On the deck of the warship speeding toward Marine Headquarters, Gion stood beside Kairo in her Marine vice admiral's coat, looking as valiant as ever.
Behind them stood over a hundred Marines in neat formation.
Although Gion had no idea why Kairo had suddenly agreed to visit Marine Headquarters, she was overjoyed simply because he was willing to accompany her.
It wasn't because she'd completed the mission Fleet Admiral Sengoku had entrusted to her.
Rather...
One small part of her dream had finally come true.
Ever since Kairo had saved her life in West Blue, she had dreamed that one day they would sail across the sea together aboard the same ship.
Of course, she hoped even more that Kairo would one day don a Marine coat and protect justice alongside her.
But she knew that was almost impossible.
So merely having this opportunity to travel with him...
Was already the greatest happiness she could ask for.
After standing together in silence for a while, Kairo withdrew his gaze from the sea and turned toward Gion.
"Gion."
"Does Marine Headquarters have any records or files on a woman named Eva Maria?"
"...Actually, I'd better keep calling you Vice Admiral Momousagi."
"N-No..."
Gion, whose heart had just started beating faster from hearing Kairo call her by name again, hurriedly waved her hands.
"Mr. Kairo, you can call me Gion!"
As soon as she said that, she paused.
Looking steadily at Kairo, she silently added in her heart,
Mr. Kairo...
I really like hearing you call me Gion.
"Y-You haven't answered my question yet."
Seeing her suddenly fall silent, Kairo blinked in confusion.
"Eva Maria."
"Does the name ring any bells?"
"Eva Maria?"
Gion wore a puzzled expression as she searched her memory.
After thinking for quite some time, she shook her head.
"I've never heard that name."
"But when we get back to Marine Headquarters, I can help you search the archives."
"No need."
Kairo smiled.
"I was just asking casually."
"Alright."
Gion nodded gently.
At the same time, she couldn't help muttering inwardly,
Eva Maria...?
A woman...?
Kairo didn't say another word.
Instead, he narrowed his eyes as he silently watched the surging sea ahead.
When he had first encountered Eva Maria in West Blue, he hadn't thought much of it.
But now...
After meeting that mysterious woman again in Alabasta...
He couldn't afford to ignore her anymore.
After all...
When Im first appeared in the original story, the mysterious ruler had torn apart the photographs of Luffy and Blackbeard, stabbed Shirahoshi's picture with a blade, and then held Vivi's photograph while seemingly deep in thought.
If Eva Maria truly was Im, as he suspected...
Then her appearance in Alabasta absolutely wasn't as simple as sightseeing.
Marine Headquarters.
Marineford.
The warship slowly sailed into the harbor before coming to a smooth stop.
Moments later, Gion and Kairo emerged from the cabin and stepped onto the deck.
Right then, the system notification sounded in Kairo's mind.
Notification: Congratulations! You have arrived at a new travel destination—Marine Headquarters: Marineford. Reward: 5,000 Travel Points.
Notification: 5,000 Travel Points have been added successfully. Current balance: 11,000 Travel Points.
Kairo had been waiting for the next system mission.
When nothing else happened...
He couldn't help freezing.
What the hell?
No mission?
...That's a huge loss!
Without a mission, there would be no Travel Point rewards.
Without Travel Point rewards...
This trip to Marine Headquarters suddenly felt rather wasteful.
Sure, the system had awarded him five thousand Travel Points for arriving.
But to the current Kairo...
That amount was barely enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.
Just then...
Several figures who had been waiting at the harbor quickly ran toward the dock.
Leading them...
Was a graceful young girl wearing black-framed glasses.
She had already grown into a beautiful young lady.
Tashigi.
Following closely behind her was naturally the old geezer Garp, along with several of his trusted subordinates.
"Auntie! Auntie!"
Tashigi ran excitedly to the pier beside the warship, waving enthusiastically toward Gion on the deck.
Although she was only in her early teens at the moment, Kairo recognized her immediately.
She looked almost exactly like Kuina.
However...
The moment he heard Tashigi call Gion "Auntie," Kairo blinked in confusion.
Wait...
Momousagi is Tashigi's aunt?
What kind of plot development is this?
"Hahaha!"
"Kairo, my boy!"
Before he could think any further, Garp burst into hearty laughter as he waved from below.
"Come on down!"
"Let's have a drink!"
Kairo didn't hesitate.
He leaped down from the deck and landed in front of Garp.
Grinning, he said,
"You old geezer."
"You're still as lively as ever."
"Mr. Kairo!"
The moment Kairo finished speaking, the Stoke brothers standing behind Garp greeted him respectfully.
Other than Garp himself, they were the happiest people in Marine Headquarters to see Kairo arrive.
"Kabuto Beetle."
"Mr. Ant."
"It's been a long time."
Kairo nodded toward the brothers.
"It's been two years."
"You've probably developed your Devil Fruits quite a bit by now, haven't you?"
Before the brothers could reply, Tashigi hurried over and stood directly in front of Kairo.
Her face was filled with excitement.
"Y-You're Mr. Kairo?"
"Hello!"
"My name is Tashigi!"
"Hello there, little beauty."
Looking at the adorable bespectacled girl standing before him, Kairo suddenly found himself thinking of Kuina back in Shimotsuki Village.
If Tashigi weren't noticeably more cheerful and outgoing...
He might have mistaken her for Kuina joining the Marines.
Back before arriving in this world, Kairo had seen countless wild fan theories regarding Kuina and Tashigi.
Some claimed they were actually the same person—that Kuina never died.
Instead, Koshiro had staged her "death" simply to motivate Zoro.
After all...
The idea that someone as talented as Kuina could die from falling down the stairs had always sounded absurd.
Others believed Kuina and Tashigi were actually twins.
According to that theory, Koshiro and his wife had divorced.
Kuina stayed with Koshiro.
Tashigi stayed with her mother.
Some fans even expanded on the idea further.
Since Koshiro had close ties with the Revolutionary Army while Tashigi's mother supposedly served in the Marines, the couple's differing beliefs eventually drove them apart, each taking one daughter.
Well...
Those theories were certainly imaginative.
But Kairo had never bothered thinking too deeply about them.
Now that he was actually living in this world...
Those old speculations no longer held any meaning.
Marine Headquarters.
Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral!"
"Mr. Kairo has arrived!"
"I know."
Without even lifting his head from the documents he was organizing, Sengoku replied,
"You may leave."
Once the Marine soldier exited the office...
Sengoku finally set down the paperwork in his hands.
The stern, imposing expression vanished from his face in an instant.
Instead, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"You little brat..."
"I've finally managed to get you here!"
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