chapter 69:An Unexpected Dinner Encounter

"The main dish is sea beast meat skewers, along with regular dishes like steak and smoked sausages. I don't know what Vice Admiral Yan prefers, so I took a bit of everything." Lindemann stood beside the dining table, placing down the multi-layered food containers one by one and introducing them to Yan, who had already taken a seat along with the other two officers.

Borsalino couldn't help but glance sideways at the massive food container, nearly half a person tall. His eyelid twitched as he thought: Serves you right for getting caught red-handed.

But despite his internal complaints, he knew that their appetites weren't small. Without a food box of this size, this dinner wouldn't be enough to fill them up.

"Lindemann, after setting the dishes, sit down and eat with us." Though Sakazuki was annoyed that his fool of a subordinate had been caught by Gion in the act, his protective nature softened as he looked at the colonel, who had barely stopped to rest since their ship docked.

Having messed up a mission personally assigned by his superior, Lindemann, who was always meticulous, felt especially guilty. The colonel, who was also starving, immediately tried to decline: "I appreciate your kindness, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, but I've already eaten—"

"Eat."

"…Yes, sir!" Very obediently, Lindemann sat down at the far end of the dining table.

"This subordinate of yours is quite attentive." Gion pointed at the table filled with a dazzling variety of dishes, giving Lindemann a nod of approval.

If he were really that attentive, he wouldn't have been caught by you halfway through, Sakazuki thought, sighing lightly without a trace. Lindemann was the perfect example of someone who meant well but did the wrong thing—wanting to bring more food for his superior but failing to consider whether such an obvious action would alert the target.

"He is a rather meticulous young man. By the way, how did you come across him?" Sakazuki could only follow along with Gion's topic, trying to subtly extract the details of what had happened.

According to the report from Onigumo, Feilong had been with Robin having afternoon tea earlier. However, Sakazuki couldn't let the elegant lady across from him notice that he had assigned someone to monitor her movements.

Gion sat up straight, placing her hands neatly on her lap, and formally explained, "I was planning to have dinner with Robin and wait for you, but you never showed up."

Borsalino, sitting in the main seat with a smile, glanced between the man and woman on either side of him. Seeing them both sitting stiffly in their chairs, conversing in such a business-like manner, he skillfully warmed up the atmosphere. In a slightly reproachful tone, he interjected, "Sakazuki, that was rather inconsiderate of you. The lovely Miss Gion was waiting for you to have dinner, hungry. Now, now, let's be more relaxed at home. How about we eat and chat at the same time?"

Gion accepted a plate of smoked sausages from Borsalino, spearing a piece with her fork, and softly thanked the thoughtful host.

Her gaze then returned to the vice admiral across from her as she continued her story: "Since it was already dinner time, I thought I'd take Robin to the Navy canteen to get something to eat. It didn't matter if I ate later, but a child's diet must be kept regular."

As she spoke, Gion suddenly seemed to recall something, and a warm smile appeared on her face: "I remember Sister Tsuru saying the same thing when she took care of me back then."

Sakazuki watched the natural, unforced smile on her face. He suddenly felt that what he had done today had been a bit too much.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't interrupt Gion, who was momentarily lost in thought. Instead, he lowered his head and focused on his meal.

"Sorry, where was I?" Gion snapped back to reality and smiled apologetically. "Right, just as we were about to leave the shop, we ran into Mr. Kuzan—the one who had ice cream with us last time. He happened to be dragging along that rear admiral who was on duty with you, coming to have tea."

…So that's why Onigumo hadn't reported back. Sakazuki now realized that his troublesome junior, Kuzan, was also involved in this mess.

"Oh, oh! Junior Kuzan, huh? He does enjoy that kind of laid-back lifestyle." Borsalino's smile took on a peculiar twist. Although he didn't know that Sakazuki had assigned Onigumo to keep an eye on Gion, the fact that Kuzan had randomly dragged along someone he barely knew just to have afternoon tea was already very telling.

Sakazuki, who had an unspoken understanding with Borsalino, naturally caught the underlying meaning in his seemingly casual words.

Kuzan might enjoy lazily sipping afternoon tea in the sunset, but Onigumo was not the type to waste time like that.

Borsalino's implication was clear: I know what you did, but I'll be polite and not expose you.

Not only did he skillfully help Gion transition the conversation smoothly, but he also subtly pointed out Sakazuki's prior arrangements. The Magma Magma Fruit user, who had been silent all this time, had to admit Borsalino's brilliance. Tch, he's a top-tier schemer, alright.

Completely unaware of the underlying currents in their conversation, Gion simply continued, taking Borsalino's words as a natural segue to complete her story:

"If I remember correctly, that rear admiral's name is… hmm… Onigumo? When he saw us, he was very enthusiastic and even invited us to join them for tea and cake. I really didn't expect someone who looks so fierce to be so approachable."

…No, when it comes to Onigumo, it's perfectly fine to judge him by his appearance. Sakazuki and Borsalino exchanged glances, the pain in their eyes growing stronger.

Gion casually used her knife to slice the smoked sausage into smaller pieces, elegantly picking up a thin slice and bringing it to her mouth. She noticed that both vice admirals seemed completely engrossed in her story, waiting silently for her to continue.

Yet, despite all of Onigumo's desperate efforts to complete his mission—even going as far as to disgust himself by playing the role of a warm-hearted gentleman—the rear admiral ultimately lost.

Because from Gion's own mouth, Sakazuki finally heard the words that sealed his fate:

"Robin can sit here and have some cake, I'll go check out what Qitian's canteen has for dinner today."

Sakazuki could no longer hold back. His voice trembled slightly as he softly asked, "Then…"

"On the way here, I entrusted Vice Admiral Kuzan and Rear Admiral Onigumo to take Robin to dinner. Don't worry, Sakazuki, I won't just take the child away." Gion habitually straightened her posture, speaking with a hint of pride as if she were reporting an achievement, completely blocking off whatever Sakazuki had been about to say.

"Yes, letting her spend time with more officers is good… having more friends is always beneficial…" The words left Sakazuki's mouth against his will, his voice catching as he spoke.

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