G-5 Branch, top floor.
In order to allow a certain "sleep-god" Admiral to enjoy the highest-quality "naps" at any time, this place had been shamelessly remodeled into an open-air hot spring fed by deep-sea geothermal heat.
Steam billowed. Mist curled through the air.
Renzo lay half-eyed against a smooth rock wall, thoroughly relaxed, enjoying this rare moment of leisure, which, in truth, happened every single day.
Opposite him, a man with a towel on his head and sunglasses on his face sprawled in the water in the unmistakable posture of an old man soaking in a bath, limbs spread out as he hummed an off-key tune.
"Ay ay Renzo-kun~, your place here is really… far too decadent~."
Kizaru let out a comfortable sigh and lifted a cup of sake floating beside him.
"Building a hot spring of this scale, right on the front lines of the New World, if that oldman Sengoku knew his blood pressure would probably go straight through the roof~."
"His blood pressure has nothing to do with me."
Renzo lazily opened one eye. "I'm only responsible for G-5's sleeping environment.
Good environment means good sleep."
"Good sleep means good mood.
"And good mood means… slightly higher enthusiasm when dealing with paperwork."
"What a~ convincing piece of twisted logic."
Kizaru chuckled. "But~ I like it~."
After all, there was nothing better than openly soaking in a hot spring during work hours, at the most dangerous frontline base, under the pretense of vacation.
They were leaving for Fish-Man Island tomorrow.
Just thinking about those swaying, cough, about that important "undersea transportation hub" lifted Renzo's mood for no clear reason.
Just as this "salary thief" and the "G-5 sleep god" were enjoying their friendly exchange, a series of heavy thudding footsteps, accompanied by loud panting, rapidly approached.
"LORD Renzo!!!"
A thunderous shout filled with grievance and excitement echoed through the area.
BANG!
The wooden door to the hot spring was violently slammed open, or rather, forced open.
A round, rolling figure charged in like a massive flesh-and-blood battering ram.
Drenched in sweat, his chubby face screaming Praise me already, it was none other than Rehn, who had been in closed-door training for a full two months!
"Lord Renzo! I-I did it! I'm out! I'M FINALLY OUT!!!"
With a loud plop, Rehn threw himself flat onto the edge of the pool in a textbook prostration, splashing water everywhere. His voice even carried a sob:
"The mission you gave me! I didn't sleep for two months! Didn't eat, didn't drink,
okay, I ate a little, but anyway! I've finally grasped it, at least preliminarily! Haaah… haaah… I'm exhausted…"
He lay there, his massive body heaving like a broken bellows.
"..."
Renzo calmly wiped the water off his face and opened his eyes with mild resignation.
Across from him, Kizaru nearly spat out his sake.
"Oh~?"
Kizaru sat up, adjusted his sunglasses, and spoke with familiar surprise and unmistakable teasing.
"My my isn't this… Patnia's, round-and-tound Rehn~? It's been a while~."
Of course, Kizaru remembered him.
The chubby guy who had cried his eyes out in the royal capital of Patnia over his sister's resurrection then hugged Renzo's leg, shouting about miracles.
Back then, Renzo's godlike "revival" had left a far deeper impression on Kizaru than any pirate ever had.
"Ah?!"
Rehn jerked his head up.
The moment he saw the man in sunglasses soaking in the pool, lazy, sleazy, laid-back, he froze completely.
In half a second, his expression switched from boot-licking praise seeker to must maintain dignity in front of Lord Renzo's honored guest.
"Ahem!"
Moving with agility that utterly contradicted his body type, Rehn sprang upright (still round), puffed out the chest he didn't have, and bowed slightly.
"So it's Admiral Kizaru! My apologies, my apologies! You… you're bathing here?"
"Yeee~ I'm on vacation~."
Kizaru waved lazily.
Renzo sighed. "Rehn, if you're coming out of training, fine, but you broke the door. Half of this month's bonus is gone."
"Huh?!"
Rehn's face fell instantly, then immediately brightened again.
"No problem, Lord Renzo! If you give the word, I'll tear down every door in G-5 to entertain you!"
"…That won't be necessary."
Renzo's eyelid twitched.
"But Rehn~."
Kizaru drifted closer, circling Rehn's rotund body with a curious expression.
"The feeling you give off, that crackle-crackle sensation, isn't what you had last time~."
For the first time, Kizaru dropped his ever-present laziness, his expression turning genuinely serious.
"This~ rather 'arrogant' aura~ ay~ don't tell me…"
Rehn's spine instantly straightened!
It was time.
Time to flex.
Right in front of Lord Renzo and an admiral!
He immediately turned to Renzo, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Show him."
"Yes, Lord Renzo!"
Rehn's face quivered with excitement as he turned toward Kizaru and cleared his throat.
"Admiral, please bear witness! This is the power Lord Renzo bestowed upon me… the power of the gods!"
He tried to imitate others, stylishly extending his right index finger to gather a small spark of lightning at the tip.
But-
Perhaps because he'd just come out of seclusion and his control wasn't stable yet.
Or maybe he was just too excited.
CRAAACK!!!!
A terrifying barrel-thick blue lightning bolt exploded from his fingertip and slammed straight into the artificial rock formation behind the hot spring!
BOOOOM!!!
Rubble flew everywhere!
The entire G-5 building shook!
BZTZTZTZ!!!
Wild electricity surged outward, the surface of the hot spring erupting in crackling chaos as countless electric arcs danced across the water!
"Wah~!"
Kizaru instantly turned into light particles and zipped into the air to avoid being electrocuted.
"..."
Expressionless, Renzo raised the sake cup in his hand, now completely charred black, still smoking faintly.