After venting her complaints about her daughter, Belle-Mère finally settled down and had lunch peacefully with Genzo.
As they ate, the two chatted casually. The conversation inevitably drifted toward Genzo's work and the little trivialities of daily life, creating an unexpectedly warm atmosphere.
Don't be fooled by how Genzo usually looked like a henpecked husband—Belle-Mère actually treated him extremely well.
She took meticulous care of every aspect of his life, making sure he never had any worries no matter what he did.
For someone as usually rough-and-tumble as Belle-Mère, this level of attentiveness was a striking contrast.
As for her staying at home with nothing to do, the family had once discussed whether they should find something for her to occupy herself with.
Aileen had even suggested that Belle-Mère become her personal guard. After all, Belle-Mère had once been a Marine and was now a Devil Fruit user.
Talent like that shouldn't go to waste! Recommend the capable without avoiding relatives! Aileen thought righteously.
The result?
The little girl was instantly rewarded with a huge slap from an enraged Belle-Mère!
Belle-Mère even declared that if she dared spout nonsense again, she'd make her backside bloom.
Letting me be your guard? Why don't you just ascend to the heavens while you're at it! You really don't know your place!
Under the terrifying pressure of bloodline authority, Aileen could only extinguish that unrealistic idea on the spot.
As for what Belle-Mère planned to do in the future, no one brought it up again.
Time quietly slipped by in that tranquil afternoon.
After finishing lunch, Belle-Mère and Genzo prepared to head out to continue the work they hadn't yet completed.
But the moment they stepped out the door, both of them froze in unison.
"REE—!"
A piercing, sky-rending screech rang out, clearly reaching their ears.
It was a familiar sound!
The two hurriedly looked up and, sure enough, saw the form their daughter took after using her ability—the Bifang Divine Bird!
The five-colored divine bird spread its wings and soared, its twin wings unfolding like blazing heavenly flames. Its multicolored feathers sliced through the sky, trailing long tails of fire.
It circled high above the sea of clouds, and with each beat of its wings, motes of colored light scattered downward like rainbow rain falling upon the earth.
After circling several times, the divine bird suddenly beat its wings hard, its body shooting off into the distance like an arrow released from the bow.
Only after the bird vanished from sight did Belle-Mère and Genzo withdraw their gazes.
Genzo smacked his lips and sighed with emotion.
"That girl… she's really something now."
Belle-Mère snorted dismissively and turned toward the tangerine grove.
Though her tone was full of disdain, her heart was screaming madly.
That little brat—she didn't even think to take her own mom for a ride. What a waste of all that raising!
She had clearly seen it just now—there was someone sitting on that girl's back.
Watching Belle-Mère's proud and stubborn back, Genzo could only shake his head with a bitter smile.
He could see it clearly—his wife was obviously dying of envy, yet she absolutely refused to admit it, afraid of losing face in front of her daughter.
These two, mother and daughter… really, what was one supposed to say about them?
With such similar personalities, neither was willing to give in. Was this what they called 'the same kind repelling each other'?
Elsewhere, Aileen—transformed into the Bifang Bird—was flying at high speed through the sky. The figure on her back held binoculars, constantly observing the ground below.
At that moment, Aileen suddenly spoke mid-flight, her voice crisp and pleasant.
"Aisa, did you notice anything unusual?"
Aisa lowered her binoculars, brushed aside her wind-tossed hair, and said in a negotiating tone.
"How about you fly a bit slower—or maybe lower?"
"Alright. I was hoping we could finish today's patrol early so I could go back and train~"
The Bifang Bird's beak opened and closed as Aileen's slightly helpless voice came through. The rhythm of her wingbeats gradually slowed.
In truth, this aerial patrol hadn't existed originally. As for why it did now—it was all because of an accident.
Some time ago, Aileen had been making no progress in training Observation Haki. Feeling depressed, she wanted to go out for a walk to clear her head.
As her good sister, Aisa naturally went along. The two hit it off immediately, and Aileen promptly used her ability to carry Aisa into the sky.
When they had just reached the White Sea, Aisa's Observation Haki immediately picked up a pirate ship riding the sea currents upward.
Seeing the group coming in aggressively, the two instantly relayed the information to the Guard Team.
Just as the pirates were about to commit violence, the Guard Team arrived, quickly driving them off and wiping them out.
After that incident, they realized that when manpower was lacking, aerial patrols that could detect situations early and transmit information quickly were extremely efficient.
After some discussion, the two decided to conduct irregular aerial patrols every day to guard against possible accidents.
With Aileen's flying ability combined with Aisa's Observation Haki, this perfect duo was practically a mobile radar scanner—convenient and efficient.
Thinking about how Aisa was born with Observation Haki made Aileen feel intensely envious.
Her brother had said that with just a little guidance and training, Aisa's Observation Haki would be far stronger than that of ordinary people.
Reality proved him right. Even though Aisa was still young, she already had the widest Observation Haki coverage on all of Skypiea.
And her Observation Haki didn't just sense others' auras—it could even hear what people were saying.
Seeing her little sister so outstanding made Aileen feel a bit uncomfortable. Why did she get Haki the moment she was born?
Still, Aileen wasn't one to admit defeat. She often sneaked off alone to train.
To awaken Observation Haki as soon as possible, she even devoted most of her time to Haki training.
But after so long, she still hadn't felt the slightest trace of it.
She asked many people in the Guard Team and practiced according to their methods, yet there was still no effect.
It left her feeling discouraged. If only her brother were here—he'd definitely have a way.
Lost in thought, she murmured unconsciously.
"Brother… where are you now?"
"Brother!"
Suddenly, Aisa's startled cry from her back snapped Aileen out of her daze.
She thought Aisa was feeling the same way she was.
So she turned her head and gently asked Aisa,
"Aisa, do you miss brother too?"
"No." Aisa put down her binoculars, looked down at Aileen, her face flushed with excitement as she said urgently, "Brother is back!"
"What's the rush? It's just that brother is back—why are you so anxious?"
Aileen replied casually. It's not like you're the only one who misses him—I do too… but she froze halfway through her sentence.
Then she stiffly turned her head back and asked again,
"W-What did you just say?"