New World, G-5 Marine Base.
When six ships laden with dazzling, golden cargo slowly sailed into the harbor like massive beasts returning to their nest, the entire base fell into an eerie silence.
All the Marines who had been training, patrolling, or simply lounging in the sun froze mid-motion, craning their necks in disbelief as they stared at a sight straight out of legend, a scene like the fabled City of Gold.
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard, the sound breaking the silence.
The next instant, the base erupted in an uproar like a landslide and tsunami combined.
"Th-that… what is that?! Gold?! Is that all gold?!"
"My God! How much money is that?! You could buy the entire G-5 base with that and still have change left!"
"It's Mr. Rhen and Mr. Sanji! Didn't they just go out to buy ingredients for afternoon tea?! How did they come back with THIS much gold?!"
On the port, the officer left in charge, Tibeard, let the cigar drop from his mouth with a clatter.
The roguish glint usually in his eyes was gone; they were now wide as saucers, locked onto the ship's holds, where mountains of gold were piled so high they looked ready to spill out.
"W-we're… rich?" he muttered.
Then he suddenly slapped his thigh and sprinted toward the office with all his might, screaming at the top of his lungs like a pig being slaughtered:
"ADMIRAL!!! ADMIRAL RENZO!!! THIS IS BAD!!! RHEN AND SANJI, THEY DIDN'T ROB SOMEONE, THEY BROUGHT BACK A WHOLE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD!!!"
…
Inside the office, the CC 1 drifted comfortably in the warmest patch of sunlight.
Renzo, wearing an eye mask, seemed to be enjoying a perfect afternoon nap.
Ain was nearby, handling paperwork, while Monet quietly prepared his next glass of iced fruit juice.
Tibeard's howling passed straight through the walls without obstruction, clearly reaching everyone inside.
Ain's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Monet's hand paused slightly as she held the glass.
As for Renzo, he merely rolled over in annoyance on the his folating couch and muttered, "So noisy… a mountain of gold? Can you eat it?"
Clearly, his interest in gold was far inferior to his interest in the upcoming afternoon tea.
Only when Rhen and Sanji appeared at the office doorway did he lazily remove his eye mask and sit up.
"You're back?" Renzo yawned. "Where's the stuff?"
"Lord Renzo!"
Rhen slid in on his knees in a textbook kneeling glide, his face glowing with the fervor of someone claiming credit. From his coat, he carefully produced two boxes wrapped in special thermal insulation.
"Mission accomplished! The 'Mist Peak' coffee beans and 'Seven-Colored Sea Salt' you personally selected have been brought back in perfect condition!"
As he spoke, he presented the boxes reverently, as if they weren't ingredients, but priceless treasures.
Renzo's eyes finally lit up.
He took the boxes and opened them, giving them a sniff.
An indescribable coffee aroma, pure and refreshing, like clouds and mist, along with a faint savory scent that seemed to carry the very essence of the sea, instantly spread through the room.
"Mmm…" Renzo nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. That's the smell."
He turned his gaze to Sanji. "Sanji, get to work immediately. I want to drink Mist Peak coffee right now. And while you're at it… test which dessert pairs best with that sea salt."
"Understood."
Sanji was just as excited; top-tier ingredients were irresistible to any chef.
Just as he was about to take the ingredients and leave, an orange-haired figure timidly peeked in from outside the door.
It was Nami.
Along the way, she had subtly pried information out of Rhen and had already formed a rough idea of just how terrifying this Admiral was, driving back Big Mom, extorting an astronomical compensation fee, even making Admiral Kizaru obey him without complaint…
Now that she was actually about to meet this legendary figure, her heart was practically leaping out of her throat.
After all, she was a genuine pirate!
What if… what if he suddenly turned hostile and arrested her?!
"Hm?" Renzo noticed the movement at the door and glanced at Nami, his face showing a hint of… confusion?
He looked at Sanji and asked lazily, "New kitchen hand? Orange-flavored?"
'Kitchen hand?!'
'Orange-flavored?!'
'What kind of bizarre focus was that?!'
Sanji froze for a moment, then hurriedly explained, "Ah, no, Admiral! This is Miss Nami. She's… uh… a 'guest' we met on Skypiea! She's an excellent navigator and just happened to stop by G-5 for a visit!"
"Oh, a navigator." Renzo nodded, as if the profession rang a faint bell.
After all, someone who could find routes accurately and deliver the food he wanted on time counted as "efficient."
His gaze swept over Nami, as though assessing something.
Nami felt her skin crawl under his stare, cold sweat almost breaking out as she desperately prayed: Don't see me, don't see me…
"She looks… okay," Renzo finally concluded, then waved at Rhen. "Rhen."
"Yes! Sir!"
"Arrange a room for her. Since she's Sanji's guest, and a navigator… hmm. From now on, G-5's overseas ingredient procurement missions can be handled by her. Saves you two big men from going out and dragging down efficiency."
"Yes! I guarantee mission success!"
Rhen accepted the order instantly, secretly delighted. 'Another useful tool to help the Admiral, so efficient!'
"Huh???" Nami was completely stunned.
She had only come to visit!
How did she suddenly become G-5's "exclusive procurement officer"?!
And what was with that "looks okay" comment?! She was a once-in-a-lifetime beauty, thank you very much!
Before she could protest, however, Renzo had already shifted his attention entirely back to the precious ingredients.
"Sanji. Hurry. My coffee."
"Yes!"
Sanji, feeling as though he'd been pardoned, quickly grabbed the ingredients and pulled the still-dazed Nami with him as he fled the office.
He felt that if they stayed any longer, this admiral, extremely sensitive to "trouble", might actually catch the scent of "pirate" on Nami.
As for the six shiploads of gold…
From beginning to end, Renzo never asked a single question about it.
As if that world-maddening fortune truly mattered less to him than a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Outside the office, Nami finally snapped back to reality. She looked at Sanji, then at the chubby Rhen beside her with his utterly matter-of-fact expression, and felt like she had fallen into an incredibly bizarre rabbit hole.
"Hey… just now… that really was a Marine Admiral?" she whispered.
"Absolutely genuine. No fakes, no refunds," Rhen said proudly, pushing up his glasses.
"Our wise and mighty, unfathomable, peace-loving, and afternoon-tea-loving, Lord Renzo."
"..."
She had a feeling that her future days of visiting G-5 were going to be far more... stimulating than she had imagined.