In the Elward Sea, the reconnaissance ship gently swayed with the waves on the distant sea.
Looking at Kizaru's recently disgusted and rejecting expression, Gern's fingers rhythmically tapped the rim of his teacup, producing a crisp sound.
Then, he squinted at Kizaru, a cunning arc forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Borsalino-senpai, you say..." Gern deliberately drew out his words.
"What else can I say?" Kizaru turned his head, his eyes slightly narrowed behind his sunglasses.
"Or rather...does our Rear Admiral Gern have another bold idea?"
"Just a little!" Gern, whose words had been interrupted, smiled, raised his finger, and pinched it slightly, continuing, "You say, if we could catch either Golden Lion or Roger this time..."
"I knew it..." Hearing Gern's words, which were an immediate critical hit, Kizaru's sunglasses slipped down slightly, revealing half of his eyes.
"If it really happens, a promotion and a raise are minor things," Gern leaned closer, his voice low but full of temptation. "I heard Fleet Admiral Kong is considering adding a position called 'Admiral Candidate' recently (it doesn't exist now). You and I are both Rear Admirals, so maybe we could directly skip the Vice Admiral rank..."
"Admiral Candidate? Does Marineford have such a position? But it sounds like there might be something to it. This kid's direct teacher is Zephyr-sensei, so it might be possible!"
The sea breeze suddenly became gentle, and Kizaru's teacup refracted an enticing luster in the sunlight.
"And..." Seeing Kizaru deep in thought, Gern continued to tempt him, "With such a meritorious deed, applying for half a year...no, a year of paid administrative leave, shouldn't be a problem, right?"
It was the phrase "paid administrative leave" that made Kizaru's fingers tremble almost imperceptibly.
And Gern clearly saw the veteran slacker's Adam's apple bob up and down.
"Borsalino-senpai. Think about it, the sunny beaches of Maldives Island..." Gern's voice was like a devil's whisper.
"No documents, no meetings, and no crazy corporate slave tasks from the Celestial Dragons..."
Gern's words, like a devil's whisper, filled Kizaru's ears.
Suddenly, the deck of the reconnaissance ship became eerily quiet, with only the sound of waves gently lapping against the hull.
Kizaru's sunglasses had completely slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing his rarely wide-open eyes.
Seeing this, Gern pressed on: "You can wake up naturally every day, drink as much afternoon tea as you want, and you'll have time to slowly measure your custom suits! And, and..."
"Wait!" Kizaru suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, as if waking from a beautiful dream, he abruptly pushed his sunglasses back up and leaned back. "Gern, I finally understand why Fleet Admiral Kong gave me command of this mission. Your ability to tempt is too powerful; I was really tempted just now! However, I, Borsalino, am not Sakazuki!"
"Damn it, so close!" Looking at Kizaru, who had snapped back to reality, Gern couldn't help but complain inwardly.
Then, he blinked and said, "But Senpai was clearly tempted just now..."
"Tempted is tempted," Kizaru picked up his teacup again, returning to his usual lazy demeanor. "But to make me fight Golden Lion or Roger to the death?" He shivered exaggeratedly, "How scary~"
Gern sighed, deciding to try a different angle: "What if...we only need to act at the crucial moment? For example, when they're both severely injured..."
"Both severely injured?" Kizaru scoffed, "Gern, do you think that's two pirate grunts fighting? That's Golden Lion and Roger! Even if they're down to their last breath, a full-strength, desperate battle is terrifying!"
"But Senpai is the Flash! The 'Light-Speed Man' is known by everyone at Marineford!"
"Stop!" Kizaru made a 'stop' gesture. "My Devil Fruit ability is for elegantly slacking off, not for dying."
Seagulls flew overhead, their cries sounding like mockery.
Gern looked up at the sky, suddenly feeling that this mission was much more boring than he had imagined.
"However..." Just as Gern was about to give up completely, Kizaru suddenly spoke again, his tone subtle, "If you insist on stirring things up..."
"Hmm?" Gern immediately perked up his ears.
"We can do this..." Kizaru pulled out a pack of matcha-flavored Daifuku from somewhere and slowly unwrapped it. "When they've fought enough, we'll take a few photos from afar and go back saying we 'bravely ventured deep behind enemy lines and obtained crucial intelligence'..."
Gern's expression froze.
"As for the bonus, the basic amount will do," Kizaru took a delicious bite of the stringy Daifuku. "As for leave...half a month should be approved, right? How about we hit each other to feign injuries? This way, we might even get a medical subsidy!"
...
Gern finally understood why Zephyr always told him to occasionally learn from Kizaru ever since he lost to Roger in their last encounter.
Because when it came to slacking off on missions, our Borsalino really had some tricks up his sleeve!
"Senpai..." Gern rubbed his temples, "With your work attitude, how will you become an Admiral in the future?"
"No rush...Do you think I like taking jobs from Celestial Dragons for no reason? Hehe, young man," Kizaru revealed a mysterious smile, "Survival and career both require wisdom~"
He stretched lazily, "You know, in this world, living long is the winner."
In the distance, the outline of Golden Lion's fleet became clearer and clearer.
Gern looked at the cloud-like fleet and suddenly felt that Kizaru's words were, damn it, sensible.
"So..." Kizaru patted Gern's shoulder, "We'll follow the plan, 'observe' from afar, and then..."
"Then safely go back and claim credit," Gern replied helplessly.
"Smart!" Kizaru nodded with satisfaction, "It seems you've grasped the essence of the laws of survival."
Gern looked at the horizon and suddenly chuckled softly: "Senpai, actually, you occasionally need to be a teacher at the Navy School."
"Oh?"
"At least you can teach those hot-blooded Marines..." Gern picked up his teacup.
"For example, how to complete objectives while preserving one's life."
"Haha!" Kizaru raised his teacup with satisfaction: "To the wisdom of survival."
"To paid leave," Gern chuckled and clinked his cup.
The two teacups sparkled with warm light in the sun, and the reconnaissance ship continued to slowly drift towards the dangerous waters.
At the same time, the sound of thunderous 炮火 came from afar, as Golden Lion's fleet finally discovered the Roger Pirates'蹤跡.
The decisive battle between the two legendary pirate crews was about to begin...