To the end of the sea [One Piece]

Kuzan did not expect that he would be the first to leave before Ikegawa Eina found the justice in her heart.

After the war ended, the girl was visibly depressed for a long time. She even locked herself in her room for several days. Even Porusalino asked him with his usual casualness: "Yo Kuzan, where is the deputy general girl?" ?It’s really disappointing not to see her beautiful face today.”

Kuzan frowned.

He knew she was sad about Firefist's death.

From the moment she learned that Fire Fist had been caught, to when the public death penalty was announced, Ena first clenched her fists, rushed over emotionally to confirm, and then fell into a somewhat uneasy silence.

Kuzan asked her, and she said frankly that she had met Ace before joining the navy, and then occasionally met him a few times, but the meetings were mostly about fighting.

But Kuzan knew that she regarded the boy as a friend in her heart.

It must have been a fierce conflict in her heart from that time on.

So he didn't go to her, he knew she would handle her emotions just like she had before.

In fact, she did. When she appeared in front of him again, the girl had returned to her normal appearance and brought him all the work she had accumulated for several days.

"Very good." He said, "Now that the vacation is over, I will help you more. There has been a lot of work at the headquarters recently."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kuzan." She knew that her willfulness was the result of the extra tolerance of the boss in front of her. "Thank you very much."

Watching the girl leave, Kuzan felt an inexplicable feeling lingering in his heart. He felt that the aura on her body became calmer, as if she had grown up overnight, or had new thoughts.

He used to be able to understand her at a glance, but now although she is still easy to understand, there is already a layer of mist.

This is indeed a sign of growth.

He should be relieved, but for some reason his chest felt tight.

And just because of Fire Fist's death...?

+ + +

He went to talk to Garp about this matter, and the old man with a gray beard punched him on the shoulder angrily: "I didn't expect that your kid would have such a mother-in-law day! You really deserve to be a father." It’s just different!”

"Father or something..." Kuzan frowned, unable to speak, "Please don't talk nonsense, okay."

The old man smiled: "Okay, okay! Young people always have to learn to grow up! Xiao Nai is not a child after all! You have time to worry about her, why not think about what happens next for you and Sakaski, I heard that the higher-ups prefer him to be the new marshal, what do you think?"

"I have no idea." Kuzan's face darkened, "But in short, I won't give up easily."

After sending Kuzan away, Garp, who had a relaxed expression, suddenly became serious.

Ace's death was an indelible pain for the old man.

He went to Windmill Village and Dadan beat him severely without saying a word.

Garp, the hero of the navy, lay motionless on the ground, letting the stout woman vent her anger, and finally she began to cry.

She asked him, you were on that battlefield, why didn't you save him.

He couldn't say a word.

If Sengoku hadn't stopped him, he would have killed Sakaski on the spot.

What's more, the situation of his brat also made him feel uneasy. He knew very well how important Ace was to Luffy.

If you lose your brother in that situation, you don't know what will become of that child. But no matter what, he had no way to interfere, either because of his position or as an elder.

When a child faces a necessary growth process, no matter how heartbreaking it is, the elders cannot stop it.

Just like Ena, no matter how painful it is, it is a road they have to bear on their own.

------------

Then, there was the battle that shocked the whole world.

The battle between the two admirals Akainu and Aokiji ended with Aokiji's defeat. In addition, there was also a destroyed Punk Hassad.

Kuzan was unwilling to work under Sakaski, and at the same time he really felt that the justice in his heart was gradually crumbling.

So he decided to quit the Navy.

He didn't meet Ikegawa Ena on the day he submitted his resignation. He put the envelope in front of Sengoku and took a step back.

The outgoing marshal sighed.

"What a pity, Kuzan." Warring States felt helpless. He originally planned to recommend Qingzhi to take over his position, but he did not expect that in the end he went along with the government's wishes.

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years." After delivering the envelope, he felt relieved, with no regrets or sadness.

There may be someone he is a little worried about, but that is not something he can worry about anymore.

"Have you decided what to do in the future?"

"Not yet. I haven't had a good walk in so many years. I should probably go on a trip." He said easily.

Warring States nodded: "Very good." He looked at him and hesitated to speak, and finally expressed his worries: "That child in Chichuan..."

"She will be fine." Kuzan quickly took over his words, almost as if he was interrupting, "She has a stubborn temper, and she might get into trouble if she is placed with someone else, so I asked her to go to Garp's place. This won’t cause any trouble.”

He saw the marshal in front of him raise his eyebrows.

Sengoku swore that he used a lot of strength - as a marshal of the Navy Headquarters, this was a rare thing that made him difficult - to hold back the words that came to his mouth. He closed his eyes and looked at the subordinate he admired in front of him, not knowing whether his temporary "kindness" was helping him or harming him.

Forget it, men at their level are probably just pretending to be asleep if they don't understand.

So he said nothing and watched him leave his office after chatting for a few more words.

It was the last time I left this office.

+ + +

Kuzan didn't see the silver figure until he reached the gate of the Navy Headquarters.

His resignation has not been made public, only Garp Sengoku and other upper-level officials know about it, and Ena is the only one left.

He didn't know whether he felt relaxed or more bitter. He hoped to say goodbye to her properly, but was afraid that he would be embarrassed when he saw her.

He could tell the whole world that he was quitting, but he always felt that he had ended his company with her in front of her.

Although they didn't have an agreement, they both agreed to accompany her to find justice. What's more, the child said that her goal is to reach his position.

But now he can no longer be her target.

It can only be an admiral, not Aokiji.

He recalled in his mind her tone when she said those words, so soft yet firm, falling down like a feather, yet it stayed in his heart for so long.

A man who looks cold and strong on the outside actually has many tender moments in his heart.

+ + +

He got on his bicycle and was forced to brake suddenly just a few kilometers out of the sea.

Because there was a hole in the space right in front of him, the figure he had been thinking about for a long time was stepping out lightly before he knew it, and then jumped onto the sea in front of his tire.

The ice layer that originally only condensed in the area under the tires quietly expanded to an area.

He was shocked by Eina's hand. He stared at it with his lips slightly open for a few seconds before speaking: "Is it possible to do this?"

"No, it must be near a specific place or a specific person. Marking a place takes a lot of energy. At present, I can only mark one in a short time." The girl stood in front of him, with a natural expression on her face, as if she was just there. Report your recent training results to him.

She was so natural that Kuzan didn't know what to say. He could only scratch his head: "That's really amazing. If used properly, it is a very terrifying skill."

"Yeah." She nodded. Just as he was thinking about what to say next, she spoke casually: "What will Mr. Kuzan do in the future?"

He answered her as he answered the Warring States Period: "I haven't thought about it yet, I will probably go traveling."

"That's great." She said envious words, but her face remained calm. "I originally wanted to ask Mr. Kuzan to send me a souvenir like a postcard, but then I thought about it and let it go."

Why forget it - this was the first sentence in his mind, but what he said was: "Yes, you should be very busy."

He saw a smile flashing in the girl's eyes, but it wasn't a relaxing one.

Then she simply dropped the topic and turned to look at his prosthetic leg made of ice. This time there was obvious heartache in her eyes, but it was firmly blocked by her lowered eyes.

"You should take good care of yourself." When she raised her eyes again, her expression remained unchanged, but her tone was obviously softer. "If you are tired, it is good to walk around. Although this should be superfluous to Mr. Kuzan, But you must pay attention to safety.”

Kuzan was discouraged as if he saw the girl giving up something, and showed an extremely gentle smile, which made the string in his heart hit hard.

"I hope Mr. Kuzan can live happily. It would be best if he finds what he wants to do." The sun shone on her beautiful face, and her lips gently spoke out as innocently as a child. bless.

"Mr. Kuzan's heart has actually been like mine for a long time, right? But no, I haven't accomplished my goal yet. Maybe when I get to that position, I can think clearly about my own beliefs."

"Or maybe, it's actually the complete opposite?" She laughed softly and took a few steps forward. With each step, the seawater under her feet turned to ice. She continued to do so step by step with the man's acquiescence. Come to the closest distance to him.

"Hey, Ena -" The alarm bell rang in the heart of the man who had lived for more than forty years, but before he could stop it, the girl's hug had fallen and gently surrounded him.

As if she was worried about something, she just hugged him very lightly, and then quickly backed away.

Seeing the stiffness on her former boss's face that she had never seen before, Ena couldn't help but grin.

The space behind her cracked open again, and she stepped back step by step. Kuzan finally found his voice: "Ena..."

He said, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize." The girl said to him, "Even if you are no longer an admiral, you will always be..."

"My most important person."