One Piece Admiral Silver Fox - Chapter 49
“Two months.”
Foxy didn’t take Drake’s bragging personally. Although it seemed like showing off, Foxy didn’t mind because he considered himself beyond his teenage years.
“Two months, that’s already impressive.”
Seeing Foxy’s stern face, Drake quickly patted his shoulder to comfort him. It was amusing how the same guy who was showing off ended up offering consolation. This also showed that Drake genuinely considered Foxy, a friend.
As they bickered along the way, it became clear that Foxy and Drake had much to say, probably because they hadn’t talked to anyone for two months. After washing and changing clothes, Foxy and Drake stepped out of the cabin, surprised to see a familiar figure on deck.
As lazy as ever with his sunglasses and calm demeanor, Borsalino leaned against the railing, swirling a glass of red wine.
“Foxy, I heard Vice Admiral Borsalino is taking us back to Marineford.”
“What about Instructor Zephyr?” Foxy was surprised.
“Instructor Zephyr is an admiral. He doesn’t have time for this,” Drake replied, looking at Foxy like an idiot.
“Alright then.”
Foxy realized he had been naive. They were somewhat essential but not enough for an admiral to watch over them constantly. Foxy didn’t try to get close to Borsalino because he knew he wasn’t at that level yet. Borsalino was likely ordered to escort them; otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered with a bunch of kids.
“Foxy, Drake.”
Seeing them come out, Berry Good, Shuuen, and the others gathered around. Within the academy, everyone had their circles. He, Drake, Gasparde, Shuzo, Berry Good, Shuuen, and Hina had formed a tight-knit group thanks to Foxy’s efforts.
“Is the warship heading to the next island?”
“Yeah, I wonder if Shuzo and Gasparde are still alive.”
“Let’s play cards to pass the time!”
“Sure, it’s been so boring with no one to talk to for two months,” Shuuen eagerly agreed.
Drake pulled out a deck of cards from somewhere, and they all sat on the deck to play. Foxy joined in, and feeling relaxed after two tense months was reasonable.
“What should we play?”
Hina, with her pink hair, looked adorable.
“Twenty-one, with forfeits.”
Berry Good suggested.
“Deal the cards!”
As they played, the warship arrived at another island. Rear Admiral Vettel had disappeared at some point, but soon, he returned, carrying a wild-looking Shuzo onto the deck.
“Shuzo.”
Seeing Shuzo’s messy hair and fierce aura, everyone dropped their cards and hugged him.
“Didn’t expect you to still be alive.”
Hearing Drake’s greeting to Shuzo, Foxy felt a sense of déjà vu.
“Of course, if you all didn’t die, how could I?”
Shuzo laughed heartily, still the same as two months ago. Foxy found the words familiar.
“Welcome back.”
Foxy didn’t mind Shuzo’s disheveled appearance, remembering he looked the same not long ago. They hugged, and Shuzo extended his unusually long arms for handshakes.
“Go freshen up.”
“Shuzo, I’ll show you the way.”
Drake volunteered, leading Shuzo to the cabin while loudly asking if he had mastered Shave, followed by bragging about his progress. The scene was all too familiar.
Not long after, the warship reached another island, and Gasparde returned. Some returned, and some didn’t, leaving four or five faces missing from the original group.
The warship stayed at a branch base for a night before returning to Marineford. Foxy only saw Borsalino once during the day. Borsalino was a high-ranking figure, and Foxy had to look up to him. However, Foxy was confident it wouldn’t be long before he could speak to him as an equal.
Night fell quietly.
In the base dormitory, Foxy and his friends sat around, sharing their experiences from the past two months. Each bore many scars, like the three scratches on Foxy’s right cheek and the ones on his body.
Drake claimed scars were a man’s romance, proudly showing off his wounds. He talked the most, followed by Shuuen and Berry Good. Foxy chimed in occasionally while Shuzo laughed heartily. Gasparde, still stern-faced, occasionally smiled and joined in when it was his turn to share.
They stayed up late into the night.
The next morning, the warship left the base and reached Marineford after about a day’s journey. Along the way, it encountered a few pirate ships, all of which were sunk.
Although Borsalino was still a vice admiral and perhaps needed to be at admiral level, his Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) abilities made him far more potent than the average vice admiral.
As they set foot in Marineford, everyone looked at the towering main building in the center and cheered.
“We’re finally back.”
Drake yelled excitedly.
“You have three days off. After that, assemble at the academy.”
Rear Admiral Vettel addressed everyone before leaving.
“Alright!”
Some cadets cheered and began to leave.
“Foxy, Gasparde, Shuzo, would you like to visit my home?”
Drake looked hopefully at his friends.
“I’ll pass. I want to meet Vice Admiral Tsuru.” Foxy shook his head, planning to visit Tsuru.
“I want to go back to the academy and get some good sleep. I won’t be going either,” Gasparde declined.
“Alright then,” Drake said, looking disappointed but quickly perking up. “How about we all meet up at the academy tomorrow and go out together?”
“Hina thinks that’s a good idea.”
Hina raised her hand.
“I agree.”
“Me too.” Berry Good and Shuuen also raised their hands, then looked at Shuzo, Gasparde, and Foxy.
“Sounds good,” Gasparde nodded.
“I’m in,” Shuzo grinned.
Foxy had planned to train tomorrow, but seeing his friends’ eagerness, he decided to take a day off.
“Alright, let’s meet at the academy tomorrow.”
“It’s settled then. I’m off.” Drake used Shave and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“See you tomorrow.”
Hina waved and left.
“You guys…”
Foxy hesitated, looking at Gasparde, Shuzo, Shuuen, and Berry Good. Like him, they were alone, with no family in Marineford.
“We’re planning to head back to the academy.”
Shuuen looked down, feeling a bit downcast.
“Let’s go out for dinner tonight. I’ll visit Vice Admiral Tsuru and come back.”
“Sure, we’ll wait for you.”
They all nodded, their eyes on Foxy.
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