"That's because you're too weak, kid,"
Gion teased with a smile, "I've been standing here half the night. If you had even a hint of Observation Haki, you'd have noticed me."
Nao gave an awkward laugh—she did have a point.
But come on, Observation Haki was something Zephyr hadn't even begun teaching them yet. Expecting a rookie who'd been in the Elite Camp for less than a year to self-learn that was a tall order.
"Rear Admiral Gion," Nao wisely decided to steer the conversation back on track. "Where's Aokiji-san, and where did the other instructors go?"
Gion pointed toward the isolated peak to the north side of the island.
"Up there, on the mountain top, keeping an eye on the action."
Nao looked up and realized that from the mountain top, one could oversee the entire town to the south—perfect for monitoring the ongoing battle between the Marine Elite Camp rookies and the pirates.
He immediately caught on and didn't press further. Instead, he asked,
"I didn't arrive too late, did I? How long has the assessment been going?"
"Started around 9 p.m. the night before yesterday," Gion replied lazily, stretching gracefully against the railing, her figure looking all the more alluring under the moonlight.
"So, kid, you've got about ten more hours left. If you don't hustle, you'll be trailing dead last…"
Only ten hours left?
Nao felt a surge of urgency. As much as he enjoyed the moonlit banter with Gion, business had to come first. He couldn't afford to waste more time.
"Here's your sword," he said, offering her the Konpira. "I'll head off now. Enjoy the sea breeze while you can. Don't forget to check in with Aokiji-san and let him know I've arrived. See you."
"Eh?" Gion raised a brow in surprise. "You're in such a rush to return it? I was planning to let you borrow it for the assessment."
"I've got my own now."
Nao grinned, patting the pair of blades at his waist.
"These were a gift from the fruit vendor I bought strawberries from for Vice Admiral Chishio. Said I bought so much and looked so charming, they threw them in for free."
"Liar," Gion muttered, shaking her head in amusement. "You've got more nonsense than truth in that mouth of yours. Go on then, before I get mad and kick you into the sea."
"Haha, nonsense? Sure, maybe a bit. But there was some truth there too."
"Yeah? Like what?" Gion gave him a skeptical look.
"The part about buying strawberries for Chishio."
"…"
After a long silence, Gion's expression flattened. She silently lifted her right leg, and moonlight shimmered off her preparing Rankyaku.
Realizing the danger, Nao—our invincible hero—fled with a quick step, leaping from the ship and disappearing into the night.
About ten minutes later…
As Nao stepped into the town, he slowed down, resting his hand lightly on his sword's hilt as he moved through the streets, quietly observing the surroundings.
All around were signs of intense battles—collapsed buildings, splintered debris, and occasional pirate corpses long since lifeless.
"There's no sign of the townsfolk…" he murmured, glancing at the empty houses. "Maybe they were evacuated in advance, or perhaps they're hiding out of fear of the fighting…"
Either way, as long as they weren't massacred by the pirates, it was a relief. Even for Marines, no matter how careful the fighting, civilian casualties were almost inevitable in clashes like these.
He continued walking, but not a soul was in sight. The cries of battle he'd heard from the harbor earlier had suddenly vanished. The eerie silence was unsettling.
"Seriously? Did I just miss the whole show?" Nao grumbled, scratching his head in frustration.
"Surely I didn't arrive so late that all the Capone Pirates' officers have already been taken out?"
From what Aokiji had told him, Capone Bege's crew stationed on this island numbered just over 500, with only about a dozen officers, the highest bounty being a little over 20 million berries.
That level of enemy force could certainly cause trouble for the new recruits, but only to a point. So long as his fellow Marine Elite Camp rookies held their own, the outcome was all but guaranteed.
But still, did the fight have to end so quickly? He'd come all this way hoping for a piece of the action. Now it seemed he might not even get a taste.
Just then, he noticed a building to the northwest flickering with firelight. His eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace in that direction.
But he'd barely covered a few steps when, rounding a corner, he collided head-on with three hulking figures. One of them was knocked clean off his feet, crashing into a nearby shop window with a shattering crash.
The two remaining bruisers froze for a couple of seconds, staring at Nao with wide eyes.
Damn, that's one ridiculously handsome kid. Why couldn't I have a face like that?
Both men's thoughts seemed to align perfectly in that instant.
But when their gaze dropped to the white Marine uniform Nao was wearing, their expressions turned menacing.
The guy on the right grinned wickedly, drawing his blade.
"A Marine?"
Nao, even more delighted than them, unsheathed his sword and smirked.
"Capone Pirates, huh?"
"Damn right!" snarled the thug who had been sent flying. He scrambled up from the shattered glass and fixed Nao with a predatory grin.
"We've been hunting around for a catch, and what do you know—we found one! Hey, Dier, Passat, looks like our luck's turned, eh?"
"Sure looks that way," said the guy on the left, chewing on a cigarette and blowing out a puff of smoke. He sneered, "So, kid, where are the rest of your Marine friends? Maybe if you talk, we'll think about sparing—"
Swish!
Before he could finish, a silver flash of sword light erupted.
In the next moment, under the moonlight, blood splattered across the walls, and a head was sent flying into the air, spinning a few times before crashing to the ground, still wearing a look of utter terror.
The cigarette was still stuck in his lifeless mouth, trailing smoke that curled up into the night. But that smoke would never again be drawn between his lips—it was left for the night breeze to claim.