Chapter 65: Kai and Aokiji

Back on the bridge Kai was sitting on the ledge looking over at a man who was slowly biking towards him. After about 30 seconds the man got close enough to the bridge. He made a staircase of ice and started lazily walking up it with his bike in hand.

When he finally reached the top he looked at Kai who was still sitting with his feet dangling off the edge of the bridge.

"You're still here?" Aokiji asked Kai who just nodded. "Yup, where else would I be? Unless you expected me to be dead. I mean Sengoku did authorize a buster call after all."

Aokiji slightly opened his eyes when he heard this. "I thought there was no buster call? Wasn't that why I have to be here?"

Kai had a small smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes. He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Aokiji. "Here you go, you can have your buster call back."

Aokiji caught it and raised an eyebrow. "I thought that idiot used this already."

Kai laughed. "Wahahaha! Sengoku said the same thing. Let me ask you, if I had time to set up a conference call with you, Sengoku and gramps, do you think I would still let him destroy this whole island and kill everyone?"

Aokiji sighed and nodded. "I see. Good thing you took this from him."

Kai laughed once again. "WAHAHA! You should watch what you say admiral. You're going against the WG and marines right now."

Aokiji frowned and said, "What do you mean? I just said it's good that you didn't let CP9 destroy the island and kill many marines."

Kai nodded and said. "Exactly! That's a big no no! That's exactly what Sengoku just called me for. He was upset that there was no real buster call! Just like the 5 bastards! What a joke! Wahahaha!"

Aokiji narrowed his eyes. "Fleet admiral Sengoku wouldn't do something like that."

Kai smiled and made a light gesture with his hands. "Go on, ask him yourself."

Aokiji nodded and called Sengoku.

"Baaa."

Was all he heard before Sengoku spoke up.

"Shhh, don't talk when I'm on a call, jheez I need to train this goat better."

Aokiji ignored whatever was going on in the background and asked Sengoku straight up. "What exactly happened to the buster call, fleet admiral, did you call it off?" Sengoku sighed deeply and responded.

"No. The gorosei ordered us to go through with the buster call anyway when I told them the situation, however, somehow, commander Fujin had prevented it from ever being called. That is why you are going to Enies Lobby right now. You are too capture Nico Robin and eliminate the Straw Hats if possible, but your focus is on Nico Robin."

Aokiji responded plainly. "I see." Then he hung up the call and looked at Kai.

"You were right. They did still want to destroy this island." Aokiji said in a somewhat distant voice.

Kai nodded. "Unfortunately. This is what I was talking about before Kuzan. This world isn't as peaceful as you might think. The government aren't saints."

Aokiji nodded slightly before he asked. "When did you ever tell me that?"

Kai looked at him. "I change masks once and all of a sudden you can't recognize me?"

Aokiji's eyes widened. "That was you on Long Ring island? Hmm. This makes things complicated."

Kai smiled under his mask. "That's the point, anyway, I'm telling you this and showing you my power in exchange for one thing."

Aokiji gestured for Kai to continue. "Just think about what I have told you. Keep your eyes open for whether or not the marines are doing the right thing. I understand you want to prevent a war, but what is the difference between a war and what would have happened today if I didn't step in? Would a war really cause more casualties than the government already does? Not to mention, everything else the government does to the people, like the slaves, or the insane tax you need to pay to be part of the government which causes the people to suffer back breaking work to try to make enough money for there country to be safe. Except they clearly don't care about keeping ANYONE safe. I mean just look at today."

Aokiji continued in thought. "I see. A lot of that is very true, this has indeed been very eye opening for me. Alright, I agree, I won't talk about your identity and I will listen to what you have said seriously and keep my eyes open in the future. I also will do my best to try and do the right thing and make sure the marines as a whole do the same."

Kai nodded with a smile, he even got a little bonus promise. "Thanks Aokiji. You're a good marine."

Aokiji shook his head sadly. "I don't think I can claim that title. Especially not now, after my buster call was nearly used to destroy this island."

Kai nodded in understanding. "I understand completely, I used to feel the exact same way, I blamed myself for not being able to do everything and protect everyone."

Aokiji raised an eyebrow. "And what changed?"

Kai smiled happily while thinking about why before he answered. "I had a few people guide me and tell me I was an idiot. They made me realize that so long as I can save even one person, that means I succeeded in helping out. Just having someone support me and believe in me and my choices was what saved me from that. She really helped me a lot recently."

Aokiji thought about it seriously before he sighed. "So I need to get a girlfriend?" he asked Kai who laughed.

"WAHAHA! I guess you could say that, well more like any friend in general. A true friend who cares about you, the real you."

Aokiji nodded solemnly. "Those are hard to come by."

Kai chuckled again. "You're right. It really is."

Aokiji nodded once again before he looked at Kai then scanned around the island a bit. "I don't suppose you will be friendly, will you?"

Kai shook his head. "I can't right now, but I hope we get along in the future."

Aokiji nodded and said. "So you're protecting the pirates and Nico Robin again?"

Kai laughed. "Wahahaha! I don't wanna hear that from you."

Aokiji crouched in position. "Touche."

Kai smiled and cracked his neck as he tossed his cigarette off the bridge into the ocean.