"It's you, kid!" Seeing Kuzan suddenly sit down beside him, Garp scratched his head with a troubled look and said, "Why are you here too? Are you here to catch that kid as well? Oh no, don't tell me my secret has been discovered too?"
"Oh? What secret?" Hearing Vice Admiral Garp's words, Kuzan raised a brow, curiosity appearing in his lazy eyes. "What secret is Vice Admiral Garp talking about?"
"Ahahaha! Secret? What secret? Take that back!" Seeing Kuzan's curious look, Garp immediately laughed it off, picking his nose while pretending to be clueless. With an innocent expression, he said, "I never said anything about a secret. Did you mishear me?"
"..."
Watching Vice Admiral Garp stubbornly deny it, Kuzan helplessly shook his head. Then he returned to his usual lazy expression and said, "Since I was passing through the East Blue, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had me personally notify you that your vacation is over. Please return immediately."
"Ahahaha! It's already over? That fast? How come I didn't know?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku said you hung up on his call, and he already had Bogard bring over your personal warship and subordinates." Seeing Vice Admiral Garp still playing dumb and picking his nose, Kuzan showed no mercy as he exposed Garp's act. "I already saw Bogard at the docks. Also, Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked you not to hang up on his Den Den Mushi calls."
After saying that, he did not look at Garp again. He was merely carrying out a routine task. As for whether Vice Admiral Garp would return, that was none of his concern. He had delivered the message.
Turning to the tavern owner, Makino, he said leisurely, "Miss Makino, long time no see. One iced beer, please!"
"Cough, cough."
"Please get Vice Admiral Garp one as well! And do you have anything to eat? I haven't eaten all day."
Hearing Vice Admiral Garp coughing beside him, Kuzan naturally understood what he meant. He did not mind, merely shrugging as he reached into his pocket for money.
Suddenly.
"Ahahaha! Thanks a lot, Kuzan!" Vice Admiral Garp burst into laughter and slapped his huge palm directly onto Kuzan's shoulder as Kuzan was taking out his money. Grinning, he said, "You haven't eaten either?"
However.
As Garp's huge hand came down, Kuzan's shoulder lurched while he was taking out his money.
Then...
Tap.
Something seemed to have accidentally fallen from Kuzan's pocket onto the bar counter.
"What a coincidence, neither have I!" Garp, still patting Kuzan hard, seemed to hear something fall. As he spoke, he cheerfully lowered his head. "Eh? Looks like you dropped something?"
At that moment, he seemed to see something. His eyes stared blankly at the small pink card on the bar, and he blinked.
"This thing... why does it feel kind of familiar?"
"Mr. Garp." Makino looked at Garp helplessly and immediately scolded him, "Please mind yourself!"
Then.
Just as Kuzan's eyelid twitched and he was about to reach out and pick up the little card.
Makino hurriedly reached out first, picked up the card herself, and handed it to Kuzan's outstretched hand. "Sorry, Mr. Kuzan! This is yours. A Red Romance Private Club VIP card? Please keep it safe."
"..."
You really didn't need to say that out loud.
Kuzan's mouth twitched, but he swiftly reached out, snatched the card at a speed too fast for the naked eye to see, and stuffed it back into his pocket. "Oh, thank you very much, Miss Makino!"
Meanwhile, Garp, who had been deep in thought, seemed to realize something. With a look of sudden enlightenment, he said, "Red Romance Private Club? That's right, isn't this the Red Romance Private Club? Kuzan, kid, why do you have one too?"
"..."
Could you not say that so loudly?
Before Kuzan, his face covered in black lines, could say anything.
Makino, who had already taken out two glasses of iced 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 iced beer, drained it in one huge gulp, and said, "It's quite a good—"
However.
"Tavern." Kuzan directly interrupted Garp. A faint smile hung on his lazy face as he looked at him. "Mr. Garp, it's just a tavern, isn't it?"
"A tavern?" Garp, who had already finished his drink in one gulp, came back to his senses. After blinking, he narrowed his eyes and gave Kuzan a meaningful look. "That's right. Kuzan is correct. It's just a tavern!"
"Mr. Garp is right. It's just an unremarkable tavern!"
"I was only passing through and happened to have a drink there." Garp waved a hand and laughed. "Nothing special at all!"
"..."
Makino looked at the strange pair before her.
A tavern was just a tavern.
Why did Mr. Garp and Mr. Kuzan have to repeat it so many times?
Could the alcohol there be especially good?
However.
At that moment, neither Garp nor Kuzan noticed Makino's helpless yet curious expression. They only looked at each other.
One wore a cheerful smile, while the other lazily drank his beer.
Both had meaningful looks in their eyes.
Only a moment later.
Just as Kuzan finished the beer in his hand in one gulp.
"So, you've already seen that kid?" Garp picked his nose and was the first to break the silence, saying with a grin, "Where is he? Did you catch him already?"
However.
"I don't know what kid you mean, Vice Admiral Garp. Could you be more specific?"
Faced with Vice Admiral Garp's words, Kuzan kept his lazy expression and directly denied it. After asking Makino for another beer, he said leisurely, "Are you referring to Colonel Dander Xieche? I think he has considerable talent, but he was being wasted in the East Blue. So I sent him to the Grand Line for a secret mission and intend to recommend him to the higher-ups. By the way, why are you asking about him, Vice Admiral Garp? Are you familiar with him?"
"Ahahaha, not really." Seeing Kuzan play dumb, Garp immediately played dumb as well. Tilting his head back while still picking his nose, he said, "Not familiar, not familiar. I don't know any kid named Xia Che!"
"..."
Vice Admiral Garp was still the same as ever!
But Kuzan did not say much about Vice Admiral Garp pretending to be clueless. He smiled at Makino again in thanks and accepted the beer.
This time, he drank it slowly.
However.
The moment he took a sip and set down his drink, his eyes flickered slightly.
This time, he was facing a Shichibukai. Would that kid... still hide his strength?
Kuzan muttered, "He should have reached Alabasta by now!"
The moment his words fell.
"Pururururu, pururururu!"
Just as Kuzan wondered what that kid would do this time.
The Den Den Mushi began to ring.
Kuzan skillfully picked up the Den Den Mushi and answered it directly, speaking in a lazy tone. "Hello? What is it? If it's nothing important, I'm hanging up."
"Be serious, Kuzan!"
"Oh? Is that Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Hearing the Den Den Mushi's voice, Kuzan's lazy expression faded slightly. With a headache, he said, "Is there another mission?"
"Is that Sengoku?" Garp leaned over curiously, then hurriedly put on a serious expression. "Don't tell Sengoku I'm here!"
However.
Before the headache-ridden Kuzan could say anything.
"I already heard your voice!" The Den Den Mushi immediately started cursing. "Garp, you actually dared to hang up on me?"
"Ahahaha, so I was found out?"
"Bastard! Your vacation is over, and let me tell you something else!" Sengoku's Den Den Mushi continued roaring angrily. "Your snacks are all gone! Don't expect me to replenish them for you!"
"It's fine. I'll just eat yours!"
"..."
This damned bastard.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku." Seeing Sengoku's Den Den Mushi nearly explode with anger, Kuzan ignored Garp, who was picking his nose with a completely indifferent look. Worried that the two would keep arguing, he hurriedly interrupted, "What mission is this call about?"
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. It's all that bastard Garp's fault!" Hearing Kuzan's words, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi came back to its senses. It took a deep breath, ignored Garp, and adopted a serious expression.
At that moment.
The entire Den Den Mushi seemed to radiate the authority of a Fleet Admiral.
"Marine Headquarters is issuing a mission. Admiral Aokiji, Vice Admiral Garp." Sengoku's Den Den Mushi narrowed its eyes and spoke in a steady tone. "The Shichibukai, Crocodile's conspiracy against the Alabasta Kingdom has been exposed, and he has been defeated by the passing Moke Pirates. The two of you are to proceed immediately to the Alabasta Kingdom, bring Crocodile back to Marine Headquarters, and arrest the East Blue overlord—the Moke Pirates!"
After issuing the mission, a trace of emotion appeared on his face as he said wistfully.
"I never expected the Moke Pirates to have entered the Grand Line already. It seems both you and I underestimated that man's strength, Garp. He defeated Crocodile as soon as he entered the Grand Line. That man... is extremely dangerous. He is already far more dangerous than the Supernova, Portgas D. Ace."
Then, in a stern tone, he added, "The two of you must capture him this time. We absolutely cannot let him continue unchecked."
"..."
"What's wrong with you two?" Receiving no response, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi seemed to sense that something was strange on the other end. It frowned and said with displeasure, "Did you not hear what I said?"
"... Ahahaha."
"... Hahaha."
The two hurriedly laughed it off, then quickly put on serious expressions and said, "We heard you, we heard you."
"This is a real headache. I can't believe something like this happened." Though the replies from the two men seemed strange, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi did not pursue the matter further.
As long as they completed the mission, that was enough.
"I'll be busy again after this!" Sengoku's Den Den Mushi sighed, then raised its brows and looked at the two. "Now get moving immediately! Especially you, Garp. Get your ass back here!"
"Yes!"
"Got it, got it."
"Beep, beep."
As the Den Den Mushi call ended, Kuzan and Garp looked at each other again.
Then...
"Kuzan, kid, I'll leave the rest to you!"
"..."
Kuzan looked speechlessly at Garp, who had once again started picking his nose and drinking beer with an indifferent expression.
He understood that the old man was planning to slack off again.
But he did not say anything. Lowering his head, he looked at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, let out a long sigh, and muttered, "Dander Xieche."
He had not expected it to be resolved so quickly.
But... had he not made a move?
He stretched lazily and said helplessly, "I only just sat down. Looks like I have to get busy again."
Before you continue