Irony

"It seems we've arrived just in time."

Entering the hall without any hesitation, Kuzan sniffed, looked towards the kitchen, and sat down on the sofa.

Why are you here?

Ye Chen glanced up briefly, then returned his gaze to the newspaper.

"Can't you change your expression a little? Aren't you surprised I'm here?"

Seeing Ye Chen remain unmoved, Kuzan leaned back on the sofa, glanced at Bai Doudou who was lying on the sofa with one paw on the ground and her fluffy tail twitching, and raised an eyebrow.

"If you have something to say, then get lost."

Ye Chen turned a page of the newspaper, his expression unfriendly.

"Well, I haven't eaten yet, let's eat at the table!"

Completely ignoring Ye Chen's expression, Kuzan, propped his feet up on the table, and acted as if he were at home, closing his eyes contentedly.

Ye Chen frowned slightly at this matter-of-fact attitude, but nothing happened.

"Kuzan, what brings you here?" At that moment, Hina, wearing an apron, placed a bowl of dishes on the living room table.

"I'm here to inform you of something."

Opening his eyes, he looked at Hina, who was acting like the lady of the house, his face full of envy. "I never thought you two would actually get together. You're a perfect match!"

"Then stay for dinner!" Hina was pleased with Kuzan's words and immediately invited Kuzan to stay for the meal.

"Then it would be impolite of me to refuse!" Kuzan readily agreed.

"Wait a moment, there are two more dishes ready." With that, Hina turned and went into the kitchen, the sound of Gion's laughter echoing from time to time.

On the sofa, Bai Doudou tilted her head back, looked at Kuzan, and gave him a disdainful look.

Before long, the room was filled with a delicious aroma that made everyone's mouths water. Hina and Gion came out carrying the remaining dishes.

"Dinner's ready!"

The group sat at the dinner table, and a strange feeling arose within them.

"Gion- nee was supposed to be a guest today, but she ended up helping out the whole time."

Sitting next to Ye Chen, Hina looked at Gion apologetically, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"No, let's eat!" Bai Doudou started eating immediately.

"Let's all eat together!" Hina called out, already acting as the lady of the house, everything so natural.

After eating for a while, Ye Chen looked at Kuzan and asked, "You just had something to tell me, what was it?"

"Oh, Ming remembers to go to the conference room, there's a meeting." While eating, Kuzan nodded approvingly. "Hina, Gion, I didn't expect your cooking to be so good! That bastard's lucky!"

Kuzan's words made Gion a little embarrassed, as they were somewhat awkward.

"Such a small matter? Does it require you, an Admiral inform me?" Glancing at Kuzan, Ye Chen suspected that this guy was just here to freeload.

"Oh! I'm a bit bored, and I haven't eaten yet. Aren't we colleagues? We can visit each other now and then, which will help us get to know each other better!"

Kuzan shrugged, seemingly unfazed.

"That doesn't sound like something you'd say!"

"Don't worry about the details," Kuzan waved his hand.

And so, in a lively atmosphere, after a few rounds of drinks, Hina and Gion were in the kitchen tidying up the dishes, while the others sat on the sofa, enjoying their after-dinner tea and snacks.

"Hey, you didn't take both of these beauties as your wives, did you?!"

Kuzan winked; from the very beginning, he had wanted to ask this question.

"That's a great idea!" Bai Doudou, who had been lying there like a corpse, suddenly jumped up.

"Don't panic. I'm only with Hina. Gion is just a friend." He was very serious. Ye Chen didn't care about having multiple wives or concubines. After all, he only considered Gion a friend. Perhaps she had some thoughts about her, but they were just thoughts.

Never doubt a man's inherent flaws; otherwise, he wouldn't be a man.

"Tch! I think your relationship is a bit complicated!" Kuzan said knowingly, as if he were an experienced person.

"If there's nothing else, get out!"

Too lazy to pay Kuzan, Ye Chen continued browsing the newspaper.

After a moment of silence, Kuzan sat up straight, his expression becoming serious. "I'm here not just to inform you of the meeting, but mainly because of something else!"

"!" Without even looking up.

Do you know about Professor Zephyr?

Ye Chen put down his newspaper, looked at Kuzan, and frowned. "I've heard of him."

"What do you think!" Kuzan met Ye Chen's eyes.

"Regardless, Admiral Zephyr once taught me that if I were to encounter him, I would avenge him."

"This matter is not as simple as it seems on the surface."

The next day, in the main conference room, most of the generals were seated.

"Hey! What do you all think about this?" The leader, Sengoku, rubbed his forehead, his expression somewhat grim.

Below the "click-clack" sound, Garp nonchalantly ate his donut, showing no awareness whatsoever of his rank as a general.

"Wow! This is really scary. Are they going to accept a bunch of lawless pirates?" Putting down the item in his hand, no one knew what Kizaru was thinking.

"Do the Five Elders understand the implications of this proposal?"

"This plan was ordered to be carried out by the Five Elders."

Below, Ye Chen looked at the documents in his hand, expressionless. Sengoku had already explained the whole story to everyone. In fact, the Shichibukai Plan was not what Sengoku wanted, but rather, the plan was an order that came from Mary Geoise.

"The appearance of two mysterious figures recently has drawn great attention from the Five Elders. Therefore, in order to maintain the balance of the sea, the Shichibukai plan must be implemented."

"The seas are now teeming with renowned pirates. We will use a pirate's status, strength, and influence as a reference to recruit them into the Shichibukai."

"But the conditions offered are too generous!" It's not hard to see that if this plan is implemented, the navy will suffer a huge blow.

Once someone becomes Shichibukai, they can act freely without any government interference. Their previous arrest warrants will be revoked, and they will not be held accountable for their past crimes. They will also have the right to engage in privateering and may even be granted certain requests.

The duties of the Shichibukai are merely to deter and attack ordinary pirates, and when necessary, to accept mandatory summons from the World Government and to pay a certain amount of money to the government.

No matter how you look at it, it seems somewhat unequal, but a deeper examination reveals that the World Government's move has a certain profound meaning.

In general, the two sides have only a cooperative relationship, which is mutually beneficial.

"Since it's an order from the Five Elders, then we, the Navy, should carry it out!" Suddenly, Akainu spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

Ye Chen frowned as he looked at Sakazuki. This guy used to hate pirates the most, and he would resolutely fight against evil even if it affected civilians. Strictly speaking, given Sakazuki's extreme sense of justice, he should have been the first to oppose it, but now, it seems a bit unexpected.

At the top, Sengoku showed no expression, only glancing at Sakazuki.

"Let's discuss the selection of the Shichibukai!" Tsuru said, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere.