"Smoker, long time no see. You’ve made it to Rear Admiral now—not bad at all~~~" As soon as he saw Smoker, Ryuen greeted him warmly.
"Hmph, cut the act, Ryuen!" Smoker glared at him, clearly annoyed. "I’m only here because of you, right? Now tell me the real reason—right now!"
Even though his tone was harsh, there wasn’t any real anger behind it.
Standing next to him, Tashigi looked around, as if she was searching for someone. Ryuen noticed and figured she was probably looking for Kuina, but Kuina wasn’t around today—she wouldn’t find her.
Ryuen didn’t answer Smoker’s demand directly. Instead, he just chuckled lightly.
"Hahaha... It’s actually pretty simple. Your sense of justice fits perfectly with this island."
"That’s why I went through the trouble of getting you transferred here. As for the rest, don’t worry about it. Just focus on doing your job."
Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned slightly when she heard this. She asked, confused, "Ryuen, according to the intel we got from the World Government, members of the Revolutionary Army are still on this island. Aren’t you worried Smoker might end up clashing with them?"
Ryuen answered casually, "Don’t worry, I trust Smoker. Plus, Aokiji thinks highly of him too."
Then he turned to Smoker and said seriously, "Smoker, Aokiji has high hopes for you. I hope you won’t let him down."
Smoker cursed under his breath. "Damn it. I knew it—Kuzan, that bastard, must be in on this with you!"
Now Vice Admiral Tsuru finally understood.
This little punk Ryuen and Aokiji definitely had more going on than it seemed. And now Ryuen had gotten Smoker transferred here—and Aokiji had agreed to it.
Still, Tsuru didn’t plan to get involved or call them out on it.
Maybe even Sengoku or Garp would stay quiet if they found out. After all, some things are better left unsaid if you already know what’s going on.
"Alright, whatever’s going on between you two, I don’t care. Settle it yourselves. Ryuen, where’s Morgans? He should be here by now, right?" Tsuru asked, shifting her focus.
"Of course he’s here. Morgans, come on out!" Ryuen called cheerfully toward one of the rooms.
As soon as he said that, the door slowly opened and a tall bird-man in a black suit walked out.
"Here I am! I didn’t expect the World Government to care so much about me—they even sent Vice Admiral Tsuru just to meet me. What an honor!" Morgans struck a pose he thought looked cool and winked at Ryuen.
Ryuen silently facepalmed, completely speechless.
Morgans probably felt completely safe here—that’s likely why he was acting so relaxed in front of Vice Admiral Tsuru.
But maybe he had another goal too—to show Tsuru that he was serious about joining the Dream Exploration Team.
Sure enough, Tsuru gave him a long, thoughtful look before speaking.
"Morgans, so you really joined the Dream Exploration Team. Aren’t you worried Ryuen might fail in the end?"
Ryuen heard her question and just gave a calm smile.
"Since I’ve already made my choice, it means I trust Ryuen completely!"
"To be honest, Vice Admiral Tsuru, I’ve finally found something I’m willing to dedicate the rest of my life to." Morgans dropped his usual cocky tone and spoke seriously.
Ryuen was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected Morgans to say something like that.
"Something to dedicate the rest of your life to... Ryuen, it seems you’re planning something big." Tsuru narrowed her eyes, staring at Ryuen like she was trying to see through him completely.
"Of course! We’re making a world map. Who else could pull this off but us?" Ryuen gave a slight smile and looked Tsuru straight in the eyes, full of confidence.
Tsuru quietly studied him for a moment, then let out a small sigh.
"You know that’s not what I meant. Forget it, you probably wouldn’t answer even if I asked."
"At this point, I’ll just trust Garp’s judgment. But I’ll tell you this—those Celestial Dragons aren’t as simple as you think."
Vice Admiral Tsuru’s face was serious, and her tone was heavy, as if she was giving a warning.
Standing beside her, Smoker and Tashigi’s faces changed instantly. Their eyes widened—they couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
It sounded like something huge. Vice Admiral Tsuru had actually said the Celestial Dragons weren’t simple—and she said it right in front of a wanted man!
They were both shocked.
After all, the Celestial Dragons were the world’s nobility. They had the highest power and status, able to control others’ lives and wealth at will.
To most people, the Celestial Dragons were untouchable. Anyone who disrespected them would be hunted and punished by the Marines.
But now, Vice Admiral Tsuru was telling them that the Celestial Dragons weren’t as simple as they seemed. That alone was a big shock.
They couldn’t help but wonder—was there some hidden truth behind the Celestial Dragons? Or was there something dangerous about them that had been kept secret all this time?
These thoughts filled their hearts with doubt and unease.
Ryuen’s expression didn’t change at all after hearing Tsuru’s warning. Of course the Celestial Dragons weren’t simple—he knew that well, being someone from another world.
Just the fact that even Shanks was a Celestial Dragon said enough about how strong they were.
"My job here is done. I’ll be going now. Smoker, keep working hard, and I hope you’ll always hold on to the justice in your heart." Tsuru’s voice was calm and firm. She looked away from Ryuen, turned to Smoker, and gave him a small nod, as if placing her hopes in him. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
With that, she left the hotel.
Only after watching her go did Smoker turn back to Ryuen. "What did Vice Admiral Tsuru really mean? And what’s going on between you and Kuzan?"
Ryuen smiled slightly and shook his head. "Smoker, don’t overthink it. Just follow your own instincts. Some things you don’t need to know. Just believe in your own sense of judgment and stick to your beliefs—that’s enough."
Ryuen’s words made Smoker fall into deep thought.
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