After lingering on the cold balcony for a while, Raleigh and Gion finally descended the grand staircase.
Raleigh's large hand was tightly holding Gion's delicate, smaller hand, interlacing their fingers.
It was a bold move, and it made the formidable female swordswoman's face turn a lovely shade of red, though she didn't pull away.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was strangely domestic.
Sengoku, who should have been the main focus of the evening was already seated at the dining table, eating away like he hadn't seen food in a week.
His personality hadn't yet matured into the solemn steadiness of his later years.
At this point in history, though Sengoku often thought ten steps ahead, his demeanor was only slightly more composed than Garp's.
He still had a bit of the "reckless youth" left in him.
"Finished handling things? That brat Dragon is gone, right?" Sengoku didn't even look up.
His eyes were fixed on the plate of spaghetti bolognese in front of him, twirling a mountain of noodles onto his fork.
Raleigh didn't flinch. "Yes, Admiral Sengoku. Senpai has already left the Eryoku Kingdom. He won't be coming back."
Raleigh pulled out the chair beside Sengoku and sat down, releasing Gion's hand gently so she could take the seat opposite them.
Sengoku glanced up, chewed, and pushed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice toward Raleigh.
"Have this. I'm getting old—prefer tea these days. Vitamin C is good for growing boys."
Raleigh naturally didn't refuse.
He was thirsty after the drama. Watching him down the orange juice in one go, Sengoku smiled in satisfaction before turning his full attention back to devouring the spaghetti.
Neither spoke for a few minutes.
Silence settled over the scene, broken only by the enthusiastic slurping sounds of the future Fleet Admiral.
After a long while, Sengoku sucked up the last strand of spaghetti with a loud shloop, wiped his mouth with a linen napkin, and sighed heavily.
"That kid Dragon... he's been far too reckless since leaving the Marines." His tone was thick with a mixture of bewilderment, disappointment, and residual anger over Dragon's defection.
Raleigh, of course, knew why Sengoku felt this personal frustration—Dragon was Garp's son.
He was practically family.
"A perfectly good officer," Sengoku grumbled, staring at his empty plate. "He had a future brighter than the sun. Becoming an Admiral was a foregone conclusion. He has the Haki, the mind, the lineage. Why did he have to leave? What do you think, Raleigh? You talked to him."
The more Sengoku spoke, the more worked up he became, flecks of spit nearly hitting Raleigh's face.
In such situations, silence was the best response. Raleigh ran the calculations:
He wasn't that close to Sengoku.
He wasn't that close to Garp.
His relationship with Dragon was... complicated.
So the best answer was no answer at all. He just nodded sympathetically.
Seeing Raleigh remain silent, Sengoku gradually calmed down.
He leaned back in his chair. "After leaving Eryoku... did he mention where he was headed?"
Raleigh thought it over for a split second.
Then, he decided to "betray" Dragon—strategically.
"Senpai said he might stay in the northernmost country of the North Blue for a few years, until he figures out his ideals.."
Hearing this, Sengoku sighed, looking almost relieved.
"The Far North? Good. It's a desolate rock. If he stays there and cools his head, maybe he won't cause too much trouble."
Seeing his reaction, Raleigh's curiosity was piqued.
He decided to probe the boundaries. "Admiral Sengoku... if you didn't want Senpai to leave the Marines, why didn't you stop him?" Raleigh leaned in. "Earlier, on the balcony—you knew he was there. Your Observation Haki covers the whole island. If you'd wanted to keep him, you could have. Why did you choose to turn a blind eye?"
Sengoku's expression grew complicated.
His face twisted through several emotions—duty, friendship, regret. Finally, he exhaled heavily, deflating slightly.
"That kid Dragon... sure, he's done some outrageous things. But I'm a Marine Admiral. Until the World Government issues a formal warrant for his arrest, I won't lay a hand on him. Technically, he's just a civilian who quit his job." Sengoku looked at Raleigh with tired eyes. "Besides... even Garp couldn't stop him. What makes you think I could?"
'So that's it,' Raleigh realized.
This was why, in the original story, Dragon was able to develop the Revolutionary Army for so many years without being crushed in the cradle.
Aside from Dragon's formidable personal strength and exceptional intellect, his most crucial advantage was having a father who was the Marine Hero.
Out of respect for Garp, most high-ranking Marine officers who knew about Dragon would deliberately go easy on him, treating his "rebellion" as a rebellious phase of a powerful nephew.
This explained why, even when the World Government eventually issued a bounty, the Marines never seemed to have a dedicated task force hunting him down until it was too late.
"Enough of this," Sengoku waved his hand, dismissing the heavy topic. "Since the matters in Eryoku Kingdom are resolved, I should return to Headquarters. The Grand Line is restless."
"Tokikake has other missions, so I'll take him with me." Sengoku lifted his head and glanced across the room at Tokikake, who was currently trying (and failing) to flirt with a group of court ladies.
"That guy," Sengoku muttered, shaking his head. "Though powerful, he still lacks steadiness. I plan to take him to the Grand Line for a few years of tempering. He needs to get rejected by stronger women."
Then, Sengoku's gaze shifted to Gion, and then pointedly back to Raleigh.
"As for Gion... I asked for her opinion. She said her strength is still insufficient and wishes to remain in the North Blue for 'training'." Sengoku examined Raleigh with a paternal, almost warning demeanor, making Raleigh involuntarily tense up.
"Young man. Don't disappoint her sincerity. Work hard—we'll be waiting for you at Headquarters. Both of you."
Clearly, Sengoku's faction—and likely Tsuru as well—considered Raleigh worthy of Gion's affection.
They had begun viewing him as a potential son-in-law of the Marines.
This troubled Raleigh deeply.
He originally wanted to remain marginalized, inconspicuous, and lazy.
Being the focus of the future Fleet Admiral meant more work.
He could only force a dry laugh and reply: "Admiral Sengoku, I will definitely grow stronger alongside Gion. But... there are simply too many matters in the North Blue right now! It's a mess! I might not be able to visit Headquarters for a long time. Years, maybe!"
Raleigh stood up abruptly.
"I just remembered—there are urgent matters at the nearby Sea Chrysanthemum Base. Paperwork! Terrible stuff. I should get going."
Raleigh was intimidated by Sengoku's intense attention and no longer wanted to remain at the venue.
He immediately slipped away like greased lightning, practically running for the door.
Watching Raleigh's fleeing figure, Sengoku chuckled softly while murmuring to himself.
"Run all you want, kid. This isn't up to you. After all... this is an era of raging storms and turbulent seas. You can't hide forever."
....
One Month Later.North Blue, Marine Branch Base.
The winter sun shone through the office window.
A bored Raleigh sat with his feet up on the desk, reading a history book about the Void Century (or what little was allowed to be printed).
After returning from the Eryoku Kingdom, his workload had suddenly lightened considerably.
The situation in the North Blue was becoming increasingly clear—and surprisingly peaceful.
The major Mafia groups on various islands had been eradicated by either the Marines or the Donquixote Family.
It was a binary star system now: Raleigh's Justice and Doflamingo's Underworld.
Cleveland, Raleigh's right-hand man, led the elite forces in "pacification campaigns" across the North Blue, striking down countless pirates and unaligned Mafia groups.
The North Blue was no longer the chaotic, lawless region Raleigh had first encountered.
Though Mafia families remained numerous, those who survived had learned Raleigh's rules.
'Pay your taxes. Don't cause trouble in the streets. Or die'.
Those imprudent Mafia family members who didn't listen... well, they were currently acting as high-quality fertilizer for the base's tulip garden.
Buru bururu—Buru bururu—Buru bururu—
The sound of a Den Den Mushi suddenly snapped Raleigh out of his daze.
"Huh? Whose call is this?" Raleigh blinked, looking at the silver snail on his desk.
Very few people had his direct private number.
Katcha.
"Moshi moshi, this is Raleigh. Who's this?"
"Raleigh-sama! It's me! Alice of the Salisbury Family!"
A youthful, energetic voice came through the Den Den Mushi, and Raleigh immediately recognized its owner.
She was the young mistress of the Salisbury Family—the first Mafia family he had subdued upon arriving in the North Blue.
A very adorable, slightly terrifying little girl.
"Oh, Alice," Raleigh's tone softened noticeably. He leaned back in his chair. "Its been a while. What brings you to call me?"
He had always treated his followers well, though recent busyness had made him somewhat forget about the Salisbury Family.
They were loyal, quiet, and paid on time, so they rarely needed attention.
Most of his mental energy these days was spent engaging in a cold war with the Donquixote Family for territory.
His methods—seizing illegal shipments before Doflamingo could, raiding warehouses—had irritated Doflamingo somewhat.
But given Raleigh's demonstrated strength (and the Byrnndi World incident), the Young Master had no choice but to endure it for now.