Early in the morning, Ortoren's body clock woke him right on time.
He rubbed the corners of his eyes, let out a yawn, then got up and freshened himself in the bathroom. From the wardrobe, he pulled out a black suit and slipped it on.
In the past, Ortoren hadn't cared much for suits. He always felt they restricted his movements. But now that he was a Vice Admiral, seeing all the Marine top brass in sharp, tailored suits, he had inevitably picked up the same habit. And truth be told, once he put it on, he really did look more stylish—almost like a suit-wearing brawler.
Leaving the bedroom, he crossed the hallway and entered the living room.
"Morning," Ortoren greeted casually.
Inside, Robin was dressed in a delicate, pretty one-piece dress, watering the potted plants Ortoren kept.
Hearing his voice, Robin turned around with a bright smile and waved enthusiastically.
"Good morning, Uncle Ortoren!"
Just yesterday, under Issho's protection, Robin had witnessed Ortoren unleash his overwhelming power. Her admiration for him was now sky-high.
After exchanging a few casual words with Robin, Ortoren noticed Rouge emerging from the kitchen, carrying a generous breakfast. She set the dishes neatly on the table.
"Why don't we hire a maid? Your health isn't the best—you shouldn't push yourself too hard," Ortoren said as he stepped forward to help.
Rouge smiled softly and shook her head. "No need. I'm not that fragile."
"I'll help too!!!" Robin raised her hand high, brimming with enthusiasm.
Though she had only spent one night here, Robin already liked this place. Back in Ohara, at her aunt's house, she had been neglected—treated as a freeloader who still had to take on heavy chores.
Here, Rouge treated her kindly, and Ortoren looked after her, giving her a sense of comfort and belonging.
The three sat down and began their breakfast. After a short while, Ortoren suddenly spoke.
"In the next couple of days, I'll probably be heading to East Blue..."
East Blue...
At those words, Rouge's hands froze for a moment. She forced herself to lift a glass of milk, took a sip, and only then steadied her emotions.
"Be careful on your journey," she said softly.
"Anything you'd like me to bring?" Ortoren hesitated before asking.
Rouge shook her head. "Everything that needed to be said has already been said. It's all fate's choice now—for me, and for him."
Seeing her answer, Ortoren nodded and let the matter drop.
Robin, meanwhile, glanced between the two of them with curiosity, unsure what they were talking about. But she didn't ask, quietly finishing her meal instead.
Before long, the three had cleared away breakfast. Since there was still time before he had to clock in for duty, Ortoren didn't rush to leave. He picked up the morning paper Rouge had bought from the table, sat on the sofa, and started to read.
The commotion Shiki had caused in Marineford yesterday hadn't yet made it into the papers. It would probably take a couple more days before the story was published.
So the news was fairly mundane, nothing particularly eye-catching. The only notable item was a report about the Ohara scholars joining the Marines' Science Corps.
Of course, the article had been glossed over—there was no mention of their crimes. Instead, it simply stated that the scholars had chosen to cooperate with the World Government to support various scientific projects.
This way, both sides could walk away with dignity, and the significance of the ancient script could be downplayed as much as possible.
As Ortoren read through the paper, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. Since this was Marine Headquarters and he had neither maids nor attendants, Ortoren's home was usually left unlocked. Anyone coming in was most likely a friend.
Sure enough, moments later, the footsteps reached the living room, and Gion's figure appeared at the doorway.
As soon as she saw Ortoren, Gion said, "The school arrangements you asked me to handle yesterday are all taken care of."
She then looked over at Robin, whom she'd met the night before, and smiled warmly. "Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to attend school, Robin-chan."
"Thank you, Gion-nee," Robin replied happily.
By seniority, she should have called her Aunt Gion, but Gion insisted that Robin call her "sister."
Ortoren folded up the rather dull newspaper and grinned. "Appreciate it. You've been a big help."
That kid Lucci was also enrolled in one of the Marine schools. These weren't academies for training professional Marines, but basic education institutions. Many families of Marines stationed in Marineford sent their children there.
Unlike Robin, though, Lucci wasn't living with Ortoren. He had been taken in directly at Zephyr-sensei's large villa.
Indeed, Zephyr-sensei was very fond of Lucci. The boy was naturally talented, and being so young made it the perfect time to shape him. His worldview, sense of justice, and potential were still blank pages waiting to be written.
Since Zephyr-sensei lived alone and Ortoren's house was empty at the time—he had been away on assignment in the South Blue—he entrusted Lucci to Zephyr-sensei's care.
Now the two of them were very close. Even after Ortoren returned, he didn't try to bring Lucci back, since staying with Zephyr-sensei was far better than living with him. Compared to Zephyr, Ortoren was still far too absent from home.
Lucci was clearly destined to become a Marine. Now Robin shared that same intention. Once they completed their foundational education, they could both begin working toward that future.
...
Before long, as the start of the workday approached, Gion and Ortoren left together for the Justice Fortress.
They chatted idly along the way, with Gion doing most of the talking and Ortoren listening. Most of her words were light complaints about how busy work had been and how the world seemed to be overflowing with villains.
Upon arriving, Gion went straight to the Intelligence Department, while Ortoren headed toward Admiral Sengoku's office. As Sengoku's direct subordinate, he needed to discuss his upcoming assignments with him.
He knocked on the office door. A moment later, Admiral Sengoku's voice responded from inside, and Ortoren pushed the door open.
There he found Chief Staff Officer Tsuru sitting across from Admiral Sengoku on the sofa, the two of them sipping tea and chatting casually.
Seeing this, Ortoren felt like he had walked in at the wrong time.
He remembered hearing gossip from Garp—that there might be… something between Admiral Sengoku and Chief Staff Officer Tsuru.
From what he'd heard, years ago they had been comrades-in-arms who trusted each other with their lives. Back then, their bond had been nothing but pure friendship. Later, Tsuru had married another Marine officer, and they had a child together. But not long after, her husband was killed in battle, and Tsuru had been alone ever since.
It was said Sengoku only realized his feelings for her after she married. That once-pure friendship had quietly become something more.
But since she was married at the time, Sengoku, being a man of discipline, never overstepped or caused scandal. After her husband's death, though, Garp liked to joke that Sengoku's old heart had begun to stir again.
Still, despite Sengoku's decisiveness and strength in every other aspect, when it came to romance he seemed utterly inept. Over the years, many of the high-ranking officers had noticed something unusual, but Sengoku never confessed his feelings to Tsuru. He even believed his act of indifference was convincing, though clearly it wasn't.
Out of respect for him, people kept such things to gossip in private, like Garp, without ever confronting him openly.
Just as Ortoren thought he had come at a bad time, Admiral Sengoku suddenly laughed heartily.
"Ortoren, you couldn't have arrived at a better time..."
"That sounds kinda suspicious," Ortoren muttered, then asked, "You've got work for me?"
"A joint operation," Admiral Sengoku replied with a smile. "The Roger matter began with you, so naturally it should end with you as well..."
...
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