East Blue, Loguetown.
Navy Base, Commander's Office.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
The voice from inside was muffled. Sephiroth raised a hand and pushed the office door open. Thick white fog filled the room, making it difficult to see.
"Damn it. After all these years, you still haven't broken the habit of smoking with the window closed."
Aren't you afraid of lung cancer?"
Sephiroth grumbled as he walked to the window and shoved it open, letting the stagnant smoke pour out.
Smoker, lounging on the sofa with two cigars wedged in his mouth, didn't even look up. "I ate the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. Smoke can't hurt me."
He plucked another cigar from the box on the table and tossed it to Sephiroth.
"Come to think of it, I can barely remember.
When was the last time I smoked one of these..."
After graduating, I hardly ever smoke. Unless I'm with an addict like you."
Sephiroth caught it, put it between his lips, and raised his right hand. A snap of his fingers summoned a small, steady flame. He lit the cigar.
Smoker's eyebrow twitched. He had to admit it—he wanted to learn that trick.
No reason. It just looked cool.
"You want to learn?
Master Iron Body, Finger Pistol, and Life Return first. Then we'll talk."
Smoker shook his head. "Forget it. Too much trouble. I'm too lazy."
"Tsk. You've fallen, Smoker.
Still in your twenties and already content to rot." Sephiroth's tease held no mercy.
They'd been classmates at the academy, even roommates. Their conversation was easy, familiar, with no need for pretense.
"Heh.
That line suits you better.
It's been almost seven years since graduation. You started as a Colonel. You're still a Commodore.
How unmotivated can you be?
Gion and Kaji started below you. They're Rear Admirals now."
Sephiroth shrugged, a gesture of mild helplessness. "Well. The main reason is I don't want to stay in the Navy anymore.
Rank is just fleeting clouds to me.
If Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Commander-in-Chief Kong hadn't stopped me, I'd have quit two years ago."
"You're leaving too...?
Remember Daddy Masterson?
That guy from our class. He resigned."
Smoker stubbed out the two spent cigars in the ashtray and immediately lit two fresh ones.
"Everyone has their own path.
No one said graduating from the academy meant being a Marine for life."
"Hmm. True. Everyone has their own path...
So what will you do after you leave?"
"Become a big shot, of course.
Drink fine wine. Enjoy life with beautiful women." Sephiroth said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"..."
The corner of Smoker's mouth twitched. He suppressed the urge to argue.
As Sephiroth's former roommate, he'd noticed things. Back at the academy, this guy had always been up to something, always secretive about it...
His intuition screamed that Sephiroth wasn't telling the whole truth.
Brrr-brrr-brrr!
The military Den Den Mushi in Sephiroth's black suit pocket began to ring. He fished it out and answered.
"Hello? Who's calling?"
"It's me. Sengoku."
"Ah? Fleet Admiral Sengoku. What do you need?"
......
Marineford, Navy Headquarters Building.
Marshal Office....
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stared at the thick stack of crime reports from the Navy's 16th Branch. The veins on his forehead pulsed.
He took a slow breath, then spoke into the den den mushi.
"You're asking me what's going on?"
His voice was dangerously low.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"How many days has it been since you officially took command? And you've already imprisoned every single officer in the entire base."
"What in the world are you thinking?"
"I'm excising a corrupt tumor from the Marine."
The reply was calm, matter-of-fact.
"I submitted the evidence to Headquarters. It's all there. You can verify every detail yourself."
"I don't object to removing corruption," Sengoku said, each word measured. "But like this? Arresting the entire chain of command? Do you understand the shockwave this sends?"
"What choice did I have?"
A hint of frustration bled through the line.
"The place was rotten to the core. Honestly, I considered throwing the enlisted men in the brig, too."
Sengoku fell silent.
"My apologies, Fleet Admiral. I have duties to attend to."
Click.
The line went dead. Sengoku hadn't even drawn breath to respond.
He sat there, his weathered face darkening like a stormcloud. It made no sense. He knew Sephiroth's reputation—another high-ranking officer swimming in the Marine's murky waters. Even if he wasn't involved in the base commander's schemes, the smart play was to look the other way. Why tear it all out by the roots?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Enter."
The door opened. Zephyr stepped inside, his Justice cloak draped over his purple suit. A file rested in his hand.
"Sengoku. You look troubled."
Sengoku let out a weary sigh.
"It's Sephiroth. He's caused another incident."
Zephyr listened quietly as Sengoku laid out the events at the 16th Branch.
After a moment, Zephyr smiled.
"I can't speak to his alliances, or what games the other corrupt officials are playing."
He paused.
"But he did the right thing. It benefits the Marine. Perhaps that's reason enough."
"I've never been able to figure that man out," Sengoku said, frustration edging his voice. "Is there any real justice in him?"
Zephyr chuckled and shook his head.
"Who can say?
"That boy wrote 'Flexible Justice' on his ethics exam, years ago. I still don't fully grasp what he meant by it."
He tilted his head, considering.
"And yet… when I look at how he's operated over the years, I see echoes of your own 'Absolute Justice.'
"You both focus on the result. The method is… secondary. Adaptable."
A faint, wry smile touched his lips.
"From a certain angle, I suppose that is flexible."
After saying that, Zephyr placed the document in his hand on the desk, turned, and left the Marshal's office. Sengoku remained in his chair, alone with his thoughts.