Gion and Shia were, after all, different.
As the "belle" of Marine Headquarters, she was naturally reserved and proud—any teasing had to be done in moderation. Especially over the phone, and not in private, she had a reputation to maintain.
So, after a couple of lighthearted jokes, Nao didn't delve further into the matter. Instead, he and Gion began chatting about their respective experiences over the past month.
They both had an unspoken understanding; neither would interrupt the other. When one spoke, the other listened quietly by the Transponder Snail.
Though separated by thousands of miles, Nao could almost picture the scene of heavy snowfall and hoarfrost on the other side, and the little rabbit, who was never one to wear too many clothes, her cheeks flushed red from the cold, rubbing her hands together, yet still smiling cheerfully in front of the Transponder Snail.
There was simply too much to talk about… In a flash, he forgot the time.
It wasn't until Onigumo, on the other end of the deck, had waited for ages, his stomach rumbling, that he finally lost his patience and roared:
"Hey, kid, how much longer are you going to chat? Hurry up and deal with this mess, we still need to turn back to base!"
Nao snapped out of it, turning to offer an apologetic smile.
On the other end, however, Gion let out a cold hmph, gently tapping the railing with her right index finger, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous arc.
That voice sounds familiar, Onigumo…?
She made a mental note.
"That's enough for today. We'll chat later when I'm back at base, Rear Admiral."
Nao turned back to the receiver, thought for a moment, and said, "By the way, what should we do with that bald old man? I originally wanted to beat him up, but since you…"
"Don't worry about me," Gion's indifferent voice came through. "If he truly made you angry, then go ahead and let off some steam. Just be a little careful with your strength; don't beat him so badly he's bedridden for months."
"Understood."
Nao smiled as he ended the call. He glanced at Mr. Anka, and that earlier frustration mysteriously vanished without a trace. He even felt like hugging the old man's bald head and giving him a thankful kiss.
"Let's go."
He casually handed the Transponder Snail back, completely ignoring the old man who had started blustering and glaring again. He then smiled at Onigumo, "Sorry for the delay, it's about time we headed back."
"I didn't realize you were so close with Vice Admiral Gion…"
Onigumo, a cigarette dangling from his lips, gave him a meaningful look, then turned to glance at the expressionless Shia in the distance.
He thought for a moment, then silently swallowed what he had been about to say.
The old man, along with his Transponder Snail, was promptly sent off the warship. The Marines involved were quite rough and uncourteous. They had long disliked this ungrateful old geezer; had Onigumo and Nao not held back, they would have likely swarmed him and given him a thorough beating.
The blonde girl, Domino, watched the entire process with her arms crossed from the merchant ship's bow, even letting out a slightly gleeful laugh when her own father was thrown into the sea.
Nao watched, feeling a bit speechless. He didn't know what kind of bizarre relationship this father and daughter had, nor was he interested in delving deeper. He shook his head and turned to walk towards the ship's cabin.
"No… Mr. Nao, are you really just letting that guy off?"
Jim Carrey, the stout bounty hunter, popped out from somewhere again, following behind him, indignant:
"I feel it's not fair to you! You went through so much trouble rushing back and forth, and in the end, you got nothing. It's bad enough that old geezer didn't even say thank you, but he also put on that face…"
Got nothing?
"There is only one true heroism in this world, and that is to uphold justice even when you know it's ridiculous."
Nao patted his shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Similarly, even if I know there are fools among the populace, as a Marine, I must protect them and uphold their interests."
This is my duty, after all. How could I turn around and harm them just because there's no reward?
After saying this, Nao smiled freely, then waved his hand and left.
Jim Carrey stood rooted to the spot.
He watched Nao's elongated silhouette in the setting sun, his expression complex. After a long sigh, he felt that no Marine had ever seemed so towering in his mind before…
Meanwhile, a hundred meters in the sky.
A hawk, its feathers as white as snow, flew by. Its gaze was indifferent, as if it had just returned from a mission. If one were to zoom in, one could vaguely see many light golden hairs caught in its talons…
To be precise.
Hmm, the kind of hair that bald men cherish particularly, even holding it as precious as their very lives.
The following evening.
Nao returned to the G-2 Branch base. After a brief handover with the staff in the subordinate office, he immediately plunged into his next combat mission without delay.
From the battleship to the base, Nao lived a life almost entirely consumed by work, yet he didn't find it dull or boring at all.
After all, he was naturally restless, and with Shia by his side, plus the occasional phone chats with Gion, his life was already sufficiently fulfilling and happy, balancing work and romance.
He just occasionally felt like he had forgotten something, but he couldn't quite recall what it was…
Time flowed by swiftly.
The days of accumulating battle achievements passed quickly. Just like that, another month had gone by in a flash.
Only a short half-month remained until his probationary period ended and he would return to Headquarters.
Over the past month, Nao had set a new series of astonishing records. More than ten pirate crews were annihilated by his hand, their captains all pirates with bounties exceeding 20 million Berries. Among them, three had bounties reaching the 70 to 80 million Berry range.
The entire G-2 Branch was shaken, and even Kizaru couldn't quite sit still.
The future Marine Admiral specifically took time out to meet Nao in private, showering him with effusive praise and encouragement.
He spoke words like, "Junior, you're so strong even before graduating, truly worthy of being Instructor Zephyr's disciple. Your future achievements will surely surpass mine, perhaps even becoming a Fleet Admiral."
In the end, he earnestly began hinting in various ways, hoping Nao would voluntarily apply for a transfer to the G-2 Branch after graduation.
Nao sat on the sofa, sipping tea, watching Admiral Kizaru's bright smile, which was almost splitting his face. He felt that before Kizaru revealed his true intentions, his words were probably sincere.
So, Nao reciprocated, frankly stating on the spot that he would do his best.
After all, once he graduated, whether he stayed at Headquarters or was dispatched to a remote branch, he didn't care, as long as he wasn't too far from his beloved.
Chatting on the phone two or three times was a pleasure, but doing so for too long would turn into torment from longing…
After brushing off Kizaru, he left the office with the Admiral's warm send-off. Before leaving, he compared their heights and realized he wasn't much shorter than Kizaru anymore, his head almost level with the Admiral's chest…
He immediately became interested. As soon as he returned to his room, he eagerly pulled Shia over to measure his height.
The girl struggled to stand on tiptoe, and after much effort, the exact measurement she came up with was—
2.28 meters.
Turns out it was just an illusion, Nao pouted, feeling bored.
While the height-boosting potion's effect was quite significant, increasing his height by over 20 centimeters in two months, equivalent to a full year's growth, he was still about 80 centimeters short of catching up to Kuzan and Gion. It was a long and arduous journey…
The next twenty years would be an era where if your height wasn't three meters, you'd be too embarrassed to sit on an Admiral's chair.
Though there was one guy who clearly didn't meet the standard, but managed to sneak by with his spiky explosion-like afro…
That evening also happened to be an item refresh day. Given how lackluster the last few batches had been, Nao held out a bit more hope this time—surely his luck was due for a turn. The moment the clock struck midnight, he opened the system shop.
He scanned through carefully and found that the overall quality this week had indeed improved quite a bit…
[Spoon-Killer Summon Card] – 9,000 points
[Luxury Tent Capsule] – 3,000 points
[Infinite Bamboo Rat] – 8,000 points
[ Jade Slash (Swordsmanship Secret Manual)] – 35,000 points
[Ancient Sacrificial Ritual (Consumable)] – 30,000 points
[Somewhat Miraculous Fishing Rod] – 20,000 points
… Chaton's Diary …
Day 12 in the South Blue, hail.
Today, after Gion took a call, she seemed like a completely different person, her face full of happy smiles.
The gloomy mood from the past few days vanished instantly.
She must have finally contacted the relative she was thinking about, right?
That's wonderful.
Seeing her happy, my mood suddenly brightened too.