"You use a sword, right?"
On the way through Marineford, Jin fell into step beside Ain.
"Eh? Yes, Rear Admiral 'White Ghost' Jin," Ain said quickly, flustered.
"I… I do use a sword, but I'm not that good. Just… average."
On the way back, she'd learned who he was.
Eighteen-year-old grandmaster swordsman.
Eighteen.
She still wasn't over it.
Jin studied her for a while, expression unreadable.
They walked in silence.
He kept staring.
"Hey, hey, White Ghost," Tokikake said finally, unable to take it.
"Could you not stare holes in the poor girl? You're making her steam."
Ain's face was bright red, head bowed so low her hat brim shook.
"…Right," Jin said, snapping out of it.
"Got lost in my head."
Everyone else: Do we look like we believe that?
He reached back without looking.
Jango immediately stepped up and placed a long rectangular case in his hand.
Gion and Tokikake both stiffened.
They recognized that box.
"If you use swords," Jin said, offering it to Ain, "try these two."
Ain's head jerked up.
"T-two swords?"
Jin nodded.
"Yeah."
"Something an old man left me. Asked me to find someone to pass them on to."
Zephyr, Tsuru, and Aokiji all exchanged strange looks.
Old man?
You're calling a pirate 'senior' now? You're a Marine, kid.
"They're too precious, Rear Admiral 'White Ghost' Jin," Ain said, sHaking her head.
"You should give them to someone more worthy. I… don't think I deserve them."
Jin tilted his head.
"How do you know if you don't try?"
"A swordsman who doesn't even have the courage to hold a blade…"
"Can you really call yourself a swordsman?"
The group stopped.
Everyone watched the two of them.
"This bastard," Tokikake muttered. "Unbelievable."
"I've known him longer and asked for those swords a hundred times. Never gave me so much as a splinter."
"Now he sees a cute girl and just hands them over."
Gion ignored him completely, eyes fixed on Ain.
"Ah-la-la… I'll never understand sword freaks," Aokiji yawned.
Zephyr stroked his chin.
"Ain. Give it a try."
"Then, follow him," he added.
"I think his road fits you better than mine."
"Zephyr-sensei…"
Tsuru smiled gently.
"Go on, child."
Ain swallowed, hands trembling as she opened the case.
"These two swords… one's called Shuten, the other Kudoki," Jin said.
"Shiki handed them to me before he died."
"Asked me to find someone to carry them forward."
"I like your foundation. Think they'll suit you."
"Shuten and Kudoki…" Ain murmured, lifting them out.
She gave them a few test swings.
Shff, shff, shff.
Then she closed her eyes and felt.
It fit. The balance, the weight, the way the blades cut through air—it all felt right.
Jin smiled.
"Then take them."
"They're one step short of being Great Grade blades."
"Work hard and turn them black."
"Black blades…" Ain whispered, expression turning serious.
"Yeah."
Jin snapped his fingers.
"Right now, on this sea, I only know of two for sure."
"One is Mihawk's—one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords, Yoru, the 'World's Strongest Black Blade.'"
"The other is Ryuma of Wano's sword, Shusui."
"Legend says he used it to slay a dragon."
"Yours isn't a black blade yet?" Ain asked, glancing at the enormous sword on his back.
"Mine?"
He drew it with one hand.
"This one's called Great Treasure Sword."
"Hundred jin, two point two meters."
"It was broken once in battle. I had it reforged."
"Great… Treasure Sword?" several people echoed.
Everyone's lips twitched.
That name is criminally lazy.
"Duang."
Haki coated the greatsword in an instant.
Jin swung casually at the air.
"Shoo—"
A sword aura blasted up into the sky and vanished into the clouds.
"Still a bit short," he muttered, staring at the blade.
"Just one more step."
"Alright, let's go," Tsuru said, cutting in.
"Sengoku is waiting."
The group resumed walking.
"Well then, Rear Admiral 'White Ghost' Jin," Ain said, voice small.
"Is there… anything you need me to do?"
"What I need you to do?"
Jin stroked his chin.
"Yeah."
"I'll be stationed at Sabaody Archipelago after this."
"Short on a right-hand there."
"Want the job?"
Ain's eyes flickered instinctively toward her teacher.
"Go," Zephyr said.
"His road is different from mine. But I think it suits you."
"Alright, Sensei…"
She bowed once, then looked up at Jin.
"Then, Rear Admiral 'White Ghost' Jin… please take care of me from now on."
"Click, click."
Gion's tongue clucked softly.
"White," she drawled. "You barely set foot in HQ and you're already picking up girls?"
"Forgot your older sister that fast, hmm?"
"Vice Admiral Gion," Jin said firmly.
"I think it's best you don't say things like that."
"We don't have anything going on."
He could feel Tsuru and Zephyr's gazes on him, full of "Oh?" and "Is that so~?"
"Click click, what a heartless man," Gion sighed dramatically.
"I've been by your side for so long, and the moment a pretty little junior shows up, you toss big sister aside."
Ain's face went scarlet again.
"Vice Admiral Gion," Jin hissed under his breath.
"If you keep talking, Vice Admiral Tokikake's going to challenge me again."
He risked a glance back.
Tokikake's face was thundercloud dark.
Gion's, on the other hand, was pure mischief.
Tsuru rubbed her forehead.
These children…
"We're here."
She rapped on an office door.
Everyone fell silent.
"Come in," Sengoku's voice called from inside.
The door swung open.
Jin took the room in with one sweep of his eyes.
The bun-headed fleet admiral himself behind the desk.
Kizaru lounging to one side, face as slippery as ever.
Akainu in the corner, radiating murderous heat.
"Sit," Sengoku said.
"You've all done well."
"As for what happened out there…"
He sighed.
"It could only end this way. It was the World Government's will."
Zephyr snorted and sat heavily on the sofa.
"I know."
"They signed up—they had the resolve to die."
"No point whining now."
Tsuru's eyes dimmed, but she said nothing.
"Sit," Sengoku repeated gently.
Zephyr obeyed, jaw tight.
Sengoku turned to Jin.
"Arakaki Jin."
"Age eighteen. Grandmaster swordsman. Proficient in all three types of Haki. Enlisted at twelve."
He listed it off like he was reading from an invisible file.
"Since then, you've participated in hundreds of battles, large and small."
"You're notorious for ambushing pirates and stealing their spoils."
"For pirates with long rap sheets, you're known to torture them to death and toss their bodies to the sea."
"For those forced into piracy, you arrest the leaders and send the rest home."
"In the East Blue, they call you the 'Rogue Marine.'"
"Recently, you broke through to grandmaster swordsmanship in your battle with Golden Lion Shiki."
"And inherited his legacy."
Akainu's lip curled.
He let out a loud, derisive snort.
"Anything you want to add, Rear Admiral Arakaki Jin?" Sengoku asked.
Everyone looked at him.
Even Ain, hearing the full picture for the first time, stared with wide eyes.
"What's left to add, Fleet Admiral?" Jin asked mildly.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
"Then I'll add it for you."
"Not long ago, you ate a Devil Fruit."
"A Mythical Zoan."
"According to our intel, you can create the natural force of wind…"
"And earlier, you used golden flames to heal someone."
"A winged form, healing flames, control over wind."
"A previously unknown Mythical Zoan… Yinglong."
"You already know all that, don't you, Fleet Admiral?" Jin said, smile deepening.
Akainu slammed a fist into the arm of his chair and stood up.
"Brat," he growled.
"This is Marine Headquarters, not your playground East Blue."
"You may have been king of your little pond out there—but here, you follow orders."
"You're not the only monster in this sea."
"Oh?"
Jin tilted his head and met his gaze.
Heat shimmered off Akainu's shoulders, magma bubbling just beneath the surface.
Jin's eyes slowly shifted to gold, a faint pattern of golden scales creeping across his skin.
"Scary, scary," Kizaru said, making a show of shivering.
"Kids these days…"
Aokiji lifted his eye mask for a peek, then let it fall back down.
"Ah-la-la," he murmured.
"Two hot-heads in one room."
Gion, Tokikake, Ain, Jango, Kuro—all of them swallowed hard.
"Enough!"
SLAM.
Sengoku's palm smashed into the desk.
"This is Headquarters. My office."
"Not a goddamn arena."
"You're both Marine officers. If word gets out that you brawled like children in here, we'll be a laughingstock."
The two of them cut off their auras at once.
The room felt ten degrees cooler.
"Alright," Jin said at last.
"Fleet Admiral, you don't need to put on a show just to remind me I'm not in the East Blue anymore."
"Not your style."
"If you want to put me in my place, just say it straight."
Sengoku paused.
…Because that was exactly what he'd been trying to do.
Being caught so bluntly left him feeling oddly embarrassed.
Jin met his eyes.
"Just tell me what you need me to do."
Sengoku exhaled.
"You already know your posting, I assume."
"After reporting to HQ, where you'll be going."
Jin nodded.
"Sabaody Archipelago."
"I heard the original plan was to send me to G–5," he added with a little smirk.
"Until someone upstairs decided to interfere."
"Cough."
Sengoku's face darkened further.
G–5 was a disaster zone packed with borderline-criminal Marines.
They were already half a gang as it was.
Tsuru stepped in.
"Once you're stationed at Sabaody's Marine base, you'll need to rein in that temper of yours."
"Especially when it comes to the World Nobles. The Celestial Dragons."
"You can't act on emotion there."
Jin grinned.
"I know, Granny Tsuru."
"I'm not stupid."
"When your strength isn't enough, you keep your head down."
"On that, I'm very clear."
You? everyone thought in unison.
Low-key?
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