All four old men turned their attention toward the tavern entrance.
A tall figure stepped inside, moving at an unhurried pace.
He had short purple hair and wore dark sunglasses. What stood out most was his right arm, a massive mechanical limb that replaced what had once been flesh. A gray-white coat hung from his shoulders, swaying slightly as he walked.
The moment they saw him, all four paused.
Garp was the first to speak. "What are you doing here, old man?"
The newcomer laughed. "Just passing through. Didn't expect to find all of you gathered like this."
In the kitchen, the young waiter who had been secretly peeking froze when he saw the man.
His pupils shrank.
Another legend.
For a small tavern like this to gather so many figures at once, it was almost unreal.
His face turned pale, and for a moment he forgot his duties entirely.
Sengoku lowered his gaze slightly, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia. "It's been a while since you left. Didn't think we'd meet again in this place."
Rayleigh said nothing. He leaned back in his chair, slightly flushed from the alcohol.
Whitebeard's eyes settled on the mechanical arm.
"So, the man once known as Black Arm Zephyr has taken an interest in machinery."
The purple-haired man was none other than Zephyr.
After deciding to relocate the NEO Navy into Rolan's territory, he had not fully let his guard down. Even if he acknowledged Rolan's strength, he did not believe anyone could flawlessly maintain such a vast domain without flaws.
So he spent his time inspecting the islands within Peach Garden.
By coincidence, he arrived at this island and heard familiar voices. When he stepped in, he found Sengoku and Garp seated here.
That alone confirmed it.
The Marines had truly aligned themselves with Rolan.
Zephyr placed a hand on his mechanical arm. His expression darkened briefly before easing into a smile.
"Machinery suits a man just fine."
He pulled over a chair and sat beside Garp.
Then he raised his voice toward the kitchen. "Bring me rum. West Blue, if you have it."
The waiter snapped out of his shock and hurried to comply. His movements were quick and practiced as he retrieved a bottle and brought it over.
He set it carefully in front of Zephyr. "This arrived two days ago. Please enjoy."
Zephyr gave a small nod, mildly surprised at being recognized, but said nothing about it.
He pulled out the cork and took a long drink straight from the bottle.
"Tsk... nothing beats rum from the West Blue."
He wiped his mouth and glanced at the others.
"So, what's going on here? Sitting together like this... you used to be enemies."
Sengoku raised an eyebrow but did not answer directly.
Instead, he countered, "You hate pirates more than anyone. So why are you here, in a pirate-controlled territory?"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Is this your next target?"
The matter of Zephyr forming the NEO Navy was not a secret among high-ranking Marines.
His departure had left a mark on Marine history, comparable to Dragon leaving the organization.
And among all people, Zephyr's hatred for pirates ran the deepest.
So his presence here carried weight.
Still, Sengoku did not believe Zephyr was plotting anything underhanded. The man had always been straightforward, never one to hide his intentions.
If he had a goal, he would act on it directly.
Zephyr's earlier gloom had disappeared, replaced by a relaxed expression.
He turned the bottle in his hand, studying it for a moment.
"I know my limits."
Sengoku looked at him for a long moment, then seemed to reach a conclusion. He said nothing further and simply finished the remaining soup in his bowl.
Whitebeard's gaze sharpened slightly.
As one of the Yonko, he knew enough about Zephyr's situation.
For him to appear here now, the answer was obvious.
"You got pulled in by Rolan, didn't you?"
The blunt remark drew everyone's attention.
Zephyr tilted his head back and took another long drink.
Then he laughed.
"What's wrong with choosing my own sense of justice? Aren't all of you doing the same?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then laughter erupted around the table.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Justice, huh..."
Rayleigh leaned back, clearly tipsy. "What nonsense are you talking about? My drinking tolerance is perfectly fine."
That only made the others laugh harder.
The tension that once existed between them seemed to dissolve, if only on the surface.
...
Peach Garden.
Fish-Man Island floated within its own sphere of seawater, suspended like a massive sapphire embedded in the sky. Sunlight refracted through the water, casting shimmering patterns that made it look like a living jewel.
Before relocating it here, Rolan had discussed everything with King Neptune and the island's citizens.
After receiving their consent, he worked with Issho to create a unique network of waterways, allowing Fish-Man Island to remain intact while integrating it into Peach Garden.
Now it hung above the region like a blue gem, unlike anything else in the world.
Its uniqueness quickly made it one of the most popular destinations in the entire territory.
Many visitors came to Peach Garden solely to witness its beauty.
Inside Ryugu Castle, within Prince Fukaboshi's office, stacks of documents covered the massive desk, rising high enough to block the view behind them.
The only signs of life were the constant flipping of pages and the scratching of a pen.
Fukaboshi sat behind the mountain of paperwork, his expression strained.
He let out a long sigh.
"I wonder how Father's inspection is going... and my brothers are nowhere to be found. How am I supposed to handle all of this alone?"
Not long after the relocation, Neptune had handed over all responsibilities to him under the excuse of studying Peach Garden's management systems.
What Fukaboshi did not know was that Neptune had been spending his time leisurely exploring with Cobra instead.
At that moment, the Right Minister entered the room.
"Prince Fukaboshi, my retirement request has been submitted for quite some time. Has it been approved yet?"
The question hung in the air as Fukaboshi slowly looked up from his overwhelming workload.
===
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