"Apologies, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"I'm afraid I don't have time for a meeting right now."
"I've got a mission to the New World I need to set sail for."
Amamiya Noah smiled brightly as he spoke, the curve of his lips brimming with good-natured defiance.
That old man Sengoku always had a way of piling on the work.
Now that Noah had finally stirred up a bit of commotion, there was no way he was letting Sengoku corner him into a debriefing.
"Eh? Eh?!"
Sengoku's face twitched.
Just a while ago, no matter how he tried, Noah refused every mission.
Now he was the one suddenly in a rush?
"Hinā! Hinā!"
Noah called out, standing on tiptoe and shouting toward the retreating crowd.
Hina was still holding his hard-earned spoils of war.
And this time, those spoils hadn't come easy. He'd worked up a serious sweat winning them.
"Vice Admiral Noah!"
Hina quickly ran back, arms full: a treasure chest, a prized sword, and…
Two boxes of premium cigars he'd snatched off Kuzan.
Kuzan's mouth twitched slightly.
That was basically his only savings for the year.
And in the blink of an eye, Noah had taken every bit of it.
He didn't even get anything out of the fight—except a beating.
And now, he'd probably be stuck helping Noah with paperwork when they got back.
What kind of monster was this guy?
"Teacher Zephyr, Kuzan was originally asking me for these cigars so he could gift them to you,"
Noah said with a grin, lifting the two boxes.
"So here. Consider them a proper gift from me instead. These are some premium ones."
He handed them to Zephyr, who had been standing off to the side, silent until now.
The man who'd taught him Haki for months was, in Noah's mind, a proper mentor.
A few cigars were the least he could do.
"Well then, I'll gladly accept them,"
Zephyr said, pausing for a moment as he looked between Garp and Sengoku.
A broad smile spread across his face.
After teaching so many students over the years, few still remembered him afterward.
And even fewer brought him gifts.
This one was rare.
"Oi, Kuzan, you still owe me a box!"
Zephyr suddenly turned to the man resting nearby.
"Me?"
Kuzan blinked, startled, then sighed in resignation.
"Alright, alright…"
He knew Zephyr was just pushing him to reflect.
But honestly, comparing himself to a monster like Noah?
There was no point.
Next to Noah, he might as well be ordinary.
"Vice Admiral Garp! There's one for you too."
Noah pulled out another box and handed it to Garp.
A grin immediately bloomed across Garp's face.
Meanwhile, Sengoku stood nearby, face darkening.
So everyone was getting a share, huh?
He couldn't be the only one left out.
"As for you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku…"
Noah turned to him, tone teasing.
"I'll give yours when I get back from my mission."
"You little punk…"
Sengoku lost it and charged toward him.
But in the blink of an eye, Noah vanished.
Even Hina had disappeared with him.
"Aww, come on, Sengoku,"
Garp said with a laugh.
"Noah didn't say he wouldn't give you any. He just said 'later.'"
He had just received a box himself, so of course he had to back Noah up a little.
"Exactly. Why are you getting so worked up over a kid?"
Zephyr chuckled, lighting one of the cigars.
He watched Sengoku's frustrated expression with delight.
Few people could really fluster the old man like this.
Only someone like Noah could get under his skin like that.
Look at that sour little frown. Hilarious.
Zephyr loved seeing Sengoku eat his words.
"You two already got yours. Of course you're not complaining."
"Screw it. Garp, give me yours. I order you as your Fleet Admiral!"
Sengoku lunged for the box in Garp's hand.
But Garp shifted his body smoothly to dodge.
"Nope," he said flatly.
"Even if Commander Kong himself showed up, I wouldn't give it to you."
"You damn old goat!"
Sengoku fumed.
"You're always raiding my office for senbei. Just wait, I'm locking that tin up when we get back!"
"Now, now, no need to get so mad. Let's talk it out,"
Garp said, quickly walking over with a sheepish grin.
He didn't even smoke. The cigar meant nothing to him.
He'd just kept it to get under Sengoku's skin.
And it worked perfectly.
"Those two old fools…"
Zephyr and the others burst into laughter at the scene.
Even Akainu and Kizaru, standing quietly in the background, couldn't help but crack a smile.
They were all heading to the conference room now, Kizaru the first to move.
If Noah was heading out soon, someone needed to tag along.
After all, Noah wasn't just some up-and-coming officer anymore.
He was now the Navy's most dazzling Vice Admiral.
He needed proper protection.
Back in the office, Sengoku slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples.
Why did the Admiral position feel cursed?
Why was everyone so determined to avoid it?
"Let the young ones think it over,"
Tsuru said calmly from her seat nearby.
She glanced sideways at Garp.
He hadn't rejected the Admiral post out of some impulsive whim.
He'd seen too much, witnessed too many of the World Government's shady dealings.
He understood what it truly meant to be an Admiral.
And that was why he turned it down.
Noah, on the other hand, might not be fully aware of the darker side of things yet.
Once he learned more about the perks and responsibilities, he might change his mind.
"Noah comes from a clean background. If he becomes an Admiral, it could really shake things up in the New World."
It was Akainu who spoke this time.
He fully supported the idea of Noah stepping up.
After witnessing his power, Akainu already recognized him as a top-tier asset.
"I know that too,"
Sengoku muttered, scratching his head in frustration.
"But Noah… that kid…"
There really was no controlling him.
Even Garp, as unreliable as he was, felt more dependable than that walking disaster.
"Let him think it over,"
Tsuru said with a smile.
Noah was still young. He wasn't even thirty yet.
Far from reaching his peak.
His future path might not be clear yet, but he would find it eventually.
And when he did, they'd know exactly what kind of man he truly wanted to become.
"What's wrong with being a Vice Admiral?"
Garp mumbled around a mouthful of senbei, pulling another bag from his pocket.
"Suits me just fine…"