As Vice Admiral Tsuru's warship slowly pulled away from the port of Black Iron Town, the sky was already bright.
Seraphilia stood in the corner of the aft deck, her posture as straight as any excellent soldier about to head to Headquarters. Her ice-blue eyes, however, were fixed unblinkingly on the dirty town that was gradually blurring and shrinking in the morning mist, as if she wanted to brand that coastline into her mind.
Not until that dark, thin line completely disappeared below the horizon did she let out a breath. That breath dissipated instantly in the slightly salty sea breeze, but it took with it the last trace of warmth in her chest.
Her fingertips unconsciously reached into her uniform's inner pocket, gripping the wooden Robin amulet tightly through the fabric. The rough texture pressed against her palm, bringing a sharp, sobering pain.
The memory of Robin's pale but forced-calm face at the moment of parting, the cool touch of the kiss on her forehead, and that little cabin that had held all their warmth and struggles for two years... they were like heavy lead weights, dragging down her heart, each beat pulling at an unbearable dull ache.
She knew that at this moment, Robin must be facing the first empty day since she left all alone.
Anxiety, loneliness, and perhaps even suppressed fear would be like a silent tide, surging in through every crack, trying to drown that small figure.
This realization made her throat tighten with every breath, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The conviction of "becoming a blade" had supported her decision to leave, but the instinct to "protect" had become so sharp in the moment of separation that it almost tore her sanity apart.
She needed to do something, immediately, right now.
She could not let only pale, powerless promises and an indefinite wait remain between her and Robin.
That was not protection; that was another form of abandonment.
It was not a promise, it was a chain!
A gentle chain that could span ten thousand miles!
Communication.
Positioning.
Continuous, perceptible companionship.
These three words echoed repeatedly in her mind, merging with the sound of the churning waves outside the ship's rail.
She knew that the potential of her Cloud-Cloud Fruit ability went far beyond combat and weather control.
The essence of Cloud Mist was the aggregation of water vapor particles, a carrier of information, and it naturally existed with some deep connection to her consciousness as an ability user.
A concept, like sunlight piercing through dark Clouds, quickly became clear in her heart—she needed to create a special, semi-permanent Cloud Mist creation generated by her ability.
It had to be stable enough to exist independently and travel long distances; it had to maintain a faint connection with her consciousness beyond distance; and it had to be agile enough to carry simple information, or even... simulate a certain level of emotional interaction, replacing her to give Robin the "sense of presence" and "tangible care" she needed most.
This was not simple Cloud Mist shaping; this was a realm close to "creation."
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