"Ah, it's Kuzan, hasn't it been twenty years?"
Saul didn't seem particularly excited, because he already knew that Kuzan had come here. Otherwise, Saul should be managing his small farm on the Sky Island above, not on the land of Wano Kuni.
But Kuzan was different. After he was recruited by Yamato with strange intentions, Ghost Island had opened many things to him accordingly. Most areas of Wano Kuni allowed him entrance, with the only exceptions being Queen's laboratory and the Sky Island Group above Ghost Island.
According to Kuzan's personality, even if he knew the scholars from Ohara were up there, he might not do anything. In regards to Ohara, Kuzan's attitude was the same as Saul's.
But there was still no need to reveal such matters in advance. Although Saul came to see Kuzan, his level of secrecy about Ohara was even higher than that of the Hundred Beasts' members, after all, he left the Navy because of this matter.
"Hey hey, I mean, it's been 21 years since we last met, is this how you react?"
Kuzan's tone remained calm, yet it revealed a sense of dissatisfaction.
Humans are social creatures, and they will always encounter others with similar temperaments. 21 years ago, when they were still in the Navy, Saul and Kuzan were very good colleagues.
But ever since the Ohara incident, Saul, who escaped from prison, disappeared. However, this disappearance wasn't good news for him.
Kuzan didn't see Saul during the time at Ohara. Even as a member of the Giant Race, Saul seemed small on an island. Saul was taken away by the Hundred Beasts before the main force could discover him.
But there were many people on the island. According to intelligence gathered after the incident, someone saw Saul appearing in Ohara before it was destroyed.
In Kuzan's understanding, under such firepower, it was impossible for anyone to survive.
The "disappearance" was just a cover for the Navy to smooth relations with the Giant Race. Death and disappearance represent completely different outcomes. Disappearance always leaves a sliver of hope.
Kuzan thought Saul had died and even erected a cenotaph for him.
"You haven't changed at all, Kuzan. Long time no see, is this the answer you wanted?"
Saul's way of answering hadn't changed, but his tone had become completely different.
The familiar laughter rang in Kuzan's ears. That peculiar sound felt unusually dear to Kuzan.
When first joining the Navy, Saul's unique laughter used to seem odd, but now, everything was different.
"I thought you were dead. Someone saw you at Ohara before. How did you escape and end up here?"
"I thought I was going to die too. As for why I'm here... I'm sorry Kuzan, there are some things I can't tell you yet."
"It seems... you've been living here for quite a while?"
Saul was dressed like a farmer, carrying a huge hoe on his shoulder, wearing a bamboo hat. If he had just arrived, he wouldn't be dressed like this.
"And from your tone, you probably knew I was here a long time ago? Just hiding here all this time?"
From the traces nearby, he seemed to have been farming for quite some time. If the camel hadn't come here, Kuzan might not have been able to see Saul, who was blocked by the mountain.
"You have too many questions. I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect this penguin to have a connection with you."
Saul only knew that Kuzan had come here, but was unaware that Kuzan had brought a pet.
"When I first came here, I just wanted to find a quiet place to live. At the time, I didn't understand or accept Admiral Sengoku's actions, but now... I've found new hope here.
What about you? I only know that you had a fight with Sakazuki. Why did you come here?"
"Why... If I say someone told me coming here could assassinate Kaidou, would you believe that reason?"
"Haha, it must be Miss Yamato. Indeed, only she would do something like that, but Kuzan, I advise you to stay calm."
Saul lived on Little Sky Island, where he could clearly see Kaidou training with Arceus. Initially, it was shocking, but with time, that feeling gradually turned into numbness.
Saul couldn't even imagine how to defeat those two monsters.
"I know. I just wanted to see some other things too, as for everything else... we'll talk about it when the time comes."
"You're still the same. Come on, no matter what, I've been here longer than you. Let's find a tavern and have a good chat."
...
Sometime later, in a tavern in the Flower Capital.
Saul and Kuzan chatted about past events and explored the changes in the world. Saul also helped Kuzan understand the changes happening in Wano Kuni.
He had witnessed 20 years of history firsthand, watching as Wano Kuni transformed from a closed-off ancient country into the modernized nation it is now.
"Saul, am I drunk... are those two ducks dueling?"
"Oh, those are Sirfetch'd, you should have seen them. This country is filled with countless magical creatures. The ones who created them called them Pokemon, they are an incredibly mystical species.
Your penguin underwent similar changes, you've probably noticed it already, right? Some things have long surpassed the scope of science, that is... the great power of the Creator."
"Well well, that really is astonishing. Are you trying to tell me there really is a deity within the religion of the Hundred Beasts?"
"Kuzan, I'm not joking with you. Why do you think a pirate-ruled nation would change like this? You've been here for too short a time, in a while, you might understand my words."
Saul's expression grew serious, the previous leisure he felt from the alcohol was thrown away, but Kuzan still maintained his usual lazy demeanor.
"I got it, I'll see for myself.
But... the items they're holding, those are leeks, right? Why do the leeks have such a strange color?"
In Kuzan's sight, the leek held by the Sirfetch'd seemed somewhat darkened, but it wasn't the typical appearance of Haki-infused weapons. As an Admiral of the Navy, he still had a good eye for these things.
"Maybe you're just seeing things, or maybe it's a different breed of leek."
"Perhaps. So, what were we just talking about? Let's continue..."
Saul continued sharing his experience, and Kuzan set aside his previous thought. In that brief moment, a word flashed in his mind - Black Blade.
As the name suggests, a black-bladed sword is a sword with a black blade, but the color of these blades isn't inherent; it changes gradually.
The biggest feature of Black Blades is their durability, and this durability stems from Haki.
Every sword has the potential to become a Black Blade. A Swordsman can temper their sword into a Black Blade using their own Haki. Kuzan knew that those dueling Sirfetch'd used Haki, but no matter how he considered it, the idea of these ducks tempering a Black Leek was too absurd.
Yet, in truth, something that Kuzan found hard to believe was the reality. The leeks used by Sirfetch'd were very special plants, and even the seeds were created by Arceus.
Normal Sirfetch'd need to periodically find new leeks to replace their withering weapons, but these Sirfetch'd were different. In their lives, they learned Haki and discovered that their leek blades absorbed Haki more easily than metal blades.
Now, it's just a prototype. Given time, they might actually cultivate a Black Leek that stands the test of time. In a sense, this can be seen as a new regional form of Sirfetch'd.
Equipped with shields and swords infused with Haki, it's a new Sirfetch'd group practicing Sword Dao in Wano Kuni.
This is not impossible, for the regional form Seastone version of Rock-type Pokemon has already proven all of this.
But for Kuzan, accepting this wasn't easy, not even with Saul's clear mention of the Creator, everything before him was remolding decades of his worldview.
Kuzan's thoughts were unknown to Arceus himself. At this moment, Arceus was accepting Asie's report. Asie's material science had made new breakthroughs, inventing some very meaningful items...