Chapter 22: Belle-mère Arrives
Marineford Port, early morning.
The dawn sun glittered on the waves as the warship slowly pulled in.
Belle-mère, wearing a crisp Marine uniform, stood tall. She held a 6-year-old Nojiko's hand in one hand and a 4-year-old Nami's in the other. She stared at the magnificent fortress of Marine Headquarters, her eyes wide.
"So this... this is Marineford?"
The towering Gate of Justice, the massive fortress walls, the dozens of giant warships in the harbor, and the main stronghold in the distance—the sheer scale and pressure of the base was overwhelming, leaving the Ensign from the East Blue momentarily speechless.
Three years ago, during the battle at Oykot Kingdom, she had risked her life to protect these two children from pirates, forging a deep bond with Roy in the process. After that, Roy had been stationed at G-3 Base, and now, he had arranged for her transfer to Headquarters.
Nojiko looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Belle-mère, this place is huge!"
Nami just gripped Belle-mère's hand tightly, nervously watching the countless Marines passing by. "Are we... are we going to live here?"
Belle-mère took a deep breath, and just as she was about to answer—
FWOOSH!
A tall figure instantly appeared right in front of them.
"Ah!" Nami yelped and immediately hid behind Belle-mère's legs. Nojiko gasped.
"It's been a while, Belle-mère."
The familiar voice instantly put Belle-mère at ease. She looked up. It was the same young man who had saved them three years ago—but now he was a tall, imposing Rear Admiral of Marineford, Roy.
"R-Rear Admiral Roy!"
She immediately snapped to attention and saluted, a respectful smile on her face. "It's good to see you, sir."
(Was that... teleportation?!)
Roy chuckled and waved his hand. "Don't be so formal. We're old friends, aren't we? Welcome to Marineford."
Belle-mère relaxed, her smile genuine. "Thank you for everything, Rear Admiral."
Roy's gaze softened as he looked at the two little girls. "Nojiko, Nami, do you remember me?"
Nojiko nodded shyly. "I remember... you saved us, big brother."
Nami, however, just peeked out, still clinging to Belle-mère's pants.
Roy smiled. "No need to be nervous. Vice Admiral Garp has already cleared everything. It's too busy out here, let's get you to your quarters."
Before Belle-mère could even respond, Roy waved his hand—
FWOOSH!
All four of them vanished from the port.
The next second, Belle-mère's vision blurred, and the scenery changed from the bustling harbor to a spacious, bright living room.
"What... Where are we?!" She looked around, stunned, her voice trembling.
Roy walked to a table and poured her a glass of water. "It's just my Devil Fruit power. Sorry for the surprise."
Belle-mère took the glass, her fingers still shaking. "No... I just... I didn't expect..."
Roy motioned for her to sit. "I've read your file, Belle-mère. Protecting civilians and single-handedly fighting off an 8 million Beri pirate crew... Your talent was wasted at a small branch."
Belle-mère gripped the glass. "I just did what I had to do..."
Roy looked her in the eye. "Vice Admiral Garp and I both agree: you deserve a better place to grow."
Nojiko suddenly tugged on Belle-mère's shirt, her face full of adoration. "Belle-mère, that big brother is so cool!"
Belle-mère was about to answer when—
"Sucker punch!"
A snot-nosed little kid came flying out of the hallway, a wild grin on his face, his hands aimed right at Nami's cheeks. "Gimme your face!"
SMACK!
Nami, on pure reflex, swung her tiny fist and connected perfectly with Luffy's forehead.
"THAT HUUUURTS!!!"
Luffy clutched the giant new lump on his head, rolling on the floor and wailing, "Waaaaah! My head! My head!"
Roy couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha, I had a feeling that would happen."
Nojiko and Nami were both startled. "Who is that kid? He's so weird!"
Belle-mère was completely lost. "This... this child is...?"
Roy sighed, still chuckling. "That's Luffy. He's Garp's grandson."
Just then, Luffy shot back up, making a goofy face at Nami. "Heh heh heh, you hit hard! I'll dodge next time!"
Nami put her hands on her hips, her own little fist raised. "It's your own fault for jumping at me!"
"Luffy! Stop running around, you idiot!" Ace's voice came from the hallway. He appeared, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, scowling. "Why are there more kids here...?"
Luffy immediately pouted, pointed at the lump on his head, and ran to Ace, "Ace! She hit me! It really hurts!"
Nami immediately shrank back behind Belle-mère. "He grabbed me first!"
Belle-mère, now holding both Nami and Nojiko, looked at Roy in desperation. "Roy... what... what is this place...?"
Roy sighed and spread his hands, his face deadpan. "Welcome to the Marine's Problem Child Temporary Containment Center."
Belle-mère: "..."
Luffy suddenly threw his hands in the air. "If this is a shelter, then I'm hungry! I want MEAT!"
Ace's face darkened. "You bastard! Not this again!"
Nami and Nojiko both chimed in, "We're hungry too!"
Belle-mère put her hand to her head. "I have such a headache..."
Roy just sighed. "That old man Garp... he really knows how to make trouble..."
Just then, the living room door opened, and Garp poked his head in, grinning. "Roy! The brats are all yours! I'm gonna go have some tea with Sengoku!"
"Wait! Vice Admiral!"
"You old geezer! Don't run!"
"MEAT! I WANT MEAT!"
The room instantly exploded into chaos.
That evening, in Roy's kitchen.
Belle-mère stood at the door, staring at the fully-stocked, oversized refrigerator. "Is your... food supply always this... excessive?"
The fridge was packed with meat, vegetables, fruit, and even an entire frozen slab of Sea King steak.
Roy leaned against the doorframe and shrugged. "We've got three big eaters."
He gestured to the living room, where Ace and Luffy were wrestling on the floor, while Nojiko and Nami were looking at one of his sea charts.
"Especially those two," Roy added. "Their appetite is about five times a normal adult's."
Belle-mère chuckled and rolled up her sleeves. "Alright. In that case, I'll handle dinner."
She tied on an apron, pulled a knife from the block, and with a flick of her wrist—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
An onion was reduced to perfectly uniform slices in a blur.
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Nice knife skills."
Belle-mère didn't look up. "You learn a thing or two, raising two kids."
As the aroma of cooking filled the house, the noise in the living room slowly died down.
Ace sniffed the air. "What's... that smell? It's amazing!"
Luffy's eyes turned into stars. "MEAT! I smell MEAT!"
BAM!
Roy put a hand on his head. "Don't bother Belle-mère while she's cooking."
Nami and Nojiko came over, their eyes shining. "Belle-mère's cooking is the best!"
Half an hour later, the table was covered in food—pan-seared Sea King steak, vegetable and meat stew, seafood fried rice, and a huge, steaming tureen of fish soup.
The four kids sat at the table, their eyes glued to the food, practically drooling.
Belle-mère wiped her hands. "Okay, dig in."
"ITADAKIMASU!"
Luffy immediately grabbed for the biggest steak—
SMACK!
Ace hit his hand with a chopstick. "Wait your turn!"
Nami was already politely eating her rice. "Belle-mère, this is delicious!"
Nojiko sipped her soup, her eyes closed in bliss.
Roy watched the scene, a small smile on his face. A rare moment of peace...
After dinner, on the balcony.
The Marineford sunset painted the clouds gold.
Belle-mère leaned on the railing, lighting a cigarette. "So, what's the deal, Roy? What's my job here?"
Roy looked out at the horizon. "Garp arranged for housing for you right next door. I had you transferred, mostly... to help me keep an eye on these kids."
He turned to her. "Of course, it's not for free. I'll cover all your expenses, and..."
Roy paused. "Starting tomorrow, I'm going to teach you. Rokushiki, and Haki."
The cigarette in Belle-mère's hand trembled. "Haki?" As a Marine from the East Blue, it was a power she had only heard rumors about.
Roy nodded. "Your talent shouldn't be wasted. I think you have the potential to awaken Armament Haki."
Belle-mère was silent for a moment, then exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Why are you doing all this for me?"
Roy smiled. "Because we need you."
He glanced back inside, where Ace and Luffy were now fighting over the last piece of steak, Nami was hitting Luffy on the head with a spoon, and Nojiko was trying to break it up.
"These kids," Roy said softly, "are special."
"They need the right person to help guide them."
Belle-mère followed his gaze and let out a small laugh. "They're 'special,' alright."
She stubbed out her cigarette and held out her hand. "Deal."
Roy shook it. "Welcome to the team."