[Clatter!]
The chopsticks in Gintoki's hand fell onto the tatami.
Yet he remained in the pose of picking up food, his hand suspended in midair, his dead-fish eyes wider than ever before.
Half-chewed tamagoyaki was visible in his slightly open mouth.
Shinpachi's reaction was even more dramatic as he suddenly threw himself backward.
The back of his head hit the floor with a thud.
But as though he felt no pain at all, the finger pointing at the screen trembled violently.
"Th-th-th-that is..."
"Are you kidding me?!"
Gintoki's voice squeezed out of his throat, so soft it sounded like he was talking to himself, yet distorted from excessive shock.
"W-we just... just mentioned CP..."
But the words caught in his throat because his reason was screaming.
At the same time, he recalled Rob Lucci and Bruno, whom he had seen with his own eyes that day.
"Cosplay again?"
Gintoki mechanically turned to look at the equally stunned Shinpachi.
"Have clubs nowadays developed to the point where they can launch warships and form fleets?"
"Or is this some gigantic World Government-themed amusement park parade?"
"How much are the tickets?"
"Do they have children's tickets?"
"Are they selling Kizaru-style sunglasses?"
Though his thoughts were somewhat chaotic, his instinct for snark was still working.
Still, anyone could hear the disbelief in his voice.
Then, the image on the television switched to Earth's low orbit.
Everyone saw that the fleet under the Shogunate had already deployed in an emergency.
More than two hundred identical warships formed an interception formation and headed directly toward the mysterious fleet.
Not long afterward.
A stern male voice came over the public communications channel.
"This is the Earth Shogunate Self-Defense Force."
"You have entered this planet's defense identification zone. State your identity and purpose immediately, and cease your advance."