"Achoo!"
Standing at his door, Ian sneezed suddenly. He frowned, rubbed his nose, then brushed it off and quietly opened the door.
But as soon as the door opened, he froze.
Inside, sitting by the table under the lamplight, Robin was quietly reading a book.
Ian blinked, surprised for a moment, then quickly composed himself and smiled. "Still awake?"
"Yes, dear."
Unlike her usual habit of hurriedly putting away her book whenever he came home, Robin only stood up this time.
The book remained open on the table, untouched. She smiled softly at him and said, "Because there's something I want to tell you."
"Something? What is it?"
Ian looked at her curiously.
Robin smiled faintly, stepped forward until she stood right in front of him, and looked up into his eyes.
Then, after taking a deep breath, as if she had made a serious decision, she smiled again, blinked, and said, "Let's reintroduce myself, dear. My name is Nico Robin, the Devil Child wanted by the World Government."
…
The next morning.
At the entrance of Sibia Village.
Two figures were lounging on beach chairs, basking in the late autumn sunlight.
"Didn't expect this island to get so lively."
Kuzan said lazily, resting his hands behind his head. "Last time I came, it was quiet and peaceful."
"Hahaha."
Hearing that, Zephyr, who had his eyes closed, burst into laughter while grinning broadly. "That's thanks to that kid. Retired, yet he still came back to build his own home."
"Looks like you think highly of him, Zephyr-sensei? What a pity."
Kuzan whistled and crossed one leg over the other, swinging it casually.
"It seems he won't be returning to Marine Headquarters with you."
At those words, Zephyr, who had been smiling moments ago, fell silent, a hint of regret flashing across his face.
He had come here to bring that kid back to Marine Headquarters, hoping that his uncompromising sense of justice could spark some change there.
But it turned out that from the very beginning, that kid was never going back.
Even when he asked that old fool, Garp had said it was impossible. No, Garp didn't think it was impossible. He actually asked him in return: "Would you know if it were possible?"
If he knew, why would he have gone to ask Garp in the first place?
And now it seemed he'd even lost another student because of it.
What a mess!
Zephyr sighed, then smiled faintly. "Doesn't matter. Either way, he was once a Marine. As long as he stays true to his own sense of justice, that's enough."
"What a good teacher you are."
Kuzan said with a raised brow. But he didn't pursue the topic further.
Instead, he tilted his head toward the sky, glancing at the sun already high above, then looked around. "Didn't you say that kid passes by here every morning for training? Why haven't we seen him yet?"
"He does pass by every morning when he trains, but..."
Before Kuzan could ask, Zephyr chuckled and added, "But that boy always wakes up late. I would say today... He will be even later. Oh, and by the way—"
His eyes narrowed slightly. "When you hit him later, make sure to hit him hard. Help me vent a little!"
Kuzan: "...?"
...
It looks like he overslept again today.
Opening the door and bathing in the sunlight, Ian regained his energy and spirit.
Looking at Nicole, no, now she should be called Robin, who was still sleeping; he didn't wake her, quietly closing the door behind him.
(T/N: Previous fake name, I just changed it to Robin before to make reading more comfortable.)
As for last night's events…
Although Robin's sudden introduction had surprised him a little, it wasn't as if he didn't already know who she was.
It's been so long, it's not like he hadn't tried it before.
But honestly, last night was really nice…
He had to be careful, sure, but Robin's Devil Fruit abilities were really... Well, best not to say!
Ian put away the expression of lingering pleasure, lifted his axe onto one shoulder, and glanced toward the back mountain. His eyes narrowed slightly.
That bear should be waiting for him, right?
...
"Yo, you're here?"
When Ian arrived at the village entrance, that familiar voice rang out again.
Turning his head, he saw two lounge chairs, one empty, the other occupied by Zephyr, who was still lying there.
Without hesitation, Ian sat down in the empty chair, placed his axe by his feet, and said, "Where's that guy?"
"Which guy? Who?"
Ian rolled his eyes, speechless while staring at Zephyr, pretending to play dumb.
He didn't believe for a second that Zephyr wouldn't know that a marine admiral had come to this island.
"I thought he'd be waiting here for me."
"Who's waiting for you?"
Zephyr, still smiling lazily, said: "I've no idea who you're talking about."
"You don't?"
Hearing that, Ian said nothing more. He picked up his axe and stood up. "If you don't know, then forget it. You just keep basking in the sun."
"Hey, hey, hey, kid, wait a sec."
Just as Ian stood and was about to head toward the back mountain, Zephyr suddenly called out urgently.
Then, with a helpless sigh, he said: "Young people these days really have no patience."
Looking at Ian, he then glanced at the axe in his hand. "Your weapon really needs replacing."
Ian: "...?"
Why is he suddenly bringing that up?
Ian looked at him blankly, confused.
But before he could speak, Zephyr continued leisurely: "What kind of axe would you like, kid?"
"What kind of axe?"
Ian blinked, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. "What, you planning to give me one?"
"Hahaha, not from me, no. Never mind that, you'll find out soon enough. Don't want to spoil the surprise."
Zephyr said with a grin. "So, tell me, what kind of weapon do you want?"
"What kind…?"
Hearing that, Ian didn't press further. Instead, he furrowed his brow, thought for a bit, then raised his axe. "One that's heavier and larger than this one."
Honestly, this axe was already starting to feel light to him, especially under the sunlight; it felt like he wasn't even holding anything.
"And of course, it needs to be sturdy. If it looks cool too, that's even better!"
"Heavier, bigger, and sturdier?"
Zephyr nodded, smiling. "Pretty simple. Got it."
"And stylish, too. You really gonna find me an axe?"
"I said, not me."
Zephyr lifted an eyebrow but still smiled. "Go on, get your training in. Don't disturb an old man's rest. My injuries still haven't healed, you know."
Ian: "..."
You were the one who called me back, though!
Ian rolled his eyes again but said nothing more, turning and heading toward the back mountain.