He Has Arrived

Night.

Since Colonel Xia Che had not issued a curfew order, the nights on the Konomi Islands remained quite lively even after dark.

For some workers who had just gotten off work at the factories, nightlife might only just be beginning.

After a busy day, they would choose this time to gather with their fellow workers after work, order a glass of the Konomi Islands' craft brew—Orange Wine—have a simple drink, and chat about their day-to-day lives and hopes for the future.

Most people on the Konomi Islands now had come from elsewhere. They had originally been scavenging in the wastelands, only to be suddenly and utterly bewildered when Captain Moke kidnapped them and brought them here.

Of course~

After arriving here, those who had initially been terrified and afraid became deeply grateful to Captain Moke for kidnapping them and to Colonel Xia Che for protecting this island.

Now, whenever they brought it up again in idle conversation, it carried a different sort of flavor and feeling for them.

And in their hearts, they cherished their current lives even more and felt even more grateful to Colonel Xia Che for giving them everything they had now.

"The orange factory is still desperately short on workers!"

"Of course it is. Orange Marmalade from the Konomi Islands is sold across more than half the East Blue. And I heard that a few days ago, Colonel Xia Che rescued a wealthy merchant couple from Syrup Village from pirates. To thank our Konomi Islands, they're planning to help promote our local specialties too. We're going to be even busier from now on!"

"Good thing Colonel Xia Che rescued them. Otherwise, those rich merchants would probably be dead by now! Colonel Xia Che really is a good man! He's saved so many people. But I heard they caught a lot of pirates this time, and all the factories took them. Why didn't our factory get any?"

"Don't joke around. How could those pirates be qualified to work in our factory? Our orange factory is a pillar industry of the Konomi Islands. Those nasty pirates are only fit for filthy, grueling work. Besides, being busier is good! That means we'll earn more wages!"

"That's true. How wonderful! Honestly, I still find it unbelievable! To think that one day, we'd be here talking about being busy and talking about wages! It all feels like a dream."

"Exactly, like a dream! Since that's the case, let's reward ourselves after a busy day! Let's go have a glass of Orange Wine together! We have to keep working hard tomorrow too!"

"We have to keep working hard tomorrow too!"

A pair of workers who seemed to have just gotten off work passed by.

Of course~

Such scenes were not uncommon here.

Having left Red Romance, Kuzan stood before a flatbread stall with his brown backpack in hand, expressionlessly sweeping his gaze across the street before him.

The passersby... were all workers with weary faces, yet despite being so exhausted, they still wore smiles.

Like the two who had just passed by him. From the sound of it, they had once been scavengers who struggled even to find food, but now they had money to go drink a glass of Orange Wine.

Just then.

As Kuzan curiously looked around.

"Hello, the special flatbread from the Goa Kingdom that you ordered is ready!"

The stall owner's voice pulled Kuzan from his thoughts. He turned back and looked at the steaming hot flatbread that had already been wrapped up for him.

After leaving Red Romance, he had wandered around for a bit.

Then.

He had caught a distinctive aroma. Seeing that it came from a small flatbread stall, and since he had not yet eaten dinner, he decided to come over and give it a try.

It certainly looked good!

"This is a specialty flatbread from the Goa Kingdom, made with the royal family's secret recipe. I paid a hefty price to get it." Seemingly noticing the customer's gaze, the vendor, who was still kneading dough, immediately looked up with a grin. Reciting his long-memorized sales pitch, he lifted his chin and said proudly, "You know, even the Marine Hero said this flatbread was delicious after trying it~"

"Ahhh, really?" Hearing the vendor's words, Kuzan humored him with a suitably astonished reaction, saying with an exaggerated expression, "Even the Marine Hero has eaten it? That's incredible!"

After paying the delighted owner, he took his flatbread and headed toward the docks.

As he walked, he bit into the flatbread in his hand. With one bite... he felt its crisp texture and the rich, fragrant, tender filling inside, and his eyebrows rose.

Not bad. It actually tasted quite good.

But a secret recipe passed down by the Goa Kingdom's royal family?

And the Marine Hero had supposedly praised it?

Just take it with a grain of salt!

How could that be true!

After all, the Goa Kingdom did not have this kind of flatbread.

After finishing the flatbread in two or three bites, Kuzan wiped his hands and arrived at the newly built docks of the Konomi Islands.

If one had not seen it with their own eyes, they would never believe that a poor island in the East Blue that made its living selling oranges could build such a spacious, luxurious dock.

Kuzan walked over to the dockside and looked at his personal ride moored before him—an old-fashioned bicycle.

As he unlocked it, he muttered in mild surprise, "It wasn't stolen? The security here is really good~"

Of course~

He also understood exactly who had brought such enormous changes to the Konomi Islands.

Looking at the pitch-black sea before him, then glancing at the brightly lit Cocoyasi Village behind him, he swung onto his bicycle and leisurely whistled. "What a pleasant vacation. Unfortunately, it's already over."

With that, Kuzan lightly pushed down on the pedal, and the bicycle carried him slowly toward the pitch-black sea ahead.

If anyone had seen this at that moment... their jaws would surely have dropped.

It was unbelievable!

Alone, on a bicycle, he rode steadily across the sea as if he were traveling down a smooth, level road.

Until at last... he vanished into the pitch-black sea.

"Then I'll go get some rest first. You should turn in early too! Even if you don't finish that book today, there's no need to rush. You can always keep reading it later~"

"Alright, dear BOSS. Sweet dreams." Hearing her BOSS speak like such a poor student, Robin smiled helplessly. After the door closed, she lowered her head and continued reading the book in her hands, a faint trace of wistfulness flickering in her eyes as she muttered to herself, "Being able to read peacefully like this is truly a rare thing~"

If she had not come to the East Blue, let alone quietly reading like she was now, even simply surviving would have been difficult.

Come to think of it, how long had it been?

She had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be wanted, to constantly be on the run.

As if she had recalled something, Robin fell silent for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. But as she looked at the book in her hands, she hesitated before gently closing it.

Imitating Xia Che, she stretched languidly. Beneath her fitted white shirt and black Western-style pencil skirt, her full and graceful figure—unique to a woman of the sea—was immediately on display.

If Xia Che had not left yet, he surely would have had another feast for his eyes.

Robin then rose to her feet as well, picked up her little notebook and book, put them away, and headed toward where she lived.

After coming to the East Blue, she had lived in the same officers' quarters as her BOSS.

It was a standalone two-story building.

Only—

Her BOSS lived on the first floor, while she lived on the second.

As for Nami and Guina, they lived in the neighboring building. Oh, right—Miss Tashigi had moved in there a few days ago as well. Apparently, she wanted to talk with Guina about their childhood.

At this moment—

Robin had just left the Marine Branch 16 office and was heading toward the officers' quarters.

Suddenly—

It felt as though something had brushed past her. A chill surged up from deep within her heart, and Robin's calm, elegant smile froze at once. As though she had recalled some terrible memory, she came to a complete stop.

She abruptly turned her head, only to find nothing there.

After a moment of silence, Robin came back to herself. Looking at the ice that had somehow formed on her hand, her expression returned to blank indifference, as if nothing had happened, and she continued forward.

Though she walked on calmly, she felt a bone-piercing chill rise from within her, making her recall that familiar sensation once again.

Though she had not seen anyone, Robin knew clearly...

"He... has come!"