At Marine Headquarters, inside the Marshal's office.
Several strange-looking people had gathered together.
"Woof! Awooo!"
"Meow! Meow!"
A cat and a dog pressed their foreheads together, pushing against each other in a contest of strength.
Nearby, the cross-dressing man Kikunojo smiled lightly. "Nekomamushi, Inuarashi, I'm so envious that your relationship is still this good!"
The cat and dog turned to glare at him at the same time and said in unison, "When did I ever become close to this old dog (old cat)?"
Then the cat and dog simultaneously turned to look at each other. "Bastard, don't copy me! Meow (woof)!"
Kikunojo smiled, then looked at someone beside him. "By the way, Kawamatsu, I heard you went to the Fish-Men recently to recognize some relatives?"
"Cough, cough! Y-you've got it wrong!" Kawamatsu denied it with slight embarrassment. "I'm a kappa, not a Fish-Man. I wouldn't go recognize any relatives!"
Kikunojo narrowed his eyes into slits and asked with a smile, "Is that true?"
"O-of course it's true!" Kawamatsu turned his head away guiltily and muttered, "People with narrowed eyes are the most terrifying!"
At that moment, the office door opened.
Longinus walked in, with Kōzuki Hiyori following closely behind him.
"Princess Hiyori! Sir Longinus!" Seeing the two enter, Nekomamushi and the others hurriedly stopped fooling around and greeted them.
"Uncle Kawamatsu, Kikunojo, little cat, little dog, I'm so happy to see you all!" Hiyori said happily.
"We feel the same! Being able to see the princess truly makes us incredibly happy!"
"If our lord knew how much the princess had grown, he would surely be overjoyed as well!"
"May we ask why the princess and Sir Longinus summoned us back?"
Longinus cleared his throat. "Sorry to have kept everyone waiting! The main reason I summoned you all back this time