Inside the office of 133 Headquarters Branch in the West Blue, sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting patches of light and shadow across the floor.
Gern sat on the sofa. His teacup had long since emptied, leaving only a few tea leaves clinging to the bottom.
"Heh heh!" Asahi leaned against the desk with a satisfied smile.
"So headquarters has approved it. Another five or six years, and I can retire as a Branch Captain."
He rubbed the sparse stubble on his chin. "Then I'll open a little tavern behind the branch, telling stories and selling drinks to those green recruits."
"Sounds good." Gern chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the branch annual photos hanging on the wall.
Then his fingertips tapped lightly against the rim of his cup. "Asahi, my warship might be staying here for a while..."
The moment he said it, Asahi, an old hand at navigating social niceties, understood what Gern meant.
He cut in at once, a sly gleam in his eyes. "Don't worry. Over the next two weeks,
133 Headquarters Branch will hold a grand welcome celebration, so the whole West Blue knows Heavenquake is back! And that he's right here at 133 Headquarters Branch in the West Blue."
Gern raised an eyebrow at Asahi. Talking to someone sharp really did make things easy!
"Rest assured! 133 Headquarters Branch in the West Blue..." Asahi suddenly lowered his voice.
"If we're talking about backing, you're our backing. If you need allies, we're your allies.
Branch 133 in the West Blue recognizes only Calamity justice! We've made our allegiance very clear.
Add in your bond with Admiral Zephyr and his network of students, and becoming Fleet Admiral is only a matter of time!
Still, Gern, you need to develop your own justice system and direct forces..."
Seeing