Meanwhile, on the Conomi Archipelago...
*Beru Beru Beru Beru*
"Emergency Notice! Emergency Notice!" crackled the voice from a Broadcast Den Den Mushi. "The Marine 16th Branch Emergency Management Office reports: Due to an unexpected cold current, temperatures on the island will plummet tonight, potentially reaching freezing. The rapid drop in nearshore temperatures will likely cause dense fog, disrupting shipping. Disaster risk is high. Please limit outdoor activity and prepare for the cold."
"Emergency Notice..."
The sudden alert shattered the quiet night across the islands.
Those still awake, and those jolted from sleep, quickly began spreading the news, urging neighbors to take precautions. Street vendors who'd planned to stay open all night started packing up early, the sudden chill meant heading home to rest was the only sensible option.
The moment the Security Squad got the word, they deployed across the towns, patrolling and alerting anyone who might have missed the broadcast.
The Conomi Archipelago hadn't seen a serious cold snap in years. Many villagers couldn't even recall such a thing happening here. But if the Marine 16th Branch issued a warning, it had to be serious. Everyone took heed. Following Marine directives was practically second nature on this island.
People all over the archipelago started bustling, preparing to face the oncoming freeze together.
And just then...
Somewhere in Cocoyasi Town...
A young woman stood watching the sudden flurry of activity. She had striking blue hair tied back in a high ponytail, wore a bodysuit printed with a strange circular pattern, white shorts, and white thigh-high boots that emphasized her long legs. Thick, dark makeup framed her eyes. Patting the giant, hat-wearing duck standing faithfully beside her, she looked puzzled.
"A cold current warning?" she murmured. "Karoo, do they really get dangerous cold waves here in the East Blue?"
'Why haven't I heard about this?' she wondered. 'This sea is usually so warm!'
The Super Spot-Billed Duck, Karoo, just looked back at her, equally confused, and let out a soft, "Quack~"
"You don't know either, huh?" The young woman sighed. "Ah well. No matter how bad this cold current is, it can't be worse than the ones in the Grand Line, right?"
She dismissed the thought. While curious about how a town in the East Blue could be so prosperous, she hadn't forgotten her mission. As a trainee for Baroque Works, she had a job to do: find the Marine Captain cooperating with their mysterious President of Baroque Works and deliver the details of their future arrangement.
Completing this mission meant getting her own code name, becoming an official member of Baroque Works. That would bring her one step closer to her own goal.
She scanned Cocoyasi Town again. 'Is the Marine Captain from the 16th Branch really here?' she mused. 'Could it actually be him?'
A Marine Captain tied to the enigmatic President of Baroque Works, an organization potentially behind the civil unrest in Alabasta, running a town like this? Even warning civilians about a cold current? Just as she started to wonder if she had the wrong place entirely...
*Achoo!*
A sudden shiver ran down her spine. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms as goosebumps rose. "Whoa, it really is getting colder!" she exclaimed, bewildered, looking around at the streets that had gone from lively to deserted in minutes.
'Wait, so there really is a dangerous cold current here? That's not what my information said...'
How is this different from the information she gathered?
Of course, now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Snowflakes had begun to drift down, and the air grew sharper by the second. "Looks like we need to find somewhere to stay first, Karoo!" she said, shivering.
"Quack~"
"What? You don't have any money either?" Her eyes widened in dismay. "Me? I don't have any money! Don't you remember? I didn't grab any Berries when I snuck out of the palace! And I'm just a trainee at Baroque Works, they don't exactly pay well. What are we going to do?" She hugged her duck tightly. "Is my first mission going to end with me freezing to death in a place like this?"
"Quack~" The duck mirrored his master's despair. He was just a duck, after all. How was he supposed to carry money?
As human and duck huddled together, wondering what to do next...
--**--**
Back at the Marine 16th Branch base...
"Dante!"
Nami and Kuina, having dealt with their own matters, hurried over, their eyes wide with worry as they took in the scene.
"What kind of monster is that?" Nami's expression soured. "Freezing the sea? Changing the weather itself?"
Before anyone could answer, a quiet voice spoke beside them. "A Marine Admiral." Robin's tone was solemn, though tinged with worry. "That's a Devil Fruit power. The Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit? The legendary treasure of the sea that cost atleast 100 million Berries?" Nami looked momentarily stunned, then quickly refocused. "Wait! Never mind that now. Why is another Marine here? An Admiral? Aren't we already working with the Hero of the Marines?"
"I... I'm sorry," Robin murmured, looking down.
Nami and Kuina exchanged a glance, guessing the truth, this Admiral was likely here because of Robin. But they were partners now. Blaming her was unthinkable.
"It's okay," Nami said, patting Robin's back with a reassuring smile. "Dante is strong. He beat the Arlong Pirates, remember? If he's not running, it means he thinks he can win, just like back then with me. Everything will be alright."
"That's right," Kuina added firmly, nodding. She looked seriously towards the confrontation. "Senpai is incredibly strong. Even my father said Senpai could become the World's Strongest Swordsman someday. We have to believe in Dante."
"I..." Robin started, still uncertain.
"And hey," Nami leaned in, trying to lighten the mood despite her own fear, "if worse comes to worst, the three of us will just become pirates with him. With my navigation skills, the Marines will never catch us!" She then fixed Robin with a playful glare, making claw shapes with her hands. "But after this is over, you absolutely have to explain everything properly! Dante told me you were planning to just quietly resign without saying a word!"
"I... Okay!" Robin managed a small, watery smile. "I promise. I'll apologize properly!"
Faced with Nami and Kuina's unwavering support, the worry on Robin's face seemed to ease slightly. She nodded, then looked up again, tears welling in her eyes as she gazed at the figure standing against the Admiral, the first person to ever stand up and shield her, the 'Devil Child,' from such power. A faint, unconscious smile touched her lips, tears tracing paths down her cheeks, but her eyes held a newfound determination.
She took a deep breath and shouted, her voice carrying across the icy air, "Boss! I... I still don't want to resign!"
Hearing Robin's cry, a faint smile touched Dante's lips even amidst the tense standoff.
'Okay,' he thought. 'She spoke up. Maybe we don't have to fight anymore.'
He suppressed a shiver. 'Still, it's damn cold!'
He looked up at Kuzan, thinking maybe his prospective father-in-law/Robin's guardian test was about finished.
Instead, he saw Kuzan looking back at him, an eyebrow raised slightly. "Become a pirate if you can't win, hmm?"
"..."
Dante stared speechlessly for a second before hastily backtracking, "I-No! I didn't! She was just talking nonsense. How about I personally punish her later? Severely!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Look, how about you just pretend you didn't hear that? My offer still stands, I'll take you out in Romance Dawn, my treat."
Kuzan remained unmoved, his expression actually souring slightly. 'This guy still hasn't given up on bribery?' he thought, unimpressed. 'Do I look that easy?' His eyes narrowed, dismissing Dante's rambling.
"Ice Block: Twin Spiked Spears!"
As Kuzan spoke, the ice crystals swirling in the air coalesced in an instant. Dozens of viciously sharp ice spears materialized beside him, then shot directly towards Dante.
The chill in the air intensified, seeming to bite even deeper, as if truly intending to freeze him solid.
"Show me your real strength!" Kuzan called out, his voice echoing in the sudden cold. "Let me see if you truly have the power to protect this criminal, Dante Ashford!"
==========
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