Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

The Navy Headquarters, Marineford, stood solemn and majestic, the ultimate bastion of justice that struck fear into the hearts of countless pirates.

However, at the highest point of this grand Navy fortress, there lay a young man wearing beach shorts and a floral shirt, lounging on a beach chair and basking in the sun.

The young man had messy black hair, thin bangs, and a face that seemed far too youthful. Compared to the stern atmosphere of Marineford, his appearance was undeniably out of place.

As he gazed at the clear blue sky, the young man unknowingly drifted into his memories.

It had been decades since he transmigrated into this world, becoming a younger version of Borsalino (Kizaru). Even without a cheat ability, years of training and battles had elevated him to the level of an admiral. In terms of mastery over his Devil Fruit powers, physical prowess, and Haki, he was undoubtedly on par with, if not stronger than, the original Kizaru.

Moreover, after decades of painstakingly practicing Life Return, he had managed to freeze his youthful appearance at the age he was when he first arrived. He could even pass off as one of Garp's grandsons without looking out of place.

Thanks to this retained youthful appearance, he earned the nickname "The Ageless Admiral" and managed to avoid becoming a template for a middle-aged creep.

In his younger days, Borsalino had once been full of ambition. But reality proved he wasn't cut out for that kind of life.

In this world where individual strength determined everything, even the most beautiful aspirations and lofty ideals couldn't withstand the storms of reality.

What's more, due to the existence of Devil Fruits and the high upper limits of individual power, social mobility in this world wasn't as rigid as it might seem. With enough talent, effort, and a little luck, anyone could climb to the top.

But power breeds ambition, and those with great abilities rarely chose to serve others.

After several failures—some of which nearly cost him his life—Borsalino abandoned his ideals and resigned himself to being a lazy, paycheck-collecting transmigrator.

Of course, even a lazy man occasionally makes a splash. For instance, ten years ago, he made a trip to the East Blue.

There, he saved a former female marine. A few years later, he gained a greedy little "cat burglar" as a result. Now, that same cat burglar had become his adjutant and treasurer.

Many anonymous critics had expressed disapproval of Admiral Kizaru appointing a young girl in her prime as his adjutant.

But honestly, isn't a radiant young beauty far more pleasing to the eye than a burly, pot-bellied man in a bellyband?

Anyone with complaints was welcome to discuss them with his Ame-no-Murakumo sword. At worst, they'd lose an arm or a leg.

Borsalino strongly suspected that these people were simply jealous.

In recent years, Borsalino had mellowed out a bit. But if it had been a decade or so ago, things would have been quite different. Back then, during the World Council, he had a conflict with a certain less-than-sane Celestial Dragon.

The result? Borsalino snatched away three slaves from that Celestial Dragon right on the spot.

Not long after this conflict between a Celestial Dragon and a Navy admiral, a fish-man named Fisher Tiger climbed up to Mary Geoise, caused a massive commotion, freed countless slaves, and even killed one of the "noble" Celestial Dragons.

And wouldn't you know it—it was the very same Celestial Dragon who had previously clashed with Borsalino. In fact, that Celestial Dragon was the only casualty of the riot. The World Government, understandably, had its suspicions.

After all, it wasn't long ago that this particular Celestial Dragon had a run-in with a Navy admiral.

But the evidence was conclusive—Fisher Tiger had killed the Celestial Dragon, with both witnesses and physical proof to back it up. Even Tiger himself confessed to the act. With no choice, the matter was quietly swept under the rug.

As for Borsalino, he had a rock-solid alibi. Unless the Gorosei were willing to risk reducing the trio of admirals to a duo, or face a fractured relationship between the Navy and the World Government, they had no choice but to let it slide.

That said, a transparent ceiling was placed above Borsalino's career. The positions of Fleet Admiral or even Supreme Commander of all three branches were now completely out of his reach.

Yet, for someone like Borsalino—whose only goal in life was to muddle through and live idly—this kind of "punishment" had zero effect.

---

"Borsalino-san!"

Just as Borsalino lazily reached for the iced drink next to him, a somewhat cute yet slightly fierce voice snapped him out of his reminiscing.

Striding toward him briskly was a charming girl with long orange hair and a well-proportioned figure. Though she wore the Navy's sleek, official uniform symbolizing justice, she somehow managed to exude an oddly seductive allure.

This was none other than Nami, his current adjutant and treasurer, affectionately nicknamed the "Navy Fairy" by some. After all, what else could you call someone capable of charming a Navy admiral?

Wearing her little boots, Nami stomped her way up to the rooftop. When she saw Borsalino still lounging on the beach chair and sipping his drink, her frustration skyrocketed.

She had scoured the entire headquarters looking for him, only to find the esteemed Navy admiral sunbathing!

"Yo, Nami-chan, don't be mad…" Borsalino drawled lazily.

His life philosophy, honed over many years as a Navy admiral, was simple: slack off when you can, and if you can't, just go through the motions.

"You've got some nerve saying that! You're late for every meeting! At this rate, people are going to start calling you the Tardy Admiral!"

Nami tried her best to pull Borsalino up from the beach chair.

She had once joined the Navy out of admiration for him, but it didn't take long for her to realize how misplaced her idolization was.

Late for meetings, slacking off on the job, and dodging any tasks he could—whatever work couldn't be avoided would inevitably be dumped on her as his adjutant.

It was downright infuriating!

Meanwhile, in the headquarters' conference room, everyone was already seated—from the Fleet Admiral to the two other admirals, as well as many of the headquarters' vice admirals. They were all just waiting for Admiral Kizaru to arrive.

Tap, tap, tap…

Footsteps echoed outside the room. Borsalino, still wearing his beach shorts, was unceremoniously pushed into the conference room by Nami.

The Navy high command was already used to this kind of spectacle.

Even Admiral Akainu, who despised Borsalino's laziness the most, had to admit that Major Nami's presence was a blessing. At the very least, she was able to rein in Kizaru to some extent.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting…" Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't bother wasting words on the lazy man and went straight to the point. "Headquarters has received a report from Branch 37. A pirate, Blackbeard, who defected from the Whitebeard Pirates, is proposing to exchange Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, for a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea…"

Borsalino raised an eyebrow slightly.

So Blackbeard was making his move, huh? That meant the Summit War was just around the corner.

Still, what did that have to do with him, a shameless salary thief? The Gorosei couldn't seriously expect him to risk his life fighting Whitebeard for the meager wages they paid him, right?

Just as he was about to settle into his usual routine of slacking off, a pleasant voice suddenly echoed in his mind:

[Ding! Would you like to accept the invitation to join the Dimensional Chat Group?

Accept/Decline]