Kaku feels a stab of envy when he sees a bold picture of the Strawhats' new ship soaring away from Water 7 in mid-air.
He turns his face to the window, letting the sea breeze scoot in and caress his skin in an unsharpened memory of falling from the high towers of Enies Lobby, leaping, flying.
It takes two more minutes before the doctor is done bandaging his wounds, two more minutes before he is allowed to move again.
Even the doctors will not say no to a CP9 agent, albeit an almost-fatally injured one.
He swings by Lucci's room but he is not surprised when his partner is standing, no, leaning, by the window.
Kaku walks over to his side and stares out at the daily throng of Marines scrambling about in the square below, spots a CP8 member, and possibly Garp. He dismisses the former, and focuses on the dot of gray and white wandering around.
He thinks he catches the faint holler for food, and then returns his attention to the prone figure beside him.
He runs a hand through his mused hair. "Too bad I lost my cap."
Lucci says nothing, and it isn't as if Kaku had expected him to.
"Where's Hattori?"
Lucci turns to him, and Kaku, despite all his years with Lucci, despite all his training, tries not to flinch.
Kaku is the first to look away.
His eyes snag on the symbol of the World Government by the door, and feels the cloak of justice settle around his shoulders.
With pirates like the Strawhats around, justice seemed to have gotten a little heavier.
He sees the empty space on Lucci's shoulder, and the ache of nostalgia that nags from the lack of jumping off towers – that old carefree false habit of five years – curls up in a ball. He packs it away neatly, and lets his gaze move up into Lucci's hollow eyes.
Then his partner smiles.
Kaku returns the equally emotionless smirk.
There is justice to be had.