Present Day...
The room fell silent.
Jirin looked at Saito one last time.
"...Got anything else to say?"
Saito leaned back in his chair.
A small smile crossed his face.
"No."
Jirin slowly stood.
He adjusted his coat.
"Then..."
"Don't cause any problems while I'm gone."
He looked directly at Saito.
"Deal?"
Saito smirked.
"...Maybe."
Jirin let out a long sigh.
"I expected that answer."
Kaito, who had been quietly watching the exchange, finally spoke.
"So..."
"You aren't going to arrest us?"
Jirin turned toward him.
"I want to."
His eyes swept across the Blue Scarf crew.
"But..."
He gave a faint shake of his head.
"Looks like today isn't the day."
Without another word, he walked toward the door.
Creak.
Outside, his squad immediately stood at attention.
One officer asked,
"Lieutenant?"
Jirin simply nodded.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
The officers climbed into their carriage.
The horses began moving.
The wheels rolled across the dirt road as the police squad slowly departed from the bar.
Inside—
no one spoke.
Saito walked to the doorway.
He stood quietly, watching the carriage grow smaller in the distance.
His hands rested in his pockets.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
...Nice to see you again, Grandpa.
He remained standing there until Jirin's figure finally disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then did he quietly turn back toward the bar.
Saito turned back into the bar.
He looked around the room.
Everyone was staring at him.
He blinked.
"...What's wrong?"
Bomb was the first to speak.
"Are you kidding me?"
Saito tilted his head.
"What?"
Bomb threw both hands into the air.
"That wasn't just some lieutenant!"
"That was Lieutenant Jirin!"
"And he just walked in here..."
"...talked to us..."
"...and walked back out!"
Rin nodded in disbelief.
"And on top of that..."
"...he's your grandpa."
Saito scratched the back of his head.
"Yep."
Kaito let out a long sigh.
"What a crazy childhood you had."
He started counting on his fingers.
"First, Lieutenant Harold."
"Then, Lieutenant Jirin."
He looked at Saito.
"So..."
"What else?"
Saito grinned.
"You'll find out someday."
Kaito immediately frowned.
"I don't like that answer."
Bomb laughed.
"I've got a feeling every person from Saito's childhood is some famous legend."
Rin nodded.
"I wouldn't even be surprised anymore."
Alya chuckled.
"At this point, if he tells us he had tea with the King, I'd probably believe him."
Fanny looked at Saito with wide eyes.
"...Captain."
"Just what kind of childhood did you have?"
Saito simply smiled.
Instead of answering, he walked over to a table.
"Enough talking."
He looked toward the counter.
"Sir Malfoy."
"Six drinks, please."
Malfoy smiled warmly.
"Coming right up."
He reached for six wooden mugs while the Blue Scarf crew slowly gathered around the table, still trying to process the unbelievable stories they had just learned about their captain's past.
Malfoy placed the mugs on the table one by one.
"There you go."
"Enjoy."
Saito nodded.
"Thanks."
He looked around at everyone.
Then his smile faded slightly.
"So..."
"You guys are okay with that?"
Kaito picked up his mug.
"Okay with what?"
Saito rested his hands on the table.
"The fact..."
"...my grandpa is a police lieutenant."
"For all you know, one day I might end up standing between you and him."
The table fell quiet.
Bomb was the first to answer.
He shrugged.
"So?"
Saito looked at him.
Bomb smiled.
"You're still our captain."
Rin nodded.
"And there's no way you're going to rat us out."
Kaito took a sip of his drink.
Then nodded as well.
"I trust you."
"If I didn't..."
"I wouldn't be sitting here."
Alya smiled.
"But, Captain..."
"Your past is really interesting."
Fanny eagerly nodded.
"Yeah."
"I thought you were just some famous gangster."
She grinned.
"But your grandfather is Lieutenant Jirin..."
"You were raised by Kira..."
"You knew Lieutenant Harold..."
"And you even met Akami."
She leaned forward.
"Your childhood sounds like a legend."
Saito laughed awkwardly.
"I never thought of it that way."
Kaito smirked.
"To you, they were just family."
"But to everyone else..."
"They're names people know."
Saito looked down at his mug for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Maybe."
He raised his cup.
"But right now..."
"My family is sitting at this table."
Without hesitation, Kaito, Bomb, Rin, Alya, and Fanny raised their mugs as well.
The wooden cups met in the middle with a single, satisfying clink.
Rin took another sip of his drink.
Then looked at Saito.
"Also..."
"You had two former White Lion members in your life."
He shook his head.
"That's crazy."
Bomb blinked.
"Wait."
"Kira was a White Lion member too?"
Rin nodded.
"Yep."
"From what I've heard..."
"She retired early."
Saito nodded.
"That's right."
Kaito rested his chin on one hand.
"White Lion..."
He looked at Saito.
"And Red Eye Akami."
"You've seen his powers before, haven't you?"
Saito smiled.
"Sure have."
Alya leaned forward curiously.
"How was it?"
Saito chuckled.
"Maybe later."
"I'll tell you another time."
Alya nodded.
"Fair enough."
Bomb laughed into his mug.
"Red Eye Akami."
"What a ridiculous nickname."
Saito smiled at the memory.
"Yeah."
"He once told me I was weak."
"I promised him..."
"One day I'd become stronger."
"And..."
"I'd become the King of Gangsters."
Kaito smirked.
"So..."
"You're aiming to stand beside Silver Arthur."
Saito shook his head with a confident grin.
"No."
"Maybe..."
"I'll surpass him one day."
Bomb raised his mug.
"We'll be waiting to see that happen."
Rin nodded.
"And when that day comes..."
"I'll tell everyone I knew the future King when he still complained about training."
Everyone laughed.
Saito smiled warmly.
"Of course you will."
He looked around the table.
"You guys..."
"...are my family now."
He raised his mug.
"To Blue Scarf."
Without hesitation—
Kaito, Bomb, Rin, Alya, Fanny, and even Malfoy lifted their cups.
"To Blue Scarf."
Clink.
The sound of wooden mugs meeting echoed through the bar, while outside, the Blue Scarf flag fluttered gently above the entrance, marking the beginning of a family determined to build a legend of its own.
Meanwhile...
Hiron Village.
The familiar little bar was quiet.
The afternoon sun shone through the windows as Kira slowly wiped one wooden table after another.
Her eyes drifted to a folded paper lying on the counter.
A wanted poster.
Printed in the center—
was Saito's face.
She picked it up.
For a moment, she simply looked at it.
Then a small smile appeared.
"...You've grown."
The front door opened.
Creak.
A familiar voice called out.
"Hi there."
Kira looked up.
"Harold..."
Harold removed his coat and sat at his usual table.
Kira remained silent for a few seconds before asking the question she had been holding back.
"...How is he?"
Harold smiled warmly.
"He's doing fine."
"When I left him..."
"...he was already preparing an anniversary celebration for his territory."
Kira's expression softened.
"An anniversary..."
She looked back at the wanted poster.
A quiet chuckle escaped her.
"He actually built one."
Harold nodded.
"He did."
"And from what I saw..."
"He isn't alone anymore."
"He has people who trust him."
Kira carefully folded the poster and set it back on the counter.
"I'd love to hear more."
Harold smiled.
"I figured you would."
He leaned back in his chair.
"So..."
"Where should I start?"
Kira poured two cups of tea.
She placed one in front of Harold before sitting across from him.
"From the beginning."
"I want to hear everything."
Harold lifted the cup with a smile.
"Then this is going to be a long story."