Zino took out a few neatly packed food rations from his system storage. Without saying much, he handed one toward Kuzan.
"You want some?"
Kuzan stared at the pack for a few seconds, almost like he was debating whether food even mattered at this point. Eventually, he reached out and received it, the packet instantly frosting over in his hand. He didn't thank Zino, but he gave a slight nod and began to slowly peel it open.
Zino sat cross-legged, unwrapping his own food and biting into it. The quiet between them stretched for a moment—just the wind over ice, the distant rumble of magma somewhere beneath, and the faint crackle of Zino's residual electricity.
"You know..." Zino began between bites, "I used to be a Marine too."
Kuzan glanced sideways at him, not surprised, but mildly curious.
"My grandfather is Kong. You probably know about this."
Kuzan gave a slow blink, chewing silently.
"I held onto justice once," Zino said, voice steady, but with something darker just under the surface. "I wasn't blind like some of them. I didn't follow orders just because they came from the top. I chose to act based on what felt morally right."
He paused, took another bite, and chewed thoughtfully. "And do you know what I found?"
Kuzan didn't answer, but Zino wasn't really expecting one.
"Corruption," Zino continued. "Rotten to the core. Not just some backwater officers—I'm talking high-ranking Marines, smug in their titles, doing things worse than most pirates. I saw it firsthand in East Blue. Captains extorting villagers, framing innocent people, even trafficking under the table. Pirates were sometimes less cruel than them."
Zino took a drink from his canteen, his jaw tight.
"So, I beat them. Exposed them. Took matters into my own hands," he said. "And what did they do in return? Framed me. Labeled me a pirate. Branded me a traitor to 'justice.'"
Kuzan didn't speak, but his eyes lingered on Zino for a moment longer this time. There was no mockery or judgment in his gaze—only a quiet understanding.
Zino continued, more fire in his voice now.
"The corruption in the Marines is one thing. But the Celestial Dragons? Those parasites? They're a disease. They call themselves gods, but they treat people like livestock. Kill innocents on a whim. And if someone dares raise a hand to them—what happens?"
Zino leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "They call a Buster Call. Or worse—they send an Admiral. You, for example."
He let the words hang in the air. It wasn't an accusation. Just truth.
Zino exhaled slowly and leaned back. "So if you ask me whether I'm making fun of you, I'm not. I don't think you leaving the Marines was wrong. If anything, it might be the best decision you've made."
He looked directly at Kuzan. "That's why I want you to join me."
Kuzan turned silent.
"I might be labeled a pirate, but I still follow my own sense of justice," Zino said firmly. "I don't follow the World Government's lies. I don't kneel to tyrants. You won't have to either, if you come with me. So...what do you say, will you join me?"
The ice-cold silence returned. Zino waited. Kuzan just kept eating, eyes half-lidded.
Then... a snore.
Zino twitched. A vein popped on his temple.
"Hey... I'm talking to you. Don't sleep!"
"...Arara... my bad," Kuzan mumbled, one eye lazily opening. "Didn't mean to. It's warm near you, and I've been freezing for days."
Zino stared at him, speechless.
Kuzan took another slow bite of the food and chewed carefully. After swallowing, he turned to face Zino more directly.
"Alright," he said casually. "I'll take you up on the offer."
Zino raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"
"I've got nowhere else to go. And honestly..." Kuzan glanced toward the distance, sensing the Great White, the diamond-scaled behemoth docked at the shore.
"That oversized lizard ship of yours better have a couch or something. My back's not what it used to be." he said.
Hearing that, Zino grinned. He then said with a big smile. "Welcome aboard."
...
On the icy shoreline, a few members of the Orcas had already stepped off the Great White. The chill of the frozen terrain bit into their boots, but they didn't wander far from the ship. Their eyes kept drifting to the distant, smoky interior of Punk Hazard, waiting for their captain's return.
"Is Zino really talking to Ace?" Gin asked, arms crossed, his tone thick with doubt.
No one answered. They couldn't be sure. The island was still covered in a suffocating haze, and Zino had left without elaborating. The tension was palpable, each second stretching longer than the last.
Then, two silhouettes emerged from the mist.
It was Zino… and someone beside him.
As the pair drew closer, the crew's eyes widened in disbelief. Zino was supporting the weight of a man missing a portion of his left leg—tall, familiar, wrapped in a thick coat. Even in his weakened state, the aura of the former Admiral was undeniable.
"Aokiji?!" several voices shouted at once.
The air grew stiff with suspicion. The Orcas stiffened, their hands slowly inching toward their weapons. They didn't know what had happened on the island, but none of them expected Zino to return with one of the three Admirals—especially not in a state like this.
Why was Kuzan injured? How had he lost his leg? And why was Zino, their captain, helping him?
Under their wary gazes, Zino calmly summoned a wooden stool from his storage and helped Kuzan sit down.
He then turned to his crew. "Kaya, he needs healing," he said, motioning toward the missing limb.
Kaya blinked, startled, but didn't hesitate. If Zino trusted this man enough to bring him here, then that was enough for her—for now.
She stepped forward, and held out her hand. Then, a pale blue staff formed from solid light, it was the Lyfjaberg Staff. Next Kaya's whole form shimmered, her body cloaked in soft magic as she transformed into her Valkyrie Eir state, gleaming white wings unfurling behind her.
She tapped the base of the staff on the ice. "Angel Touch: Return of Eir."
The staff bloomed with gentle light, casting blue-gold motes over Kuzan's stump. The former Admiral felt a strange itch in his leg—like hundreds of ants crawling beneath his skin. Then, to his astonishment, he saw it.
His leg… was growing back.
Muscle fibers coiled, bones elongated, tendons wove together with impossible precision. The process wasn't immediate, but it was steady, and almost mesmerizing to watch. Inch by inch, his leg reformed.
Within the hour, the leg was complete—new, unblemished, and pale against the frost.
"It's done," Kaya said. "But you'll need to exercise it to get full mobility back."
Kuzan flexed his foot, rotating the ankle experimentally. "Alright. Thank you," he said simply.
Kaya gave a nod and moved to begin healing the rest of his injuries. Most of them were still bandaged and bleeding—especially the deep wound across his chest.
As she worked, Kuzan's eyes wandered over the crew standing nearby.
His gaze first landed on a familiar face.
Robin.
She stood quietly with her expression unreadable. Her eyes never left him.
Then he noticed another presence—one that made his brow lift in surprise.
Crocodile. The former Warlord, standing tall, arms relaxed, but clearly alert. Not far behind him were several recognizable figures from Baroque Works.
"Well, well," Kuzan muttered, turning back to Robin. "It's been a while, Robin."
Robin nodded slowly. "It has," she said cautiously. "I didn't expect to see you here, Aokiji."
He gave a slight wave of his hand. "Forget that name. I'm no longer with the Marines. I resigned."
That earned another round of confused glances from the crew.
Zino, standing at Kuzan's side, didn't say anything at first. He simply watched the interaction. Then he turned to the others.
"Everyone," he said, "Kuzan here will be joining our crew. So let's welcome him."
The silence that followed lasted only a heartbeat.
"WHAT?!"
A wave of disbelief swept across the deck. Jaws dropped, eyes widened, and the air suddenly felt a lot colder—though whether it was from Kuzan's presence or pure shock was hard to say.
All eyes darted between Zino and the tall, stoic former Admiral sitting on the wooden stool.
"Wait, wait… hold on," Usopp stammered, visibly trembling. "He—he's joining us? An Admiral is joining us?"
"Ex-Admiral," Zino corrected without missing a beat.
"That's basically the same thing!" Usopp squeaked, ducking behind Gin.
"He's right…" Stev muttered nervously. "This guy's one of the top monsters of the Marines. He's insanely powerful. Are we seriously just letting him walk onto the ship?"
Kuzan scratched the back of his neck, his expression unreadable. "Looks like I'm not exactly being met with a warm welcome."
Zino glancing around. "Come on, guys. I brought him in. Can't you give me at least a little face here?"
Everyone turned silent.
Then Zoro spoke up. "Let him join. If Zino recruited him, that means he saw something worth trusting. That's good enough for me."
"I agree. I believe in Zino's decision," Robin added. Her voice was calm, but her expression was hard to read.
The crew fell into silence. Some still looked uncertain, others were thoughtful. The idea of a former Marine Admiral joining a pirate crew was not just unusual—it was unheard of.
"Well… another Logia joining, huh?" Galdino muttered, arms crossed. "That makes it seven of us logia users then."
"Seven? What are you talking about?" Gin raised an eyebrow. "Are you miscounting again?"
"Nope." Galdino shook his head confidently. "Let me list it for you. There's me, Kruz, Friday, Creed, Crocodile, Captain Zino, and now Kuzan. That makes seven Logia users. Count them."
He looked rather pleased with himself, puffing his chest slightly as he included himself in that prestigious lineup.
"Wait a minute. Isn't your ability just a Special Paramecia? Why do you classify yourself as a Logia?" Mikita asked.
"It's the same thing," Galdino said. "I can liquefy my body. So, that means I'm also a Logia."
"But you got something wrong," Binko chimed in. "Don't you remember? Friday and Creed are just Kruz's split personalities. That means they don't count as separate people."
"Actually," Friday, the glowing red orb, floated up beside them, "we are three distinct personalities. I, Kruz, and Creed may share the same body, and ability, but we operate independently. We think, act, and fight differently. So technically, we are three Logia users."
Binko blinked. "Creepy… but fair, I guess."
"You're all wrong." Alvida cut in. "You've completely miscalculated Captain Zino."
"Huh? How?" Galdino asked, genuinely confused.
Alvida's smirk widened. "Zino is a walking arsenal. He doesn't just have one Logia power; he's got eight: wind, medicine, smoke, cloud, ice, sand, lightning, and even diamond cloud. That's eight elemental powers packed into one man."
All eyes fell on Zino. He was currently focused on manifesting a massive platform of solid ice, though his stiff shoulders suggested he was listening to every word.
"But he's still just one guy," Binko countered. "It's not like he's actually eight people."
"For now," Alvida remarked with a casual shrug. "Maybe he'll develop a few split personalities like Kruz, Friday, and Creed. Would anyone here actually be shocked?"
Galdino, Binko, and Gin shared a look of pure dread.
"Can you imagine him arguing with himself in the middle of a fight?" Gin muttered.
Binko shuddered. "Honestly? That would be a nightmare."
"Alright, that's enough. Stop gossiping like I'm not right here," Zino interrupted. He turned to the cook. "Sanji, how about a feast? We need a proper welcome for our newest recruit, Kuzan."
"You got it, Captain," Sanji said, hopping onto the newly formed ice.
As Zino summoned a mountain of fresh ingredients from his system storage, Sanji began to cook with practiced speed. It wasn't long before the savory aroma of a world-class meal filled the air.
"A toast to our newest nakama!" Zino declared, raising his glass high.
"Cheers!" the crew echoed, the sound of clinking glass ringing out over the frozen sea.
As they dug into the food, the tension finally began to fade. For a moment, they almost managed to forget that the man sitting among them was a legendary ex-Admiral.