Having decided to lead Sibia Village in winemaking, Ian didn't hesitate.
After Robin finished writing the brewing techniques and plan, he shared the news with Village Chief Martin, who had just arrived.
Village Chief Martin excitedly ran back to the village to tell the news to the other villagers.
Moments later, a crowd arrived at his door, forcing Ian, who had been exercising, to stop.
Then he escorted Robin, who blushed and rolled her eyes at him, out the door and solemnly asked everyone to quiet down.
Robin was deeply concerned about this matter, and after hearing that he supported her decision, she became even happier and laid out her plan in front of everyone.
Perhaps considering the villagers' situation, Robin explained it very carefully, even answering any questions.
Her earnestness eased the doubts of the excited but uncertain villagers, who once again grew hopeful and began cheering Robin's name.
Ian also looked at the confident Robin on the stage. Her elegant and graceful demeanor made his lips curl slightly.
The sight of her working so seriously made him imagine what she would look like in a western-style skirt suit.
He had just bought a women's suit on the salesman's recommendation, and he decided to let Robin try it on that evening.
"Beautiful, isn't it!"
Apparently noticing Ian's expression, Village Chief Martin, who was also listening intently, winked. "A few days ago, you were still dragging your feet, and now you have really lucked out. Who would've thought Robin could be this capable? Makes you wonder what she was before she lost her memory."
"… "
Before losing her memory?
The Devil Child, wanted by the World Government.
Of course, Ian didn't reveal this.
"Forget it. Regardless of what she does, she's your wife now. Don't let her get away."
Village Chief Martin didn't dwell on it. He then glanced at Robin's written plan and said with some concern: "Do we still need to open a factory? How much will that cost?"
"Don't worry about the money. The Marines already sent the bounty a few days ago."
Ian fully agreed with Village Chief Martin's earlier words: when fortune falls into your lap, you don't let it slip away.
He turned his gaze away from Robin and looked at Village Chief Martin, who seemed to be worried and said: "I'm going to invest the entire bounty."
"That bounty?"
Hearing Ian's words, Village Chief Martin blinked in surprise. Then, with both excitement and hesitation, he said: "Is that really a good idea? You defeated those pirates. If it weren't for you, we would all be doomed."
"Think of it as an investment in the village! The brewery counts as a village property."
Ian didn't care at all.
This amount of money wasn't small, but it wasn't much either.
And if he really needed it, he wouldn't have retired and returned to Sibia Village to start a family.
It was also Village Chief Martin who rescued him back then. When he decided to join the Marines, he and the village jointly sponsored his trip to the 315th Branch.
Unfortunately, after all those years, he never awakened his golden finger, and in the end, he only became the Branch Base's Lieutenant.
Speaking of which, it was Village Chief Martin who rescued his wife, Robin.
Not only did he save him, but he also gave him a wife. Village Chief Martin was truly his benefactor!
"Robin and I will also have a share."
"Is that so? Thank you so much, Ian."
Upon hearing Ian's plan, Chief Martin breathed a sigh of relief. Then, with a wink, he nudged him and said: "When are you and Robin planning on having a baby?"
"A baby?"
Ian froze, and a strange feeling welled up inside him.
He hadn't expected to hear such words.
Other transmigrators conquered seas and built empires. But he… Returned to the countryside to start a family and revitalize it.
But even so, he didn't feel relaxed. If anything, unease lingered in his heart.
Looking up at Robin, who's extremely busy, he smiled faintly and said. "I don't know. Let's… Wait and see."
…
From then on, Ian handed over all the work of building the winery to Robin and Village Chief Martin. Although he woke up a little later after starting a family, he still didn't give up on exercising.
Even though his body and strength had reached their natural limit and without external forces like a Devil Fruit or life-and-death battles, breakthroughs seemed unlikely, he still trained every morning in the hills, often hunting and bringing prey back home.
Robin's memory still seemed to be recovering, and she had also seemed to have integrated into the Sibia Village, no longer as worried as she had been at the beginning.
Although Robin had lost her memory, Ian could still see the confusion and hesitation hidden in her eyes when she first arrived.
In the morning, perhaps because winter was approaching, the temperature in the Sibia Village was gradually cooling.
"Remember to come back early."
Robin helped Ian tidy up his clothes as he was about to leave, then smiled.
"I have prepared a lunch box for you. If you're hungry, remember to eat. And don't go hunting today. We have enough meat at home to last us through the winter. But if you can gather some wood, that would help; our firewood might not be enough."
"I understand."
Ian nodded. Then, following Robin's instructions, he picked up his axe, took his lunch box, and headed for the back of the mountain.
As he approached the mountain, feeling the colder weather, Ian seemed to remember something and muttered to himself: "Speaking of which, I should also prepare some winter clothes for Robin."
When the last merchant ship came, he hadn't bought any winter clothes for Robin. But could the village even supply them? On his way back, he'd have to check. If not, then he would just have to ask someone to make them.
Ian pondered as he walked, and soon he arrived at his daily training spot.
Today's training was the same, tempering his body and axe skills, basically chopping down trees.
Since firewood was running low at home, he wanted to chop some trees into smaller pieces to take back after training.
With this in mind, Ian began to move. Despite the chill, he stripped off his clothes and began chopping trees shirtless.
He swung the axe, stroke after stroke, carefully sensing and controlling his strength.
This was his training method, and it was through this method that he mastered his own technique, Particle Slash.
Unfortunately, the Marines at the 315th Branch didn't use axes, so there wasn't much to learn from.
He had previously considered traveling to the East Blue to study under a certain axe king or maybe test his luck and see if he could meet a certain marine wearing a dog-hat to pull strings at Marine Headquarters.
But that never happened, and now he has retired and settled down.
Ian closed his eyes, activated his Observation Haki to sense the air and his surroundings.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, his movements faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and continued to chop the tree slowly.
Slowly in appearance only, because when he opened his eyes, a massive tree had already been felled, its cut surface perfectly smooth.
He even took a break midway to finish the lunch Robin had prepared.
Time slipped by, and after an unknown amount of time, as the sun slowly set, Ian took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, picked up his clothes from the ground, and put them back on, preparing to return home.
However, just as he turned around…
"This retired Marine Lieutenant."
A slightly lazy voice called out, causing Ian to look up. He saw a tall, burly man with disheveled hair and an eye patch.
Ian: "…"
Before Ian could say anything else… The tall and strong man in front of him directly took out a photo and said in that lazy tone: "Have you seen this person?"