After what felt like an eternity of scolding in front of Zino's entire crew, Miria finally let out a long sigh. Her brows, though still furrowed, softened ever so slightly.
"Zino," she said, more gently now, "come with me. It's time to go home."
Zino looked down for a moment, then met her eyes. "I can't."
Miria blinked. "What do you mean, you can't?"
"I'm not going home." Zino replied quietly, trying to sound like a real son. "I've made my choice. I have a crew now. A dream. I'm not going back."
A tense silence fell over the deck of the Silent Orca. The rest of the crew stood frozen, unsure whether to speak up or back away. Nojiko bit her lip. Sanji had his cigarette halfway to his mouth. Even Zoro stopped training, now watching the two.
Miria's expression darkened. "Zino. I'm not asking. I'm telling you. You're coming home with me. Now."
Zino didn't flinch. "No."
Miria narrowed her eyes. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"I'm sorry, Mother. But I won't go."
The wind seemed to die for a moment.
Miria's irritation boiled over. "You stubborn brat!" she shouted, launching herself forward in a blur of movement.
Zino's eyes widened. She was fast. Much faster than any of his previous opponent. He barely had time to cross his arms and activate *Tekkai*, bracing himself.
WHAM!
Miria's fist collided squarely with his chest—but not just any punch. Her hand had suddenly turned jet black with Armament Haki. The impact was thunderous.
Zino shot backward like a cannonball, his body hurtling through the air before slamming into the hull of the nearby Marine battleship with a metallic crash. The shockwave rocked the vessel, sending Hibari and Binko stumbling.
"Woah!" Binko yelped, grabbing a railing to keep from falling overboard. "She actually launched him!"
"Geez," Hibari muttered, eyes wide. "Is she scolding or fighting…"
Back on the Silent Orca, the crew was stunned into silence. Everyone's eyes widened as they watched the sudden shift in situation.
"…Zino… got hit," Usopp muttered, eyes wide.
Miria stood tall at the edge of the deck, arm stretched out, coated with Armament Haki. Her eyes still fierce.
"So you think mastering a few Rokushiki moves makes you grown? You think that gives you the right to defy me?" she called out.
Zino groaned from the dented side of the Marine ship, slowly pulling himself up, chest aching. "I didn't say I was stronger than you," he muttered under his breath. "But I won't run away, and abandon my dream."
Miria huffed, annoyed—but deep in her eyes, there was a flicker of something else.
Pride.
Miria stared down at her son, looking deeply at his eyes. She took a breath, and exhaled an irritating sigh. With a flicker of step, she flew out of the Silent Orca.
"If you're going to defy your own mother… then prove it. Show me it's not just words." Her voice was low, dangerous.
Zino stood back up fully on the Marine ship, breathing deeply. "If I have to earn your recognition... then so be it."
The words had barely left his mouth before she launched at him again—faster this time.
Boom!
Her fist came in like a bullet. Zino crossed his arms and blocked, but the force still slid him back across the deck. She didn't let up.
"Then fight me, Zino!" she shouted, unleashing a barrage of blows, each one heavier than the last.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Zino was forced on the defensive, blocking with Tekkai, dodging with Soru, trying to hold his ground. But Miria was relentless. Her punches rained down like a storm, giving him no space to breathe.
The Silent Orca crew watched in awe.
"Is she serious?" Sanji muttered, mouth hanging open.
"She's not holding back..." Gin said grimly. "She's beating him for real."
Kaya clutched the railing, worried. "Zino…"
Zino gritted his teeth, arms bruised despite his defense. *I can't… keep up…* She was pushing him further than anyone ever had.
Miria's voice boomed through the air. "You want to call yourself a captain? A man of your own will? Then show me something beyond borrowed strength!"
And then—Zino *snapped*.
"I'M NOT A CHILD ANYMORE!!"
The shout erupted from deep within his chest. And with it—*something else*.
An invisible wave burst out from Zino's body.
BOOM!
The very air rippled. The clouds above shifted. The waves crashed violently around the ships.
Miria froze mid-attack, eyes narrowing in surprise.
On the decks, everyone felt it—an overwhelming pressure. Hibari and Binko who were on the battleship was the first to test the burst, and almost fell unconscious. On the Silent Orca, Usopp and Kaya dropped to their knees, gasping for breath.
"What… what is this pressure?" Nami asked, clutching her head.
Zoro's eyes widened. "What kind of power did he just released…! Is it another element?!"
Gin's expression turned serious. "Is that really a burst of element!?"
Zino stood at the center of the shockwave, his breathing heavy, eyes lit with raw power. Unaware of what he had just done.
Miria stood in stunned silence for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on her son.
Then, slowly, a smile curved across her lips.
"Now we're talking the same language," she said, her voice calm, almost proud.
The black sheen of Armament Haki faded from her fist as she relaxed her stance. The tension in the air lightened, the sea calmed slightly, and the tremors between the ships began to ease.
She exhaled quietly, placing her hands on her hips. "Alright. You a good now. You pass."
Zino blinked, still catching his breath, unsure what just happened. "Wait… So, you're not gonna drag me home?"
Miria gave a small nod. "No. I won't force you anymore. You've proven yourself. You've shown me you're not just a reckless boy anymore. You're walking your own path now."
Zino's face shifted from wary to stunned, and then brightened into a wide, genuine smile. "Really? That's it? You'll let me go?"
"Mm-hmm." She turned slightly, but then cast a glance over her shoulder with a sly smirk. "However… I'm coming with you."
Zino nearly tripped over himself. "H-Huh!? Why!?"
"To supervise," she said matter-of-factly. "You've awakened Conqueror's Haki, which means your potential is far from ordinary. That means you're capable of learning all three types of Haki. But if you try to figure it out on your own, you'll just mess around and waste time."
A surprise flashed in Zino's eyes. I awakened Conqueror Haki...so that's the weird feeling of outbursts just now? It was actually that Conqueror Haki!
Miria stepped forward, tapping a finger on his forehead. "So, I'll train you."
Zino rubbed his head, half-flustered, half-excited. "Train me… in Haki?"
Miria nodded again. "Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's. You're already strong, Zino. But you haven't even scratched the surface."
Zino stood there for a beat, then broke into a huge grin.
A personal Haki tutor…a free one at that! he thought. How lucky can I get?
"Alright. If you're coming, I'm not gonna complain."
Miria chuckled softly, then looked toward the Silent Orca. "Well, lead the way then."
Before Zino could respond, a voice called out from the side.
"Auntie, what about us?" Hibari asked, standing beside his younger brother Binko. The two of them had been assigned by Miro to support Miria on her mission, but now that she'd decided to join her son, their orders were in question.
Miria waved them off casually. "You two can head back. Let Miro know I'm sailing with Zino."
"No way!" Binko exclaimed immediately, his hands gripping the railing. "I want to go on an adventure too!"
Hibari looked calmly at Miria and added, "Auntie, the ship's broken."
Zino raised a brow, confused. He glanced around the Marine vessel. There didn't seem to be any serious damage—just a few cosmetic dents from when he crashed into it earlier. "The ship looks fine to me—"
"The ship. Is. Broken," Hibari repeated, slowly and firmly.
Zino paused. He could already see it—those two weren't going anywhere. The look in their eyes wasn't just determination; it was the unmistakable spark of people who'd tasted freedom and weren't about to give it up.
Miria raised a brow at them. "If you want to follow, that's your choice."
"Thank you, Auntie!" both brothers replied in unison, faces lighting up.
They turned toward Zino, smiling widely with far too much excitement for his liking.
Zino sighed. He knew exactly what this meant. More mouths to feed. More trouble. "Tch. Don't slow us down. I'm not dragging dead weight on my ship."
"We're not dead weight," Hibari said seriously. "We're not Rokushiki users like you, but we're good with ships. Very good."
"Yeah," Binko added. "Just let us onboard and we'll handle all the repairs. You won't have to lift a finger."
Zino looked at the two, then at the Silent Orca. He sighed again. "Fine. Let's go."
Without waiting, Miria and Zino launched themselves into the air, using *Geppo* to cross the gap back to the Orca.
Hibari and Binko, not trained in Rokushiki, were momentarily left behind on the Marine ship. But after a brief running start, they leapt with surprising agility and landed—less gracefully—on the deck of the Silent Orca.
They dusted themselves off as the crew stared in mild confusion.
Zino let out a small sigh, shaking his head. "Great. Now it's a family cruise."
Miria smiled knowingly. "You'll thank me later."
Zino then stepped forward and gestured toward his mother. "Everyone, this is my mother. You can call her Aunt Reya."
*Bonk!*
"Gah—what was that for!?" Zino winced, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at her.
Miria squinted at him, clearly unimpressed. "Aunt Reya? Who's your Aunt Reya?"
Zino blinked, confused. "Isn't your name… Portgas D. Reya?"
"Portgas your head!" Miria snapped. "Where did you even get that from? My name is Miria! Mii-ri-a! Have you been knocked on the head recently? Or did I hit you too hard?"
[She is unaware of her true name, Portgas D. Reya.] A reminder from the system popped out.
Zino's eyes twitched. "Uh… never mind that," he muttered, suddenly very awkward.
Thankfully, Miria didn't press further. She turned to the rest of the crew with a sweet smile that didn't quite match the strength she'd just used. "I'm Miria. You can call me Sister Miria."
The crew stared, clearly not expecting that.
A collective sweatdrop followed.
Even Zoro raised an eyebrow.
Sanji, on the other hand, was already swooning. "Miria-nee-san~" he called, hearts practically floating from his eyes.
Zino clicked his tongue. "Tch. Simp."
He cleared his throat and moved on. "And these two—"
He paused. A blank expression crossed his face.
"…Uhh…"
The two brothers stared at him in disbelief.
"…Seriously, Zino?" Hibari said, crossing his arms. "You forgot our names already?"
"Did your mom hit you that hard?" Binko added with a teasing grin. "Should we check you for memory loss?"
Zino opened his mouth to argue—but just then, a soft chime rang in his mind.
[System Notification: Identity data retrieved.]
Name: Hibari
Age: 20
Relation: Adoptive cousin. Son of Miro.
Name: Binko
Age: 17
Relation: Adoptive cousin. Also Miro's son.
Zino coughed awkwardly. "Right. These two are my cousins—Hibari and Binko."
The crew gave small nods, still adjusting to the fact that not only was their captain's mother a total powerhouse, but now they had two new relatives joining the ship.
"You sure we're not a drifting family reunion?" Usopp muttered under his breath.
"No," Zino said flatly.
Miria smiled. "Yes."
Zino sighed again, feeling the control over his ship slip just a little more.
But deep down, he didn't mind. Not one bit.