"The sun has already set. How is your body?"
"Almost recovered."
Ian snapped out of it, lifted his head, looked at the darkening sky, then at Ain beside him, and smiled. "After sunbathing again tomorrow, I'll be good."
Perhaps because she had given birth and become a mother, Ain's figure had become even more voluptuous, and there was now a trace of mature charm on her face that wasn't there before, causing Ian to glance at her several more times.
However, Ain did not immediately answer Ian's words. After simply nodding, she fell silent.
Ian thought she was just worried and specially came to check on his condition, then Ain suddenly spoke again, with a serious tone: "Are you going to have a child with that woman?"
Ian: "...?"
What?
Ian froze completely at Ain's words, but before he could say anything, Ain stared straight at him again, speaking earnestly: "You... You can only have children with us!"
Ian: "...?!"
The moment these words fell, and seeing Ain say such things with such a serious expression and tone, Ian's whole body trembled.
He jumped right up from the recliner, stood before Ain, grabbed her, and said: "Let's have one now, right now!"
"W-wait!"
Feeling the heat rushing toward her, Ain's serious face couldn't help turning red. "W-we can talk after we return, your injuries..."
But before she could finish, Ian directly picked her up, righteously declaring: "It's fine, just a small injury!"
Ignoring Zephyr, chuckling beside them, and paying no mind to Ain's shy, blushing attempts to say something, he forcefully carried her toward the cabin, into their room.
Speaking of which, after the child was born, he hadn't properly spent time with Ain.
A mere fatal wound, how could that compare to accompanying his young, beautiful, and incredibly attractive wife?
As the door closed, Zephyr helplessly shook his head with a smile, then scolded the nearby idiots who were also giggling, telling them to be serious.
After that, he lay back on the lounge chair on the deck, hands behind his head, staring at the moon.
Speaking of which, he wondered how his grandson, Aikes, was doing now.
He really did miss his grandson a little!
Zephyr grinned, then switched to a serious expression and said to Binz beside him: "Right, tell those guys to slow the ship down!"
Binz: "...?"
"Hurry up and go!"
"Yes, yes!"
After the bewildered Binz went below deck to tell them to slow the ship, Zephyr crossed his legs, hummed leisurely, and with a smile, sighed emotionally: "Youth, huh!"
Then, feeling a cold breeze blow past, Zephyr paused, then let out a long sigh. "The wind is picking up?"
At that same time, as news of the battle in the West Blue spread, the originally tense and oppressive atmosphere at Marine Headquarters instantly relaxed somewhat.
But after seeing that a powerhouse from the previous era, the captain of the Big Mom Pirates, the Yonko who stood at the peak of the New World, Charlotte Linlin, had been defeated, all the marine officers in the meeting room fell silent.
Although the leader of Umbrella Corporation had previously defeated Admiral Borsalino head-on and proved his strength to the sea, it still wasn't as shocking and unbelievable as defeating an Emperor head-on this time.
After all, last time... according to the analysis unit, everyone believed Admiral Borsalino's Devil Fruit ability had simply been countered by that guy's Devil Fruit ability, which led to his defeat.
Although that was shocking, it wasn't this shocking.
"Arere, so that guy won after all? How scary!"
Borsalino, who had seemingly expected this outcome, only showed slight surprise before opening his strange-looking mouth and saying lazily: "I told you that guy's strength isn't as simple as the analysis unit thought!"
"It truly is somewhat unexpected."
Tsuru nodded seriously. "It seems we were right to be cautious. Marine Headquarters and the World Government should treat the Umbrella Corporation the same way we treat the Four Emperors."
She then looked at Sengoku and sighed emotionally. "Fortunately, the situation hasn't developed too badly. I didn't expect the Red-Haired Pirates to actually help the Big Mom Pirates, but it really relieved us."
"Hmph, who knows what that guy is planning"?
Sengoku coldly snorted at Tsuru's words, then spoke sternly: "But the Big Mom Pirates still lost. Many idiots in the New World will think they can do it too and will go challenge the Big Mom Pirates, challenge a yonko. Their defeat will be like a festival for those New World pirates. Tell the Marine branch at the New World to be alert, strengthen defenses and patrols, and stabilize the situation there."
"Understood!"
"And strengthen defenses in the West Blue as well. Tell the branches there to restrain Grado's development. Hmph, looks like Grado is going to gorge itself after this. Those hyenas really know how to cause trouble for us."
Sengoku swept his gaze across the officers, then took a deep breath. "Lastly, dismissed. Go and have your rest."
"Yes!"
After the marine officers left, Sengoku finally dropped his stern expression.
Feeling the sudden evening breeze, he turned his head toward the window, gazing at the moon, and let out a long sigh: "The wind is picking up?"
…
Just as everyone had guessed, the battle in the West Blue swept across the entire ocean like a hurricane.
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Sitting high upon the throne, the captain of the Beast Pirates, Kaido, known as the Strongest Creature and King of Beasts, who had originally been drinking heavily, suddenly sobered up as if he had seen something amusing. His eyes widened as he stared at the newspaper in his hand.
After confirming that he had not misread it, he could no longer hold back and let out a wild, island-shaking laugh. "Worororo~ I didn't expect that woman, Linlin, would actually be defeated by someone?"
"It truly is unbelievable. Big Mom, who is both a Yonko and the same rank as the Governor, was defeated."
The burly man beside him, wearing a black mask, spoke in a calm tone. "The New World is already starting to stir. I heard many pirate crews are setting off toward the Big Mom Pirates."
"Those foolish idiots can't possibly think they can beat Linlin, too, right? Worororo!"