The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
Robin's pupils contracted to needle-like points as she immediately crossed her arms over her chest, staring intently at Aokiji.
Next to her, Kuina also sensed something was off and immediately placed her hand on the Wado Ichimonji.
"What a coincidence?"
Shano stepped forward, raising an eyebrow, "Coincidence? You came looking for us, didn't you? How long have you been lurking around here?"
This is surely lying in wait, a chance encounter?
How could there be such a coincidence!
Last time on Thor Island, meeting Akainu among the falling cherry blossoms was already a highly improbable event.
And now, another 'chance' encounter…
Who would believe that!
What kind of unlucky person would continuously run into two Navy Grand Admirals?
"Oh, have I been found out?"
Aokiji scratched his messy curls, "Tsk, I came around noon, but since you were all spread out, it was too much trouble to find each of you. I thought I'd wait until you gathered together to have a chat."
"Hey, Smoker, who's this guy?"
Seeing Aokiji in civilian clothes, Nami was confused and quietly asked Smoker beside her.
"Kuzan, an old friend of mine."
Smoker chewed on his cigar, squinting, "At the same time, he's one of the highest-ranking Three Great Admirals of the Navy Headquarters."
Huh?
Navy Grand Admiral?!
Nami was shocked, hurriedly shrinking and placing Shano behind her.
"Don't be so tense, young lady."
Aokiji slowly sat up from the bench, "I'm not here to arrest you; otherwise, by now, you would all be popsicles."
"Who wouldn't talk big?"
Shano's Observation Haki spread out like a tide over the entire island, confirming that Aokiji was alone, and he grinned:
"So, you're really alone, huh? Hey… isn't it a bit dismissive to come alone and expect to take me down?"
"…Hmm."
Aokiji tilted his head, propping his chin with his hand, scrutinizing Shano.
"Indeed, huh."
He shrugged, then spoke seriously:
"If it were some other brat saying that to me, I'd treat it as a joke, but you… really have the qualifications."
"Shano, from Oyikote Kingdom, last name unknown, biological parents unknown, bloodline unknown, and you have been quite famous in the East Sea for several years."
Aokiji calmly narrated:
"And now, just eighteen years old, recognized by the World Government, with a bounty of ten billion, possessing power capable of shaking the world's balance."
"What a terrifying resume."
He expressed genuine admiration, raising his head and shifting his gaze to Robin.
"No wonder you chose this group as your hiding place, Nico Robin; this time, your eye for choice and luck seems to have improved significantly. At least for the short term, you don't need to rush to find another refuge."
"Many of the threats that once made you tremble with fear, enemies you feared, mean nothing to this man. He indeed has enough power to protect you."
Robin bit her lip, staring at Aokiji, her hands clenched tightly.
"Enough, Kuzan!"
Smoker bit down on his cigar, frowning as he spoke:
"Stop deliberately saying things to provoke her. What exactly is your intention, just to open old wounds from O'Hara in front of Robin again?"
"…"
Aokiji looked at Smoker with some surprise.
"With your position, when you were still in the Navy, you had no authority to access that information, but after defecting, it seems you know about those matters quite well now."
Aokiji raised an eyebrow, "Oh wow, Nico Robin, you've actually told these people about the past. It seems you have developed quite a good rapport with them…"
"If I had known a few more incidents like O'Hara's, I might have left the Navy years earlier."
Smoker interrupted with a sneer, drawing out his jitte from behind him.
"Answer my question clearly, no evasions. Besides, Shano and Robin have been open with us from the start. You were the one who let her go back then, weren't you? So why have you been chasing her across the seas all these years, Kuzan? What are you really up to!"
"That's what I want to know as well."
With someone else stepping in, Shano's tone became more relaxed. He sat down on the bench, crossing his legs:
"This time, you came mainly because of Robin, right? Even the World Government doesn't know she's on my ship yet, but you found her first. Did you secretly put a tracker on her?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't make me out to be some creepy stalker."
Aokiji helplessly raised his hands in surrender, "Running around chasing her… that's too much. I just occasionally check in on her, wanting to see how far Saulo's burning ember, which he tried so hard to protect, can go."
"As for how I know she's with you now."
Aokiji reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo, "Here, it was given by Old Man Garp when he returned to headquarters and met me recently. That old man… really thinks highly of you."
Shano reached out to take the photo.
It was Garp standing on the Doghead Battleship, grinning and waving goodbye to the Endgame in the distance with a selfie, not sure what the old man was so happy about...
In any case, the figures on the Endgame were not clear, and Robin was standing low-key at the back, her appearance completely indiscernible.
Even the professional agents of the World Government wouldn't notice her.
But after Aokiji took an extra look, he could detect something amiss and directly followed all the way here.
"You really are something, you could even recognize that."
Shano tossed the photo back, giving him a disdainful look, "And you say you're not a stalker?"
"..." Aokiji was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Don't mind such things."
He said weakly, "Seeing the child of O'Hara and finding out how they're doing now is indeed a motive for my departure this time, but… after seeing you in person, all of those things suddenly became unimportant."
"Ah, and Smoker too; the fact that this guy became a pirate was something I originally didn't understand." Aokiji pointed to someone nearby puffing clouds of smoke, "But now I don't care anymore."
"Huh? Don't go too far, bastard!" Smoker snarled with sharp teeth, "Haven't seen you in so long, and you're saying such hurtful things. Be careful, or I'll burn you with a cigarette butt!"
"Don't misunderstand, that's not what I mean. The reason I say that is because the curiosity about both of you, perhaps, can find an answer in this man."
Aokiji shrugged, turned his head, and bent down to stare at Shano.
"Hey, can you tell me, you… what is it you're truly seeking on this journey?"
"What? I don't understand what you're saying?" Shano didn't answer immediately; instead, he grinned.
"Do you really want me to spell it out?"
Aokiji's glance met his, and he spoke softly:
"Since you were fourteen or fifteen, you've already made a name for yourself in the East Sea, solving many troublesome pirates and being a teenage idol for many years, looked upon as the embodiment of justice by many East Sea residents."
"And after officially setting sail until now, although the World Government has smeared your name with infamous and violent deeds in the newspapers, we both know the truth."
"In Log Town, to protect the people, you bore the enemies' wrath, facing off against Vice Admiral Onigumo."
"In Alabasta, you acted against injustice, directly eliminating the Hanafuda Pirates."
"Just the other day, you even rescued some pitiful slaves from a slaver ship…"
"Never plundering towns, never attacking civilians, and everywhere you go, bystanders bear heartfelt gratitude towards you."
Aokiji's voice gradually lowered, his leaning movement growing larger, bearing down closer to Shano, a bone-chilling aura emanating from him, a hint of sharpness flickering in his eyes:
"Continuing like this, where do you intend to place the Navy, and the justice we uphold?"
"Coupled with the act of taking in the child of O'Hara, what exactly do you want to become, and what kind of ambition do you harbor?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Kuina drew part of her sword blade; Nojiko clenched her fist; Zeff slightly stood on tiptoes; and Nami, too, clenched her teeth, stepping out from behind Shano, a blaze of fire bursting forth from her orange hair...
Shano gazed at the creased and distorted face nearby.
But then suddenly smiled.
Just as he was about to speak, a furious shout suddenly came from the entrance of the garden:
"How dare you try to make a move on the master!!!"
Everyone was taken aback, turning towards the sound, only to see a burly giant eight meters tall charging forward, with each step causing tremors through the entire garden ground.
The couples nearby on the benches who were flirting immediately screamed and frantically fled outside.
Who's that?
For a moment, with the exception of Shano who raised an eyebrow showing keen interest, everyone else including Aokiji and the crew were puzzled.
Your guy?
Smoker and Aokiji exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
What's he rushing here for?
"Wait a minute." Nami frowned, "He seems a bit familiar, like we've seen him somewhere..."
Before she finished speaking.
The burly giant's body suddenly began to swell and morph rapidly, his robust limbs covered with brown fur as two curved ivory tusks extended from his mouth.
—In the blink of an eye, a massive mammoth appeared before everyone, its blood-red eyes fixed fiercely on Aokiji.
"To harm Master Shano, you'll have to get past me first, bastard!"
The mammoth let out a heavy roar, its low growl accompanied by its massive trunk raised high, hurling a terrifying impact towards Aokiji.
"Ah la la…"
Aokiji raised an eyebrow, a Zoan-type ancient ability, that's fairly rare.
But… why the sudden and inexplicable attack?
His expression remained indifferent, not batting an eyelid, until the trunk was about to strike his head, he finally raised his right hand at a leisurely pace—
Crack!
Upon contact, a bone-chilling cold air suddenly erupted, spreading from Aokiji's palm as the starting point, terrifying ice frost along the trunk.
Jack stared in fear, struggling desperately, but to no avail, could only watch helplessly as his trunk turned into a glistening ice column in the blink of an eye.
But that was merely the beginning.
The ice layer spread across the entire body at a speed visible to the naked eye, covering the curved tusks, thick legs, and all the way to the tail—in an instant, only the eyeballs remained with limited movement.
All within barely two seconds, this over ten-meter-tall mammoth had completely turned into a lifelike ice sculpture, glistening under the street lights.