"These event markers... they're becoming more and more familiar."
Nao rolled up the newspaper, glanced at the clock tower where the New Year's bell had just rung last night, and murmured to himself, "The Great Age is stirring... time won't wait for anyone. There's this growing sense of urgency—guess I'll have to push myself harder."
That said, the title of Admiral was still a bit far off.
Hmm... a smaller, more achievable goal: reach Vice Admiral within two years.
Back in his long-missed office, Nao planned to sit at his desk just long enough to check a few boxes—do a bit of paperwork, keep up appearances—then slip off to the training grounds.
After all, as Deputy Base Commander, he at least had to make it look like he was doing the job.
Just then, his aide knocked and respectfully delivered two letters.
Nao glanced at them. One was from Shia, which he expected. The other... was a surprise—it was from Kizaru.
"..."
What the hell was that creepy old man writing to him for?
Feeling slightly guilty, Nao opened Kizaru's letter first.
"I miss you so much, Nao."
That was the first sentence. Right off the bat.
"...?"
Nao turned the letter over, double-checking the signature to confirm that yes, this was from Kizaru and not a misfiled message from Shia.
His eye twitched.
The tone of the rest of the letter matched the opening. Every sentence dripped with pitiful, lonely old-man energy, as Kizaru—like a sad, abandoned housecat—moaned about how much he missed Nao. He complained about the stress he was under, how hard it was to handle all his responsibilities without help, and subtly scolded Nao for not keeping his promise to work under him.
Nao got chills reading it. He practically had to hold his nose just to get through it.
Thankfully, the whining ended eventually, and the letter finally got to the actual point.
Kizaru explained that this year's Reverie was the first since the start of the Great Pirate Era, and it would be grander and more complex than any before. Many kings who hadn't attended past meetings would be arriving in person, each with a large entourage.
That meant Marine Headquarter was seriously short-staffed, and they'd started pulling Vice Admirals from lower branches to assist as escorts.
Kizaru himself wasn't spared—he'd been ordered to depart in a few days to West Blue's Kingdom of Belial to escort the royal delegation to Mariejois.
But... he didn't really want to go.
And then he remembered—Nao was stationed in the West Blue. So he was casually asking: Had Nao already been assigned to escort mission? If not, could he maybe do Kizaru a solid and bring the Belial royals along too?
"...So all that buildup was just for this?"
Nao scoffed, then pulled a pen from the holder and scribbled a quick reply.
It was blunt and to the point.
In summary: "Escort missions? That's deep water. I'm just a nineteen-year-old Rear Admiral. If Headquarters didn't assign me anything, then sorry, I can't help even if I wanted to. Just not within my pay grade."
He dried the ink, sealed the letter, and handed it off to his aid for immediate delivery.
Then he opened Shia's letter.
Nao had already expected something from her. They'd spoken on the phone a few days ago, exchanging New Year's greetings. On that call, she had confessed her reluctance to be apart and mentioned she was sending some New Year gifts, hoping Nao would keep them close by.
That way, at least, it would feel like she wasn't far away.
"I wonder what kind of gift it is..."
Nao felt the weight of the envelope—bulging. When he opened it, he found three items inside.
The first was a stunningly brilliant necklace, inlaid with pearl-like luster. Fine craftsmanship had etched the words "King of Lotte" into its core.
"King of Lotte..."
Nao blinked.
He remembered Shia mentioning this before. It was a necklace traditionally passed down only to the kings of Lotte Kingdom. Even just its crafting cost exceeded 500 million berries. With centuries of history behind it, it was essentially priceless.
What is this girl thinking? She just tossed this into a letter like it was candy?
"Ridiculous."
He frowned slightly, staring at the necklace.
Most likely, the old king had just handed it over to Shia as a formal inheritance—only for her to immediately stuff it in an envelope and mail it to him, completely disregarding its significance.
Nao sighed and shook his head.
Next time they met, he'd return it to her. It was a national treasure—he couldn't accept it.
Carefully putting the necklace away, Nao turned his eyes to the second item.
This one was much more modest: a simple bracelet made from blue cloth.
He recalled Shia mentioning on the phone that she'd handmade a charm bracelet. The letters on it were ancient Lotteian, meant to bring peace and protection.
This must be the one.
"This one I can probably wear..."
Nao smiled and slipped it onto his right wrist. It fit perfectly, soft and smooth to the touch.
Only...
Was the fabric... familiar?
His expression turned odd. He rubbed the bracelet, then leaned down and gave it a cautious sniff.
A faint, floral scent—like wild orchids in a quiet valley.
Yep. No doubt about it. This was the same scent as Shia's under-uniform top.
Wait—shit!
This is a bra strap!
Three black lines formed on Nao's forehead.
He pinched his brow and sighed. He really was too naive. Knowing Shia, there was no way she'd send him a "normal" gift.
Definitely couldn't wear this now.
Nao removed the bracelet and stored it safely with the necklace, then turned to the third gift.
It was a notebook—thick and well-kept. A bit old, but its corners were neat and unworn, clearly treasured over time.
"A notebook, huh. Surely this one can't be weird too..."
Nao muttered and opened it. After glancing through the first few pages, his eyes widened.
"A... diary?"
'Day 323 since falling for Nao. Clear skies.'
'Everyone thinks he's standing on the second-floor balcony to feel the sea breeze, but I know he's actually off visiting Rear Admiral Gion again. I'm kinda mad about it.'
'A news coo flew overhead, squawking so loud. Even more annoyed. I wanted to steal its newspapers and not give them back, no matter how much it begged.'
'Back then I didn't know anything. Rushing to confess like that... it really was dumb. Should've asked someone experienced first.'
'Also... why wasn't it me petting that sea otter with him that night?'
'Day 345. Light rain.'
'Nao fought some guy named Onigumo today. He got hurt. My heart ached. I wanted to help bandage him, but I was scared he'd reject me…'
'Maybe I should try transforming into Rear Admiral Gion?'
'...He probably wouldn't notice, right?'
'Day 351. Cloudy. Nao found my third telescope and confiscated it. I'm so sad.'
'I hate Observation Haki.'
…
Over five hundred days.
From strangers to friends, from crush to confirmed romance—tens of thousands of words, page after page, line after line, recorded every fleeting feeling Shia had for him.
Heartache from being rejected. Hope after getting the Clone-Clone Fruit. Joy from training together. Grief from their separation...
Nao flipped through the notebook in silence, his eyes gradually softening.
By the time he reached the final page, he said nothing.
He placed the diary down, stepped over to the full-length window, and stared out at the snow-covered landscape. The mist glistened on the sea horizon.
The sky was blue. The ocean was blue.
And somehow, he could almost see that blue-haired girl, smiling brightly—her world centered entirely on him.
"...I'm sorry."
After a long time.
As if he'd made up his mind, Nao turned and gently knocked on the desk, waking the sleeping Den Den Mushi beside him.
He dialed Marine Headquarters.
"Connect me to Admiral Sengoku."
Moments later, Sengoku's surprised voice came through the line.
"…Nao? What's wrong? Did something happen in the West Blue? Why the sudden call?"
"Not really," Nao replied calmly. "Just feeling like I've got too much free time out here. Thought I'd help lighten HQ's load a bit."
"Sengoku-san, I know I'm still only a Rear Admiral… but escorting a royal delegation to Mariejois—would that really be too much for me to handle?"
"How many times do I have to tell you—you don't need to be so humble, brat," Sengoku grumbled.
"The only reason you're still a Rear Admiral is because you're young. Everyone here knows you've got the strength to rank among the Vice Admirals already. Stop feeding me that crap."
"But still... I didn't expect you to volunteer for escort duty. I'm impressed."
Sengoku sounded like he was flipping through paperwork.
"Let's see... Which countries in the West Blue haven't been assigned escort teams yet... looks like one or two are still unclaimed..."
"I'm not interested in those."
Nao gave a small laugh and looked at the thick diary on his desk.
"Admiral, could you check whether the Lotte Kingdom in the New World already has an escort team assigned?"
———
Marine Headquarters – Marineford
After the call ended, Sengoku leaned back with a smile. He clearly looked more relaxed.
To have someone step forward voluntarily at a time like this… yeah, the old folks hadn't been wrong about that kid after all.
"Nao called?"
Across from his desk, a tall figure lounging on the sofa raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice.
"That's right."
Sengoku sipped his tea and chuckled.
"He'll be heading to the New World to escort Lotte Kingdom's royals to the Reverie. If my estimates are right, he'll probably stop by your place for supplies—Sakazuki."
"...That so?"
The figure on the sofa—Akainu, Commander of G1 Branch—narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I've wanted to meet that junior of mine for a while now. Every time I'm at Headquarters, I seem to just miss him. Guess I'll finally get the chance."
"You're not thinking of challenging him, are you?" Sengoku asked, expression skeptical.
"I'm... curious."
Akainu's tone remained calm.
"Everyone at Headquarters says he's the most talented recruit the Elite Camp has ever produced. I just want to see if he really lives up to the hype."
"Fine, do what you want," Sengoku muttered. "Just go easy on him—he's still a comrade."
Akainu gave no answer—just a faint nod.
———
West Blue, First Branch
Another grueling day of training done, Nao stepped out of the shower and was heading to dinner when a familiar Buru-buru ringtone buzzed from his coat pocket.
His personal Den Den Mushi—very few people knew this number.
Was it Sengoku? A change in escort orders?
Didn't we already sort that out?
Nao frowned and answered the call.
What he didn't expect was a panicked young voice:
"Nao-san! Bakko—Bakko just mobilized a warship! They're about to set sail!"
T-Bone?!
Nao's eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam flashing in them.
After nearly a month of silence... that guy was finally making a move?
———
The day after a snowstorm. Black sails billowing.
A pirate ship sailed across the vast ocean.
A feast was in full swing. Loud, off-key singing echoed over the waves.
Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho Yo-ho-ho-ho
We pirates sail across the sea!
Our home is on the waves~
Drunk pirates linked arms, singing and laughing on the deck. Beer mugs clanged loudly together.
In a corner—
Little Robin sat curled up with her knees to her chest, staring blankly at the chaotic celebration around her.
Her aura was completely out of place—lifeless and cold amid the revelry.
"Hey! Anne!"
A fat, middle-aged woman pirate staggered over, drunk and reeking of alcohol. She grabbed Robin and shoved a giant beer mug at her mouth.
"If you're part of the crew now, you've gotta party too! Drink up, girl!"
Cough! Cough!
Caught off guard, Robin choked violently as the beer was forced down her throat.
She wanted to resist—but her small frame had no chance against the woman's brute strength. In the end, she was made to finish the entire mug.
When the woman finally tossed her aside, Robin's face was flushed red. She could barely stand.
"What a useless brat!"
The woman roared with laughter.
"One mug and you're already down?"
She poured herself another and belched loudly after chugging it down.
"Still... this batch of booze is stronger than usual. Even I'm feeling a little tipsy faster than normal..."
Thud!
Before she could finish, she suddenly collapsed onto the deck.