so you all know about that," Aokiji muttered. "I did think about joining Blackbeard, but that was only an intention. There are other forces worth considering, like the Revolutionary Army. I know Dragon. Perhaps he will take me in."
"A powerful man like you would be accepted anywhere," Zoro noted. "Unless the temple is too small to hold such a large Buddha."
"Is that a compliment? I will accept it then," Aokiji replied.
Zoro and Aokiji exchanged a few more words, but Zoro realized he wasn't getting any deeper information. He looked over at Law, knowing Law was better at navigating these conversations. However, Law was only the captain of an affiliated crew and could not fully represent the Straw Hats. Finally, Carl sat down in front of the former Admiral.
Carl didn't feel like wasting time with small talk. Instead, he pulled out his Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
"Moshi moshi? Carl?" Sabo's voice came through the speaker.
"It's Sabo!" Luffy shouted, stretching his neck to lean closer to the snail. "Sabo, it's me! You guys are too serious. You didn't say goodbye in Dressrosa, and you didn't even tell me you had a girlfriend! What kind of brother are you?"
"Huh? A girlfriend? What are you talking about, Luffy?" Sabo sounded confused.
"Don't play dumb! Robin met a girl named Claire. Just tell me, is she my second sister-in-law?"
"What the hell? How did Claire become... Ow! Don't hit me, Claire! Stop! I didn't say it, Luffy said it!"
It was obvious to everyone on the deck that Sabo was currently dealing with some "domestic violence" on the other end of the line. Carl reached out and pushed Luffy's head back with a sigh.
"Luffy, let's get down to business first. You can chat with Sabo once we are finished, okay?"
Luffy pulled back instantly. "Since Mr. Carl says so, then fine."
Once the noise on the other end died down, Carl cleared his throat. "Sabo, don't worry about the noise. We have business. Aokiji is on our ship right now. He wants to contact the Revolutionary Army. Do you want to speak with him?"
"Aokiji is looking for us?!" Sabo sounded shocked. He quickly recovered and said, "Okay, give him the Den Den Mushi."
Carl handed the phone bug to Aokiji and made a polite gesture. To everyone's surprise, Aokiji simply placed the snail on the deck. He didn't seem to care if the crew heard the conversation.
"Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. Hello, I am Kuzan," Aokiji said, using his real name instead of his Marine title.
"Hello, Mr. Kuzan," Sabo replied. "I don't know why you are looking for us. Have you finally seen the rotten face of the World Government? Do you want to join us and help overthrow them?"
"Ah la la, you really are bold," Aokiji chuckled. "I have left the Marines, and I am looking for a force that suits me. I am considering the Revolutionary Army. I want to meet your leader, Dragon. Is that possible?"
"I will notify the leader about this," Sabo said seriously. "I will give you an answer within three days regarding whether he will see you."
"That works for me," Aokiji finished.
Aokiji ended the call and handed the Den Den Mushi back to Luffy. Luffy immediately grabbed it and began chatting happily with Sabo. It was now clear why Aokiji didn't mind everyone listening; the conversation wasn't particularly secret.
However, Carl was very surprised. He hadn't expected Aokiji to actually consider the Revolutionary Army. Even the World Government likely hadn't predicted this move. Furthermore, Aokiji hadn't gone through secret channels to find the revolutionaries. He had come directly to the Straw Hats.
This sent a specific signal to the rest of the world: Aokiji might be joining the Straw Hat crew.
"This guy is so calculating," Carl thought. As long as the Straw Hats didn't say anything, the world would only see the former Admiral on their ship. Aokiji looked lazy, but he was incredibly careful. Carl realized he had underestimated the man's wit.
"I want to stay with the Straw Hats for one day. Is that alright?" Aokiji asked. It sounded more like a statement than a request.
"Of course not!" Luffy refused immediately. "One more person means less meat for me. I won't allow it!"
"Now, don't jump to conclusions," Aokiji said smoothly. "My camel's backpack is full of special Marine jerky. It is very delicious, and I am willing to share it."
"Delicious jerky?! Fine! Give the meat to me!" Luffy shouted. His saliva began to drip onto the floor, causing the rest of the crew to roll their eyes.
The crew wasn't annoyed by Luffy's hunger, but by how easily he was manipulated. Aokiji staying on the boat for a day served a purpose. It would make the entire sea believe he was allied with them. Aokiji had clearly studied Luffy's personality and knew exactly how to get what he wanted.
Soon, the delicious jerky was brought out from the backpack on the penguin's back so the whole family could have a share. The special Marine jerky was indeed excellent. Sanji even asked for the recipe. Surprisingly, Aokiji knew it and shared the method generously. It was clear he had done his homework to ensure he could stay on the ship.
"This guy..." Law muttered with a frown. "Why is he trying so hard to be comfortable?"
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