Rengoku, now suspended, stood at the harbor of Marineford the very next day. Dressed in plain clothes, with only Enrin Kitetsu and Shusui strapped to his side, he gazed out at the endless blue sea.
"Where are those two girlfriends of yours who always used to trail behind you? Why are you alone?"
"Girlfriends? They're nothing more than treasured subordinates."
"Hmph~. Now that you've been suspended, half a civilian, doesn't that make me your senior?"
Hina was thirty-two, Rengoku twenty-one—an eleven-year difference.
"That's true. Would you prefer it if I called you 'big sister'?"
Rengoku's question earned no reply. Instead, Hina pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and drew in deeply.
Fff—haa…
With smoke rising slowly into the air, she sat herself down by the edge of the pier.
"Why don't you sit too? Standing up there, you'll just end up breathing in the smoke."
"That might be better."
Rengoku sat down beside her. Together, they stared silently out at the sea.
"…."
"…."
It was Hina who finally broke the silence.
"So, are you satisfied with the punishment you got? Hina wants to know."
"I don't know."
"Don't know? Still, you seem calmer. At least you're not trying to commit seppuku again like the first day."
"I've found a reason not to."
Rengoku still couldn't forget Vivi's tearful, grief-stricken face that day.
"Don't tell me it was because Fleet Admiral Sengoku rejected your resignation. It's that princess, isn't it?"
"It is. She is the princess of Alabasta, the kingdom that suffered because of my failure. If my death would bring her sorrow, then seppuku would lose its meaning and become hypocrisy."
"Ah, youth. Hina's jealous."
Hina exhaled another plume of smoke and tilted her head back to watch the sky.
"So, where are you going now? With your personality, I doubt you'll just mope around Marineford."
"First, to Alabasta, to apologize. Then I'll devote the remaining time to training, preparing for the war that's to come."
"Haa… Hina thought so. You really are such a simple man."
She knew this was exactly what he would say. Rengoku, with his deep compassion and sense of responsibility, would inevitably go to Alabasta.
Hina dug into her pocket, pulled out her wallet, and asked:
"Do you even have the funds to make it there? Want Hina to lend you some?"
"No need. I've already contacted an acquaintance. They'll be here soon to pick me up."
"Oh? So Hina doesn't need to spend anything? Who's coming? The princess? Come to think of it, she took leave today, didn't she?"
"Strange that she finally used a vacation day."
Vivi hadn't taken a single day off since joining the Marines. With her homeland in ruins back then, there was nowhere to return to. And besides, Marineford—and Rengoku himself—had become like a second home to her.
"So, not the princess then?"
"No. Someone else."
"Hmmm~. Hina's curious."
Her words carried a playful lilt, but Rengoku didn't answer. She wasn't asking because she truly needed to know—she only wanted to keep him talking, to keep him company in this moment.
Fff—haa…
Flick, flick.
When her cigarette burned down to the filter, Hina tapped it lightly and prepared to flick the butt onto the ground.
"Dispose of cigarette butts properly. In the trash."
"Hmph~ well, you're no longer a Vice Admiral, just a civilian. So what good are your words now?"
Even as she teased, Hina pulled a small cigarette case from her jacket and tucked the butt neatly inside.
"Honestly, after all the times you nagged me during training, I've gotten into the habit. What am I supposed to do about it now? You take responsibility."
She shook the case, now half-filled with cigarette butts.
Rengoku smiled faintly. During training, he had always scolded her—no smoking during drills, and every finished cigarette had to be collected in the pack and thrown away properly.
Seeing her still following those rules, he gave her a nod of appreciation.
"Excellent, as expected of Rear Admiral Hina. Now, perhaps it's time to set your sights on quitting altogether."
"Never. I won't quit, I can't quit. Hina doesn't listen to civilians."
"Hahaha! One day you'll quit."
With that, Rengoku rose to his feet.
"What, leaving already?"
"It's about time. Better to arrive thirty minutes early than be late—it's only proper courtesy."
As he spoke, Hina stood up too, stretching her back until it cracked.
"Ahhh, my back… it already hurts. Hina must be getting old."
"You're still in the prime of your youth."
At his words, her lips curled into a grin. She grabbed him in a playful headlock.
"You brat. You've been reduced to a civilian—at least until you return, you should act like one. Hina wanted to see a cuter version of you."
Rengoku smiled at her mischief.
"I'll take your words to heart."
Looking at his ever-cheerful expression, Hina's tone shifted.
"You're really alright, aren't you? You always wear that bright smile, so it's hard to tell what you're truly feeling."
"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying."
"…Worry, huh."
She released him from her headlock and looked at him straight on.
That same smile.
The smile that had never faltered, even in the midst of hellish training.
The smile that revealed nothing of the burdens he carried.
Just once, she thought, she'd like to see him wear a different expression.
"Rengoku-kun, lower your head a little."
"Why?"
"Because Hina said so. Just do it."
Though the command was abrupt, Rengoku obediently inclined his head until their eyes met.
Hina reached out, gently pinching at his face.
"This cute face of yours only ever shows one look. If you're sad, show it. If you're angry, show it. If you're hurt, show it. Wouldn't it be better if you expressed yourself honestly? Hina worries."
Smooch.
Her lips pressed lightly against his.
It was only the briefest contact, but Rengoku still felt the softness of her kiss.
"…What does this mean?"
"What, not even surprised? Hina's disappointed."
She seemed a little let down at his unchanged expression. Then she patted his shoulder twice.
"It doesn't mean anything. Just take it as your big sister's encouragement—a parting gift, Rengoku-kun. You're a civilian for now, so make sure you rest properly."
...
"Hey, hey, did you see that?"
"No way… Vice Admiral Rengoku and Rear Admiral Hina… are they dating?"
"Then what about Captain Tashigi?"
"That's the problem? What about Commander Vivi—no, Princess Vivi?"
From a distance, Marines who had been secretly watching whispered feverishly among themselves.
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