Between Real Men

"How cute!" Kujaku covered her mouth with both hands, looking like a child who had just discovered a novel toy. "Grandpa Zephyr, is he really not a prisoner?"

"Hmm?" Conrad's eyes were filled with question marks.

"So cute, so cute!" Kujaku clapped her hands repeatedly.

"He is not." Zephyr shook his head. "Kujaku, take us to see your grandmother."

"Okay!" Kujaku spun around playfully, shot a glare at Drake, and said, "Mop it clean! I'll be back later to check your work!"

"Uh..." Drake splashed a ladle of soapy water and began scrubbing the iron staircase.

Kujaku reminded him with a giggle, "You need to reply with 'received'."

"Received!" Drake managed to salute while scrubbing away with all his might.

Conrad felt a sense of dread; it was clear that Drake had been whipped into submission by the Whip-Whip Fruit. He was still in his growth phase, and facing a Devil Fruit user like this required him to act with wisdom.

It was lunchtime, and the female marines on Tsuru's warship were lined up, entering the mess hall in batches under the guidance of their officers, the sound of them taking their seats perfectly synchronized.

As the only all-female crew in the entire Navy, the level of discipline they displayed was remarkably high, which surprised even Conrad; it was nothing like the sloppy Navy he had imagined.

But after a moment's thought, it made sense—those with poor discipline couldn't possibly end up on Tsuru's ship.

Before long, Kujaku led Zephyr and Conrad into Vice Admiral Tsuru's private living quarters.

The room was furnished simply in pale tones, appearing rather cold, with the only exception being a strawberry-patterned tablecloth that matched the color of Kujaku's clothes.

Tsuru was sitting upright behind the table, spooning rice into her mouth one bite at a time, eating with great focus.

"Grandma!" Kujaku pounced to the side of the table and tilted her head back with her mouth open. Tsuru smiled, switched to a fork to spear an orange slice from a fruit platter, and fed it to her.

Kujaku chewed and swallowed before saying, "I want strawberries, I don't like oranges!"

Tsuru speared another slice, smiling as she said sternly, "Finish the orange before you have the strawberry."

"Oh~" Kujaku didn't resist and continued eating.

Seeing that Zephyr wasn't interrupting, he sat down on the sofa, and Conrad waited quietly as well.

Once Tsuru finished feeding Kujaku, she drained her soup bowl, stood up, and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Only then did Conrad notice that Vice Admiral Tsuru was quite tall, at least two meters, like a withered pine tree covered in snow.

"No, no appetite." Zephyr pulled a bottle of JEREZ wine from his coat pocket.

"You'd have an appetite if you drank less," Tsuru shook her head. "Though you wouldn't listen even if I told you."

"Haha~" Zephyr used his thumb to pry open the bottle, took a large gulp, and muttered, "If only Aokiji were here, he could help me chill it."

"Grandma Tsuru, hello." Conrad had a free-spirited nature and wasn't one to dwell on past sentiments, so he took the initiative to stand and greet her.

Tsuru shifted her gaze toward Conrad. "A wounded man should rest properly; my ship's doctor went to great lengths to save you."

"I am very grateful." Conrad had taken a punch from Vergo head-on, caught Baby-5 from high altitude, unleashed his power for a single shot, and then dived into the sea.

If not for the foundation he had built through training since childhood, any ordinary person would have already died.

"No need. You helped Drake transmit intelligence, exposed the Navy mole, and bought us time to retrieve Rosinante."

Tsuru stood with her hands behind her back, speaking slowly. "It was only right that we treated you; by rights, the Navy should even be awarding you a medal."

"I only want Baby-5 back." Conrad stated his request directly.

"She is a criminal," Tsuru emphasized. "A criminal of the Donquixote Family."

"I know." Conrad did not refute this; he had seen the scenes of Baby-5 firing guns and killing people alongside the family.

"But she won't be one in the future."

"Can you guarantee that?" Tsuru's gaze seemed to pierce into the depths of Conrad's eyes. "According to our interrogation, you have only met her once; in fact, it hasn't even been two hours in total."

Kujaku said in surprise, "Huh? I thought Baby-5 had known him for a long time, she was so concerned about him, mentioning him in every other sentence."

"I can guarantee it!" Conrad had no doubts.

"But I am sorry, I cannot trust you." Tsuru's tone remained calm, devoid of emotional fluctuation. "First, you are a child without records or status; in my eyes, you have no credibility, nor the ability to bear the risks."

"Second, she is a member of the Donquixote Family. If she is released and brought back by Doflamingo, it would be like letting a tiger return to the mountains."

"Third, she is a criminal—a serious criminal. Even if she is young and perhaps acting under orders, she must still undergo reform! Otherwise, there is a high probability she will become a tool for criminals once again!"

After stating these three points, Vice Admiral Tsuru suddenly raised her voice, her gaze sharp. "For example! You!"

An invisible pressure was suddenly released; unlike the fierce, domineering aura of Vergo, it felt like a biting wind from the high heavens, threatening to scour one's very marrow.

Zephyr suddenly burst into loud laughter, raising his wine bottle to block the space between them, cutting off the pressure. "Tsuru, just say it—what is the follow-up plan for that girl?"

Conrad closed his eyes, choosing to trust Zephyr. Between true men, once a task is entrusted, they will surely do their best to see it through.

Tsuru pondered for a moment and replied based on experience: "She will first be handed over to the court for trial. The sentence will likely be ten years. She will be supervised by the Marine Headquarters prison until she is sixteen, and the remaining years will be spent in Impel Down, where Devil Fruit users are held."

"Although I also hate pirates," Zephyr gulped down half the bottle of wine and wiped his mouth with his wrinkled hand, "I am also a man who has been a father."

He put an arm around Conrad's shoulder. "This kid is good, he has the potential to succeed, and I want to help him."

Tsuru fell silent. She was Zephyr's classmate; she now had a granddaughter this old, while his own wife and children had been killed by pirates when he was forty-two.

Zephyr continued, "That girl is still young, and she was forced into it, right? She isn't just born evil, is she?"

"She isn't!" Kujaku raised her whip to answer, "She was abandoned by her family when she was little because they thought she was a waste of food, and then she fell into a den of criminals to be trained as an assassin. It was miserable."

Conrad opened his eyes in surprise and looked at Kujaku, who stared right back at him with her usual wicked grin. Conrad suddenly felt that her "wickedness" might just be a matter of her appearance.

Tsuru took off Kujaku's hat. Unlike the neatness of her bangs and sideburns, the blonde hair underneath was a tangled mess, so she took a wooden comb from her pocket and began to groom it.

"Is there a middle-ground solution?" Zephyr bared his teeth in a grin, "You're a Marine staff officer; you were the smartest one back in our academy days. Coming up with a plan should be a piece of cake for you, right?"

"Supervision," Tsuru said, carefully grooming Kujaku's hair. "What that girl needs most right now is someone to watch over her—someone trustworthy to teach her and guide her toward the right path."

"Who would be suitable?" Zephyr leaned back on the sofa and scratched his head, "Handing her over to anyone would be a burden. It looks like I'll have to owe someone a favor."

Tsuru pondered, "I'll check the personnel list when I return before I decide."

"Me!" Conrad suddenly volunteered.

Tsuru frowned and said, "I just said it, you aren't yet..."

"One year! Within one year, I will earn your trust and take Baby-5 away. Until then..." Conrad clenched his fist and bowed ninety degrees, "Vice Admiral Tsuru! Please!"

Tsuru stopped combing, studied Conrad, and after a moment of silence, sighed and nodded, "Fine. Then she will be temporarily placed in my care for one year to keep Kujaku company."

"Yay!" Kujaku jumped up, but her messy hair got caught in the comb, causing her to hiss in pain as she squinted her teary eyes shut.