Just an Ordinary Tavern

"It's you, kid!" Garp scratched his head in frustration as Kuzan suddenly sat beside him. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to catch that kid too? Oh no, my secret probably isn't secret anymore, is it?"

"Oh? What secret?" Kuzan raised an eyebrow at Vice Admiral Garp's words, a curious look appearing on his usually lazy face. "What secret are you talking about, Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Ahahaha~, secret? What secret? Take back what I just said!" Seeing Kuzan's curious gaze, Garp simply laughed it off, pretending to be oblivious as he picked his nose with an innocent expression. "I never said anything about a secret. Did you mishear me?"

"..."

Kuzan shook his head helplessly at Vice Admiral Garp, who was still stubbornly denying everything. He then resumed his usual lazy expression and said, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked me to personally inform you since I was passing through the East Blue. Your vacation is over, and you need to return immediately!"

"Ahahaha~, it's over already? So soon? How come I didn't know?"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku said you hung up on his Den Den Mushi call directly. He's also already sent Bogard with your exclusive warship and subordinates." Seeing that Vice Admiral Garp was still pretending to be oblivious and picking his nose, Kuzan didn't hold back and directly exposed Garp's act. "I already saw Bogard at the dock. Also, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants you not to hang up on his Den Den Mushi calls."

With that, he stopped looking at Garp. He was just doing his duty. As for whether Garp would return, Kuzan didn't really care; he had already delivered the message.

Turning his head to look at the tavern owner, Makino, he said leisurely, "Miss Makino, long time no see. A glass of ice-cold beer, please!"

"Cough cough~"

"One for Vice Admiral Garp too, please! And do you have anything to eat? I haven't eaten all day~"

Hearing Vice Admiral Garp's cough, Kuzan understood his meaning immediately. He didn't mind, shrugged, and was about to take money out of his pocket when—

Suddenly.

"Ahahaha, thank you very much, Kuzan kid!" Vice Admiral Garp burst into laughter and patted Kuzan's shoulder with his large palm, saying cheerfully, "Haven't you eaten either?"

However.

As Garp's large palm came down, Kuzan, who was reaching for his wallet, stumbled.

Then...

"Clink~"

Something seemed to have accidentally fallen out of Kuzan's pocket and onto the bar counter.

"What a coincidence, neither have I!" Garp, who was still patting Kuzan vigorously, seemed to hear something fall. "Hmm? Did you drop something?" he said, lowering his head cheerfully.

At this moment, he seemed to see something as well. His eyes stared blankly at the small pink card that had fallen on the bar counter, and he blinked.

"This thing... it looks a bit familiar?"

"Mr. Garp~" Makino looked at Garp helplessly and reprimanded him without hesitation, "Please be mindful!"

Then.

As Kuzan's eyelids twitched and he was about to reach for the card, Makino quickly reached out, picked up the card herself, and handed it to Kuzan, who had his hand extended. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kuzan! This is yours, a VIP card for the Red Romance Private Club? Please keep it."

"..."

You didn't have to say it out loud...

Kuzan's mouth twitched, but he quickly extended his hand, took the card at an imperceptible speed, and stuffed it back in. "Oh, thank you very much, Miss Makino!"

Meanwhile, Garp, who had been lost in thought, seemed to have just realized what was happening and said with a look of sudden understanding, "Red Romance Private Club? That's right, isn't this the Red Romance Private Club? Kuzan kid, how come you have one too?"

"..."

Can you not be so loud?

Before Kuzan, whose face was darkening, could say anything.

Makino, who had already retrieved two glasses of ice-cold beer from behind the counter, asked curiously, "Red Romance Private Club? Mr. Garp, have you been there too? What kind of place is it?"

"Ahahaha, of course, I've been there." Garp cheerfully picked up his ice-cold beer and took a large gulp. "It's a good..."

However.

Before he could finish his sentence.

"Tavern~" Kuzan, standing beside him, directly interrupted Garp's words, a slight smile on his lazy face as he looked at Garp. "Mr. Garp, isn't that just a tavern?"

"A tavern?" Garp, who had just finished his drink, also came to his senses. He blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Kuzan meaningfully. "That's right, Kuzan kid is right, it's just a tavern!"

"Mr. Garp is right, it's just an ordinary tavern!"

"I just stopped by for a drink on my way back." Garp waved his hand and laughed heartily. "Nothing special!"

"..."

Makino looked at the two peculiar men in front of her.

It's a tavern, so it's a tavern~

Why do Mr. Garp and Mr. Kuzan have to repeat it so many times?

Is the alcohol there really that good?

However.

At this moment, neither Garp nor Kuzan noticed Makino's helpless and curious expression. They were both looking at each other.

One wore a cheerful smile, while the other lazily drank his beer.

Their eyes held a deep, unspoken meaning.

Just a moment.

It was only as long as it took Kuzan to finish his beer.

"So, you've already seen that kid?" Garp asked, picking his nose and breaking the silence with a smile. "What about that kid? Did you catch him already?"

However.

"What kid are you talking about? Vice Admiral Garp, could you be more specific?"

Facing Vice Admiral Garp's words, Kuzan maintained his usual lazy expression and directly denied it. After asking Makino for another drink, he leisurely said, "Are you asking about Colonel Dande Xiashe? I think that guy has a lot of talent, but he was buried in the East Blue. So, I've already sent him on a secret mission to the Grand Line and plan to recommend him to my superiors. By the way, why are you asking about him, Vice Admiral Garp? Are you very familiar with him?"

"Ahahaha, not that familiar~" Seeing Kuzan playing dumb, Garp also played dumb. He tilted his head, still picking his nose, and said, "Not familiar, not familiar at all. I don't know any kid named Xiashe at all!"

"..."

Vice Admiral Garp is still the same as ever!

But Kuzan didn't say much about Vice Admiral Garp playing dumb. He smiled again at Makino, thanked her, and took his beer.

This time, however, he drank it slowly.

After taking a sip and putting down the drink, his eyes flashed slightly.

This time he was facing a Shichibukai. That kid... would he still hide his strength?

Kuzan muttered to himself, "He should be almost at Alabasta by now!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

"Rumble~, rumble~"

Just as Kuzan was wondering what that kid would do this time, the Den Den Mushi rang.

Kuzan skillfully picked up the Den Den Mushi and answered it directly, with a lazy tone, "Hello, what's up? If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up!"

"Please be serious, Kuzan~"

"Oh dear, is that Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Hearing the Den Den Mushi's voice, Kuzan's lazy expression slightly subsided, and he said with a bit of a headache, "Is there another mission?"

"Is that Sengoku?" Garp, who was beside him, also leaned in curiously, then quickly said with a serious expression, "Don't tell Sengoku I'm here!"

However.

Before the troubled Kuzan could say anything.

"I already heard your voice!" The Den Den Mushi immediately started yelling, "Garp, how dare you hang up my call?"

"Ahahaha, you found me?"

"You scoundrel! Your vacation is over, and I'm telling you!" Sengoku's Den Den Mushi continued to roar angrily, "Your snacks are all gone! Don't think I'll replenish them for you again!"

"It's fine, I'll just eat yours!"

"..."

This scoundrel.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku~" Seeing Sengoku's Den Den Mushi about to explode with anger, Kuzan ignored Garp, who was picking his nose with a nonchalant expression, and quickly interrupted, worried that the two would continue to argue, "What's the mission for this call?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot. It's all that scoundrel Garp's fault!" Hearing Kuzan's words, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi came back to its senses, took a deep breath, stopped paying attention to Garp, and put on a serious expression.

At this moment.

The entire Den Den Mushi seemed to exude the aura of a Marine Fleet Admiral.

"I am now issuing a Marine Headquarters mission, Admiral Aokiji, Vice Admiral Garp." Sengoku's Den Den Mushi's eyes narrowed, and it spoke in a steady tone, "The conspiracy of the Shichibukai, Crocodile, against the Alabasta Kingdom has been exposed, and he was defeated by the passing Moke Pirates. I order you two to immediately head to the Alabasta Kingdom, bring Crocodile back to Marine Headquarters, and simultaneously arrest the East Blue Overlord – the Moke Pirates!"

After issuing the mission, his face showed a hint of emotion and melancholy.

"I didn't expect the Moke Pirates to have already entered the Grand Line. It seems that both Garp and I underestimated this guy's strength. He defeated Crocodile as soon as he entered the Grand Line. This guy... is quite dangerous, far more dangerous than the Supernova Portgas D. Ace."

He then said in a serious tone, "You two must capture him this time. You absolutely cannot let him continue like this."

"..."

"What's wrong with you two?" Not receiving a response, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi seemed to sense something strange and frowned, speaking with dissatisfaction, "Didn't you hear me?"

"...Ahahaha~"

"...Hahaha~"

The two quickly laughed it off, then hastily said with serious expressions, "We heard~, we heard~"

"This is really troublesome, to have caused such a mess." Although the responses from the other side seemed a bit strange, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi didn't probe further.

As long as they completed the mission, it was fine.

"I have to get busy again!" Sengoku's Den Den Mushi sighed, then raised an eyebrow and looked at the two in front of him, "Now, you two hurry up and depart! Especially you, Garp, hurry up and get back here!"

"Yes!"

"Got it, got it~"

"Beep beep~"

As the Den Den Mushi call ended, Kuzan and Garp exchanged another glance.

Immediately after…

"Kid Kuzan, it's up to you now!"

"..."

Kuzan stared speechlessly at Garp, who was nonchalantly picking his nose and drinking beer as if nothing had happened.

He understood that the old man was preparing to slack off again.

But he didn't say much more. He lowered his head, looked at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, and let out a long sigh, muttering to himself, "Dante Xiashe."

He hadn't expected it to be resolved so quickly.

It was just… he hadn't made a move, had he?

He stretched comfortably and said helplessly, "I just sat down, and it looks like I'll have to get busy again."