chapter 68:Holy Light's Little Philosophy Class

Holy Light! That enemy is worthy of a fight. Borsalino had already activated elementalization in advance, preparing himself. Seeing that a certain someone had yet to make a move, he couldn't help but find it strange.

"Borsalino, no need for your provocations. Soon, Lindemann will be bringing the food over. No matter how intelligent Gion is, she would never expect that I'd be here with you." Sakazuki was fully confident in his plan. He had already ordered Onigumo to report on Gion's whereabouts, and arranged for Lindemann to handle the errand. No matter how he looked at it, everything was under control!

Between the two of them, Sakazuki wasn't lacking in emotional intelligence. He had noticed that Gion had indeed developed some feelings for him. However, was that feeling mostly admiration for an idol, or was it genuine affection for him as a person?

Gion was one of the few female officers in the Navy who could be considered flowers of the military, and there were plenty who pursued her—enough to form a line around Marineford's fortress. The most persistent among them was Garp's student, Chaton (Tea Pig). Based on the latest intelligence Sakazuki had heard, that short, ugly man had already confessed to the female swordsman for the tenth time.

But alas, the bright moon shone upon the gutter. Sakazuki had hardly interacted with Gion, let alone formed any emotional connection.

Sakazuki actually envied those transmigrators. The moment they saw Robin and Nami—the beauties straight out of anime—they would chase them without hesitation. And when it came to the Pirate Empress, she was a must-have trophy!

He wished he could also like beautiful women so recklessly, make his majestic presence shake them into submission like some overpowered protagonist. But reality was far crueler than fantasy. The Navy's factions were already complicated enough, not to mention the soldiers and officers under his command each had their own schemes.

Then there were the female officers—most of them had absolutely no interest in him. And just when someone finally came along, one who was 'blind' enough to fancy him—Gion—he barely even had any interactions with her.

Borsalino didn't argue back. He casually lifted his teacup, dropped in seven cubes of sugar, and finished it in one gulp.

"…I mean, I know you're a sweet tooth," Sakazuki felt his face twitch. "But eating that much sugar will ruin your eyesight. Let's see how you fire laser beams when you need glasses."

The sugar-loving man didn't care in the slightest. "Laser beams aside, I still have my nimble left hand and my strong right hand. And in emergency situations, I can always fire lasers from my mouth…"

"... Face the judgment of justice!" Sakazuki's face turned cold as he raised his palm over the table, ready to smack his shameless friend.

Expecting this, the seasoned troublemaker instantly dissolved into photons, reappearing on the nearby sofa. He even took the opportunity to mock Sakazuki:

"You know, your reaction speed is slower than when we used to train together. Back then, you would have hit me before I even finished my first sentence."

"…There's only so much space in this room. Let's see how far you can run." Sakazuki stood up from the table, heading toward the door with an eerily calm expression.

"I'm not chasing you anymore. Lindemann should be arriving soon."

At that moment, he activated his Observation Haki and suddenly turned toward Borsalino, lunging at him once more.

"!? Are you part dog or something? How do you switch so fast…"

Though they were just fooling around, Borsalino had no intention of being bear-hugged by this muscle-bound monster. Are you kidding? His Armament Haki wasn't as strong as Sakazuki's—one grab from this beast, and he'd be crippled!

Yata no Kagami!

In the confined space of the officers' dorm, the dazzling light from his ability reflected in all directions. Sakazuki stood at the center of the light path, closed his eyes, and focused his senses. Not even the transponder snail in his pocket, ringing nonstop, could distract him.

Suddenly, he turned and lunged backward, catching Borsalino right as he tried to sneak behind him.

The burly Vice Admiral took advantage of his physical strength, flipping the light-speed Admiral onto the ground. In an open space, capturing Borsalino with just Haki would have been nearly impossible—even if their power levels were close. Observation Haki could track him, but physically grabbing him was a different story. One quick reflection, and he'd be gone.

Now, with the tables turned, the magma-wielding Vice Admiral smirked as he pressed down on the yellow-clad trickster.

"So what if I'm part dog? Your damn monkey face is going to get rubbed against the floor all night!"

Creak!

A graceful figure appeared at the door.

In her left hand, she held a disheveled Lindemann, still struggling to escape. With her right hand, she gently pushed the door open.

"Hm? Sakazuki, so you were here."

"!?"

"!!"

Frozen in their philosophical pose on the wooden floor, the two men exchanged bewildered glances.

You set me up!?No!

Then how did she find us!?

Beats me!

What do we do now!?

Either we eat dinner, or… we eat her…

Their eyes locked, and in a mere blink, an entire silent conversation was exchanged.

Sakazuki turned his head toward Gion and, after a brief pause, said calmly:

"Come in and have a seat."

"Then I'll take you up on that."

Gion walked inside, dragging a dejected Lindemann behind her. The miserable officer was unceremoniously tossed onto the floor.

Still sprawled on the ground, Sakazuki turned his head to his disheveled subordinate.

"You went out to buy food—how the hell did you run into Gion?"

"…Vice Admiral, that's a tragic story. Can we not talk about it?"

He had simply gone out to fetch a meal, only to be ambushed mid-air by a sword-wielding master. Then, like a dead dog, he had been dragged all the way here… The humiliation!

Gion placed the large meal box on the dining table, then crouched down slightly to observe the two men still entwined on the floor.

"…So, may I ask—is this some kind of training?"

Sakazuki, ever the formidable figure, remained unfazed. He lifted his head.

"Indeed. We are practicing close-quarters grappling techniques in confined spaces."

Pinned beneath him, Borsalino's face twisted into an expression of pure disbelief.

Are you serious right now!?

Gion nodded in understanding. "I see. Even in moments like these, you two remain dedicated to your training. I am deeply impressed. It's no wonder you were both called monsters back in the academy."

Borsalino, already known for his smirking face, somehow managed to twist it even further.

I'm not. I wasn't. Don't make things up.

It took everything in them not to roll their eyes as the two Vice Admirals finally returned to the table.

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since the page is new you may not find it easily so you can just copy and paste the link in synopsis.