The Navy Headquarters cafeteria was unlike the military mess halls of his previous life, where soldiers queued for meals or dined at tables assigned to each unit according to the morning schedule.
Instead, the buffet-style dining system, more common in Western militaries of his previous world, was extremely popular here. Although the architecture was Japanese, the Western-style catering system made it feel a bit mismatched to Sakazuki.
However, from a nutritional standpoint, the menu was tailored by government nutrition experts to maximize energy replenishment and physical recovery after the Marines' grueling sea voyages and battles.
The Navy's meals could easily outshine those of allied militaries at the same level, not to mention the salted fish and dried meat that pirates often relied on during their endless time at sea.
Large cuts of smoked beef emitted an enticing aroma, and an array of sausages was neatly arranged in rows. Salmon, shellfish, and other seafood were placed on a bed of ice to stay fresh, awaiting the Marines to help themselves. On one side, soft white bread and baked biscuits were laid out on clean white paper in wicker baskets.
Sakazuki entered the cafeteria and headed straight to the second floor, reserved for officers. The food on the second floor was not much different from the first, but it included several additional types of sea beast meat. These creatures, which ordinary people viewed as the overlords of the sea, were merely high-protein, low-fat delicacies on the dining tables here.
Sakazuki picked up a tray, selected several perfectly pan-seared sea beast steaks, drizzled them with sauce, and walked toward a table.
At a four-person booth, a vice admiral wearing the Navy's Justice cape was lounging in a slouched posture. His short black hair curled slightly at the ends and clung close to his scalp. His noticeable eye bags and a perpetually relaxed gaze gave him an air of indifference.
The oddest thing about him was his mouth—tilted and puckered in a peculiar shape. If not for the Justice cape declaring his identity as a Navy officer, most people might have mistaken him for a comedian specializing in slapstick humor.
He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out an ornate tin cigarette case decorated with a seagull emblem. Leisurely, he retrieved a cigarette. Without even taking out a lighter, a bright flash sparked in his hand, igniting the cigarette.
He took a deep drag, and before he could exhale, Sakazuki's imposing figure loomed over him. "How many times do I have to tell you, Borsalino? Don't smoke in the dining area!" The peculiar man, called Borsalino, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his crooked lips twisting into a strange shape. He sighed leisurely, "How scary, Sakazuki… You're as strict as ever."
Sakazuki didn't respond. He set his tray down on the table and sat opposite Borsalino, his lips pressed into a thin line. "And you're as reckless and lazy as ever."
The man, who would one day be recognized as one of the Navy's top powers alongside Sakazuki, remained unfazed. With an odd smile, he replied, "I'll take that as a compliment."
"..." Sakazuki, seeing that his obstinate colleague was immune to criticism, chose not to pursue the matter further. His voice deepened slightly. "It's precisely because of your attitude that Zefa-sensei doesn't get along with you."
Borsalino shrugged lightly, showing no concern. He swiftly changed the subject. "By the way, I heard you adopted an orphan from Ohara?"
Sakazuki used a dining knife to carefully cut a steak into smaller pieces. "Your intel is quite impressive. I only brought the child back yesterday afternoon, yet you knew by noon today."
Even while dining, Sakazuki maintained the upright posture of a soldier. He sat ramrod straight, not leaning against the back of the booth. In stark contrast, Borsalino slouched in his seat, his posture relaxed and careless. The middle-aged Borsalino, who had yet to require glasses as he would in decades to come, tilted his head slightly and responded ambiguously,
"So, tell me—what kind of child managed to soften your iron heart? I can't imagine you going soft. Given our friendship and my understanding of you, I'd wager it's a girl."
"Ah la la, Borsalino, you actually guessed right," Kuzan's voice rang out, growing closer. He carried a tray of food in one hand and two glasses of lemonade in the other. Strolling leisurely to their table, he lazily sat down beside Sakazuki. Handing him a glass of lemonade, he remarked, "Just eating meat—aren't you thirsty, Sakazuki?"
Sakazuki didn't immediately take the glass of lemonade. Instead, he shot a sharp look at his junior, clearly annoyed. "Chill it for me!"
"Alright, alright," Kuzan replied with an exaggeratedly helpless expression. Activating his powers, he instantly chilled the lemonade, a layer of fine frost forming on its surface, with several ice cubes floating and clinking in the glass. This display of precise control over his abilities highlighted Kuzan's exceptional mastery.
Sakazuki accepted the glass and took a sip. The perfectly chilled, slightly tangy lemonade, combined with the fine frost, delivered a refreshing sensation that seemed to invigorate him from within.
Borsalino, ever opportunistic, reached out his hand. "So, that other glass is mine, right?"
Kuzan shook his head. "Sorry, but this one's mine. Ah la la… You were blocked from my view earlier, so I didn't see you there, Borsalino."
Borsalino finally realized he'd inadvertently diverted the conversation and hastily steered it back. "So, it really is a girl, huh?"
Sakazuki put down the water cup and took over the conversation: "This girl has been without parents since she was young. On top of that, she accidentally ate the Hana Hana no Mi, and was treated as a monster by the residents of the entire island. During the activation of the Buster Call, Kuzan and I happened to encounter her and rescued her."
"I see…" The man who would later be known as 'Kizaru' gave a sly smile. "Is there no other reason?"
Sakazuki's tone was cold: "Since your information is so quick, you must already know about the speech I gave on the warship, don't you? As for why I brought this child back… that is my answer."
For once, Borsalino restrained his smile, and his tone grew somewhat serious: "Of course, I've heard about it. You might not realize just how much of an impact your talk about 'what it means to be a soldier' had among the lower-ranking marines.
In just one night, half the officer-level marines at headquarters were discussing it. I think it won't be long before it reaches the admirals and the fleet admiral."
He spoke with a tone of admiration:
"No wonder Zefa-sensei has always valued you so highly. 'Becoming a soldier doesn't mean you're truly a marine'… What a meaningful statement."
"?" Kuzan, who had been sleeping since returning to his room, seemed a bit confused and didn't quite understand the conversation. He interjected, "Ala-ala, sounds like I'll need to ask around about this later. By the way, why didn't the child come with you to eat?"
"I left her with Jonathan for a while to recuperate," Sakazuki replied, keeping his head low as he focused on his meal.
"Jonathan?"
"Jonathan, huh…"
Two very different tones, each tinged with a hint of envy, repeated the name. All the officers at Marine Headquarters knew about a certain lucky bastard named Jonathan who had managed to woo the beautiful head chef from Vice Admiral Tsuru's warship.
Since then, he hadn't been seen at the headquarters cafeteria, spending all his time enjoying home-cooked meals instead. He'd earned the resentment of countless bachelors at Marine Headquarters.
"Oh, right, did you guys hear?" Borsalino suddenly remembered something. "That guy, Gol D. Roger's death, has caused no small amount of trouble for us. Everyone's suddenly swarming to become pirates, and right now, our marine forces are seriously stretched thin.
I'd say the admirals are bound to send us off to various places to station and hunt down these increasingly bold individuals. It's truly frightening…"
Sakazuki nodded: "Admiral Sengoku has already canceled the post-operation paper reports for the Buster Call commanders and ordered us to prepare for immediate deployment."
Kuzan sighed lazily: "Pirates are flocking to search for the Pirate King's great treasure, countless pirate crews clashing on the seas… It's completely out of control in terms of maintaining law and order on the seas. The oceans are about to become turbulent again."
Sakazuki's tone was resolute: "Which is exactly why we must act! Minimizing the damage while suppressing those pirate crews before they can grow—eliminate them in the cradle!"
The three said no more, silently finishing their meals. After placing their trays in the cleaning area, they walked out side by side. The military port, where warships were moored and prepared, became their backdrop. The midday sunlight was brilliant, stretching their shadows long until they touched the flagpole that bore the word "Justice."
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