Vice Admiral Komei's office had never changed. A wooden desk covered in scratches, a crooked file cabinet, and the scent of cheap green tea wafting from a chipped cup in the corner of the desk. The window facing the harbor let in light, illuminating the dust swirling in the air.
Komei sat in his chair, his back slightly hunched with age. Across from him, Seven sat casually in the guest chair, chewing on an onigiri wrapped in seaweed. Sakazuki stood beside Seven's chair with his arms folded, his back straight as always.
"Three weeks," Komei began, lifting his teacup. "Eighteen pirate crews have been wiped out. Fourteen islands secured. Seven Devil Fruit users have been defeated. The piracy rate in the West Blue has dropped by nearly forty percent."
Komei sipped his tea slowly. "And now the name Red Eye has spread to every corner of these waters. Small-time pirates don't even dare to sail in broad daylight anymore."
Seven simply nodded while continuing to chew his onigiri.
"Congratulations," said Komei, his eyes shifting between Seven and Sakazuki. "You two have done an extraordinary job. Not just in terms of combat strength, but also in terms of…"
Komei paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "…approach."
Sakazuki bowed his head slightly. Seven took a second onigiri.
"But that's not the only reason I called you here," Komei continued. He pulled a sealed envelope from his desk drawer and placed it on the table. The Navy's seagull seal was stamped on it. "Orders from Marineford. Promotions and transfers. You're going there."
Sakazuki glanced at the envelope. Seven was still chewing.
"Before that," Komei leaned back and stared at Seven with his sharp, aged eyes. "I'm curious. Red Eye. That nickname isn't without reason. I've read all the reports and testimonies. But I want to hear it directly."
Seven didn't answer. His mouth was still full of rice.
Komei shifted his gaze to Sakazuki. "Sakazuki. You're the one who's fought by his side the most. Tell me."
Sakazuki straightened his posture. "Big Brother possesses certain abilities that can't be explained by ordinary Devil Fruit categories."
Komei raised an eyebrow at the word "Brother" coming from the mouth of the boy who was usually stiff and formal, but didn't comment on it.
"Besides the fire element you already know about," Sakazuki continued, "Brother's eyes can emit black fire. That fire… is different from ordinary fire. It can't be extinguished. Not by water, not by wind, not by a Logia's shape-shifting. During the battle on the first island, I saw firsthand how that black fire burned a Logia user who had already shifted form. Fortunately, Big Brother was able to pull it back."
Komei furrowed his brow.
"Furthermore," Sakazuki continued, his tone shifting slightly, as if he were still trying to believe what he had seen with his own eyes. "Big Brother can summon a skeletal giant. It's about fifteen meters tall. The giant's bones cover his body like… armor. Big Brother calls it Susanoo."
"Susanoo," Komei repeated softly.
"Yes. And according to my brother himself, that ability hasn't reached its final stage yet." Sakazuki looked straight at Komei. "When I saw him after that incident, only the skeleton appeared. My brother said there's an even higher stage."
Komei set down his teacup slowly. His eyes shifted toward Seven, who was still busy eating with an indifferent expression.
"So, Old Man," Sakazuki concluded, "it's highly likely that Brother consumed a Mythological Zoan Devil Fruit of an unknown type. Perhaps one that's never been recorded before."
Komei nodded slowly, processing it all. He fell silent for a moment, then asked. "Then what about the islands you're protecting, Seven. The flags you've raised. The Den Den Mushi you've left behind. Including on the islands that haven't paid the Sky Gold."
Seven finally swallowed his last bite and picked up his teacup. "Old Man, you've read the report."
"I have." Komei nodded slowly. "And I'll carry it out. After you go to Marineford, I'll make sure patrols continue to those islands."
Komei gazed out the window. His eyes drifted toward the harbor where warships were moored. "At my advanced age, I still hope the Navy can shine brighter than it does now. What you've done over the past three weeks… at least it proves that hope isn't just empty talk."
A light knock on the office door cut off the conversation.
Without waiting for a response, the door swung open. A tall, black-haired teenager with round glasses stepped inside with a relaxed, almost lazy stride. A Navy coat hung loosely over his shoulder.
"Terrifying," said Borsalino in his usual flat tone, scratching the back of his head as he glanced around the room. "Old Man, the pirates in the West Blue have always been as strong as monsters. I never would have thought that Sakazuki, who always wears such a stony expression, actually has an emotional side too."
Sakazuki turned immediately. "Borsalino. Don't tell me you've been secretly following us?"
Borsalino raised both hands in an innocent gesture. "It wasn't my choice. It was Old Man Komei's request." He turned to Komei, who was sipping his tea calmly.
Komei didn't deny it. "I needed another pair of eyes I could trust besides written reports. Borsalino was the best choice because of his ability to follow from a distance without being detected."
Sakazuki snorted softly. But he wasn't angry. In fact, there was a hint of relief in his eyes, knowing that Komei was watching over them that closely.
Borsalino walked in and leaned casually against the wall. His usually indifferent expression was slightly different now. There was something more serious behind his round glasses.
"But there's one thing I must tell you, Old Man," said Borsalino, his casual tone slightly diminished. "Lieutenant Admiral Seven possesses Conqueror's Haki."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Komei set down his teacup. His eyes narrowed.
"I saw it myself during the battle on the first island," Borsalino continued. "Hundreds of pirates were knocked out at once, but Rear Admiral Seven rarely displays it."
Borsalino glanced at Seven, who was pouring tea into his cup, then looked back at Komei.
"So, Old Man Komei, it looks like Big Brother is going to do it."
Komei didn't answer right away. His eyes moved from Borsalino to Sakazuki, then to Seven. He noticed how Borsalino—the lazybones who usually didn't care about anything—was now referring to Seven using the same term as Sakazuki. Big Brother.
Two monster boys from the West Blue Navy, even though they were originally from the North Blue. And both had already chosen their leader.
Komei watched Sakazuki and Borsalino banter with each other—Sakazuki with his stern face occasionally twitching at Borsalino's taunts, and Borsalino grinning lazily while dodging Sakazuki's fists.
Then his eyes fell on Seven. The young man sat in his chair, focused on pouring tea into his cup with the same intense concentration he used when devising battle strategies.
"Seven," Komei called.
Seven lifted his head.
"You can't just stay put in the West Blue," Komei said, his voice soft but firm. "With your potential and talent, you must go out into the wider world. Uphold justice where it's needed most."
Komei paused for a moment, then continued. "An old friend of mine in Marineford once said, 'If Komei says that boy is a pillar of the future, then this sea has truly just given birth to a real monster.' That old bastard was never wrong about people."
Komei looked Seven straight in the eye. "I'm old, Seven. I can't change this system on my own. But I hope, someday, the Navy can become something different from what it is now. Something that truly protects everyone. Not just those who pay."
The room fell silent.
Seven set down his teacup. He looked at Komei.
For a few seconds, the irises of Seven's eyes changed. Black turned to red. Three tomoe appeared and spun, then transformed into a more complex star pattern. The Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan flashed briefly in both his eyes, reflecting the light streaming in through the window.
Then, his eyes returned to normal.
"I'll do it, Old Man."
Komei smiled. An old man's smile, full of wrinkles and weariness, but also filled with a hope he hadn't felt in a long time.
Outside the window, the sun began to set over the West Sea harbor. Three young figures who would change this world stood in the room of an old man who had given everything for the sea. And for the first time in a very long time, Komei felt that the Navy held hope for this world.