Aiden sat leisurely on the sofa, sipping his black tea as if no one else were in the room.
Meanwhile, Gion stood behind her desk with the receiver of a Den Den Mushi in hand. Her expression was complicated.
On the other end of the line was Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer of Marine Headquarters.
"Gion, where are you right now?"
"Reporting. My fleet is currently near Furen Island on patrol," Gion answered quickly.
"Furen Island?" Tsuru's voice paused. "That's very close to Jaya. Have you seen this morning's edition of the World Economic Journal? There's a front-page story about Mock Town."
Gion's gaze swept across the newspaper on her desk. Her grip on the receiver tightened unconsciously, and her voice became a little dry.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru... regarding the news from Mock Town... I haven't just seen it. I think... I may know who did it."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, even Tsuru's breathing seemed to stop for a moment.
"So soon?" Tsuru's voice carried a trace of genuine surprise. "You found the person who wiped out the pirates in Mock Town? Who is it? Was there a clash?"
Tsuru's first reaction was to assume that Gion had already fought the mysterious person.
"There was no conflict." Gion looked at Aiden, who was leisurely drinking tea. Her expression became even more complicated. "Because that person is Aiden, the one who went missing a while ago."
...
This time, the silence lasted for more than ten seconds.
Gion could even hear Tsuru's breathing suddenly grow heavier on the other side.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru?"
"Continue," Tsuru said, her voice calm again.
Gion took a deep breath and briefly repeated what Aiden had just told her, keeping it short and clear.
On the other end of the line, Tsuru's mind worked quickly, instantly connecting all the clues.
"I see." Tsuru's voice no longer sounded tense. Instead, it carried a faint note of relief.
Gion was a little confused. "Vice Admiral Tsuru, do you need me to bring him back to Marineford immediately for a debriefing?"
"No," Tsuru refused without hesitation. "Continue the original patrol through those waters and branches. There is no rush. I will handle things here at Headquarters."
"Also," Tsuru's tone suddenly turned serious, "from this moment on, your highest-priority mission has changed. You are to keep Aiden under full supervision. Do not let him out of your sight again."
"Do not let him leave your sight. Evaluate his abilities, and record his words and actions."
Tsuru paused, then added the most important part.
"Until you return to Headquarters, he is your most important subordinate. Do you understand?!"
"Yes!" Gion snapped to attention.
Click.
The Den Den Mushi was hung up.
She stood behind her desk with her arms crossed, looking at the subordinate who was now technically under her "supervision." She took a deep breath before slowly relaying Tsuru's orders.
"That was Vice Admiral Tsuru. I told her exactly what you told me about your experience."
Gion kept her voice as calm as possible, but her eyes were complicated.
"The original patrol mission will continue. However, before the mission ends, I've also received new orders."
She looked straight into Aiden's eyes and said each word clearly.
"From now on, you are under my full supervision. You are not to leave my sight at any time."
"That is the decision from above."
After saying that, she watched Aiden and waited for his reaction. She wondered whether he would be unhappy with this disguised form of house arrest.
"Ahem."
Aiden set down his teacup. He seemed completely unaware of the meaning behind the order. He simply looked up and gave her a familiar smile.
"So, does Vice Admiral Tsuru mean I can't even leave your sight when I go to the bathroom?"
Thump!
Gion snorted in annoyance. Her body leaned forward instinctively, and she brought a sharp hand chop down right onto Aiden's forehead.
Even though she knew Aiden was now very powerful, seeing that annoying expression of his made her body move faster than her mind.
"Stop being cheeky!" Gion pulled her hand back and forced herself to look serious, maintaining her dignity as a Commodore. "Don't think you can get carried away just because you ate a Logia Fruit."
Although her words were harsh, her eyes drifted unconsciously toward the clock on the wall.
"Ahem."
Lunchtime had long since passed, but both of them had been so busy with the "interrogation" that neither of them had eaten.
She cleared her throat, using a cold voice to hide how she felt.
"Because of your business, it's already this late, and I still haven't eaten anything. Shouldn't you show some initiative?"
Aiden looked at her as she pretended to stay dignified and smiled.
"As you command, Commodore."
In the small kitchen, the warm yellow light drove away the chill of the sea.
Gion rested her chin on one hand and leaned lazily against the small dining table. She watched Aiden's busy figure with a relaxed gaze.
That familiar sense of everyday life finally let her nerves, which had been tense for the past three months, completely relax.
"Here it comes."
Aiden walked over carrying two large, steaming plates. He casually pulled out a chair with his foot and sat down across from Gion.
"There's only Sea King meat on the ship, so I couldn't make anything too complicated."
Aiden pushed the steaming plate of meat toward her. Then he carefully placed the knife and fork in her hands, his tone casual, as if he were talking about the weather.
"Eat while it's hot."
Gion looked at the golden, perfectly seared meat. The surface glistened with juices. For some reason, her nose felt a little sore. She no longer cared about acting ladylike. She picked up the utensils and quickly cut off a large piece before putting it into her mouth.
It was hot, rich, and satisfying.
"Whew, whew..." She took a couple of quick breaths from the heat, but she didn't want to spit it out, so she swallowed it.
Aiden said nothing. He quietly cut the steak on his own plate and naturally moved the most tender piece onto Gion's plate.
Gion didn't look up either. She simply picked it up and ate it, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
For a moment, the only sounds in the small dining room were the clinking of cutlery against plates and the quiet sounds of the two of them eating.
This long-awaited silence, filled with the warmth of home, was more comforting than any words.
Eventually, the plates were cleaned completely, without a single bite left.
Clang.
Gion dropped her fork and leaned back without a shred of grace. She slumped against the back of the chair and let out a long sigh of pure satisfaction.
"Ah... that was delicious."
Aiden smiled as he watched her looking completely won over by the meal.
Just then, he suddenly seemed to remember something and clapped his hands together.
"Oh, no."
Gion was startled by him, and her lazy expression vanished at once. "What happened now?"
"It seems..." Aiden showed a troubled expression. "I promised someone that the next time I made something delicious, I would let them be the first to eat it while it was still hot."
Late at night.
Aiden and Gion stood side by side on the deck, feeling the cool sea breeze.
"Do you really have no problem with Vice Admiral Tsuru's order?" Gion broke the silence while holding her sword in both arms.
"Why would I? I think it's pretty nice to be on a mission with you, Commodore Gion."
"She told you not to return to Headquarters yet because, in a way, she's protecting you." Gion looked out at the distant sea.
She assumed Aiden was still just sweet-talking, so she took the initiative to explain.
"You obtained the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
"Once the hardliners at Headquarters find out, they'll immediately treat you as a top strategic asset. They'll send you to the most dangerous battlefields in the New World, and you won't have any freedom left."
Aiden looked calmly at the sea. "I understand."
Gion continued, "Vice Admiral Tsuru kept you by my side to buy you time. She's also buying time for herself to find the most suitable position for you."
"A place where you can use your power without being bound by chains."
Hearing this, Aiden smiled.
"Commodore," he said, turning to look at Gion's profile, which seemed especially gentle beneath the moonlight. "Do you think I care where I'm sent?"
Gion was stunned. "Don't you want to...?"
"Whether it's a branch in the Grand Line or the New World," Aiden said calmly, without the slightest ripple in his voice. "To me, it's all the same."
Gion didn't understand. "Why?"
Aiden's gaze shifted toward the darkness in the distance. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through the night, seeing the countless evils growing in the shadows.
"Because in this world... there is garbage that needs to be cleared away everywhere."
He met Gion's gaze and calmly stated a fact.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru doesn't actually need to worry about me that much."
"Because wherever I am, that is the most dangerous front line."