After a few more days, Smoker and Hina finally returo the Marine Headquarters, a pce that now felt strangely distant to them. So much had happened retly that it was as if they had lived through aire lifetime in just a short period.

  That evening, they decided to throw a lively party at Smoker’s pce. They invited Kuzan, Garp, and a few other familiar faces, along with friends from their academy days like Verp a. To Smoker’s surprise, Garp even brought Gion along.

  As the ba was in full swing, Garp downed a rge cup of sake in one go.“Smoker, you’ve got guts! Taking down Dofmingo—that’s incredible!”

  Smoker waved his hand dismissively with a grin.“I ’t take all the credit. It was Rear Admiral Zean who defeated him. Hina and I were just helping out.”

  Garp cpped Smoker on the back. “Even so, that’s no small feat.”

  Dofmingo was no ordinary pirate—he was one of the top Supernovas. For someone like Gion or Kuzan, he might not have posed much of a threat. But for most Rear Admirals, he was a terrifying oppo. The fact that Smoker, a mere seaman recruit, had pyed a role in the fight was nothing short of remarkable.

  Gion nodded in agreement but sighed deeply.“What I ’t uand is how Zean ended up colluding with that pirate...”

  Zean and Gion were poraries, and in a Navy with few female powerhouses, the two had always maintained a good retionship. However, in the short time they had been apart, Zean’s situation had taken a drastic turn.

  “It must have been some vile scheme,” Gion muttered, her expression darkening as she touched her sword, Kimpira. Her sharp eyes gleamed with ahat wretched pirate, Dofmingo, must have dragged Zean into this mess! If he ever falls into my hands, I’ll make sure he regrets ever being born.”

  Kuzan and Garp nodded in agreement. Whatever the circumstances, dealing with Dofmingo was undoubtedly the right course of a.

  Smoker sipped his drink silently, his thoughts private.Heh... That’s a former Celestial Dragon. Even if the Wover wanted him dead, they’d send the CP agents. You’d never get the ce.

  Hina opened her mouth, wanting to defend Zean. But si involved a cssified mission, she could only swallow her words and lower her head in frustration.Ugh! Knowing the truth but being uo say it... This is torture!

  At that moment, Kuzan leaned closer to Smoker.“Hey, Smoker, I heard your Devil Fruit powers are pretty cool. Got time to show me sometime?”

  Smoker shot him a look and snorted.“No way! With my current strength, it’d be poio show off in front of someone like you. I’d just embarrass myself!”

  Smoker had spent weeks aboard Zephyr’s ship, enduriless training under Akainu. He had no desire to take o another overwhelming challenge anytime soon.

  Kuzan clicked his tongue in disappoi and turo Hina.“How about you? Smoke ’t freeze, after all. Want to try sparring?”

  Hina smirked coldly.“Do I look stupid to you?”If magma ’t burn smoke but still pinned me to the deck, why would ice be any different?

  Seeing that her Smoker nor Hina wao eain him, Kuzan shrugged areated.

  The group tio chat until Smoker finally set his cup down.“Enough about all this fighting. I’ve got something for you all. Hina!”

  Hina nodded ao the other room, returning with several boxes.

  When the boxes were opened, Kuzan, Garp, and the other Marines’ eyes lit up.

  Inside were rare high-end cigars and fine liquor.

  As it turned out, when Smoker seized Dofmingo’s ship, most of the treasures, dots, and ons had been handed over to the Navy. But…

  Cigars and liquor, being less important items, were left uncimed after the mission.

  With a generous wave of his hand, Zephyr allowed Smoker to take his pick as a reward for his tributions.

  Even though Akainu thought it was inappropriate, he didn’t make an issue out of such a small matter, choosing to turn a blind eye instead.

  In the Navy, luxurious saries weren’t necessarily everyone’s favorite perk, but when it came to cigars and alcohol, no one would promise.

  Kuzan, Garp, and the others began squabbling over the loot like children.

  Only Gion sat calmly at the table, sipping her red wine. Her sharp eyes watched the chaos unfold with mild disdain:

  Garp’s hand was frozen mid-motion as he attempted to grab a bottle, one fiill lodged in Kuzan’s nose.Verp rawled on the floor, screaming as he endured a merciless Thousand Years of Pai writhed in agony after a moeals the peach mahat left him breathless.Gion’s elegant gaze swept over them, her lips curling into a faint smirk.

  Pathetic. Such childish antics.

  If it weren’t farp, a person like me wouldn’t waste my time here.

  Garp and Gion had been cssmates in the same elite program during their academy days. Among the top cadets—aside from the trio of mohey had always been sidered the cream of the crop.

  However, Gion’s disdain farp stemmed from his persistent attempts to woo her.

  In truth, Gion didn’t mind being closer to Garp as a colleague or friend. But his previous approach—overly gy and obsequious—had been a stant source of irritation.

  Fortunately, Smoker had given Garp some sound advice. Garp had drastically shifted his strategy: no longer chasing her obsessively, he adopted subtler, more calcuted methods, bang i with indifference.

  What might have been clichés in another world turned out to be surprisingly effective in this one.

  Without realizing it, Gion began to soften toward him. Over the months, their retionship improved, though Gion never noticed that Garp ending as much time around her as ever.

  Now, she found herself even missing his presence when he was absent for too long.

  This time, when Smoker invited Garp to the dinner, Garp naturally brought Gion along—and she, without hesitation, accepted the invitation.

  As Gion sat alone sipping her wine, Hina approached her with a polished box in hand.

  Opening it revealed a stunning neckce. The , crafted from ptinum, flowed like silk, and the pendant, a brilliant sapphire, shimmered with an otherworldly blue light, as if it held a gaxy within.

  The neckce was one of the spoils from Dofmingo’s ship.

  “Rear Admiral Gion,” Hina said with a smile, “this is for you. Look at the color and design—it matches your plexion and elegance perfectly.”

  This was something Zean had taught her: no matter how strong, resilient, focused, or intelligent a female Marine might be, they were still women. Pretty things—flowers, cakes, jewelry—always had a special charm.

  Gion g the neckce, her fingers idly toying with the pendant.

  “As a Marihe most important thing is our unwavering faith in justid strength,” she said with a cool expression. “Frivolous ors like this will only distract you.”

  Hina froze, unsure how to respond.

  “Uh… you’re absolutely right, Rear Admiral Gion, but—”

  “o be so formal,” Gion said nontly as she smoothly slipped the box into her cloak. “Just call me ‘sister.’”

  “Uh… huh? Oh, alright, Sister Gion...”

  “Good. Now, Hina dear, e join me for a drink.”

  Smoker, Kuzan, and Garp sat silently at the side, sharing a look.

  “…?”

  .....

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