I, Kizaru, Joined the Chat Group Only After Becoming Invincible

Marineford, the solemn and imposing headquarters of the Marines—the ultimate bastion of justice that strikes fear into the hearts of countless pirates.

Yet, at this very moment, at the highest point of Marineford, a young man in beach shorts and a floral shirt lounged on a deck chair, basking in the sun with a pair of sunglasses shielding his eyes.

He had messy black hair, thin bangs, and a face that looked far too young for someone in his position. Compared to the rigid atmosphere of Marineford, he seemed completely out of place.

Gazing at the cloudless blue sky, he found himself lost in thought.

It had been decades since he transmigrated into this world, becoming a young Borsalino. Though he had no cheat-like powers, years of training and battle had sharpened his strength.

In terms of Devil Fruit mastery, physical abilities, and Haki, he was undoubtedly at admiral level—stronger than the original Borsalino, without a doubt.

On top of that, after spending decades perfecting Life Return, he had managed to lock his appearance at the same youthful state he had upon arriving in this world. At this point, he could probably pass as one of Garp's grandsons without raising any suspicion.

Thanks to this skill, he had earned the nickname "The Ageless Admiral", avoiding the fate of becoming a sleazy-looking middle-aged man.

Back when he was still an ambitious young man, Borsalino had dreamed big. But reality proved he simply wasn't cut out for that path.

In a world where individual strength dictated everything, even the grandest ideals and noblest dreams could be crushed by overwhelming power.

With the existence of Devil Fruits—or rather, the limitless potential of personal strength—this world wasn't as rigidly class-based as one might think.

As long as you had enough talent, effort, and just a little bit of luck, you could climb to the top.

Power breeds ambition, and those with true talent often refused to be held back.

After experiencing several failures—some of which nearly cost him his life—Borsalino lost his drive and resigned himself to a life of laziness, simply collecting his paycheck.

Of course, even slackers had their moments of action. About ten years ago, he made a trip to the East Blue.

There, he saved a former female Marine. A few years later, he somehow ended up with a greedy little Cat Burglar by his side. Now, that little thief had grown into his adjutant and financial officer.

Many anonymous voices in the Marines had grumbled about an admiral appointing a teenage girl as his adjutant.

But, let's be honest—wasn't a young, vibrant beauty much easier on the eyes than some fat, shirtless old man?

If anyone had a problem with it, they were more than welcome to have a "friendly discussion" with his Ame no Murakumo sword. At worst, they'd just be missing an arm or a leg afterward.

Borsalino seriously suspected that all these complainers were just jealous.

He had mellowed out a bit over the years, but had this been a decade ago—back when the World Conference was happening—he might have been more reckless.

Back then, a particularly dim-witted Celestial Dragon had picked a fight with him.

As a result, Borsalino had accidentally taken three of his slaves right in front of him.

Not long after this incident, Fisher Tiger stormed Mary Geoise, freeing countless slaves and even killing a so-called "noble" Celestial Dragon.

The one who died? The very same idiot who had crossed paths with Borsalino.

Naturally, the World Government had its suspicions.

After all, this Celestial Dragon had gotten into a conflict with a Marine admiral shortly before his untimely demise.

But in the end, Fisher Tiger was caught red-handed, and even admitted to the act himself. With undeniable evidence, the case had to be closed.

More importantly, Borsalino had an airtight alibi. Unless the Five Elders were willing to risk turning the Three Admirals into just Two Admirals and weakening the Marines' loyalty, they had no choice but to turn a blind eye.

Of course, this also meant Borsalino's chances of ever being promoted to Fleet Admiral or Commander-in-Chief were completely nonexistent.

Not that he cared. For someone who just wanted an easy life, this so-called "punishment" was meaningless.

"Borsalino-san!"

Just as he lazily reached for his ice-cold drink, a slightly pouty yet fierce voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Walking toward him was a gorgeous young girl with long orange hair, her figure accentuated by the sleek Marine uniform. Somehow, she managed to make even the strict military attire look a little… seductive.

This was his adjutant and financial officer—Major Nami. Many in the Marines secretly called her the Marine Fairy, because really, if someone could charm an admiral, what else could she be?

Nami stomped her little boots against the floor as she stormed onto the rooftop.

She had searched all over Marineford for him, only to find that the great Admiral Kizaru was sunbathing!

"Yo~, Nami-chan, don't be so mad…"

Borsalino drawled lazily.

If he could slack off, he would. If he couldn't slack off, he'd find a way to goof off.

This was the philosophy he had developed after years as a Marine admiral.

"You have some nerve! You're late to every meeting! At this rate, they'll start calling you 'The Tardy Admiral'!"

Nami huffed as she tried to drag him off his lounge chair.

Once, she had idolized Borsalino, and that admiration had led her to join the Marines.

But it didn't take long for that dream to shatter.

He was always late to meetings, always slacking off at work, and any tasks he had to do were pushed onto her.

It was infuriating!

Meanwhile, in the headquarters' conference room, the highest-ranking officers were already seated. Below the Fleet Admiral, the two other admirals and numerous vice admirals were all present—waiting for one last person to arrive.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of footsteps echoed outside.

Wearing the same beach shorts, Borsalino was casually pushed into the room by his adjutant, Nami.

Of course, the Marine high command was already used to this.

Even Admiral Akainu, who despised Borsalino's attitude, had to admit that Major Nami's presence was somewhat beneficial—at least she could keep Kizaru in check to some degree.

"Now that we're all here, let's begin the meeting. Headquarters has received a report from the 37th Branch regarding the pirate Blackbeard. He has defected from the Whitebeard Pirates and intends to trade Fire Fist Ace—the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—for a position among the Warlords of the Sea."

Fleet Admiral Sengoku got straight to the point, not even bothering to reprimand Kizaru for his tardiness.

Borsalino raised an eyebrow.

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

But what did that have to do with him?

Did the Five Elders seriously expect that measly salary to make him risk his life against Whitebeard?

Just as he was about to mentally check out of the meeting, a crisp notification rang in his mind.

[Ding! You have been invited to join the Dimensional Chat Group. Accept / Decline?]