One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

Sakazuki strolled along the broad and pristine streets of the Marine Town. The high-ranking officers of Marine Headquarters, stationed at the front lines against pirates for long periods, rarely had the chance to wander in this town, home to the families of marines.

Particularly those middle-ranking officers, who had climbed up through the ranks thanks to their exceptional combat achievements, stood out. Whether it was dueling against powerful high-bounty pirates or commanding troops to fight off hordes of enemies, years of constant battles left these generals exuding an aura steeped in the scent of gunpowder and war.

Towering significantly taller than even basketball stars from Sakazuki's previous life, the Vice Admiral naturally drew attention. Walking beside him, half a step behind, was a strikingly beautiful female officer radiating a sharp, sword-like aura.

Compared to the razor-sharp presence of a rare female swordsman from Marine Headquarters, the imposing and burly Sakazuki exuded a far less conspicuous aura. At first glance, his presence seemed as tranquil as a dormant volcano. However, upon closer scrutiny, one could discern hints of the immense power surging beneath the surface—a force capable of altering the land itself.

Gion, walking beside him, felt this profoundly. Only someone at a high enough level could perceive the catastrophic, destructive power hidden within Sakazuki's body.

Even though he wasn't deliberately targeting her, the sheer pressure emanating from him instinctively prompted Gion to mobilize her own aura in response.

Not even her superior officer and close confidante, Tsuru, had ever brought Gion this level of psychological pressure.

"Seeing him in person really lives up to the reputation—this Sakazuki guy is genuinely strong," Gion thought to herself, secretly astonished. This kind of formless pressure was only a notch below that of the Admirals stationed at Headquarters.

On the street, marines and their family members quickly made way, creating a clear path for these two fearsome warriors.

Yes, what Sakazuki and Gion were doing at the moment was officially referred to as "taking a stroll," though colloquially, it would be called "walking the beat."

However, to the pedestrians on this bustling street filled with snack vendors, it looked as though the two high-ranking officers were executing the legendary "Buster Call."

Sakazuki stopped in his tracks, his gaze landing on the two figures—one large and one small—seated on the long bench outside a nearby ice cream shop. Turning to Gion, he asked, "Would you like to get a cold drink?"

"Of course," Gion readily agreed, though she remained unaware that Sakazuki was desperately searching for a scapegoat. Thankfully, he found one—a solution that also allowed him to address another matter that needed resolving.

With his arm wrapped in Haki, Sakazuki stepped forward in a flash, delivering a punch to the slouched figure lying on the bench outside the ice cream shop.

"Thud!" The muffled sound of fist meeting skull echoed. Kuzan, who had been enjoying the relative safety of the Marine Headquarters territory and hadn't sensed any killing intent, didn't even activate his Haki defense in time. Only at the last moment did he reflexively apply a thin layer of elemental freezing.

"Ugh!! Ow, ow, ow—ah la la~ That really hurts!" Kuzan, now propping himself up, lazily rubbed his head with one hand. "Sakazuki, is this how you greet people these days?"

"How could you trust Garp to take care of a child!?" Sakazuki growled, glaring at his junior.

Kuzan looked puzzled. "Huh? What's the problem with that?"

Sakazuki's tone was filled with frustration. "Do you not remember how Garp trained you when you served under him as a rear admiral? Don't you have any idea?"

"!!!" For the first time, Kuzan's composure faltered. Half of his drowsiness was instantly dispelled. His eyes darted toward the little girl sitting across from him. With a hint of uncertainty in his voice, he replied, "Hey, hey! Garp wouldn't go overboard like that, would he? Robin-chan never mentioned anything to me!" Scratching his head, he tentatively asked, "Maybe just 3,000 push-ups?"

"...…"

Sakazuki raised his finger, pointing at the small girl sitting across from Kuzan. She had been holding a book in one hand while using the other to scoop up ice cream with a small spoon. Under their combined gazes, the girl slowly put the spoon down, her mood slightly downcast. "It was 300."

"You actually did push-ups?!" Kuzan was genuinely caught off guard. When his esteemed superior, Garp, had inquired about the girl's well-being, Kuzan had assumed the old officer was just checking in out of curiosity.

"…3."

"..." Kuzan sighed in relief before turning his head toward Sakazuki. "Ah la la, I knew it—uh? What's going on here?"

Finally, Kuzan noticed the tall and elegant woman standing beside Sakazuki. "You're that… uh… um… what's your name again?"

"Gion," the young rear admiral, who had originally come along with Sakazuki for a cold drink, replied succinctly. She wasn't particularly offended, merely crossing her arms and watching the exchange with mild interest.

Seeing that someone had finally acknowledged her presence, Gion simply stated her name without offering any additional introduction.

"So… what are you two doing together?" Kuzan raised a finger, pointing back and forth between them.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders—Rear Admiral Gion has been assigned to teach me how to care for children," Sakazuki quickly answered in an official tone.

He was genuinely intimidated by Gion's straightforward and no-nonsense military demeanor. Compared to Sakazuki himself, Gion's execution of orders was almost frighteningly direct.

Gion said nothing, her silence seeming to indicate agreement.

Kuzan glanced back and forth between Sakazuki and Gion, as if a realization had dawned upon him. "Wait… are you two on a date?"

"!"

So how the hell did you come to that conclusion?!

Sakazuki snapped and refused to back down: "It's a mission!"

"Uh… if you say so. Want to sit down?" Kuzan shrugged. "What would you like to drink?"

Sakazuki slightly shifted his body, waiting for Gion to sit down first. Kuzan snapped his fingers, signaling the server to come closer to take their order.

"Lemon water will do."

"Lemon water will do!"

Sakazuki and Gion almost said it in unison.

Even Nico Robin, who was buried in her battle with her sundae, raised her head with a peculiar expression, staring at the two of them.

The scene suddenly grew silent. Sakazuki, with an unchanged expression, stated, "That's what we always drink on the ship."

We all know that's what's drunk on the battleship… but seriously, coming to an ice cream parlor and ordering that? The server glanced at the two in uniform, hesitating to speak.

"Then I'll have a Rainbow Sundae, the same as this little one," Gion suddenly spoke up, lightly pointing her slender finger at the edge of Robin's cup.

Sakazuki noticed the server's gaze shifting back toward him and persisted with his earlier choice. "Lemon water will do."

Kuzan glanced at the rainbow sundae in Robin's cup, which was nearly finished, with some melted ice cream pooling at the bottom. He reached out, held the cup, and a chill suddenly rose. A soft crackling sound came from the cup. He pushed it back in front of the little girl. "I turned half of it into a slushie. That way, it'll be easier for you to scoop."

This precise control over his Devil Fruit ability surprised Gion. At the same time, she recognized the lazy-looking man before her—Kuzan, a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and a user of the Ice-Ice Fruit.

Sakazuki, however, wasn't surprised, though he looked a bit annoyed. He glanced at the finely crushed slush in the cup. "Out of all of us, you're the least qualified to bring Robin to an ice cream parlor to eat cold treats. Aren't you afraid the owner will kick you out?"

Kuzan replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "I don't make sundaes."

The Vice Admiral finally found himself at a loss for words after being roasted by his junior. He redirected his attention to the little girl who had been stealing glances at him. "How have these three months on the island been?"

With a somewhat complicated expression, Robin lowered her head and softly replied, "Everyone's been very kind to me."

She felt confused, not knowing whether to resent this admiral who had destroyed Ohara and captured her mother, or to be grateful that he had taken her in, allowing her to meet so many kind-hearted people here.

Every night, she would dream of that great fire, with cannonballs whistling past her. Professor Clover always had his usual smile, but his figure gradually vanished into the flames. Her scarred mother reached out to her, tears streaming down her face. Oh, how much she missed her mother. In her dreams, in that burning world, she kept running.

Running and running, yet her mother grew further and further away. Olvia continued to smile gently, her voice seeming to echo in her ears: "Live, Robin. Mommy loves you…" Live, live on.

"Deh-shi-shi-shi-shi, there are kind people in the Navy too. Someday, you'll find comrades and family who will protect you and even risk their lives for you…" Robin turned to look at Jaguar D. Saul's massive figure, gradually consumed by magma… In the end, she was left all alone. Alone.

But every time she woke up, drenched in sweat and tears, Jessica—who had shared her bed for over a month—would always wake up, rub her sleepy eyes, and wipe away the tears or sweat on Robin's cheeks before hugging her back to sleep.

Every morning, Jonathan would sit on the sofa, pondering the chessboard from the night before. When he saw her, he always greeted her with a warm smile.

She had once asked Jonathan what kind of person Sakazuki was. Jonathan, with a cheerful smile, crouched to her height and gently patted her little head. "He's a righteous Marine. I don't know what happened between you two that made him decide to become your guardian. But I hope you'll use your own eyes to judge in the future and then answer for yourself: what kind of person is he, really?"

It seemed like Sakazuki had said something similar. Robin nodded, promising Jonathan—and herself.

Robin had thought countless times about what she would say when she met him again. But now, sitting across from him at the same table, she didn't know what to say or ask.