"Don't be so nervous, I just came to say hello, Aokiji."
Luffy smiled.
Back then, when they were on their way to Skypiea and ran into Aokiji, they were the ones who had to flee.
Things are different now.
With that, he slid his index finger through the air beside him, and everywhere the tip passed, space itself split open.
Luffy pulled an invitation from within the rift and tossed it toward Aokiji.
Seeing this, Aokiji's expression froze in shock.
What kind of ability is that?
How many Devil Fruit powers does this kid have?
With those thoughts lingering, Aokiji caught the invitation as it fell from the sky.
He glanced at it without thinking much—then froze completely.
"You… the Straw Hat Pirates… are forming a marriage alliance with Big Mom's Pirates…?"
"Whether you come or not is up to you, but don't forget to bring gifts. Personally, I don't have any particular preferences. But I'd be quite satisfied if you brought me the head of one or two Celestial Dragons." Luffy joked.
Aokiji wasn't in the mood for jokes; in fact, this invitation troubled him deeply.
A marriage was just a formality, and it didn't even matter who the couple was.
If he defeated Akainu and became Fleet Admiral, he would have to deal with something like this right away…
Just thinking about it already gave him a headache.
"What's your goal? What exactly are you trying to do?" Aokiji couldn't help but look up at him.
"That's what I should be asking you. What do you want to do?"
The corner of Luffy's mouth curled upward. He could feel Akainu approaching.
"Zoro, get on the ship. It's time to head to the next island," he ordered.
Upon hearing that, Zoro sheathed his swords, turned, and ran toward the Merry, boarding the deck in an instant.
Then, both ships slowly lifted into the air.
"Wait, Straw Hat Luffy."
Aokiji called out to them as they rose toward the sky: "Nico Robin, you've found a good companion this time."
Robin had just stepped onto the Sunny's deck, and upon hearing him, she looked back at Aokiji standing below.
"Twenty years ago, my friend Saul asked me to let you escape before he died, and I was merely fulfilling his last wish," Aokiji said calmly.
Saul.
Robin remembered the vice admiral from her childhood.
"For the last twenty years, I've followed every bit of news about you, wondering whether what I did back then was right or wrong."
Aokiji smiled faintly. "From now on, I'll always be watching over you. Live for Ohara."
His words carried heavy meaning.
Luffy chuckled. "Let's go. Goodbye, Aokiji."
The two ships carried the Straw Hat crew away, followed by a floating platform full of unconscious children.
"Luffy, what did Aokiji mean?" Robin asked softly.
"From his perspective, that's as much as he could say. Simply put, he hopes you won't let your painful past weigh on you anymore. He wants you to live well and move forward."
After twenty years of watching, Aokiji had confirmed that what he did was right.
The order to eliminate the scholars of Ohara had come from above, justified by claims that they violated the laws of the World Government.
Sparing an eight-year-old child… was simply a matter of basic human conscience.
Hearing this, Robin stood there silently, lost in thought.
---xXx---
Watching the Straw Hats vanish into the night sky, Aokiji slowly looked away.
He took a deep breath and turned around.
"Didn't feel like leaving, did you?"
A man stepped out from the darkness, his expression grim.
"What was the meaning of that, Aokiji?!"
"It doesn't matter, Sakazuki."
Beneath Aokiji's feet, the ground had frozen solid, icy winds spreading outward toward Akainu.
This was the awakening of his Devil Fruit.
He had permanently altered the climate of the region.
Cold winds roared, frost spreading everywhere, but as soon as the chill neared Akainu, it was instantly vaporized by blazing magma.
"Let's end this." Akainu's hands turned to molten magma, his voice sharpening.
Aokiji smiled.
He unleashed his full strength, the frigid air around him nearly turning solid.
At almost the exact same moment, Akainu activated his own power to its fullest.
The ground beneath him transformed into a sea of magma, surging toward Aokiji's position.
Akainu, with his magma powers, carried the coldest heart of all.
Aokiji, possessing the coldest abilities, faced the world with gentleness.
That night, two Marine Admirals with diametrically opposed powers fought a battle to the death.
Boom!!
As he left Punk Hazard behind, Luffy glanced back at the island, now so engulfed in flames that it looked like daylight.
"Luffy, what are we going to do now?"
Uta leaned over the rail, looking at Chopper, who was tending to the children on the floating platform. "Chopper, how are they?"
"These children are severely poisoned. Who did this? It's horrible!" Chopper growled, getting angrier the more he treated them.
Monet was drenched in cold sweat.
She only hoped they could be cured; otherwise, Caesar would be done for.
And if Caesar died, there would be no more material to produce artificial Devil Fruits—and Kaido would be furious.
Straw Hats on one side and Kaido on the other.
"Caesar Clown, where did that damn scientist go?" Uta demanded, staring at Monet.
"I… I don't know…"
"Luffy?"
Uta couldn't help but look at him.
"Don't worry. He won't get far."
Luffy smiled and immediately took control of the ship, heading after the fleeing Caesar.
---xXx---
"That's how it is. Anyway, we're leaving immediately!"
Out at sea, a Marine warship and a Government ship were in contact.
Vergo boarded the Government ship and frowned as he heard Caesar talking.
Behind him, the G-5 Marines stared in shock.
They swallowed hard.
They looked at Vice Admiral Vergo in disbelief.
"Vice Admiral! You said they were just shipwreck survivors! What about the kidnapped children?!"
"Well… now that you've heard everything, there's nothing I can do."
Crack!
Vergo vanished instantly and reappeared before a captain.
The man he struck froze in terror.
(End of chapter)