Bellemere

At dawn, on the coast of the Oykot Kingdom.

The first faint rays of sunlight fell across the sea, where mist hung in the air.

Roy's figure flickered in and out of sight in the morning mist. With every teleportation, he appeared precisely where pirates trying to escape had hidden.

Whoosh!

A pirate ship laden with plunder was quietly weighing anchor, hurried footsteps clattering across its deck.

"Hurry up! Get away before daybreak—"

Boom!

With a violent blast, Roy's fist came crashing down like a hammer and smashed through the entire deck. Splinters and seawater flew as the pirates screamed and plunged into the sea, sending up splashes.

On the shattered deck, the black-haired youth's back stood aloof as a mountain, his hair whipping in the sea breeze.

He slowly let out a breath. "That's the last one."

His Observation Haki spread rapidly, covering a five-kilometer radius.

After confirming that there were no pirates left in range, Roy finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the sun rising in the east.

"Time to go back."

Whoosh!

His figure flashed and vanished into the morning mist.

Inside the temporary medical tent.

Bellemere leaned against the head of the bed. Her face was still a little pale, but she looked much better than she had yesterday.

Nojiko and Nami nestled beside her, breathing steadily, finally able to sleep soundly.

The tent flap lifted gently, letting in a cool morning breeze carrying a hint of the sea. Roy walked in quietly.

When Bellemere saw him, she immediately tried to push herself up, her eyes full of gratitude. "Mr. Roy, really... thank you so much..."

Roy hurried to the bedside and pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Don't move around. Your wound will open up."

Bellemere gave a rueful smile and relaxed. "Sorry, I got carried away."

Roy shook his head and sat down in the chair beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better."

Bellemere looked down at the two girls in her arms, her eyes soft. "Thanks to you, they survived."

Roy smiled faintly. "I only did what a marine should do."

Bellemere looked up, a hint of puzzlement in her eyes. "Mr. Roy, which branch are you from? Once I've recovered, I have to write a thank-you letter to your superior!"

Roy froze for a moment, then smiled. "I... don't belong to a branch."

"Huh?"

"I'm a trainee at Zephyr's training camp at Marine Headquarters."

Bellemere stared at him, her eyes wide and round. "A student of Instructor Zephyr?! No wonder you're so strong!"

Then she seemed to remember something, and her pupils suddenly contracted. "Wait... the training camp?! Then how old are you..."

Roy spread his hands. "Twelve."

Bellemere went rigid, her lips parting as though she had just heard something utterly unbelievable. "Twelve... twelve years old?!"

That monster who had wiped out hundreds of pirates in a single night, covered his entire body in Armament Haki, and stood over two meters tall... was a twelve-year-old kid?!

Seeing her expression, Roy couldn't help letting out a quiet chuckle. "What? Don't look at me like that."

Bellemere covered her face and sighed toward the heavens. "No... I just suddenly feel like all my years as a marine have been a waste..."

Roy shook his head and looked at her seriously. "No, Bellemere. You protected them. That's what matters most."

Bellemere froze, then looked down at Nami and Nojiko in her arms, her gaze gradually softening. "Yes... this battle made me realize a lot of things."

She took a deep breath, as though she had finally made up her mind. "...I want to adopt them."

Roy nodded, his expression calm. "Mm."

Bellemere pressed her lips together, her voice dropping. "But I'm worried... a marine's work is so busy, I'm afraid I won't be able to take good care of them."

Roy smiled, his tone gentle but firm. "Adopting them doesn't mean you can't be a marine."

Bellemere looked up, a trace of conflict in her eyes. "But..."

Roy looked at her, his gaze resolute. "These two little girls need someone to protect them, and you need to get stronger too. If you encounter another pirate attack like this, how will you protect them?"

Bellemere's pupils trembled slightly, her sense of responsibility as a mother fully awakened.

Roy chuckled softly. "Besides, you're not alone."

Bellemere stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Roy said, "Old man Garp has already applied for housing for you in the marine families' residential area. You can live there without worry from now on."

Bellemere was shocked. "Vice Admiral Garp?! Garp, the 'marine hero'?!"

Roy nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

Bellemere's mouth fell open, her mind nearly grinding to a halt. "Wait... what exactly is your relationship with Vice Admiral Garp?!"

Roy raised an eyebrow and answered bluntly, "I guess... I'm the unlucky guy he grabbed for special training while he was passing by."

Bellemere said, "..."

What's this kid's background?! Is he humblebragging?

Just then, a burst of hearty laughter came from outside the tent.

"Hahaha! Roy! Kid, where did you run off to? I've been looking all over for you!"

Before the words had faded, the flap was thrown open and Garp strode in, clutching a large bag of rice crackers.

Bellemere was dumbfounded. She looked stiffly toward the entrance. "V-Vice Admiral Garp?!"

Garp glanced casually at her and grinned. "Oh! You're that East Blue marine who risked her life to protect the children, right? Good! You've got guts!!"

Bellemere's voice trembled with excitement. "Y-yes, sir!"

Garp chuckled and clapped her on the shoulder, nearly knocking her back onto the bed. "Focus on recovering! Stick with me from now on. You'll have better prospects than at the East Blue branch!"

Bellemere said, "...Huh?"

Roy put a hand to his forehead. "Mr. Garp, don't go poaching people like that..."

Garp roared with laughter. "What's the problem? Sengoku's short of people anyway!"

He turned to look at Nojiko and Nami sleeping soundly on the bed, then suddenly leaned over and pinched Nami's cheek. "This little one's pretty cute!"

Nami blearily opened her eyes, only to see a stubbly face right in front of her. She was so frightened that she immediately burst into tears with a "Waaah!!"

Nojiko woke with a fright too and grabbed her little sister in a hug!

An awkward silence fell over the tent for a few seconds.

Garp scratched his head, then grinned like a chipmunk and pulled two packets of candy from his pocket. "Here, want some candy?"

The sisters blinked at him through tearful eyes for a few seconds. In the end, Nojiko reached out a chubby little hand toward Garp.

Garp roared with laughter. "That's more like it!"

Roy sighed helplessly. "Old man Garp, don't scare them."

Garp waved a hand. "They're kids. Scare them enough and they'll get used to it!"

Bellemere's mouth twitched. "This 'marine hero'... why does he seem so unreliable..."

Several days later, reconstruction was in full swing on the streets of the Oykot Kingdom.

The application for housing in the marine families' residential area was quickly approved, and Bellemere formally adopted Nojiko and Nami.

At the harbor, Roy and Garp prepared to set off for headquarters.

Holding Nojiko's hand and carrying Nami, Bellemere bowed deeply to Roy. "Mr. Roy, truly... thank you so much."

Roy smiled faintly. "It's nothing. Just live well from now on."

Nojiko suddenly ran forward and tugged at the hem of Roy's clothes, her eyes shining. "Big brother, will you come see us again?"

Roy smiled, crouched down, and ruffled her short blue hair. "I will."

Nojiko asked quietly, "Then can we come find you at Marine Headquarters someday?"

Roy smiled warmly. "Of course. When you grow up, you might even become my juniors."

Nojiko's eyes lit up. "I'm going to be a marine! An even stronger one than you, big brother!"

Garp laughed and patted her head. "That's the spirit! I've got high hopes for you!"

Bellemere watched from the side, her eyes full of tenderness and hope.

Roy stood up and looked at Bellemere. "Take care."

Bellemere nodded, determination in her eyes. "You too."

Garp waved a big hand. "Let's go, Roy!"

Roy took one last long look at them, then turned and followed Garp.

Whoosh!

The two figures vanished in an instant beneath the morning sun at the harbor, leaving only a breeze blowing past.

Nojiko's eyes went wide, and she clenched her fists excitedly. "Wow! That was amazing!"

Bellemere gently gathered the girls into her arms and gazed toward the distant horizon, a hint of determination in her smile. "Yes... they really are amazing."