Meeting an Old Friend

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"We're nearly at the G-8 Base; it's been quite some time since I last saw Jonathan."

Unlike Luffy and his crew who ended up at the G-8 Base by accident, Brontes made his approach slowly descending from the sky.

As the airship flew directly over the base, a barrage of cannons immediately pointed towards them and alarms started blaring throughout the base.

Jonathan was standing on the balcony of his office, overlooking the commotion.

"What's happening now? Another attack?" He asked, clearly surprised by the sudden uproar.

"It's only been a few days, and our base has already faced two invasions. Seems like your days as commander might be numbered." Said the man standing behind Jonathan with a sneer.

"Hahaha! Come on, Shepherd, I'm not that out of touch yet. Maybe it's the Straw Hat Pirates coming back for more fun." Jonathan laughed heartily and said.

"You're still finding this funny? I'm going to report this to Marineford. Even your friendship with Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok won't save you from punishment this time." Shepherd retorted with a sneer.

"BluBlurr!"

Jonathan ignored his negative comment because his communication snail, the Den Den Mushi, started ringing.

"What now? Another invasion?" He questioned into the snail.

"Sir, a flying ship has just entered our base and it's heading straight for your location. Should we shoot it down immediately?" Asked the anxious voice on the other end.

"A flying ship? Hold on! Could it be him?" Jonathan thought aloud, suddenly pausing.

"What are your orders, Commander?" The voice pressed, needing immediate direction.

"Hold your fire for now. Let's wait until the ship lands; it might be an unexpected guest." Jonathan instructed, still chuckling.

"Lous, come here!"

He hung up the Den Den Mushi and shouted towards the office door.

"What's your orders, sir?"

The door swung open and a Marine Captain stepped through.

"Tell Jessica to prepare a big dinner; we've got an important guest coming tonight." Johnathan said with a smile on his face.

The Captain, momentarily caught off guard, quickly nodded and dashed off to pass the message to Jessica.

Jessica, who was not only Jonathan's wife but also the chief cook at the G-8 Base.

"Jonathan, are you really going to entertain an enemy as if they're a guest?" Shepherd asked, his tone dripping with skepticism as he eyed Jonathan.

"Relax, Shepherd. When our guest arrives, try not to provoke him. This guy isn't someone you want to irritate." Jonathan advised, just as he spotted the airship making its approach in the distance.

The airship gracefully touched down on the sea, causing a stir among the marines who lined up, ready for battle.

They were still tense from letting the Straw Hat Pirates slip away just the day before, and the sudden arrival of this unknown ship had everyone on high alert, determined not to let another potential threat slip through.

From the airship emerged two figures. One of them leapt from the cliff walls of the base, landing effortlessly on the balcony beside Jonathan.

"It's been too long, Jonathan." Said Brontes, removing his hat with a grin.

Laughing heartily, Jonathan replied: "Hahaha! I knew it was you! Turn off the alarms; my good friend is here." He said first to Brontes and then into the Den Den Mushi.

"You knew I was coming and you still kept the alarms on? Seems like you might have forgotten me a bit. Maybe your Observation Haki is getting rusty from too much desk work." Brontes teased with a jocking smile.

"Well, I guess I'm not quite like you." Jonathan chuckled loudly, and embraced Brontes warmly, welcoming him to the base.

"I heard you got married. Sorry I missed the wedding." Brontes said in a genuinely regretful.

"Where have you been all this time?" Jonathan asked in a curious voice.

"Skypiea." Brontes replied simply.

"Skypiea?! The legendary floating island! It's incredible to think you actually found it." Jonathan exclaimed in shock.

"It was an accidental discovery, really. The views were breathtaking." Brontes shared, with a smile playing on his lips.

Jonathan laughed loudly "Hahaha! No wonder the higher-ups were in a frenzy; they couldn't figure out where you'd vanished to!"

"It was a bit of a warning to them. If they don't start giving me some time off, I might just have to sneak away again." Brontes joined in the laughter.

Just then, another figure appeared on the balcony, his expression one of curiosity mixed with caution. He seemed to be assessing the situation, especially Jonathan's formidable presence.

"And who might this be?" Jonathan asked, noticing the newcomer behind Brontes.

"This is Enel, someone I brought back from Skypiea, and he is my subordinate." Brontes introduced.

"A person from Skypiea? That's quite unexpected visitor." Jonathan said.

"What do you mean by 'your subordinate'? I never agreed to such a thing." Enel interjected, clearly unhappy with how Brontes had described their relationship.

"Ah, you've got spirit, kid." Jonathan chuckled, giving Enel a thumbs-up, appreciating his courage.

"Johnathan, it seems you've lost your mind, to think you have connections with people from the lawless zones." Shepherd was watching from the back, suddenly interjected.

He wasn't clear about Brontes's identity but caught the mention of Skypiea.

He knew that outside the territories allied with the World Government, countries, and islands not affiliated with the World Government were considered lawless zones and the Marine wouldn't provide support if something happened there.

Shepherd was just looking for a reason to embarrass Jonathan, even if Brontes and Enel weren't criminals.

"Hmm?" Brontes turned to face Shepherd with a frown.

"A Lieutenant Colonel? What's going on here, Jonathan? You're a Vice-Admiral and the commander of this base, but you're being addressed directly by a Lieutenant Colonel?" Brontes asked in confused voice.

Jonathan replied with an easy grin: "I have no choice. Shepherd here is no ordinary Marine. He's a special inspector sent directly from Marineford."

"Oh, Shepherd, let me think... Gorai's son, right? Seems like his son. Hey, is your father Gorai?" Brontes asked, linking pieces together.

Shepherd, caught off guard by the recognition of his father, stammered: "How... How did you know?"

Jonathan couldn't help but laugh heartily: "Hahaha! To think the inspector himself isn't aware of who you really are, Brontes! Isn't that funny?"

Brontes elaborated calmly: "Gorai is a Vice-Admiral under me, though he's more involved in civil duties these days. He has some ties to the World Nobles, quite a straightforward man. He once mentioned his son, Shepherd, who's part of the inspection division."

Shepherd, overwhelmed by the connection and realization of who Brontes was, stuttered: "Who... W-who are you?"

"He's Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok, basically your boss's boss." Jonathan chimed in with a mischievous smile.

"Fuck!" Was all Shepherd could manage before his shock overwhelmed him, causing him to faint right there on the spot.

...

Meanwhile, Jessica and a team of chefs emerged from the kitchen, carrying trays laden with dishes.

As the food was laid out, the rich aroma of cooked meats filled the air.

Jonathan's dietary preferences were well-known; he avoided vegetables, a habit born from his time in elite training camps.

In those days, maintaining peak physical condition was paramount, and they believed that relying solely on vegetables wasn't sufficient for their needs.

This resulted in a strong preference for meat among Brontes and his fellow trainees, a trait that persisted over the years.

"What's happening here? Did you hit the inspector?" Jessica entered the scene to find Shepherd collapsed and foaming from his mouth, prompting her to question Jonathan.

"No, he just fainted from shock. Let me introduce you." Jonathan replied, still smiling as he drew Jessica closer.

"This is an old friend of mine, a brother with whom I've faced life and death many times."

"From your elite camp days? I don't think I've met him before." Jessica said, looking at Brontes curiously.

Jonathan laughed heartily, gave Jessica a gentle pat, and teased: "When we got married, he was the only one from all my classmates who couldn't make it. Guess who he is!"

Taking a more careful look at Brontes, Jessica's initial confusion quickly gave way to shock. Her eyes widened, and she pointed at Brontes, and exclaimed: "H-He is, Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok?!"

"I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you. I had no idea you would visit the G-8 Base," Jessica said in an excited voice.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't come here as a Fleet-Admiral. If people knew I was here, it could cause me some troubles." Brontes replied with an easy going smile.

"Why is that?" Jessica asked, puzzled by his statement.

"He snuck out of Mariejois on his own. You can bet the Five Elders and Sengoku-san are tearing their hair out trying to find him." Jonathan explained with a chuckle.

Jessica was momentarily speechless, her mind racing to comprehend the audacity of such an act.

It was the first time she had encountered someone so high-ranking and yet so eccentric.

The idea of a Fleet-Admiral sneaking away was beyond unusual; it was unprecedented.

If word got out, most would find it hard to believe, and those in the know would likely think him incredibly reckless or unreliable.