The crash of waves against Windmill Village's small port echoed in Jin's ears as he stretched on the cliffside, sweat dripping from his morning regimen. The weights strapped to his limbs — solid blocks of that useless yet impossibly heavy metal he'd dubbed Yantetsu — dragged like anchors, but to Jin, they were nothing more than whispers reminding him he was alive.
Down below, Kuma's hulking figure waded into the surf, a roar bursting from his throat as he grappled a sea king. The monster thrashed, its jaws big enough to swallow a fishing boat whole, but Kuma's claws dug in like iron spikes.
"Fuck, Kuma," Jin muttered with a smirk. "You're starting to look like my old war beasts back in the merc days."
With a final heave, Kuma slammed the sea king against the shallows, the beast convulsing before going limp. Salt spray rained across the shore.
"Another one down, old man!" Kuma's voice carried across the waves. "Sooner or later, Busoshoku Haki will be mine!"
Jin grinned, then let his gaze drift inland, where Kuina sparred against the wind itself, her blade Bloodfang shrieking as it cleaved empty space. Her strikes were sharper than weeks ago, the weight of her recent killing intent slowly being refined into steel resolve.
Good. Both of them are pushing themselves. I can't be the only monster under this roof.
Behind him, Makino's voice chimed like a bell, soft yet commanding. "Jin, don't push yourself too far. If you collapse from overtraining, who's going to carry Kuma's stupid body back when he breaks it again?"
Jin snorted, rolling his shoulders. "If Kuma breaks, the sea will return him like bad cargo. He's too stubborn to die."
Makino only shook her head, though Jin caught the quiet smile tugging at her lips.
It was a calm morning — the kind of peace Jin never trusted. And right on cue, the storm came.
Later, perched on a massive tree trunk beside Garp, Jin watched the Vice Admiral berate his grandson as monkeys threw coconuts at the boy's head.
"Dodge, you idiot! You'll never become a Marine if you can't handle a bunch of damn monkeys!"
Luffy wailed, flailing in the dirt as the monkeys launched another volley.
Jin raised an eyebrow. "You sure this counts as training? Looks more like child abuse."
"Gahahaha! This is Garp-style training," the old man barked. "If he can't outlast monkeys, he'll never survive pirates."
Jin sipped from his canteen, unimpressed. "By that logic, you should throw him at Kuma and see if the boy survives. Efficient."
Before Garp could respond, the shrill purururu of a Den Den Mushi interrupted. The old man dug it out, flipping the receiver open.
"This is Vice Admiral Garp."
"Reporting, sir! Tina, Marine HQ Ensign, has arrived at Windmill Village port. Orders?"
Jin's ears perked up. So the pink-haired beauty finally shows her face.
Garp grunted. "Escort her to the tavern. That's all." He snapped the line shut and turned toward Jin, grinning. "See? I told you she'd be here. I always deliver."
Jin leaned back on the log, hiding the curl of a smile behind his hand. Delivered right to my doorstep, huh? That's almost too easy.
His mind conjured the image: pink hair cascading over naval blues, sharp eyes filled with anger and loss, a body hardened by discipline but softened in all the right places. A woman shaped by grief — and ripe for someone like him to tilt off balance.
Makino would scold him for even thinking it. Kuina would probably try to cut him if he said it aloud. But the mercenary king in him recognized the truth: allies weren't always forged in blood. Sometimes they were forged in desire, in pain, in the subtle pull of freedom against chains.
"Oi, Garp," Jin drawled, standing as he unfastened his weights. "Let's not keep the lady waiting."
"Gahahaha! Now you're in a hurry."
Jin ignored the jab. If I play this right, Tina could be more than just another Marine. She could be mine.
Windmill Village port bustled as fishing boats came in with the day's catch. Children ran barefoot along the pier, shouting and laughing. In the center of it all, she stood — unmistakable.
Tina.
Her pink hair glowed under the midday sun, tied in a disciplined knot, though loose strands framed her face. Her uniform jacket hung open, the wind tugging at it, revealing the black undershirt clinging to her figure. Her eyes, sharp and unyielding, scanned the village like a hawk searching for prey.
Behind her, two Marine escorts shifted uneasily, clearly intimidated by the weight of her presence despite her youth.
Jin's steps slowed as he and Garp approached. For just a moment, his mercenary instincts slipped, replaced by the man within. Damn. She's even better in person.
"Tina," Garp called out, voice booming. "Welcome to Windmill Village! From now on, you'll be resting here. Orders from above."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Vice Admiral, with respect, I don't need rest. I need orders. I need to return to duty." Her tone was clipped, but beneath it simmered something raw, something volatile.
Grief. Rage. A hunger for vengeance.
Jin recognized it instantly — he'd seen that fire countless times in soldiers who had lost everything. It was a dangerous flame, one that could consume or forge.
"Orders are orders," Garp said simply. "You'll stay here until further notice. That's final."
Tina's fists clenched at her sides, but she bit back her reply. Her gaze shifted — and landed squarely on Jin.
For a heartbeat, silence. The crowd, the gulls, the sea breeze — all of it faded. Her eyes locked with his, and Jin saw the question there: Who are you? Why do you stand beside Garp like an equal?
Jin offered her a crooked smile, one part charm, one part challenge. "Name's Jin. Around here, people call me a lot of things — gambler, blacksmith, bastard. Take your pick. I'll be the one you're answering to while you're in Windmill Village."
Her brows arched, sharp and skeptical. "You? I take orders from the Marines, not…" She hesitated, as if unsure what box he fit into. "…not men like you."
Jin chuckled low, stepping closer, just enough for his shadow to mingle with hers. "That's the thing, Tina-san. Out here, Marines don't give the orders. Survival does. If you want revenge, if you want strength, then stick close. You'll see what it means to live outside their leash."
For the first time, her composure cracked, a flicker of curiosity breaking through the steel.
Garp, of course, ruined the tension with a booming laugh.
"Gahahaha! I knew dumping you two together would be fun. Don't kill each other before dinner!"
Jin smirked, eyes never leaving Tina's. Oh, we won't kill each other, old man. But she might wish she'd never met me before this is over.