People's hearts could die more completely than anything else. Ace had carried the burden of being the Pirate King's son for seventeen years, and at last he had given up all hope of survival. Even if Rono let him go now, he wouldn't be a pirate again. Perhaps he'd find some remote little town and spend the rest of his life there.
It was time for another one of Rono's high-speed voyages. They'd reach Enies Lobby in just half a month.
"Spandam, did you miss me?" Rono dashed toward Spandam's office, with Sairona following behind alongside Ace and Gelu.
As for Brook, he'd disembarked. Near the Red Line Continent, he was going to find Laboon and fulfill a promise made decades too late. Brook had said, "Mr. Rono, Mr. Sairona, you're powerful pirates, and I'm too weak to be of any help. But as long as I, Brook, am alive, I'll gladly help you whenever you need me. Yohohohoho! I'm going to see Laboon. Until we meet again."
Rono kicked the door open, only to find Axia instead of Spandam. "Span—darling╲(∧w∧)╱!" Rono immediately forgot all about Spandam and rushed to embrace Axia.
At the word "darling," Axia's face turned red. "What do you think you're doing, kid? We're not married yet." Mo sidestepped to block Rono's path.
"Oh! Uncle Mo, you're here too?" Rono exclaimed in surprise.
Mo had gotten used to Rono's odd behavior. He took the tea Spandam poured and, ignoring Rono's question, said, "I came this time to arrange your engagement to Axia."
"What?!" Rono's mouth fell open. Axia sneaked a glance at him, then lowered her head, blushing.
"What? You don't want to?" Mo's expression changed in an instant, and he glared murderously. If Rono dared say no, Mo would finish him off with a solo kill and send him flying.
"Of course I do! It's just so sudden." Rono waved his hands frantically.
"Rono, you're getting engaged?" Sairona walked in. He was still single, while Rono was already about to have a fiancée.
"Gelu Gelu?" Gelu asked, not understanding. "What does 'engaged' mean?"
"It means you're going to have a mother," Sairona said calmly.
"Gelu!" Gelu jumped up happily. Under Rono's bear-style parenting, Gelu felt he lacked not just a mother's love, but a father's love even more.
"Then it's settled. Let's have the engagement next month, after Goldo Ace is executed." Mo really wanted it to happen as soon as possible.
"No problem. Darling, give me a hug." Rono opened his arms. Mo stepped aside. They were getting engaged, so a hug was fine.
Axia stood up shyly and turned her head away, neither speaking nor moving. She still had a little feminine modesty. Rono immediately pulled her into his arms.
His embrace is so warm, just like... two years ago. Axia thought, resting her head against Rono's chest. (Rono had crouched down to hug her.) Her small hands circled his waist. She breathed in his scent, closed her eyes, and smiled softly.
Under Mo's watchful gaze, Rono finally let go of Axia, reluctantly. Her chest is so big and soft. I like it.
Axia gazed at Rono, her eyes overflowing with affection.
"Axia, let's go. Mm, we'll take Ace with us too." Mo grabbed Ace by the chain of his handcuffs and headed outside.
"They're finally gone." Spandam wiped away a bead of sweat. "Rono, the Marines wanted me to tell you that Jinbe's coming after you. He says you broke up one of his Fish-Man Pirates and wants you to answer for it."
"Tell him to come fight me!" Rono was still worked up. At Mo's warning glance, he didn't go after Axia. Without even turning his head, he replied.
"I figured you'd say that, so I already answered for you." Spandam drained his tea in one gulp, then spat it out with a splutter. It was scalding.
"What did you tell him?" Sairona asked, somewhat interested.
"Time and place, pick a street, bring as many people as you want." Spandam answered after taking a sip of ice water.
"Why does that sound like street punks arranging a brawl?" Sairona remarked.
"Huh? Does it? I think it sounds badass!" Spandam couldn't stand for that. Sairona could insult him, but he couldn't insult his taste.
"Yeah, yeah, I think it's awesome too." Rono cleared his throat and put on a swaggering expression, the kind that could get you beaten up ten times just walking down the street. "Pick the time and place. One-on-one or a group fight?"
"Spandam, did I do a good job?" Rono immediately switched to a goofy expression and asked him.
"That's exactly the feeling." Spandam clenched his right fist and smacked it into his palm.
"Can you even 1v5? We can't carry a useless teammate." Sairona kept teasing him.
"Gelu." Gelu indicated that he could be carried.
"Sure, sure." Sairona answered wearily. The future looked bleak.
"Oh, Rono, I just remembered something. Didn't you say you wanted a bracer that was insanely cool and awesome? The Research Department's already making it for you. It should be finished the day after tomorrow." Spandam remembered Rono's request for gear.
"How much?" Rono wasn't excited. He narrowed his eyes at Spandam, sensing that he was about to get fleeced.
"This much." Spandam held up five fingers.
"Phew—only fifty million? That's not expensive." Rono breathed a sigh of relief, but why hadn't that feeling gone away?
"It's five hundred million. I managed to get them to waive the change."
"Pfft—" Rono spat out the tea he'd just drunk, spraying Spandam in the face. "Even if it's made of gold, it shouldn't cost that much!"
"Actually, it cost a lot more than gold. Also, you have to buy it, because their funds ran dry making your gear."
"Can I pay a little extra and get a Whitebeard instead?" Rono quipped.
"Oh, the Research Department asked me to tell you they've already charged you. You don't need to pay again." Spandam added another piece of news that nearly made Rono spit blood.
"What the hell! How did they know my bank card password?" Rono was devastated. They can't just do this to me!
"Huh? Didn't you tell them yourself? You said to use the best materials, that money was no object, and you left your bank card there and gave them the password. How else did you think they'd make it for you? It would've taken at least a year." Spandam looked at Rono as if he were an idiot. Rono took a hundred million points of damage.
"Damn idiot." Sairona couldn't watch any longer. He carried Gelu away. "Gelu, don't look. You'll get stupid."
Gelu, who'd been peeking around, immediately ducked his head and buried it in Sairona's chest. Gelu didn't want to get stupid.
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