"Prince Fukaboshi, are you there?"
"Prince Fukaboshi?"
"Prince Fukaboshi..."
After calling several times, the Right Minister finally saw Fukaboshi poke his head out from behind a mountain of documents.
"Right Minister? What did you say just now?"
The Right Minister rubbed his forehead, clearly exhausted.
"Prince Fukaboshi, I was asking when my retirement request will finally be approved."
"Retirement?" Fukaboshi blinked in confusion before scratching his head. "When did that happen? Why don't I remember it?"
The Right Minister's expression instantly darkened.
So he really forgot about it.
Not only forgotten, he had probably tossed it somewhere into the abyss of paperwork without a second thought.
"Right Minister?"
"Right Minister, are you alright?"
Only then did Fukaboshi seem to realize something. He hurried over excitedly, nearly tripping over the piles of documents along the way.
Several stacks collapsed onto the floor with loud splashes.
Ignoring the mess, Fukaboshi grabbed the Right Minister by the shoulders, his eyes turning red as if he had just found salvation itself.
"You came at the perfect time. Help me sort these documents first. I'll be back soon."
Before the Right Minister could even react, Fukaboshi had already rushed out of the room.
His figure disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Prince Fukaboshi!"
The Right Minister shouted while chasing after him, but by the time he reached the doorway, Fukaboshi was long gone.
Only schools of fish swam peacefully through the water currents outside Ryugu Castle.
Silence filled the corridor.
The Right Minister's lips twitched.
He had been tricked.
Again.
Turning around, he looked at the endless piles of paperwork covering the office. His shoulders immediately sagged.
Originally, these matters should have been handled by Neptune.
But after Fish-Man Island relocated to Peach Garden and Fish-Man Street was reorganized, Ryugu Kingdom had become busier than ever. Countless approvals, reconstruction plans, trade agreements, and policy changes needed signatures every single day.
Neptune used the excuse of inspecting Peach Garden to dump everything onto Fukaboshi.
And now Fukaboshi had shamelessly pushed it all onto him.
The Right Minister slapped his forehead.
"What kind of fate is this?"
His retirement application remained unresolved, yet somehow he had become even busier than before.
"I really walked straight into this trap myself."
After muttering bitterly, he crouched down and began picking up the scattered documents one by one.
At least somebody had to do the work.
Meanwhile, Fukaboshi had already escaped Ryugu Castle and arrived on the streets of Fish-Man Island.
He glanced back toward the palace floating above before clasping his hands together apologetically.
"Right Minister, forgive me. I'm really not suited for paperwork. Once Father returns, I'll personally apologize to you."
After silently praying for forgiveness, he immediately turned and headed toward the Fish-Man Cafe.
Someone was already waiting for him there.
...
Peach Garden, Water 7.
Bang!
The office door swung open.
Iceburg's young secretary marched inside while holding a stack of documents.
"Mr. Iceburg, today is the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the sea rail connecting Kurul Island and Luciatu Island, so you still need to review these reports bef..."
Her voice stopped abruptly.
She stared at Iceburg in disbelief.
The man was currently throwing documents straight into the trash bin.
The little secretary exploded instantly.
"MR. ICEBURG!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Iceburg froze awkwardly.
But despite being caught red-handed, his movements never stopped. Another stack of documents flew neatly into the basket.
The little secretary rushed over, quickly retrieving the files like they were priceless treasures.
"How many times has this happened already?!"
She carefully dusted the papers off before glaring furiously at him.
Iceburg scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"There are too many documents. I thought handling them this way would be faster."
A small white mouse poked its head out from his pocket and squeaked in agreement.
"Squeak!"
The little secretary nearly lost control.
"Yes, very fast indeed! You finish processing huge piles of paperwork in mere seconds by throwing them away!"
Without hesitation, she shoved the rescued documents back into his arms.
"Hurry up and work! The ceremony starts at four this afternoon!"
Iceburg immediately looked miserable.
"Well... I'm suddenly not feeling too well today. Maybe I should take leave..."
Before he could finish, the little secretary narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"You want more leave?"
Iceburg instantly shut up.
"Four days off every week still isn't enough for you? Remember your position! You are the mayor of Water 7! You carry the responsibility of the entire city! You are Water 7's symbol, Water 7's future, Water 7's pride, Water 7's..."
"Stop! Stop talking already! I'll work!"
Iceburg held his head in surrender.
At this moment, he missed Kalifa terribly.
Back when Kalifa worked as his secretary, the worst he had to deal with was getting kicked for sexual harassment.
But at least she listened to instructions.
Unlike this terrifying little girl.
When he first hired her, he thought having such a capable child secretary would make his job easier.
Who would have thought her professional skills would rival Kalifa's?
Worse yet, her temper was terrifying.
As long as he slacked off even slightly, she would immediately unleash endless lectures on him.
Iceburg had completely lost the courage to be lazy in front of her.
"Good."
The little secretary nodded with satisfaction after seeing him finally start working seriously.
"That's more like it."
...
Outside Alabasta Palace.
Igaram, Chaka, and Pell stood together while looking over the transformed kingdom.
The once dry and desolate land had become prosperous and lively.
Even after seeing it countless times, they still found it unbelievable.
Igaram sighed emotionally.
"Lord Rolan truly changed everything. Not only did he save Alabasta from destruction, he also solved the kingdom's water crisis completely."
He looked across the bustling streets below.
"Back then, I worried everyone would struggle after moving to Peach Garden. Now it seems that decision was absolutely correct."
Chaka nodded slowly.
"I never imagined Alabasta could become like this. Even in my dreams, I couldn't picture such prosperity."
As one of Alabasta's royal guardians, Chaka had witnessed the kingdom during its darkest years.
Civil unrest.
Drought.
Despair.
But after Rolan intervened, the kingdom gradually transformed.
The climate changed.
Resources increased.
Trade flourished.
And after relocating into Peach Garden, Alabasta developed at an astonishing speed.
Its population multiplied several times over.
The entire kingdom looked reborn.
Pell adjusted his headscarf.
"Honestly, Chaka and I barely have anything to do anymore. We used to suppress rebellions constantly, but now everything's peaceful."
Igaram smiled faintly.
"It's not only Alabasta. Every island within Peach Garden is thriving."
His expression gradually became heavier.
"I just hope this peace can continue."
The atmosphere immediately shifted.
Chaka and Pell both fell silent.
After the Marineford War, the entire world had focused on the standoff between the World Government and Peach Garden.
Everyone believed a war capable of overturning the world would eventually erupt.
If such a battle truly happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yet despite the tension, neither side had acted.
The World Government expanded the Marines through massive recruitment.
Peach Garden remained strangely quiet.
But instead of easing tensions, the silence only made the world more uneasy.
...
"Bartholomew Kuma!!!"
A furious roar echoed through the area.
"Why?! Why are you treating Bartholomew Kuma like this?!"