"I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but Captain… you can't seriously expect me to buy this nonsense, can you?"
"Who's feeding you nonsense?" Michael laughed. "At most, I'm just adding a little more… structural flair to your pirate adventure."
"Structural flair? Oh, what fascinating flair."
Uta's lips twitched
.Just moments ago, on the coast, he had effortlessly taken on two Angel Alliance vice admirals in a one-sided battle that wiped out everyone.
And then…
Those two vice admirals inexplicably died on the battlefield.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared on his pirate ship, chatting merrily with those old geezers.
It was clear… they were really familiar with each other.
They didn't even bother hiding it.
"I know your mind must be overflowing with confusion right now," Michael said helplessly, patting her shoulder.
"But don't worry—even more baffling things will happen in the future."
Though she knew Michael was just teasing her, Uta couldn't help but crack.
Just what kind of group had she impulsively gotten herself involved in?
Right now… she really needed some peace and quiet.
And no one better ask who "peace and quiet" was.
Watching Uta walk toward the ship's railing with a pained expression, T-Bone and Shu—who had already spread their fake death news worldwide through their subordinates and the Marines—nodded in her direction.
"So… is it really okay for us to trick a young girl like this?" T-Bone said. "I feel like the day she finds out who you really are, she might pull a knife on you."
"Come on, T-Bone, you know whose daughter she is… This is the best way to both keep her under our protection and prevent her from truly getting tangled up in all this," Zephyr said, shaking his head.
"She's just a child—one who grew up carefree, with the world's strongest pirate as her father."
"Yeah, we're all faking our deaths… If that day really comes like you say, the first ones getting stabbed will probably be the two of us," Shu said with a grin. "But… I have a feeling this girl's future won't be simple."
"Since when did you learn fortune-telling!?" Garp's massive hand, like a palm leaf, smacked Shu square on the back, nearly knocking him over.
"But are you guys really okay with this? That's Enies Lobby we're talking about. Even if you didn't hide the truth of your fake deaths from your subordinates… can they really keep it completely secret?"
"Mr. Garp, the people of Enies Lobby have always been in the business of secrecy. They know that if they violate protocol, even if they aren't court-martialed, they'll be removed from Enies Lobby's combat roster… and this is the highest-paying, most leisurely, and most prestigious posting there is," Shu said, shaking his head with a light chuckle.
"Besides, T-Bone and I have been wanting to leave Enies Lobby for a while now… we just never had the chance. This is the perfect opportunity to let the power transition begin there."
"Power transition…" Sengoku blinked. "You… already have candidates?"
"Not just candidates—we've been subtly pulling them toward Enies Lobby for years now," Shu said, giving Sengoku a thumbs-up.
"Though they were originally from CP9, I believe the charm of the Angel Alliance left a lasting impression on them… More importantly, they're people personally left behind by Michael. I'll always trust Grand Inspector Michael."
...
The Old Geezers Pirates have once again made a name for themselves on the high seas.
On their very first voyage, they directly attacked Alabasta and looted the royal palace clean.
Then, incredibly, they set their sights on Enies Lobby!
There, the Golden Thief himself engaged in a fierce battle with Vice Admiral Shu and Vice Admiral T-Bone, who were stationed there.
In the end, the Golden Thief severely wounded both of them and left with new recruits for the Old Geezers Pirates.
Vice Admiral Shu and Vice Admiral T-Bone, however, succumbed to their injuries despite medical efforts and were pronounced dead.
This time… the various factions of the Angel Alliance began focusing on the Old Geezers Pirates with an intensity second only to their vigilance against the World Government.
After all… they had just killed two vice admirals!
And not just any two vice admirals!
Shu and T-Bone, who had long been stationed at Enies Lobby, were among the top elite vice admirals in terms of individual strength… but that wasn't even the most significant part. The most crucial detail was that they were Michael's men.
They were the earliest members of the SWORD Classified Special Forces, the unit Michael had built from the ground up.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them Michael's most trusted confidants.
Without this connection, the Angel Alliance wouldn't have assigned just the two of them to guard Enies Lobby permanently—they would have rotated elite vice admirals instead.
Though now scattered across the seas, every member of the SWORD Special Forces had firmly committed the name of this pirate crew to memory.
The Old Geezers Pirates.
Each of them scrutinized every detail about this crew with burning fury.
'They killed our brothers…'
'They must pay with their lives!'
"So… are you prepared for this?" Shu sat across from Michael, smiling.
"I'm absolutely certain that if the two of us hadn't 'died,' the guys in SWORD might still be thinking rationally. But now… they're teetering on the edge of losing their minds."
"And whose fault is that but your little fake-death stunt?" Michael rubbed his temples. "Even during the Great Pirate Era, when we were still growing, we never lost a single member… Yet now, at the height of our success, two suddenly 'die.'"
"And let's not forget—three of your finest subordinates became admirals in the Angel Alliance."
"…Damn, I almost forgot about that." Michael sighed. "You all really… made me proud."
"Only because you chose us and truly unlocked our potential," Shu added with a grin.
"I can almost picture what would've happened if we'd never met you—T-Bone and I, stuck in mediocrity, barely scratching the surface of our Devil Fruit abilities, coasting on scraps of talent, barely making it to commodore or rear admiral…"
Shu's gaze remained clear, filled with unwavering admiration.
Among Michael's subordinates, Shu had always been the most clear-headed.
"So… I'll follow you forever…"
"Let's… turn the seas upside down once more."