Chasing a lingering trace of longing, meeting again in silence—when the summer wind brushed across Gion's face, lifting a strand of hair, neither of them spoke. The quiet itself felt like the answer to how much they had missed each other.
Kuzan stood there as casually as ever, hands in his pockets, and behind him followed a towering, white-scaled python—Boa—its amber eyes staring blankly at Gion.
Seeing Kuzan unmoving, Boa assumed Gion was blocking their way. It swayed its massive head forward, eyes flashing, as if signaling her to step aside.
Gion didn't understand its intent. She simply stood still, staring at Kuzan's sharper, more mature face.
"Oi, big-boobs girl! Long time no see! I missed you. Come here, let me check if you got fatter again!"
Kuzan grinned and teased her just like always—same tone, same arrogance—like nothing at all had changed.
Gion's sword was drawn before the words even finished, and she charged straight at him.
Boa saw Gion swing a blade and instantly assumed she was attacking Kuzan. Its body surged with Armament Haki, tail whipping through the air like a cannon blast.
"—!!"
One strike sent both Kuzan and Gion flying.
Kuzan crashed into a stone pillar—shattering it to rubble—while Gion rolled across the ground, stunned.
Boa blinked, confused, as if saying, "I didn't even hit you. Why did you go flying, too?"
Kuzan coughed, got to his feet, and realized what almost happened. With Boa's strength and high-level Armament Haki, that single tail swipe could have killed Gion on the spot. He had jumped in front of her at the last second, taking the full blow with her.
Gion's mind raced. She had assumed Boa was just Kuzan's bizarre pet—proof of his strange taste—but that single strike made her face pale.
That kind of power… how many tons of force was that?
Ignoring her own pain, she hurried over to Kuzan.
Kuzan explained briefly—Boa's strength, its training role, and its ability to help develop Haki.
The moment Gion heard that Boa could help sharpen Armament Haki, her eyes lit up like fireworks.
She walked straight up to Boa and, despite being sore all over, respectfully introduced herself.
Kuzan signaled Boa to relax. Boa lowered its massive head in acknowledgment and gently rubbed it against Gion in acceptance.
After that, Kuzan led Gion and Boa through Marine Headquarters.
He had arrived earlier that morning, after more than half a month at sea. His mind felt settled again.
As soon as he reported in, he was summoned to Fleet Admiral Kong's office. Kong asked for a detailed account of the battle with Baroque Redfield and everything that happened on the Devil's Sea island.
Kuzan laid out the chain of events and warned him directly:
"When facing Baroque Redfield, it's best not to approach alone. His Observation Haki is so advanced that it's nearly impossible to land a hit. His swordsmanship and Armament Haki are strong enough that even an admiral may not win one-on-one."
He paused—then added:
"Except maybe Vice Admiral Garp."
Fleet Admiral Kong took note. Hearing Kuzan had advanced both his Observation and Armament Haki to high levels, he was visibly pleased.
If Kuzan continued growing like this, it wouldn't be long before the Navy gained another admiral-level powerhouse.
Kong reminded Kuzan to rest, then told him that in the coming days, he would assign top instructors to further train him.
Kuzan left the office feeling genuinely grateful. For the first time, he felt how much the Navy was investing in him—and how much he now belonged to it.
Meanwhile, Boa—impossible to ignore—was the center of attention. Marines stared in disbelief at the enormous python coiled on the grounds.
"Whose pet is this?! You can't just bring something like that here! It'll terrify the recruits!"
A Vice Admiral stepped forward, demanding an explanation.
Kuzan answered immediately:
"Report, sir! He's with me."
The Vice Admiral blinked. "Kuzan?! When did you get back? Just call me Vice Admiral Momonga."
"Vice Admiral Momonga, I returned today. Boa has Fleet Admiral approval—he's permitted to enter any area of Headquarters."
Momonga nodded. He knew Kuzan's status—one of the Navy's rising monsters, a future admiral candidate—and his tone instantly softened.
"…Then how about a drink? I'd like to welcome you back."
Kuzan accepted without hesitation. Even if he disliked the Navy's faction politics, he knew better than to ignore them. Admirals commanded whole seas—naturally, they would need loyal officers beneath them.
So he agreed.
He motioned for Gion and Boa to follow, and together they walked with Vice Admiral Momonga toward the Marine tavern.
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