Michael stood on the deck of the Seraphim Ship, gazing at the starry sky as he fell into deep thought.
Regarding Robin, Michael had always refrained from interfering too much with her growth.
After all, Robin's extraordinary intelligence was blindingly obvious—an invaluable asset to the Marine.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have become the true authority of the Marine in the Sabaody Archipelago at such a young age.
But he never expected her to grow into such a mother-obsessed girl.
Given that she and her mother had long belonged to opposing factions, they rarely met, though they could still keep tabs on each other through their respective intelligence networks.
This state of separation without true loss shouldn't have fostered such an intense fixation on her mother.
Yet, from beginning to end, Robin had taken those words as her driving force to grow stronger and rise through the Marine's ranks—
'Bring Mom back to my side.'
It had almost become an obsession.
This had gradually turned Robin cold and single-minded over the years.
Even members of the SWORD Classified Special Forces found it hard to make her smile.
And now, under these circumstances, Olvia had actually taken the scholars to the Sabaody Archipelago!?
Wasn't that just walking into the lion's den?
Michael raised his head, looking at the faintly visible stars, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
Family matters like these were always the most troublesome to deal with.
Still…
It had been a long time since he last saw little Robin.
The way she had turned out now was partly his responsibility.
So…
"I hope it's not too late by the time I reach Sabaody."
"Father, what are you muttering about?"
Behind him, Yamato, now back in her usual attire, asked curiously.
"Hm? Nothing, just an idle remark." Michael shook his head before turning and beckoning her over.
"Yamato, I'd like to ask you something."
"Of course, Father!" Yamato bounded over enthusiastically.
Though she was taller than Michael, their roles as elder and younger were unmistakable.
"You rarely ask me questions directly!"
"Do I?" Michael instinctively raised his hand to pat her head, as he often did with the younger ones, but reconsidered upon seeing her height and settled for a pat on the shoulder instead.
"Yamato… do you ever miss your father?"
The moment the question left his lips, Yamato fell silent.
For a while, the only sound on the deck was the Seraphim Ship cutting swiftly through the waves.
Michael turned to study the seemingly carefree girl.
A trace of confusion flickered across her face.
After a long pause, Yamato sighed softly and said, "I… don't know."
"Don't know?"
"My real father, Kaido… I'm certain he did love me."
A hint of nostalgia colored her expression.
"But his love was… complicated. He raised me as one of his elite subordinates, treated me as a key asset of the crew, even considered sending me away for modifications… His love as a father always came last—barely even a factor."
"To prevent me from escaping, he put a collar around my neck that could blow it off, and assigned Ulti and Page One to keep me in check..."
Yamato's face showed a sorrowful expression as she spoke.
For the first time, vulnerability flickered between her brows.
"And when I managed to remove the explosive collar and detonate it far away, I was absolutely certain that Kaido, that muscle-bound gorilla, would really kill me!"
"Even though... I'm his daughter! How could he treat me like this!"
A child's innate longing for their parents is natural.
Emotionally, children are always the weaker party.
But when parents shatter the illusion of familial love in their child's eyes...
The string tethering the child, like a kite, naturally snaps.
And Yamato was that severed kite.
Before she could be burned away by the sun, Michael pulled her back to the ground.
This was also the reason why Yamato harbored such deep hatred for Kaido...
Only when love is deep can hatred be so intense.
"It's alright, you still have me."
"Since you call me father, and I've grown used to it... then I am your father. I will protect and cherish you unconditionally... though try not to cause trouble every day."
"Ahem... I'm not that unreliable, am I?"
"Then can you explain the huge scratch on the stern of the Seraphim Ship?"
"Father, let me explain! The other day, some delivery ship dared to race me! That guy took a few drifts through the reef zone and overtook me! Not even a single piece of tofu he was delivering spilled!"
"...Wait, how would you know whether the tofu in his hold spilled or not?"
"Of course, I saw it when I boarded his ship after he docked, ready to beat him up!"
"Then... did you beat him up?"
"...I couldn't bring myself to." Yamato sighed. "Losing a race and then picking a fight would be so petty... so I just bought all his tofu instead..."
"No wonder we've been eating tofu every day on the ship lately..." Michael wiped his face. "Do you know the name of the guy you raced?"
"Not really... I think it was something like Takumi Fujiwara or something..."
"Impressive."
...
"Saul, are you there?"
"I found your signal."
Olvia had also made her way to the base of the cliff on the sixteenth island.
Following the signals Saul had left—known only to them—she quickly pinpointed his location.
Under the moonlight, Olvia spotted Saul sitting on the distant beach.
But as she approached, she saw Saul give her an apologetic, bitter smile.
"Ah, Olvia, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this trap."
Hearing Saul's voice, Olvia was startled, then felt several hands sprout from her clothes, pinning her firmly in place.
Yet in that instant, she grew eerily calm.
Because this Devil Fruit ability... was all too familiar to her.
It belonged to her daughter...
Nico Robin.
"...It's been a long time, Robin."
"Mom... I've caught you now."
Nico Robin appeared instantly behind Olvia.
As Michael's former subordinate and a member of the SWORD Classified Special Forces, Nico Robin naturally mastered the Six Powers techniques and achieved complete proficiency, even comprehending Life Return.
After all, this was standard equipment for the SWORD Classified Special Forces.
"With this... you'll never be able to leave my side again, will you?"
"Mom..."