The Temperature Falls
The grass crunched under their feet, frost blooming in the green. Every breath turned to fog. The air wasn't just cold — it was heavy, like the weight of the ocean pressing in from all sides.
Aokiji stepped forward slowly, each footstep forming a perfect ice crystal beneath his sandals. His eyes scanned the crew once, but when they landed on Robin, they lingered.
"It's been a long time, Nico Robin," he said.
Robin's posture stiffened. "Aokiji…"
Nami instinctively moved to stand between them, but Vegito's tail slid out, gently pressing her back.
Robin's Ghosts
Robin didn't flinch at Aokiji's gaze, but Vegito could feel the tension radiating from her.Years of running. Years of betrayal. And now, the man who had once given her a chance — the same man who could take it away — stood in front of her again.
"I see you've found yourself a new crew," Aokiji said, hands still in his pockets. "Hope they know what they're protecting."
Bell-mère's lips curled. "You're talking about my daughter now. Choose your next words carefully."
Vegito Steps In
Vegito took a step forward, not aggressive, but radiating so much raw power that the frost around his boots cracked just from the flex of his ki.
"Admiral," Vegito said with a friendly grin, "I think you've got the wrong impression. She's not here for us to protect. She's here because she wants to be."
Aokiji's gaze flicked to him. "You're not like the others."
"That's one way to put it," Vegito replied. "But you don't need to play the scary admiral routine here. We're having a picnic."
The Offer
Aokiji tilted his head slightly, as if weighing the situation.
"You could hand her over," he said. "Save yourself the trouble. The world government isn't something you want to fight."
Vegito's smile didn't change — but the ground at his feet started to steam as his ki rose, melting the frost.
"I've fought gods, tyrants, and idiots who thought they were both," Vegito said. "The World Government doesn't even crack the top five."
The First Move
Aokiji didn't argue. He simply exhaled and touched the ground.
In an instant, the entire clearing froze solid — grass, trees, baskets, even the edge of Heaven's Embrace's hull glittered with frost. The crew shivered, breath misting in the air.
"ICE AGE."
But where the frost swept across the land, it simply stopped at Vegito's boots, unable to creep higher than his ankles. He looked down at the ice, then back up at Aokiji.
"Neat trick," Vegito said. "Wanna see mine?"
DB-Level Speed
In the time it took Aokiji's eyes to widen, Vegito vanished.
The next heartbeat — crack! — Aokiji was standing on one foot, his other leg kicked out from under him by a blur of motion.
Before he could regain balance, Vegito was behind him, tail casually flicking the admiral's coat collar. "You're leaving your back open."
Aokiji spun, ice blade forming in his hand. Vegito caught it between two fingers and snapped it like glass.
Robin's Perspective
Robin had seen powerful men before. She had seen monsters in human skin. But this was different.
Vegito wasn't just strong. He was playing. Like this was a warm-up before the real fight.
And the way he stood — slightly in front of the crew, tail curling lazily, posture loose — made something in her chest tighten.
He wasn't defending them because they were weak.
He was defending them because they were his.
The Humiliation
Aokiji tried a different tactic — flooding the ground with jagged ice spikes, forcing Vegito to dodge.
Vegito didn't dodge. He simply leapt straight up, the force of his takeoff shattering the spikes beneath him. When he landed, the shockwave knocked Aokiji backward into a tree, splintering it into frozen shards.
"That's two," Vegito said, voice light. "Want to try for three?"
Aokiji's breath came out in slow mist. "…You're not normal."
"Neither is your fashion sense," Vegito shot back.
The Ending
Aokiji finally straightened, brushing frost from his coat. His expression didn't change, but the fight left his stance.
"I see why they're so interested in you," he said quietly.
"Who?" Vegito asked, though he already knew.
Aokiji didn't answer. Instead, he stepped back, ice melting under his feet as he retreated. "Robin… I hope this ends better than the last time."
And then he was gone, gliding away across the frozen bay on his bicycle, leaving only silence.
Aftermath
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then Nami exhaled. "Well… that was terrifying."
Bell-mère grinned. "I think I like terrifying."
Robin's eyes met Vegito's. "…Thank you."
Vegito's grin softened. "You don't have to thank me for breathing."
[Crew Roster Updated]
Vegito (Captain)
Bell-mère (Crew Mother / Fighter)
Nami (Navigator)
Nojiko (Support Fighter)
Kaya (Doctor – Heal-Heal Fruit User)
Kuina (Swordswoman)
Reiju (Combat Medic / Poison Specialist)
Nico Robin (Archaeologist / Poneglyph Reader)
Vivi (Princess of Alabasta)
Zala (Miss Doublefinger – Martial Artist)
Mikita (Miss Valentine – Aerial Combat, Slow-Slow Fruit)
Next Destination: Water 7 — and CP9's first mistake.