#228 - Chapter 228 I'm Old, Listen to Me

Night fell, and the starry sky was brilliant. The vast and mysterious heavens resembled bright lamps, radiating timeless and immortal light.

The glittering stars were like luminous pearls, captivating the senses.

Under the starlight, the entire world seemed like blades of grass swaying in a gentle breeze, dancing to a dazzling melody.

Inside the Marine headquarters at Marineford, laughter and cheerful voices filled the air.

Zephyr raised his glass, his expression cheerful, and clinked it with Jin'an's.

"You kid, you still only drink juice when you're happy."

Zephyr said with a smile, and Jin'an returned the smile, "You know, I'll pass out as soon as I touch alcohol."

The two looked at each other and smiled, understanding each other tacitly.

Toki Amatsuki stood aside, gazing at Jin'an with gentle eyes, a smile constantly on her face.

Kuzan sat alone on the side, looking at the lively Jin'an, his hand still clenched involuntarily. He wished he was stronger.

Enel's cheeks were also slightly red, showing that he was also a little drunk.

Borsalino didn't know if he was really drunk, but his body seemed to be swaying.

"Zephyr, old man, I've reached my limit. Let's call it a night..."

Zephyr glared and said, "There's nothing to do tomorrow anyway. It's rare to catch you once, and you want to run so soon? Tonight, no one can walk out of this room standing up."

Upon hearing this, Borsalino seemed to sober up, staring blankly at Zephyr as if he was seeing him for the first time.

"Zephyr...sensei...?"

He carefully sized up the other person; he had never seen this side of Zephyr before.

"Sit down, Borsalino. I'm the oldest here, so listen to me!"

Zephyr laughed loudly and acted like an old man, continuing to clink glasses and exchange drinks.

Jin'an walked to Borsalino's side and laughed, "It's also my first time seeing Zephyr-sensei like this."

As he spoke, Jin'an handed Borsalino a cup of tea, "He's just saying it. Drink some tea to sober up, and he won't be able to control anything when he gets drunk later."

Borsalino looked at Jin'an with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "It's scary to see him like this for the first time..."

Rarely participating in such gatherings, he followed Jin'an's words and sat back down.

Looking at the smiling faces of everyone in the room, Jin'an also smiled. This kind of atmosphere felt very good to him.

There weren't many opportunities to gather like this, and Jin'an wanted them to interact more.

He didn't want to see the master-disciple conflict in Film Z happen.

"......"

The next day arrived.

The new day brought a new atmosphere.

The residential area of Marineford became lively again.

The streets were bustling with activity on both sides.

Because of Jin'an's intervention, the impact of the war had become very small.

To be precise, people were not affected by the war. Only the scars on the houses indicated how terrifying the war had been.

At this time, Jin'an and Toki Amatsuki strolled side by side on the streets of Marineford.

"Marineford has been completely rebuilt."

Toki Amatsuki said with some surprise as she walked on the streets that were no different from before the outbreak of the war.

Jin'an responded with a smile, "You can always trust the Marines' speed."

His eyes were full of smiles, confident in the Marines' infrastructure speed.

If other branches encountered this situation, the reconstruction speed might be slightly slower due to various factors.

However, Marineford is the face of the Marines, so it must be repaired as soon as possible.

"Thanks for taking care of me when I was unconscious..."

Jin'an suddenly said to Toki Amatsuki with a serious expression.

"I didn't do anything..."

Toki Amatsuki found Jin'an's seriousness amusing.

The earnest Jin'an was still handsome.

"......"

Suddenly, a gentle female voice came, "Long time no see, Jin'an."

Just as the two were talking, two women and one man appeared in front of him.

Jin'an came back to his senses and smiled, "Really? I feel like I just saw you last month."

Gion smiled and walked to Jin'an, "It's been almost a month, it's been a long time."

Her black hair exuded fragrance, and her sexy dress made passersby unable to take their eyes off her.

Afterwards, Gion smiled and introduced the two people beside her to Jin'an.

"This is Tina, she's very beautiful, right?"

Jin'an looked over, Tina had pink hair, delicate features, and wore ordinary shirts and trousers, showing off her plump figure and slender waist.

"Y-you, hello."

Tina looked at Jin'an curiously. She had always heard the surrounding Marines talk about Jin'an, but she didn't expect to meet him here today.

Jin'an is a legend in the Marines, and many Marines admire him, and so does she.

Jin'an responded faintly, "Hello."

Although his tone was flat, he was actually quite happy in his heart. The people in front of him were all characters he liked very much in the original work.

Gion continued to introduce, "This is Smoker. The two of them are this year's Marine recruits."

Smoker had a buzz cut, a cigar in his mouth, and a somewhat arrogant expression. Even when facing Jin'an, he looked like he was the best in the world.

Jin'an looked at Smoker with interest, "Natural-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, not bad."

Gion was surprised and opened her mouth wide when she heard Jin'an's evaluation of Smoker.

"You haven't been back to headquarters for long, how do you know him?"

Jin'an shook his head and smiled, "This kid is a troublemaker, so I've naturally heard of him."

Tina and Gion almost laughed when they heard what Jin'an said, but they held back for Smoker's sake.

Smoker's face turned a little dark when he heard Jin'an say that about him, but he didn't refute it.

Gion forced a smile and introduced Smoker and the others, "This is Toki Amatsuki next to Jin'an. She's strong, gentle, and a very easy person to get along with."

Toki Amatsuki smiled gently, "Hello everyone."

Then she smiled and encouraged them, "You are the future of the Marines. Do your best in the training camp."

Jin'an

"New talents will replace the old, and both of you have very good qualifications."

"Work hard..."

Jin'an's praise made Tina blush slightly. She raised her hand and brushed the pink hair beside her ear, trying to hide the sudden shyness.

Smoker still maintained his arrogant expression, but the slight upturn of his mouth still revealed his true thoughts.

He straightened his back, crossed his arms, and his eyes were cold and proud.

He was now a man recognized by Jin'an.

After the introduction, Gion curiously glanced at Toki Amatsuki and Jin'an, with a playful smile on her face.

"Are you two...dating?"

She deliberately prolonged the ending, with a hint of teasing.

Jin'an just smiled lightly when he heard this, his expression calm. A straight foot fears no crooked shoe.

The other party's teasing had no effect on him.

In contrast, Toki Amatsuki's reaction was completely different.

As soon as Gion finished speaking, her face flushed red, almost burning up.

She waved her hands in a panic, her voice a little stuttering, "N-no...no..."

Her eyes flickered, not knowing where to look, her gaze wandering between the ground and Jin'an.

Her fingers were nervously twisting together, her body leaning forward slightly, as if she wanted to explain clearly but couldn't find the right words.

Her face was even redder, as if she was about to bury her head in the ground in the next second.

Seeing Toki Amatsuki's embarrassment, Jin'an waved to Gion, "You guys go ahead, Toki Amatsuki and I will leave first..."

"......"

Gion and the others looked at Jin'an and the others, and couldn't help laughing after they walked away.

The backs of those two looked a little like they were fleeing.