A luxury merchant ship sailed steadily across the waters of the Grand Line.
Sunlight spilled over the deck, bathing it in a golden glow.
The ship's dining room buzzed with voices, the aroma of food filling the air.
Gern sat at a table piled high with all kinds of delicacies.
Golden-roasted Sea King meat, dinosaur bones thicker than an arm, fruit tarts stacked into a small mountain...
The speed at which he ate was staggering. Almost everything disappeared in a single bite, as though the food merely paused before him before vanishing into his mouth a moment later.
"Vice Admiral Gern, slow down..."
Tesoro watched helplessly as his superior demolished the food.
He gently prodded a delicate dessert cake with his fork, his elegant movements a stark contrast to Gern's.
"Mmph... delicious! And Tesoro, you've got to eat with gusto and eat fast. That's how you get strong! Strong people always eat like this..."
Gern's reply came out muffled. He casually took the cake Lipo handed him and swallowed it whole, not even bothering to chew.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Lipo wiggled her rabbit ears and said with a beaming smile, "Gern's stomach must be a bottomless pit!"
"Lipo, you spoil Vice Admiral Gern too much!" Watching her pass Gern more food, Tesoro sighed and sipped his black tea before finally asking the question on his mind.
"But Vice Admiral Gern, why are we taking a merchant ship back? We could've borrowed a warship from the branch..."
"Pfft..." Gern nearly choked on his meat. With Lipo's help, he hurriedly gulped down some juice, then waved a hand to cut Tesoro off.
"Come on. If we took a warship back, wouldn't that practically announce to Fleet Admiral Kong that I finished the mission in less than three days and spent the rest of