Marineford's library remained one of Levi's favorite "charging stations." The corner by the window, where the angle of the sun, the gentle caress of the sea breeze, and the shelter of the bookshelves combined to form his perfect afternoon nap haven, was a particular favorite.
That afternoon, he once again successfully infiltrated this sanctuary, skillfully sliding into the large leather armchair that he had already molded into the perfect shape for napping. A thick "Illustrated Guide to Marine Fish of the Four Blues" (boring content, excellent hypnotic effect) lay open on his lap, but his eyelids were already fighting a losing battle, and his consciousness was slipping towards sweet dreams.
Just as he was about to fully sink into the boundary of sleep, an extremely faint, yet unusually clear, sound of footsteps approached. These footsteps were different from Kuzan's lazy, casual stroll, and also different from the hurried, purposeful strides of ordinary soldiers. They were light and steady, with a unique rhythm, as if their owner had deliberately suppressed all unnecessary sounds to avoid disturbing the tranquility of the space.
Levi's semi-conscious nerves twitched slightly. These footsteps... weren't annoying. They were even a little... harmonious. He reluctantly pried open a thin slit in his eyelids, and in his blurry vision, a graceful figure appeared.
It was a female officer, a few years older than him, wearing a well-fitting Marine uniform that accentuated her agile physique. She had neat, dark blue short hair, a beautiful face, and calm, focused eyes. She was slightly tilting her head back, browsing the titles of books on the higher shelves opposite her. Her movements were also very light; her fingertips glided over the spines of the books, making almost no sound. Her whole demeanor exuded a quiet, reserved, yet resilient aura.
Levi's muddled brain slowly processed the information—female, officer, unknown, very quiet... Hmm, the key was *very quiet*. His vigilance, which wasn't much to begin with, slightly decreased, and drowsiness surged again. As long as she wasn't here to disturb his sleep, everything was fine.
However, the female officer seemed to have found her target. The book she was interested in happened to be on the highest shelf, directly above Levi's head. She stood on her tiptoes and tried, but found she was still a little short. Looking around, there was no ladder available. She hesitated, her gaze falling on the empty chair next to Levi, seeming to consider whether to move it over to stand on.
The moment this thought arose, Levi's unconsciously emitted Absolute Sloth Domain produced a faint reaction. *Moving the chair... too troublesome... and it might make noise...* Such thought waves quietly spread.
The female officer's hand, reaching for the chair, paused in mid-air. She frowned slightly, as if suddenly feeling that moving a chair just to get a book was indeed a bit too much effort for something so trivial. She withdrew her hand, looked up at the book again, then at Levi, who was almost completely asleep. A hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, and she ultimately chose to give up. She sighed softly, her voice almost inaudible, and turned to leave.
Just then, Levi, perhaps due to a misplaced lazy nerve, or perhaps because he felt the other person was "sensible" enough not to cause trouble, half-closed his eyes and mumbled indistinctly: "...That book... 'Illustrated Flora of South Blue'... third shelf to the left... there's a duplicate... in better condition... if you're too lazy to climb... you can take that one..."
His voice was slurred, like a sleep-talker's, yet it precisely indicated the location of another copy. The blue-haired female officer's footsteps stopped. She turned around in surprise, looking at the languid young man still slumped in the chair, as if he had never spoken. She followed his suggestion and walked to the third shelf on the left. Sure enough, behind a pile of geographical treatises, she found an almost brand-new duplicate of the "Illustrated Flora of South Blue." She took out the book, brushed off the almost non-existent dust, and a hint of surprise and understanding flashed in her eyes.
She walked back to Levi's chair and nodded slightly, her voice as soft as a falling feather. "Thank you."
Levi didn't respond, as if it wasn't him who had just spoken. He merely shifted to a more comfortable position, his breathing becoming more even and prolonged. The female officer didn't leave immediately. Holding the flora guide, she sat down in another armchair across a small tea table and began to read quietly.
Sunlight streamed through the window, enveloping both of them in the same warm glow. One slept without a care, the other read with focused tranquility. They had no further interaction, not even a glance exchanged, but a strange sense of harmony quietly grew between them, as if they were tacit conspirators in this peaceful domain, jointly guarding this undisturbed serenity.
It wasn't until the soft pre-closing bell of the library rang that the female officer closed the book and carefully returned it. She stood up, took another look at Levi, who was still fast asleep, and the corners of her mouth seemed to curve upward almost imperceptibly before she left silently.
When Levi awoke with a disgruntled frown amidst the bell and the gradually increasing human voices, he found the chair opposite him empty. He yawned, stretched a very slow, lazy stretch, and felt that this nap had been exceptionally peaceful. A reassuring, tranquil aura seemed to linger around him. "Hmm... just now... someone was here?" He recalled sluggishly. "...Very quiet... good..." For Levi, "quiet" and "no trouble" were the highest compliments he could give a stranger.
A few days later, in the dessert section of the cafeteria, Levi was launching a "mental eating" attack on the newly released mango mousse, using a strong "want to eat" thought to telepathically prompt Potts to buy it for him. Suddenly, the corner of his eye caught a somewhat familiar figure. It was the blue-haired female officer. She was carrying a simple fruit salad and a cup of clear tea, looking for an empty seat in the incredibly noisy lunch rush.
Levi almost instinctively—perhaps to repay her for her "quietness" that day—nudged his chin towards the seat opposite him, which had remained empty due to his influence, and uttered a vague syllable: "...Here... no one..."
The female officer looked over. Seeing Levi again, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which then turned into a faint smile. She nodded, carried her tray over, and gently sat down. "Thank you," her voice was still soft.
"Mm..." Levi responded vaguely, his attention quickly drawn to the mango mousse Potts had brought. The two fell into silence again, eating their respective meals. A comfortable, wordless tranquility once again enveloped their small table, out of place with the noisy surroundings.
It wasn't until she finished that the female officer wiped her mouth with a tissue and spoke first. "My name is Ain, a student of Zephyr-sensei. Thank you for your help in the library."
Levi slowly looked up, licked the cream from the corner of his mouth, his eyes hazy. "...Ain?... Zephyr?... Oh... the book thing... You're welcome... You're very quiet... That's good..." His compliment was so blunt it was almost impolite, but Ain didn't seem to mind. Instead, she smiled. "You are also very... quiet."
"Quiet is good... no trouble..." Levi agreed.
"Indeed. The fewer troubles, the better," Ain nodded in deep agreement. As Zephyr's disciple, her days were demanding, and she particularly cherished rare moments of peace.
The two exchanged glances. Although one's eyes were lazy and vacant, and the other's were calm and gentle, they unexpectedly found common ground in "hating trouble" and "seeking tranquility."
"Then I'll be going. See you next time," Ain stood up.
"...Mm... see you next time..." Levi replied subconsciously, watching her quiet retreating figure. *Oh, so her name is Ain,* he thought belatedly. *Zephyr's student? Sounds exhausting... but she's quite nice.*
From then on, Levi had half an "acquaintance" at Marineford. Occasionally meeting in the library or cafeteria, they would tacitly share a quiet corner, rarely conversing, just doing their own things—one sleeping, the other reading. This mode of interaction made Levi very satisfied: no need for socializing, no need for small talk, just shared silence and mutual non-disturbance. For Ain, when she was with Levi, the surroundings would inexplicably become quiet, allowing her to truly relax.
For others at Marineford who occasionally witnessed this, it was a different sight altogether: Zephyr-sensei's beautiful and resilient disciple getting along peacefully with the famous "god of laziness" Levi? This scene was even rarer than seeing Garp diligently working. Only Levi and Ain themselves knew that they had established a unique friendship based on the highest principle of "mutual non-disturbance."