The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
Robin's pupils contracted to pinpoints as she immediately crossed her arms over her chest, glaring intently at Aokiji.
Beside her, Kuina also sensed the shift in atmosphere and was the first to place her hand on Wado Ichimonji.
"What a coincidence?"
Xiano took a step forward, raising an eyebrow. "Coincidence? You clearly sought us out on purpose. How long have you been lying in wait here?"
This was undeniably a case of lying in ambush—a chance encounter?
Impossible!
Their last encounter with Akainu amid a sky full of cherry blossoms on Toll Island had already been an extremely low-probability event.
And now another "coincidence"?
No one would believe that!
What kind of unlucky fool would run into two Marine Admirals back-to-back by sheer chance?
"Ahaha, saw right through me, huh?"
Aokiji scratched his messy curls. "Tch, I got here around noon. But since you were all scattered about, tracking each of you down would've been a hassle. Figured I'd just wait until you regrouped before saying hello."
"Hey, Smoker, who's this old guy?"
Nami, eyeing Aokiji's casual attire, didn't quite grasp the situation and whispered to Smoker beside her.
"Kuzan. An old friend of mine."
Smoker clenched his cigar between his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "Also, one of the Three Admirals—the Marine Headquarters' strongest combatants."
Huh?
A Marine Admiral?!
Nami startled, quickly shrinking back and positioning Xiano in front of her like a shield.
"Relax, little girl."
Aokiji slowly straightened up from the bench. "I'm not here to arrest you. Otherwise, you'd all be popsicles by now."
"Anyone can talk big."
Xiano had already unleashed his Observation Haki, sweeping it across the island like a tide. Confirming Aokiji was alone, he grinned.
"So it really is just you, huh? Seriously… aren't you underestimating me a bit too much? A lone Marine Admiral actually thinks he can take me down?"
"...Hmm."
Aokiji tilted his head, propping his chin on his hand as he studied Xiano.
"Fair point."
He shrugged, his expression turning serious.
"If some other brat said that to me, I'd probably laugh it off. But you… you've actually got the credentials to back it up."
"Xiano. Born in the Kingdom of Oykot. Surname unknown. Parentage unknown. Bloodline unknown. Made a name for himself in the East Blue years ago."
Aokiji recited calmly:
"And now, barely an adult at eighteen, already marked as a high-priority threat by the World Government with a 1-billion-berry bounty. Possesses strength capable of shaking the world's balance."
"Truly a terrifying record."
He sighed sincerely before shifting his gaze to Robin.
"No wonder you chose this crew as your hiding place, Nico Robin. This time, your judgment and luck seem to have improved. At least for now, you won't need to scramble for another refuge anytime soon."
"Many threats that would've sent you running in the past—enemies that once kept you looking over your shoulder—mean nothing to this man. He really does have the power to protect you."
Robin bit her lip, fists clenching unconsciously as she stared hard at Aokiji.
"Enough, Kuzan!"
Smoker growled around his cigar, brow furrowing as he spoke up.
"Stop deliberately saying such irritating things. What exactly is your purpose here? Did you come just to reopen the old wounds of Ohara in front of Robin again?"
"..."
Aokiji glanced at Smoker with some surprise.
"Given your rank, you had no authority to access those matters when you were still in the Marines. Yet after defecting, you seem to know quite a lot about them now."
Aokiji raised an eyebrow. "Ara ara, how unexpected. Nico Robin, you actually told these people about the past. Seems you've developed quite a bond with them..."
"If I had known a few more incidents like Ohara, I probably would've left the Marines years ago."
Smoker cut in with a cold laugh, drawing his Ten Hand from behind his back.
"Answer my question—no evasions. Besides, Xiano and Robin have already been upfront with us. You were the one who personally let her go back then, weren't you? So why have you been secretly chasing her across the seas all these years, Kuzan? What exactly are you scheming?"
"I feel the same way."
With someone else doing the talking, Xiano's tone became leisurely as he sat down on the bench and crossed his legs.
"You showing up here is mostly because of Robin, isn't it? Even the World Government doesn't know she's on my ship yet, but you somehow found her first. What, did you plant a tracker on her or something?"
"Hey, hey, don't make me sound like some creepy stalker."
Aokiji helplessly raised his arms in surrender. "Chasing her all over the place... that's putting it too harshly. I just check in on her from time to time, wanting to see how far the spark Saul risked his life to protect would go..."
"As for how I knew she's with you now."
Aokiji reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo. "Here, this is what Old Man Garp showed me after he returned to headquarters recently. That old man... thinks very highly of you."
Xiano took the photo.
It was a selfie of Garp standing on his dog-headed warship, grinning and waving at the distant Sunset. Who knew what the old man was so happy about...
In any case, the figures on the Sunset were blurry, with Robin standing discreetly at the back, her features indistinguishable. Even the World Government's professional agents wouldn't have noticed.
Yet Aokiji, after a closer look, had spotted something amiss and followed the trail here.
"Impressive. You actually recognized her from this."
Xiano tossed the photo back, giving him a disdainful look. "And you still claim you're not a stalker?"
"..." Aokiji was momentarily speechless.
"Let's not dwell on that."
He sighed weakly. "Seeing how the child of Ohara has fared over the years was my initial motive for coming, but... after meeting you in person, all that suddenly became trivial."
"Ah, that includes Smoker. The fact that this guy became a Pirate was another thing I couldn't understand at first." Aokiji pointed at the man exhaling smoke beside them. "But now, I don't care about that either."
"Huh? Don't push it, you bastard!" Smoker bared his teeth in anger. "After not seeing each other for so long, you come at me with such hurtful words? Watch out or I'll burn you with my cigarette butt!"
"Don't misunderstand. That's not what I meant," Aokiji shrugged before turning to bend down and stare at Xiano. "The reason I say this is because I believe the answers to my questions about both of you might be found in this man here."
"Hey, can you tell me something?" Aokiji asked, his gaze locking onto Xiano's. "What exactly have you been seeking all this time... on the path you've walked until now?"
"What? I don't understand what you're saying," Xiano didn't answer immediately, instead grinning first.
"Do I really need to spell it out?" Aokiji's voice softened as their eyes remained connected.
"From the age of fourteen or fifteen, you began making a name for yourself in East Blue, dealing with many troublesome Pirates, serving as a teenage idol for years, even being hailed by many East Blue citizens as the embodiment of justice."
"And after officially setting sail, though the World Government has smeared your reputation in the newspapers, painting you as notorious villains, both you and I know the truth."
"In Loguetown, you didn't hesitate to bear the infamy of a Pirate to protect civilians, going against Vice Admiral Onigumo."
"In Alabasta, you intervened against injustice and single-handedly wiped out the Hanafuda Pirates."
"Just these past few days, you rescued some pitiful slaves from a trafficking ship..."
"You've never plundered towns, never attacked civilians. Everywhere you've gone, the people have remembered your kindness."
Aokiji's voice gradually lowered as he leaned closer, his body radiating an icy chill, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:
"By continuing like this, where do you think this leaves the Marines... and the justice we uphold?"
"Add to that your deliberate sheltering of Ohara's survivor... What exactly are you trying to become? What kind of... ambition are you harboring?"
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Kuina drew half her blade, Nojiko clenched her fists, Zeff rose slightly on his toes, and Nami bit her lip as she stepped out from behind Xiano, flames bursting from her orange hair with a hiss...
Xiano stared at the wrinkled, bitter face now inches from his own.
Then suddenly, he grinned.
Just as he was about to speak, an enraged roar suddenly came from the garden entrance:
"How dare you! Try laying a hand on our leader and see what happens!!!"
Everyone froze, turning to see an eight-meter-tall giant sprinting toward them, each step making the entire garden tremble.
Couples who had been cuddling on nearby benches screamed and fled in panic.
Wait, who is this guy?
For a moment, everyone—Aokiji and the crew alike—was stunned, except for Xiano who raised an eyebrow with amused interest.
One of yours?
Smoker and Aokiji exchanged glances before shaking their heads simultaneously.
Then why is he charging at us?
"Wait," Nami frowned. "He looks familiar... I think we've seen him somewhere before—"
Before she could finish, the giant's body began rapidly expanding and transforming, his limbs thickening with brown fur as two curved tusks extended from his mouth.
In the blink of an eye, a massive mammoth appeared before the crowd, its crimson eyes fixed intently on Aokiji.
"If you want to harm Lord Xiano, you'll have to get through me first, bastard!"
The mammoth let out a deep roar, its enormous trunk rising high before crashing down toward Aokiji with terrifying force.
"Ah, la la..."
Aokiji raised an eyebrow. An Ancient Zoan ability—quite rare indeed.
But... why was it attacking him out of nowhere for no reason?
His expression remained calm, not even blinking, until the trunk was about to smash into his head. Only then did he lazily raise his right hand—
Crack!
The moment they made contact, a bone-chilling cold erupted. Starting from Aokiji's palm, terrifying frost instantly spread up the trunk.
Jack's eyes widened in horror as he struggled desperately, but it was futile. He could only watch as his trunk turned into a crystalline pillar of ice in an instant.
But this was only the beginning.
The ice spread across his body at a visible pace—curved tusks, thick legs, all the way to his tail—until only his eyes could barely move.
In just two seconds, the towering mammoth, over ten meters tall, had been completely transformed into a lifelike ice sculpture, glistening under the streetlights.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!