"I'm ashamed to say this, but the other party left half an hour ago. We… didn't even try to stall them."
Kuzan explained everything honestly, not bothering to make excuses. After all, against someone you clearly can't beat, excuses are meaningless.
"Already that strong, huh?"
Even Garp, after hearing the details of the battle, fell silent. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel it was he getting old?
"Forget it. Something like this… just let Sengoku deal with the headache."
The next moment, Garp returned to his usual carefree expression, scratching his head as if nothing had happened.
"Alright, let's wrap things up here and return to Marineford."
"Yes!"
The navy began moving immediately.
Of course, before leaving, they still had to finish the mission: bombard the ruins of O'Hara and sink it beneath the sea.
Whatever else happened, a Buster Call had to be carried out. More than its actual destruction, the navy needed the deterrence—the reminder to the world of what happens when you cross the World Government.
Meanwhile, Rain and Mira, who had left long before, took O'Hara's sole surviving child, Nico Robin, with them. They sailed to a nearby island, where they reunited with Hiyori.
"That ice man was strong," Mira said, recalling her clash with Kuzan.
"I might not lose to him right away, but if the fight dragged on, sooner or later, I'd definitely fall behind. I still lack mastery in Haki."
She spoke it as a conclusion, not an excuse.
"Don't worry, Mira," Rain said calmly. "Think about it...you've only been training Haki for two years. How long has he been practicing? Give yourself three more years, and I'm sure you'll surpass him."
"Of course!"
Mira broke into a proud smile, clearly agreeing.
Then, both she and Rain turned their eyes toward Robin, their expressions softening.
"Robin," Mira said, kneeling in front of the little girl. She wore a long skirt now, her hair let down, her usual bad-girl roughness replaced by a surprisingly gentle aura.
"No matter what happens, you still have us. You have Brother Rain and Sister Mira. We're family now, okay?"
"Family…?"
Robin blinked in disbelief, unable to imagine that they would accept her so easily—especially after what happened at O'Hara.
She knew all too well how dangerous her identity was. As the daughter of an O'Hara archaeologist, as someone marked by the World Government, most people wouldn't even dare shelter her.
But these two people she had only known for a handful of days were offering her a home, calling her their sister.
Her eyes trembled.
"Is it… really okay?"
"Robin, we already considered you a sister before this. Even after what happened to O'Hara, nothing will change."
Rain's tone was firm, his gaze steady on her.
"Robin-chan, can we go together?"
Hiyori leaned forward, her big eyes shimmering with hope. She had lost her brother, but to her, that didn't matter anymore. If she could have a sister by her side, then maybe that gap could be filled.
Besides… she wasn't even sure if that brother was still the same person anymore.
"Thank you… Brother Rain, Mira-nee-chan, Hiyori-chan!"
The words burst out of Robin all at once, her small body trembling. And then—
"Wuwuwu~~~!"
Tears poured down as the dam broke. She couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Okay, okay, stop crying, Robin."
Mira immediately pulled Robin into her arms, stroking her hair gently, her expression soft and motherly.
Marineford — Fleet Admiral's Office
"Already grown to this level?"
Fleet Admiral Kong exhaled deeply after hearing Sakazuki's report.
How old was the boy again? Fifteen?
Yet he had crushed Sakazuki, a man already standing at admiral-candidate level. Not just defeated—overwhelmed.
"Isn't this just a smaller version of Roger…" Kong muttered.
He turned to Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"Given his strength, what kind of bounty do you think is appropriate?"
"Based on what we know, even placing him at two billion berries wouldn't be excessive," Tsuru said calmly.
Then she hesitated, her eyes narrowing. "But… is it even necessary?"
Kong frowned. "What do you mean, Tsuru?"
"There's no doubt he's powerful. But his position is unclear. At O'Hara, he only destroyed one warship."
"The others… suffered some damage, but no casualties. If he truly wanted to, Sakazuki would already be dead. Instead, he held back."
Her voice was measured, but her words weighed heavy in the room
"This…"
Fleet Admiral Kong hesitated for a moment.
"Tsuru… are you suggesting he's still someone we can win over? That the only reason he took action was because Sakazuki attacked that refugee ship and he merely stepped in to punish him for it?"
Sengoku's eyes narrowed as he pieced it together. He understood instantly what Tsuru was driving at.
"..."
Sakazuki clenched his fists but remained silent, his expression dark.
"My suggestion is to continue observing him for now," Vice Admiral Tsuru said firmly. "There is no need to deliberately push such a talented boy onto the opposite side of the Navy."
"Especially when he's still very young. No one knows how high his ceiling might be in the future…"
"..."
The office fell quiet. Sengoku and the others didn't respond right away, but their silence was telling.
Yes—fifteen years old, and already strong enough to stand on equal ground with them. If he kept growing at this pace…
How far could he really go?
None of them knew. But the thought that came to mind was chilling...at the very least, he wouldn't be weaker than that monster from the past, Rocks D. Xebec.
"…We'll proceed with Tsuru's suggestion."
Kong finally broke the silence, his tone decisive. He then turned his gaze toward Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki. You must learn to restrain yourself. Don't be so reckless in the future."
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