Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating Raleigh's face.
By six in the morning, Marineford was already bustling with activity.
Many officers and soldiers stationed at Headquarters had already begun training on the drill grounds, and breakfast stalls were being set up along the streets.
The noisy sounds outside the window slowly roused Raleigh from his deep sleep.
He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for a moment before remembering—this was Borsalino's house.
After yesterday's promotion ceremony, he had been dragged away from the Fleet Admiral's office by Tokikake and the others to a hotel, insisting he treat everyone to celebrate his promotion to Vice Admiral.
From what he could recall, besides Tokikake and Gion, Borsalino and Doberman were also there.
At the banquet, they relentlessly pressured Raleigh to drink.
Even with his remarkable alcohol tolerance, he couldn't withstand the collective assault.
He had no memory of how he made it back here.
"Damn it, next time I'll definitely get even," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Raleigh got up from the bed, dressed, and prepared to wash up before exploring the area.
Now that he was a Vice Admiral, he aimed to emulate Garp: unless necessary, he wouldn't be returning to Marineford often, so he wanted to take in the sights while he could.
Marineford wasn't a single large island but rather an archipelago.
The main island housed the Marine Headquarters, while the smaller surrounding islands were inhabited by merchants and the families of Marine personnel.
Borsalino's house was near the military academy, so as soon as Raleigh stepped out, he spotted several Marine officers heading to class.
The Headquarters' military academy had several types of students.
First, there were young recruits selected from the Four Blues and Headquarters itself; these were considered the Marines' budding talents, and most of the organization's strongest members emerged from this group.
Then, there were those who had served for years in the Four Blues or the Grand Line, diligently working their way up.
Headquarters brought them in for advanced training to better adapt to the demands of capturing pirates in the New World.
These individuals were the backbone of the Marines. It was their perseverance that kept the organization running.
However, Raleigh knew the chances of a true genius emerging from this group were pitifully small.
Strolling through the civilian district's streets, Raleigh gazed at the familiar shops he often frequented during his academy days and couldn't help but sigh nostalgically.
He stopped in front of a modest eatery.
"Old man, one bowl of tonkotsu ramen, extra toppings," Raleigh said as he pushed open the half-ajar door, calling out to the white-haired owner whose back was turned.
"Coming right up, sir! Just a moment," the elderly man replied instinctively.
But then he paused, sensing something familiar about the voice—it sounded like a regular from the past.
Turning around, the owner's face lit up with surprise at the sight of Raleigh's relaxed demeanor.
"You rascal! I knew that voice sounded familiar. It really is you!"
"Old Man Mitsuhashi, long time no see," Raleigh greeted him naturally.
"You were quite impressive yesterday, kid. I went to the plaza to watch. Who would've thought that the lazy troublemaker who gave Zephyr and Garp headaches at the academy would outpace all their so-called geniuses?"
Raleigh laughed heartily. "Of course! I'm no ordinary man—I'm the guy who ate Mitsuhashi's tonkotsu ramen every day!"
This had been Raleigh's most frequent meal during his academy days, simply because the old man's culinary skills were exceptional.
And because the owner didn't like meddling in others' affairs, he never informed the military academy instructors when Raleigh skipped class to hide at his shop.
"How's business, Old Man Mitsuhashi?"
"Not bad. At least I won't starve. But since you graduated, there hasn't been a single Marine student who impressed me much." Mitsuhashi let out a sigh, seemingly concerned about the quality of the new recruits.
"To be honest, before you graduated, there were many outstanding individuals. Even the weaker ones among your peers would still be top students by today's standards."
Raleigh picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a thick slice of chashu pork, stuffed it into his mouth, and spoke while chewing heartily.
"Why worry so much, old man? You're retired now, just a little old man making ramen. What's the point?"
"The Marines naturally have people who handle such concerns. Since they're in those high positions, they've probably considered it many times already."
Mitsuhashi could run a ramen shop in Marineford precisely because of his connections with the Marines.
He was a veteran, brave in battle, who had sustained a crippling injury to his right leg while capturing pirates.
After receiving treatment at Headquarters, he transitioned from frontline duty to the military academy as an instructor, a position he held for fifteen years.
Later, when Mitsuhashi finally retired, he opened this shop to stay close to the life he knew.
"Hey, you're right. How do you manage to see things from so many angles?"
After wiping down the kitchen counter, Mitsuhashi carried a small bottle of sake and sat down opposite Raleigh.
"Care for a drink?"
Raleigh's face nearly turned green at the sight. He almost choked and quickly waved his hands.
"Spare me, Old Man Mitsuhashi. I almost drank myself to death last night."
Seeing the look of post-traumatic relief on Raleigh's face, Mitsuhashi burst into laughter.
"You kid... I always thought you were fearless. Turns out there are things you're scared of after all."
Only when Mitsuhashi stopped trying to force him to drink did Raleigh pick up his chopsticks again and continue eating.
"Had enough? If not, I can add more noodles and vegetables for you."
A large bowl of noodles, the size of a human head, was devoured by Raleigh in just a few minutes, yet there was no visible bloating in his appearance—thanks to Life Return.
Raleigh patted his full stomach, picked a toothpick from the table, and put it in his mouth.
Just as he was about to speak, a rough, youthful voice came from outside the door.
"Old Man Mitsuhashi, I'm here again. Please make me a bowl of tonkotsu ramen."
"Oh, Smoker! I'll get it ready right away." Mitsuhashi acknowledged the newcomer and stood up to head back to the kitchen.
Smoker was curious about the person sitting across from Mitsuhashi, but since Raleigh had his back to him, he couldn't tell who it was.
Out of politeness, Smoker didn't feel comfortable walking over to investigate.
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