Luffy slowly swept his gaze across the table, his dark eyes lingering briefly on each of the women who had so stubbornly refused to leave. Their expressions were filled with concern, determination, and a stubbornness that he knew all too well.
For a moment, he simply sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to organize his thoughts.
"I know you guys are worried for my life," He finally said in a calm voice, leaning slightly back in his chair. "But always remember that I never do anything that I'm not sure of."
The confidence in his tone was neither arrogant nor boastful. It was simply a statement of fact, spoken with the natural ease of someone who trusted his own judgment completely.
Several of the women exchanged glances, their expressions softening slightly.
Luffy then raised a finger casually, as if proposing a compromise.
"But still, just for your sake," He continued, "you can stay here for five more days, okay?"
His voice carried the tone of someone making a reasonable deal. "If there is still not even a shadow of Kaido and his crew by then, then I hope you guys will be ready to return back and assume your jobs."
His expression became a little more serious. "No matter how selfish I am, leaving the seas unchecked for so long while we waste our time here… it is a negligence of our duty."
The courtyard grew quiet.
Hearing those words made Aokiji raise an eyebrow slightly.
A faint hint of admiration flickered through his lazy eyes as he studied Luffy carefully.
Kuzan had known the young Marine for six years now. From the outside, Luffy always appeared like a carefree troublemaker who wandered wherever he pleased and caused chaos everywhere he went, rarely behaving like a proper officer.
Yet beneath that carefree attitude was something many people failed to notice.
And it was responsibility.
Aokiji still remembered the day clearly.
He had been lazily riding his bicycle across the ocean, the salty wind brushing against his face as he drifted between islands without any real destination. Somewhere along the way, he had read the news about a battle that had shaken the New World.
That was when he learned the news that Luffy had fought Charlotte Cracker, one of the feared Big Mom Pirates' Four Sweet Generals.
And he had defeated him.
Not only did he defeat him, but he beat him so badly enough that the infamous Sweet Commander had been forced to retreat in humiliation.
The entire sea had buzzed with the shocking news.
That single battle had turned Luffy into an enemy of Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors of the sea.
Kuzan had expected the situation to explode into a full-scale war, yet surprisingly, the retaliation from the Big Mom Pirates had been far milder than he had predicted.
However, the same could not be said for Marine headquarters.
Luffy had received a thunderous scolding from Sengoku that had apparently shaken half of Marineford.
The memory made Aokiji smirk faintly.
Even so, none of that had changed Luffy's personality.
The young Vice Admiral still wandered wherever he pleased, still fought whoever he wanted, and still caused endless headaches for the higher-ups.
But there was one thing Kuzan had always respected about him.
No matter how reckless he looked, Luffy never ignored his duty.
Whenever innocent people were involved, he never stepped back.
And that was precisely why the Marines respected him so much, especially the women.
Aokiji's gaze slowly drifted toward the group of female officers around the table who were clearly staring at Luffy with complicated expressions.
Many of them looked reluctant, while Gion and Hina's eyes held a hint of pride in them.
Others looked as if they wanted to argue but couldn't find a reason.
Aokiji silently sighed. 'No wonder half the women in Marineford fawn over this brat…'
At that moment, Issho slowly nodded.
The blind swordsman rested both hands calmly on his cane as he spoke.
"Vice Admiral Luffy is right." His voice was calm and steady. "We cannot neglect our duties."
Issho slightly turned his head toward the direction of Wano's distant villages. "But we also cannot neglect the innocent people of Wano."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "So I support Vice Admiral Luffy's decision."
Tokikage snorted loudly from the side. He leaned back in his chair with crossed arms, though the faint jealousy in his expression was impossible to hide. He glanced briefly at the beautiful women surrounding Luffy before speaking.
"We should not forget that Luffy received his title because of his strength, not favoritism."
His tone carried a reluctant respect. "And now he possesses the strongest Logia Devil Fruit."
"That alone makes him a dangerous powerhouse." Tokikage's eyes narrowed slightly, and he shrugged his shoulders. "It will be very difficult for Kaido to harm him at all."
Binz quickly nodded in agreement.
"And let's not forget something else," He added, pointing toward Luffy with a grin. "He also has Rear Admiral Zoro and Rear Admiral Kuina."
Binz chuckled softly. "Those two are monsters just like Luffy-san."
He shook his head with clear admiration.
"Have you forgotten that even Dracule Mihawk cannot really kill those two?"
The statement made all the Marines around the table nod.
The reputation of the world's greatest swordsman carried immense weight.
Binz spread his hands casually. "So I think we should listen to Luffy-san's suggestion."
Unfortunately for them, the reaction from the women around the table was far from supportive.
Kujaku snorted coldly.
Gion pouted slightly, clearly displeased
Hina folded her arms with visible dissatisfaction.
Only Yamato and Kuina remained indifferent.
The women clearly did not like the idea of leaving.
The tension in the air became strangely amusing.
Aokiji observed the scene with growing interest before suddenly remembering something important. His gaze shifted toward Luffy.
"Oh, right…" Kuzan leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his palm. "There's something I've been meaning to ask."
His tone became curious. "Just when did you get your hands on the Goro Goro no Mi?"
The question instantly caught everyone's attention.
"You never reported it back to Marineford," Aokiji continued lazily. "And I never noticed it during our spars."
All eyes turned toward Luffy.
"Hmph! Why should I tell Grandpa Sengoku?" Luffy rolled his eyes dramatically. He crossed his arms like a sulking child. "He's so mean and scolds me almost every time."
Several Marines coughed awkwardly at his words.
"So I hid it as my secret," Luffy continued casually. "One day I'll use it to beat him."
Aokiji almost laughed, quickly covering his mouth.
"As for why I never used it," Luffy added with a shrug, "well, I usually fight with Haki."
He spoke as if the answer was obvious. "Using a Devil Fruit is too much of a waste, so I never used it."
"It's that simple." He leaned back lazily.
For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
Then, Gion suddenly covered her mouth and let out a delicate snicker. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Oh my…" She turned toward Aokiji with an innocent smile. "So our great Vice Admiral Luffy is saying that Admiral Aokiji is so weak that he doesn't even think you deserve him using his Devil Fruit."
The moment those words left her mouth, almost half the table choked.
Binz nearly spat out his tea.
Tokikage coughed violently.
Issho quietly hid his smile behind his sleeve.
Even Yamato blinked in surprise.
Everyone slowly turned their heads toward Aokiji as the courtyard became deathly silent.
Luffy, meanwhile, simply rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair as if he had already expected this.
He didn't say a single word.
After all, he knew perfectly well that Gion had just thrown him straight into trouble for her own amusement.