Time flew by.
Another half year passed.
No one knew what exactly had happened during the month Kuzan had disappeared half a year ago—not Sengoku, Tsuru, the female doctor, or Vice Admiral Morgol, even though they had their suspicions.
Still, none of them asked.
They kept the matter secret, and only the four of them knew.
Kuzan acted as he always had.
He was just even quieter and more aloof than before.
That did nothing to reassure Sengoku. If anything, it only made him more worried.
If Tsuru hadn't stopped him, he would have arranged for Kuzan to see a therapist.
Kuzan had been far too calm these past six months.
It just didn't make sense.
After all, what he had been through could have left him with serious psychological scars.
If it had been a handsome man who'd done that to him, perhaps Kuzan wouldn't have suffered any trauma. The problem was that it had been an okama—a pervert.
Even though Kuzan hadn't shown any signs of trouble in the past six months, Sengoku still kept the matter firmly in mind.
Every so often, he would go out of his way to check on him or offer him some encouragement.
Or perhaps...
Kuzan was still a virgin?
Maybe that was why he seemed so calm. It wasn't impossible.
Aside from Kuzan's situation, a few other things had happened over the past six months that gave Sengoku a headache.
The Richest Group's executives were as incorrigible as ever. They were either stirring up trouble or on their way to stirring up trouble, and they had picked fights with every top-tier power around.
Aside from Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Issho, the Marines and the Richest Group had kept the peace for the past six months.
Other pirates, however, had given the Marines