"Hahaha! So you're the prince of the Prince Kingdom who doesn't want to inherit the throne but wants to join the navy instead? And that bastard causing trouble in the North Sea and getting a bunch of people killed, that's your brother? You two brothers are nothing alike, huh?"
Garp kept shoving food into his mouth while talking to Gruss, who was forcibly dragged to sit beside him. Gruss, now trembling with nervousness, could barely speak.
"Y-yes, it's me. My n-name is ... G-Gruss," he stammered after struggling to get his words out.
Garp chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Do you know how much trouble you've caused by not inheriting the throne? But your obsession with justice fits perfectly with me. From now on, you'll follow me, and I'll train you to become the next admiral of the navy."
"An... admiral?"
Gruss froze, his entire body turning red, and steam began to rise from his head.
"Garp! You idiot! What the hell are you doing? Don't lead the kid astray! Can't you shut up even with food in your mouth?" Sengoku shouted, hurling a steak at Garp's face, which Garp caught and stuffed into his mouth.
"I'm serious! Every disciple I've ever trained has become an admiral. Hahaha!" Garp laughed heartily.
Rorschach sat frozen between Kizaru and Zephyr, silently picking at the plate of green peas in front of him, too intimidated to move. The aura around these powerful figures was overwhelming, even though none of them were actively releasing their pressure. Sitting with them felt like sitting among five massive sea kings, with Rorschach himself being no more than a small fish.
Still, the atmosphere was surprisingly warm and joyful, a rare sight to behold.
At the head of the table, Garp was still laughing and teasing Gruss, while Kuzan lazily ate beside him. Across from Rorschach, Sengoku, looking kindly, would occasionally place food onto Rorschach's plate. Rorschach seemed uncomfortable with such affection, but his observation haki could sense that Rorschach's emotions were joyful despite his stiff demeanor. It wouldn't be long before he felt a sense of belonging in the navy.
Sengoku clearly knew about Rorschach from Rosinante and the connection between them. Rosinante had been Sengoku's adopted son, and when he heard of Rosinante's sacrifice on Minion Island, Sengoku had wept bitterly. Now that Rorschach, his 'grandson,' was here, Sengoku seemed filled with relief.
As for Rorschach's immediate neighbors, Kizaru was slowly peeling a lobster with meticulous care, not missing a single piece of meat. His slow, deliberate movements reminded Rosha of a sloth from Zootopia, making him question whether Kizaru was more sloth than monkey.
On his right, Zephyr was fiddling with his mechanical arm, causing a series of clicks and clacks. Rorschach watched as Zephyr opened the casing on the arm, retrieving a very familiar-looking bottle of wine.
"Kuzan, could you chill this for me?" Zephyr asked, handing the bottle to Kuzan.
Kuzan placed his hand over the bottle, and a white frost quickly spread over its surface, chilling the wine in an instant. Rosha couldn't help but admire the practical use of a devil fruit. Using it solely for battle seemed like a waste of its potential.
"Kid, want some wine?" Zephyr asked, raising the chilled bottle.
"I-I'll handle it, Zephyr-sensei! I can't let you serve me!" Rorschachstammered, quickly standing up to take the bottle and pour a small amount for everyone at the table.
As soon as Rorschachfinished pouring, Garp wasted no time downing his drink in one gulp, wiping his mouth afterward. "Not enough! It's too little, Zephyr! You must have more of that hidden in your arm, right? Don't be stingy!"
"There's no more! My arm only has so much space, and it's meant for fighting pirates, not storing wine!" Zephyr snapped back.
"Hmph! I'm sure you're just being stingy," Garp grumbled, grabbing another bottle brought by Daws. "I declare that the best wine is what we brew ourselves! This sherry wine is outdated!"
"What did you say, Garp? You won't get any more sherry from me after this!" Sengoku retorted, the two old men starting to bicker again.
Kuzan, however, seemed unusually focused on Rorschach, staring at him intently.
"Uncle Kuzan, is something wrong?" Rorschach asked, confused by the attention.
After spending over a month with Kuzan, Rorschach had grown quite close to him. Kuzan had taught him many things and even acted as his sparring partner from time to time. Despite Kuzan's aloof exterior, he was genuinely kind.
"Nothing, just don't drink too much," Kuzan said, eyeing Rorschach's slightly flushed face.
"This is barely half a bowl. I haven't even started!" Rorschach laughed, unaware of the growing tension in the room.
Zephyr raised his glass to toast Rorschach. With no choice, Rorschach downed the large bowl of sherry in one gulp. The fiery burn immediately spread through his chest, making his head swim and his tongue feel heavy.
Kuzan covered his face with his hand, murmuring to himself, "This is bad. He can't hold his liquor."
About ten minutes later…...
"Hehehe, Zephyr-sensei, how do you even go to the bathroom with that heavy mechanical arm? Doesn't the toilet break under its weight?" Rorschach giggled, slinging an arm around Zephyr's shoulder.
"Huh?" Zephyr was caught off guard.
"Hey, Uncle Borsalino, do stronger people grow their nails faster? I heard from Drake that you spend your days trimming them!" Rorschach's other arm fell onto Kizaru's shoulder.
Kizaru, in the middle of peeling a shrimp, froze.
Finally, Rorschachmet Garp's confused eyes. "Grandpa Garp, shouldn't your code name be 'Senbei' instead of 'Iron Fist'? You can go a day without punching, but never without eating senbei!"
Kuzan groaned, tugging at his hair as Drake, Law, and Daws stood frozen in shock, mouths wide open in disbelief.
"Poof!"
Sengoku spat out his drink, laughing uncontrollably. "Hahaha! You're spot on, kid! I've never agreed with anyone more!"
"From now on, Garp, your codename will be 'Senbei.' It suits you perfectly! Hahaha!"
In the midst of Sengoku's laughter, three massive shadows loomed over Rorschach.
"Fist Bone!"
"Meteor!"
"Light Speed Kick!"
(End of Chapter)
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