Ice formed beneath Kuzan's feet with every step.
The Straw Hats stood frozen—not by cold, but by pressure.
Robin's voice came out barely above a whisper. "…Aokiji."
The name alone sent a ripple of dread through the crew.
Nami swallowed. "R–Robin… what does that mean?"
Robin didn't look away from the tall man approaching across the frozen sea.
"One of the three Marine Admirals," she said quietly. "The highest military force under the World Government."
Chopper's knees nearly gave out. "A–A–ADMIRAL?!"
Usopp's jaw dropped. "Y–You mean that kind of Admiral?! Like—end-of-the-world Admiral?!"
Zoro's hand tightened around his swords.
"So that's why the air feels wrong," he muttered.
Aokiji stopped a few meters away, hands still tucked lazily into his pockets. His justice coat fluttered softly in the cold breeze.
He looked… bored.
"So," he said casually, eyes drifting over the ship, "this is where you ended up."
His gaze locked onto Robin. "Good. Saves me some trouble."
His gaze still settled on Robin. "…Long time no see, Nico Robin."
Robin stiffened.
Sanji stepped forward instantly. "Oi. Back off."
Aokiji blinked, as if noticing the others for the first time. "…Huh. You picked up quite a crew."
Luffy frowned. "What do you want with Robin?"
Aokiji's gaze shifted to him.
He studied Luffy for a long moment—too long.
Then a faint, knowing smile curved his lips.
"…Monkey D. Luffy."
The name alone sent a shiver through the deck.
Nami swallowed hard and whispered, "He knows your full name…"
Aokiji tilted his head.
"Did anyone ever tell you," he said casually, "that you look a lot like your grandfather?"
Luffy blinked. "…Huh?"
He pointed at himself. "You know my grandpa?"
Aokiji chuckled softly. "Yeah."
The world stopped.
"…WHAT?!"
Usopp nearly fell backward. "W–WAIT—hold on!!"
Nami whipped around to Luffy, eyes wide.
"HOW does an ADMIRAL know your grandpa?!"
Sanji's cigarette nearly slipped from his fingers. "Oi… that's not something an Admiral usually brag about."
Zoro's eye narrowed, arms crossing slowly.
"…Tch."
He glanced at Aokiji—then back at Luffy.
"That means your grandpa isn't just some old guy."
A heavy pause settled over the deck.
Nami swallowed. "…He's a Marine, isn't he?"
Silence.
All eyes turned to Luffy.
Luffy blinked, then shrugged. "Yeah. He is."
The reaction was instant. "EEEEEEHHHHH?!?!"
"YOU LEFT THAT PART OUT?!"
"THAT EXPLAINS IT—!!"
Usopp pointed accusingly. "SO YOUR CHILDHOOD WAS BASICALLY MARINE TRAINING?!"
Luffy tilted his head, genuinely confused.
"Uh… yeah? He always punches me and throws me into jungles. I thought that was normal."
"IT IS NOT NORMAL!" Chopper screamed.
Sanji groaned. "No wonder this guy treats cannon fire like a joke…"
Zoro snorted. "…Told you. No normal kid survives that kind of upbringing."
Aokiji watched them quietly, hands in his pockets, ice still spreading beneath his boots.
"So you didn't know," he said mildly.
Luffy scratched his cheek. "He never really talked about work. Just said being strong was important."
Aokiji smiled faintly. "Sounds like him."
Aokiji then chuckled under his breath. "He helped me out more times than I can count," he said. "Always loud. Always impossible to ignore."
He looked back at Luffy. "And he talked about you. A lot."
Luffy's eyes widened slightly. "…He did?"
"Oh yeah," Aokiji continued. "Went on and on about how his grandson would shake the seas someday. Said you had a will that wouldn't bend no matter who stood in your way."
The crew slowly turned toward Luffy.
Usopp whispered, "…Your family sounds terrifying."
Luffy grinned sheepishly.
Aokiji's smile faded as his gaze drifted past Luffy—
—and settled on Robin.
"But enough about family," he said quietly.
The air grew colder.
"I didn't come here to reminisce."
Ice crept along the edge of the deck.
"I came because of her."
Robin stiffened.
And in that moment, the Straw Hats understood—
This wasn't a chance meeting.
This was an Admiral deciding whether to end something…
or let it live.
Luffy stepped forward instinctively. "You know her?"
Aokiji glanced at him, unimpressed. "I do."
Then, without warning—
The temperature dropped sharply.
Frost crept along the deck, coating the wood in white.
Aokiji's voice lost its laziness.
"I let you go once," he said to Robin. "That was a mistake."
Robin's fingers curled into fists. "So you came to correct it?"
Nami stepped in front of Robin. "W–What are you talking about?!"
Aokiji ignored her.
"Nico Robin," he continued, "you are a danger that grows the longer you're allowed to live."
Usopp shouted, "HEY!! You can't just—!"
Robin clenched her fists again. "…Have you come to kill me?"
Aokiji exhaled slowly.
"That," he said, "or take you back."
His then eyes sharpened. "And sooner or later—"
He looked at the Straw Hats.
"—you'll betray them."
The words slammed into the deck harder than any attack.
Chopper shook his head violently. "Robin wouldn't do that!!"
"She saved my life!" Usopp yelled.
Sanji's voice trembled with rage. "Say that again, and I'll—"
Aokiji raised one finger.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Frost exploded outward, coating the deck in ice.
The crew reacted instantly.
Sanji snapped forward, leg igniting with force. "You're not laying a hand on her!"
Zoro drew his swords in one smooth motion.
"Try it, ice man."
Aokiji looked mildly surprised. "…You're really protecting her?"
Usopp shouted, voice cracking. "SHE'S OUR CREWMATE!!"
Aokiji shook his head. "You don't understand."
He pointed at Robin. "She will soon betray you. That is what she always do to her former crew"
The words hit hard.
"She always does," he continued coldly. "And when she does, you'll wish you had ended things here."
Robin's breath trembled.
"Stop…"
Luffy's expression darkened. "Don't talk about my friend like that."
Aokiji's eyes flicked to him. "…Friend?"
The air froze.
Literally.
Ice exploded outward from Aokiji's feet, racing across the deck.
Sanji was the first to move again—
—and the first to be stopped.
Ice locked around his leg mid-kick and slammed him into the mast.
"SANJI!!"
Zoro charged.
Aokiji turned and touched the flat of Zoro's blade.
The steel froze solid.
Zoro's eyes widened as frost raced up his arms. "What the he—!!"
Nami screamed. "STOP!!"
Usopp fired wildly.
The bullets passed through uselessly against frozen air.
Chopper tried to run on the side—only to slip and fall as the deck turned to ice.
Aokiji walked forward calmly, effortlessly, through their desperation.
Robin stepped back. "…Don't hurt them. Please"
Aokiji stopped in front of her.
"That's why I'm here," he said quietly. "If I end this now… they won't have to suffer later."
Luffy moved.
Not attacking—
Standing in front of Robin. "You're not taking her."
Luffy glared. "She chose to be with us."
Aokiji stared for a long moment.
Then—
"Ice Time."
Cold swallowed everything.
Luffy was frozen in place.
Not shattered.
Preserved.
The world froze.
Cold swallowed Luffy whole, locking him in place like a statue.
Robin screamed. "LUFFY!!"
The Straw Hats rushed forward—only to be stopped by walls of ice.
Aokiji stared at Luffy's frozen form.
"…STOP IT!!"
Aokiji paused.
He stared at Luffy's frozen form.
Then he sighed.
"…You really are like him."
He then sighed.
Cracks spread.
The ice shattered—releasing Luffy in a heap on the deck, gasping for breath.
Aokiji turned away.
"I'm on vacation," he said. "And I owe your grandfather."
He mounted his bicycle.
"Nico Robin," he added quietly, "prove me wrong."
Ice formed beneath his wheels as he pedaled away.
And just like that—
He was gone.
——————————
Silence followed.
Not the peaceful kind—but the kind that rang in the ears.
Only the faint crack… hiss… of melting ice echoed across the deck of the Going Merry, droplets sliding into the sea as the frozen ground slowly released its grip.
Usopp collapsed onto his back, arms spread wide, chest heaving. "…We almost died."
His voice cracked halfway through the sentence.
Nami stood frozen near the helm, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She hadn't realized she was shaking until her teeth clicked together.
"…That wasn't like before," she whispered. "Not a Warlord. Not a monster we could punch."
Zoro slowly sheathed his swords.
His jaw was clenched so tight it looked painful.
"…An Admiral."
The word tasted bitter.
He had never felt so completely outclassed.
Not by strength alone—but by certainty.
Aokiji hadn't fought them seriously.
He hadn't needed to.
Robin stood apart from them, her back to the others, shoulders drawn in.
Her hands trembled at her sides.
"…I'm sorry," she said quietly.
The wind carried her voice, thin and fragile.
"I never meant to involve you in something like this. Admirals don't appear by accident. If he had decided—"
She stopped herself.
Her fingers curled into fists.
"—you would all be dead."
Luffy pushed himself to his feet.
His body still ached. His breath came out in small clouds. He rubbed his arms, teeth chattering slightly—but his eyes were clear.
"I don't care."
Everyone looked at him.
He turned toward Robin and grinned—the same stupid, fearless grin as always.
"You're my friend."
The words were simple.
Uncomplicated.
Absolute.
Robin froze.
Her breath caught.
"…Luffy…"
Sanji then added. "Robin-chan"
He stepped forward, cigarette trembling slightly between his fingers. "Don't talk like that."
Robin stiffened.
"You think we didn't know the risks?" Sanji continued, exhaling smoke. "We chose this ship. We chose this captain. And we chose you."
Nami walked over next, fists clenched at her sides.
"You don't get to decide that for us," she said sharply—then softened. "We're still here, aren't we?"
Usopp sat up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Y-Yeah! I mean—okay, sure—I was terrified—but that's normal! Heroes are scared too!"
He pointed at Robin. "And heroes don't abandon their friends just because things get dangerous!"
Chopper ran over and hugged her leg tightly.
"I-I don't want you to go!" he cried. "Doctors don't leave patients—and crewmates don't leave each other!"
Robin's shoulders trembled harder now.
Zoro turned slightly, not looking directly at her. "If you were a burden, we'd already be dead."
His voice was low. Steady. "But we're not."
Her knees nearly gave out.
Tears slipped free before she could stop them, trailing down her cheeks as she pressed a trembling hand over her mouth.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
The Going Merry creaked beneath them, wood groaning softly—as if agreeing.
They were still together.
And that was enough.
The Going Merry creaked beneath them, wood groaning as if exhausted from the strain of the past days.
The sound wasn't loud.
That was what made it worse.
Chopper scurried from one damaged section to another, tiny hooves tapping against splintered planks as he pressed his ear to the hull, checked cracks with trembling fingers, and peered down into shadowed seams.
"T–The hull's worse than before," he said, voice shaking despite his effort to stay calm.
"The mast's cracked, and the keel took damage from the ice… She's holding together, but…"
He hesitated. "…but she's really hurt."
Usopp stood nearby, frozen.
He watched Chopper's hands move over the wood—the same wood he had patched, polished, and sworn to protect back in the East Blue. Every creak felt personal, like the ship was crying out.
"H-Hey…" Usopp muttered, forcing a laugh that didn't quite land. "She's tough, right? I mean, she survived Reverse Mountain, giants, lightning gods—"
The Merry gave a long, tired groan.
Usopp's smile faltered.
He stepped forward, placing a hand on the railing.
"…You're still okay," he whispered, so quietly no one else heard. "Just hold on a little longer."
Nami rested a hand on the helm, eyes scanning the battered ship with a navigator's precision—and a friend's concern.
"…We can't ignore this anymore," she said. "If we keep pushing her like this, she won't make it to the next island."
Usopp stiffened.
"What?"
"No—wait, Nami, that's—"
Robin lifted her gaze toward the horizon, the wind tugging gently at her hair.
"Water 7," she said softly. "It's a city built on canals. The finest shipwrights in the world live there."
Usopp turned toward her, hope and fear colliding in his chest.
"They can fix her… right?" he asked quickly.
"I mean, they're the best, so they have to be able to—"
Sanji exhaled smoke slowly, eyes narrowing at the damage.
"If anyone can save her," he said quietly, "it's probably them."
Zoro nodded once, arms crossed. "…Then that's where we go."
Usopp clenched his fists.
"…Good," he muttered. "Good. Because she's not done yet."
Nami adjusted the Log Pose, watching the needle settle and lock in place. "Course set. That's also the next place set on the Log Pose"
The wind shifted.
Luffy hopped back onto the bow, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge, as if none of the weight hanging over them could reach him. The breeze whipped his hair back as he stared out toward the endless blue.
He looked completely at ease.
"Alright," he said brightly.
Then he raised a fist high.
"Next stop—Water 7!"
Usopp looked at the Merry again.
At the scratches, the scars, the patched planks that told the story of every adventure they'd survived together.
"…You hear that?" he whispered. "We're taking you to the best shipwrights there are."
The crew gathered their resolve.
Behind them lay gods, admirals, and legends.
Ahead—
A city of water.
And somewhere beyond that—
A future that had already begun to move.
The world had finally noticed them.
And it would never look away again.