Chapter 22: A Meal

Borsalino's expression remained unchanged. Hidden behind his sunglasses, it was impossible to tell exactly where he was looking.

"Same type of person? Haha, is that what Carl meant?"

As he spoke, he raised a finger, and a cross-shaped golden light flashed at his fingertip. Several diners who turned toward the commotion were immediately blinded by the flash, forcing them to shut their eyes.

Akainu crossed his arms and said solemnly,

"Borsalino, put your powers away."

The light on Borsalino's fingertip vanished instantly. He stood up, clasped his hands together, and gave a polite bow to the surrounding diners.

"Oops, my bad, everyone. Got a little carried away."

Ignoring the murmurs around him, he casually sat back down—only to be taken aback when he looked at Carl again.

Carl's pupils swirled like two vortexes, exuding a subtle yet undeniable pull.

Borsalino instinctively felt uncomfortable. He quickly looked away, unwilling to meet Carl's gaze again.

Akainu also noticed something strange about Carl, but it didn't seem to affect him as much.

A moment later, Carl's eyes returned to normal, and he smiled.

"That was quite the display, Borsalino-senpai. Such a dazzling ability."

Borsalino, choosing not to answer directly, instead asked in a casual tone,

"Brother Carl, you must have an ability too. It seems pretty terrifying. Mind sharing what it is?"

"I'd rather keep it a secret for now," Carl replied with a smirk. "We'll be seeing each other again soon anyway. Let's keep a little mystery, shall we?"

"Haha, fair enough!"

Borsalino didn't press further. He knew that unless someone was already famous for their Devil Fruit, keeping abilities a secret was a smart move. Besides, he had only revealed a fraction of his own powers.

Of course, what he didn't know was that Carl—being a time traveler—was already well aware of both his and Akainu's abilities.

With that topic dropped, the group shifted to casual conversation. Under Carl's subtle guidance, the atmosphere became surprisingly lively. Even Akainu, who was normally reserved, spoke up a few times.

Once all the food had arrived, the two tables even shared dishes with each other. Akainu, though reluctant, handed one of his two large bowls of rice to Kuma.

An unexpected event unfolded during the meal: Ginny's incredible appetite sparked an unspoken challenge in Akainu.

Though Ginny paid him no mind, Akainu—seeing himself as a grown man—found it unacceptable to be out-eaten by a "weak little girl" who weighed less than half of him.

Forgetting his earlier warning of "not eating too much," he started shoveling down barbecue as if he were proving something.

But when he smugly finished his last plate and glanced at Ginny's pile of empty dishes, his confidence was immediately shattered.

Ginny's plates were stacked into a small mountain, yet she was still eating. She picked up a large piece of meat and happily stuffed it into her mouth.

Carl and Kuma didn't react—they were used to this sight. Kuma had already gone back to reading his Bible, while Carl calmly continued grilling meat for Ginny.

Akainu, now feeling bloated, fell silent and accepted his defeat.

As he watched Ginny eat, his frustration gave way to amusement. He chuckled to himself, thinking about how ridiculous it was to compete with a girl over food.

Oddly enough, rather than feeling embarrassed, he found the experience refreshing.

After all, at Marine School, the only person he ever hung out with was Borsalino.

Once she had devoured an absurd amount of barbecue, Ginny finally put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and looked up—only to find Carl and the others watching her with smiles.

A rosy blush spread across her fair cheeks as she leaned against Carl and muttered,

"Why are you looking at me like that? The food here is so much better than what we had in the Sorbet Kingdom… I just couldn't help myself."

Carl chuckled and gently pinched her nose.

"Eat as much as you want. There will be plenty more opportunities like this in the future."

Borsalino raised his hands in a playful surrender and said in a deliberately lazy tone,

"Just so you know, Teacher Zephyr is extremely strict. Sakazuki and I haven't been allowed outside for two months. You'd better be prepared."

"Ah? Why is he like that…?"

Ginny's excitement faded instantly, and she pouted.

Carl was about to comfort her, but before he could, she suddenly brightened up.

"It's fine! We have Kuma with us, so if we ever want to sneak out, we can just get him to send us away!"

Kuma silently raised his palm pads in agreement, showing that he was always ready.

Borsalino and Akainu exchanged glances.

Borsalino muttered, "Another Devil Fruit user? Today's new recruits are terrifying."

When it was time to pay, Carl coolly dropped a thick wad of banknotes onto the counter.

"This should cover both tables. Keep the extra as a tip."

Over the years, Garling had sent Carl an enormous amount of pocket money. To put it in perspective, even if Borsalino worked as an Admiral for 180 years, his total salary wouldn't match Carl's allowance.

And right now, Borsalino was just a student, watching in silent astonishment as Carl casually spent a fortune.

Akainu, however, suddenly spoke up with a serious expression.

"Carl, we don't need you to pay for our table. Borsalino said he'd treat us."

"Sakazuki, you're talking way too much today," Borsalino muttered. "I liked the quiet you better."

"…?"

If looks could kill, Borsalino would've incinerated Akainu on the spot. But instead, he awkwardly pretended to reach for his wallet.

Carl grabbed his hand and smiled.

"I've already paid. Meeting you both was a pleasure—let me treat you this time."

Borsalino's fingers "slipped," and his wallet fell right back into his pocket.

"Brother Carl, no need to be so formal! No 'senior' talk, either—just call us by our names at school. Right, Sakazuki?"

Akainu rolled his eyes and turned away, clearly refusing to acknowledge Borsalino's shamelessness.

After saying their goodbyes, Borsalino and Akainu returned to the Marine dormitory.

But before they could even sit down—

**Knock, knock.**

"Borsalino, Teacher Zephyr wants to see you in his office."