*Chapter 250: I’m Going to See My Son*

Every year, the Navy can only recruit a few people from the sea who have grown up wild.

They don't receive formal training, and even their innate abilities and strength are often significant issues.

As for the people in Dressrosa, there's no need to say much! These guys are born with other talents.

Whether it's martial arts, Haki, or anything else, they pick it up quickly.

In fact, they can even use *ninjutsu*.

They can roam the seas freely.

Some can even dive into the ocean.

And some of them? They can breathe fire, spit water, control the wind, create land, and summon lightning.

Rumor has it, some even possess the power of freezing abilities! How could the Fleet Admiral not be tempted by people like that?

"But what about Marineford?"

Akainu furrowed his brows.

Logically, the Fleet Admiral shouldn't leave Marineford. Even if he did, at least two Admirals should stay behind to guard it.

If both of them leave, wouldn’t Marineford be left with just Kizaru?

"Don’t worry about that," Sengoku replied. "I’ll have Gion and Tokikake return. Plus, we still have Tsuru in the Navy."

Sengoku didn’t think twice and planned to head over for a fun trip.

To be honest, after Dressrosa changed kings, Sengoku hadn’t visited the place.

On the other hand, Garp had already been staying in Dressrosa for nearly a year.

Without Garp’s antics in the Navy, things had been a bit less entertaining.

Even Sengoku felt somewhat bored! He planned to visit and see how his old friend had been doing all this time.

"Alright then, I’ll go prepare the ships," Sakazuki nodded.

After all, nothing much had happened at sea recently.

The Navy was still setting things up, and there weren’t any urgent matters at hand.

"Good. I’ll contact Zephyr and have him host us," Sengoku smiled as he spoke.

Just as Sakazuki left the office and Sengoku was about to pick up the Den Den Mushi, a figure suddenly appeared before him.

It was like a flash of yellow light, and before Sengoku could react, Kizaru was standing right in front of him.

"Sengoku-san, are you heading to Dressrosa?" Kizaru asked casually.

He had been eavesdropping for quite a while.

"Hmm?" Sengoku was surprised. Why is Borsalino here?

That was his first reaction. What is this guy up to?

Could it be...?

A dangerous thought flashed through Sengoku’s mind.

Could Borsalino be planning to target the child?

Sengoku was startled by his own thought. He couldn't believe he would think of something so extreme.

How could such a dangerous idea even enter his righteous Navy mind?

But it wasn’t entirely impossible! After all, Borsalino hadn’t willingly accepted the child’s birth.

This child might become a future embarrassment for Borsalino, or even a threat.

Eliminating that threat now would be Borsalino’s best move.

"Sengoku-san, it seems like you’re thinking about something dangerous," Kizaru remarked as he noticed Sengoku’s hesitation and the shocked look in his eyes.

He wasn’t sure what the old man was thinking, but he knew it couldn’t be something friendly.

Even if Sengoku didn’t say it, Kizaru could guess the old man was holding back something unpleasant.

"Ahem! Yes, we’re planning to go to Dressrosa to recruit some soldiers. You should know that the ninjas of Dressrosa are quite formidable," Sengoku said seriously, changing the topic.

He hoped Kizaru would focus on the bigger picture and not cause trouble. Although Kizaru wasn’t fond of Dressrosa, this was an important opportunity for the Navy’s growth.

"So that's the plan? I happen to be interested as well! My forces could use some reinforcements. The expansion isn’t for a while yet, so using people from Dressrosa to fill the gap sounds good," Kizaru said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Borsalino!" Sengoku spoke firmly, his expression serious.

"I’ll allow you to come, but you need to give me a valid reason, not some deceitful excuse. You know how important our cooperation with Dressrosa is. If you cause trouble, it could ruin the relationship between the Navy and Dressrosa."

"As the Fleet Admiral, I have to think about the Navy’s future," Sengoku said gravely.

The Navy’s goal was still to eliminate the powerful pirates on the seas and uphold justice.

If Kizaru intended to mess around, Sengoku wouldn’t let him go, no matter what.

"Oh, so I’m that untrustworthy? I’m still an Admiral, after all. How could I joke about the Navy’s future?" Kizaru chuckled.

Sengoku simply stared at him in silence.

Given Borsalino’s personality, it would be considered good temper if he didn’t level Dressrosa.

"I just want to see the child. After all, it’s my flesh and blood. Now that it's born, I can't just ignore it, can I? I plan to see what kind of tricks Zephyr has in store for me," Kizaru said, looking out the window, a complex emotion in his eyes.

Kizaru was convinced this was part of Zephyr’s plot—to use the child against him somehow.

In Kizaru's mind, Zephyr had become a cunning schemer.

"Fine. But if you cause trouble, I will stop you," Sengoku agreed after a moment of thought.

After all, there was nothing wrong with Borsalino wanting to see his child.

Maybe, just maybe, Zephyr truly wanted to repair their master-disciple relationship.

If they could reconcile, Sengoku would feel relieved.

The next day, three warships docked at Dressrosa’s harbor.

The port was heavily guarded, with Uchiha Tetsuka personally overseeing security to prevent any disturbances.

Most of Dressrosa’s strongest fighters had gathered at the port to welcome the Navy’s arrival, ensuring Dressrosa earned its reputation.

"Why all the fanfare?" Kuzan yawned from a nearby café, dark circles under his eyes.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman, her face radiant with happiness.

"The Navy’s high-ranking officials are coming to visit. Don’t you know?" Uchiha Saiko asked, wiping Kuzan’s sweat with a handkerchief, her face full of love.

Uchiha women were known for their beauty, and she was no exception.

"Is that so? Zephyr didn’t mention anything to me," Kuzan scratched his head, unbothered by the woman’s close attention.

Kuzan felt a sense of ease, having found an unexpected romantic relationship.

All thanks to Garp! If it had been up to Zephyr, Kuzan might have ended up like Kizaru.

Zephyr and Garp had already concocted a detailed plan to deal with Kuzan, similar to what they had done to Kizaru.

Once in motion, no amount of resistance would help. But...

Garp felt a little uneasy in his conscience and actually went to Kuzan to inform on someone.

To prevent the boy, who had been following him for a long time, from going down the wrong path, Garp told Kuzan all of Zephyr's plans, including the part where Zephyr needed to have three children.

So Garp had Kuzan leave, hoping he would at least make it to the Navy Headquarters, where Zephyr wouldn’t have much recourse.

Although Kuzan despised Zephyr, he proposed a middle-ground solution: to meet through an arranged date and get to know each other.

If things worked out, Kuzan wouldn’t mind starting a relationship.

And so, things developed like this.

Uchiha Saiko fell in love with Kuzan at first sight! She immediately pursued him fiercely.

Uchiha Saiko was a widow of the Uchiha clan, and widows were common in the Leaf Village. Most remarried when they were young, but some chose not to.

Thus, this was the story of a widow in her early thirties meeting a reserved admiral.

Inadvertently, they helped Zephyr solve another problem, though at the cost of losing one student’s respect. Kuzan now casually referred to Zephyr as “old man.”

To be honest, the fact that he didn’t call him “old geezer” was already giving Zephyr enough respect.

“Should we go over? It seems like Mr. Garp and Instructor Zephyr are there. If we don’t go...” Uchiha Saiko looked at Kuzan with slight worry, fearing he might be ostracized in the Navy.

“Let’s wait and see. By the way, do you want to come back to the Navy with me?” Kuzan hesitated and asked.

“I can. I’ll follow you wherever you go. Our Uchiha clan doesn’t have as many restrictions anymore,” Saiko said, smiling happily.

There was no longer a restriction on leaking the Uchiha clan's Bloodline Limit! In fact, Dressrosa was eager to expand its power.

So even if the bloodline spread outside, it didn’t matter. As long as children were born, even if they were far away, they could still enjoy the benefits of the Uchiha clan.

When the time came, they would receive everything they were entitled to—nothing would be left out.

“Forget it! Dressrosa is relatively safer. I'll apply for a reassignment to Marineford in a while,” Kuzan said, grabbing Saiko’s hand with a smile. “Then, I’ll transfer to the New World and stay here with you.”

This was the truth. Only they knew how safe Dressrosa really was. No pirate would dare cause trouble here, and it was probably even safer than the Navy Headquarters. After all, two admiral-level monsters were stationed here, along with countless veteran marines and a special ninja corps.

Unless Mary Geoise intervened, this place was an impenetrable fortress.

“I’m fine with whatever!” Uchiha Saiko hugged Kuzan’s arm, feeling his concern for her.

In that moment, Kuzan felt like a missing piece of himself had been filled.

Looking out the window, he saw... Sengoku and Sakazuki stepping off a warship!

For a moment, Kuzan was panicked, but he quickly calmed down. He hadn’t thought of how to explain himself to Sengoku.

He had been sent on a mission to the New World, but here he was, falling in love instead.

But then Kuzan thought, I’m here on duty, not to become a monk. So, what’s wrong with falling in love?

“Is that the Fleet Admiral?” Saiko said, eyes wide as she looked toward the port.

Sengoku appeared frequently in the newspapers, so Saiko recognized him right away. Worried, she glanced at Kuzan—her partner’s boss had arrived!

She didn’t know what Kuzan would do.

“Let’s go!” Kuzan stood up.

“Should I head back first? I’ll wait for you at home,” Saiko said, looking down, feeling a little disappointed. She had thought she’d found love, but...

“Why go home? If there’s anything urgent, we’ll deal with it later. Let’s head over.”

“I’ll introduce you to Fleet Admiral Sengoku! That way, if you ever run into trouble, you can reach out to him,” Kuzan said seriously.

He wasn’t going to abandon Saiko just because Sengoku showed up. After all, their relationship had no strings attached—pure love brought them together.

“Zephyr, I asked you to pick me up, not to put on such a big show,” Sengoku said after disembarking, glancing at the crowd of onlookers, which included a fair number of reporters.

Sengoku hadn’t expected such a spectacle.

“Heh, isn’t that what you implied when you said that?” Zephyr chuckled, walking over to pat Sengoku on the arm. “This was a direct order—a special ceremony to welcome the Navy.”

“You’ve gained a lot of weight recently. Looks like the Navy hasn’t had much going on, letting you get this chubby,” Zephyr said, sizing Sengoku up.

“You’re one to talk. Look at you, you’ve got a belly now!” Sengoku said with surprise. “Is the food in Dressrosa that good?”

Zephyr, who used to be all lean muscle, had never stopped training, even after being injured.

Yet here, he now had a belly.

“My belly’s nothing compared to Garp’s over there,” Zephyr pointed at Garp nearby.

(End of chapter)