Mo Xingchen and Kizaru, the two slackers, barely endured until the end-of-work bell rang in the office.
Kizaru immediately turned into light and vanished without a trace. Mo Xingchen leaped out the window and shot toward town with Geppo.
By the time Mo Xingchen arrived at the restaurant he had booked while still at work, he found that Kizaru had already changed into casual clothes and was sitting at the table, elegantly sipping red wine.
Mo Xingchen instantly flew into a rage, glaring wide-eyed as he pointed at Kizaru and shouted:
"Damn it! You've gone too far!"
Borsalino pulled his sunglasses down his nose and said with a crooked grin and slanted eyes:
"Kowai ne! Then I'll treat you to this meal."
"Hmph! I'll be magnanimous and let you off this time."
Mo Xingchen changed his expression in an instant, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes from moving so quickly, then elegantly pulled out a chair and sat down.
The whole thing started because Mo Xingchen had no idea what possessed him to insist on racing Kizaru. They agreed that whoever arrived at the restaurant last would pay.
That bastard had actually found time to go home! Going home to drop off a gift would have been one thing, but he had even changed clothes! Did Mo Xingchen not have any pride?!
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they each went home and found their own mothers.
When Mo Xingchen strolled over to Garp's courtyard, he saw that the lights were still on inside and knocked on the door.
"Yo hahahaha, you finally decided to come back to Marine Headquarters, huh?"
"Tsk, I've already toured the Four Seas anyway."
Garp stepped aside to let Mo Xingchen in, then ran into the bedroom and came back carrying a box as though it were some priceless treasure.
Opening the lid, Garp carefully pinched something inside with his thick fingers and handed it over. Mo Xingchen took it and casually looked through it. They were photographs and letters.
Garp happily introduced them to Mo Xingchen one by one.
"Look, this is Ace! He's already grown this big. When I first brought him home, he was only this tiny!
"Yo hahahaha, and this one! This is Dragon's son, my grandson, Luffy! Monkey D. Luffy!
"Yo hahahaha, I'll definitely train them into heroes of the Marines!"
Mo Xingchen smiled as he listened to Garp boast. Then he spotted the words "For Colonel Mo Xingchen" written in large letters on an envelope. He froze for a moment, tilted his head, and asked:
"Old Man Garp, isn't this a letter Dragon wrote to me?"
Garp paused as well, then awkwardly scratched his head and laughed.
"Yo hahahaha, I was just curious about what that brat wrote!"
Then he angrily said:
"Speaking of that, I'm still furious! If I hadn't read the letters he wrote to you, I wouldn't have known he got married, much less that he had a child!
"He didn't even tell me, his father, about something as important as that! Last time I ran into him at the G-3 Base, I gave him a vicious beating. The slipper print on his face still hasn't faded!"
Mo Xingchen slapped his forehead and said helplessly:
"Uncle, have you considered that Dragon might have gone to the G-3 Base specifically to tell you those things in person? Otherwise, I can't think of why you would happen to run into him at a branch base."
"Ah... haha... hahahaha, is that so?"
I pity Dragon for three seconds. He probably went happily to share the good news with his old man, only to get beaten up for no reason and receive an Supreme Grade Slipper tattoo as a bonus.
Seeing Garp grow even more embarrassed, Mo Xingchen smiled and changed the subject.
"By the way, Uncle, how do you plan to train those two little ones?"
"Of course, I'll train them into powerful Marines like me. Back when I was five, I defeated the strongest beast on Mt. Colubo..."
"Wait, Uncle, hold on. I think the most important thing for children is ideological education! Teach them how to conduct themselves! They need to understand right from wrong and be guided into forming proper worldviews, values, and outlooks on life.
"Whether they slowly build up their own strength or borrow external power, the user must first revere strength and life itself. Otherwise, it becomes uncontrolled power. And uncontrolled power often brings nothing but destruction."
Garp's expression turned serious at that. He frowned as he seemed to ponder something. When Mo Xingchen saw him suddenly pound his fist into his palm, he thought Garp had come up with a good idea. Instead, he got a perfectly justified response.
"That's too troublesome. I can't do it!"
I'm tired. Let the world burn.
Garp was still dependable when it came to major matters. He was just a little careless about minor things, which did not matter much. But when it came to raising children, he was practically a bottomless pit.
Back when Mo Xingchen watched the anime, he could laugh when little Luffy and the others were chased all over the forest by wild beasts while still tiny, or tied to balloons and sent flying into the sky. But imagine if the person being chased by a tiger had been five-year-old you! No one would be laughing then.
"What do you think about bringing them to Marine Headquarters once they're a little older?"
"Ace might be all right, since so much time has passed and that mission was stopped long ago.
"But Luffy... you know what Dragon is doing now, and who his enemies are. The CP Organization will definitely keep an eye on Luffy. It's easy to dodge an open attack, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Unless you can stay by Luffy's side at all times."
"Sigh... we'll see when the time comes. Once Old Man Kong steps down in a few days, let's go back to East Blue together and visit those two little brats."
"No problem."
Early the next morning, Mo Xingchen walked into the meeting room with a yawn, holding soy milk and fried dough sticks he had brought from the cafeteria. After looking around, he found that the lowest-ranked attendees were Rear Admirals. As a mere Colonel among them, he stood out like a sore thumb. Still, most of the officers nodded to him in greeting, their attitudes quite friendly.
He looked over at the conference table and saw that it was occupied by Marine higher-ups and Vice Admirals with real authority. So he consciously went to the corner of the last row and quietly began eating breakfast.
Big shots always liked making the last entrance. The meeting had been scheduled for nine-thirty, and Mo Xingchen had arrived right on time. Yet it was already nine-forty when Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku slowly entered the meeting room.
As Fleet Admiral Kong took his seat, an attendant closed the meeting room doors, and the atmosphere immediately turned solemn.
Kong swept his gaze across the room. When he saw Mo Xingchen still lowering his head and eating fried dough sticks, his brow twitched. But since everyone who was supposed to be there had arrived, he could not be bothered to fuss over such trivialities. He cleared his throat and spoke:
"Comrades, I believe you've all heard some rumors recently. That's right! This may be the last time I preside over a meeting in the name of Fleet Admiral.
"During my tenure, all of you have fought bravely for the justice in your hearts. You brought down the Pirate King and captured vicious Great Pirates. Your actions have not tarnished the dignity of the Marines, and I am honored to have served alongside you!
"However, I truly am getting old. It is time to hand the Marines' future over to you younger people. In a few days, the Training Camp's graduation ceremony will be held, and that will also be my handover ceremony.
"So now, let us invite the next Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku, to say a few words!"
Clap clap clap.
Before you continue