"Marine?"
Everyone turned toward the figure, and sure enough, they saw a tall woman wearing a light-colored shirt beneath her Justice cloak. She was strikingly beautiful, with a small mole at the corner of her mouth.
Rolan recognized her instantly — this was Vice Admiral Gion, a high-ranking Marine officer known for her strength and skill.
Robin and the others remained composed. They all understood that Golden City was effectively neutral territory and that neither Marine nor Pirate could act without risking massive conflict.
Issho's eyelids twitched at the word "Marine." Compared to pirates, he had a better impression of the Marines, though he knew their flaws.
Gion seemed to sense movement and turned her head toward Rolan's group. Upon seeing who they were, she began walking toward them deliberately.
Lina regarded the approaching Marine with alert eyes — not out of fear, but because the woman was undeniably attractive and walking directly toward Rolan. Already, her thoughts began to wander. Would Rolan lose control? The same thought flickered in Hancock and the others' eyes — worried he might blunder into something awkward.
Before Rolan could ponder further, Nami nudged his waist and grinned brightly. "What's this? A Marine Vice Admiral approaching us? Rolan, your hunting range really does know no bounds."
Rolan's expression gave off one of confusion. "Nothing of the sort, entirely misunderstood," he insisted in a low voice, as if he were the one wronged.
Just then Gion arrived before them, scanning the group with a slight look of disappointment before her gaze settled on Rolan. Her tone was teasing, but there was an edge to it.
"Oh, I didn't expect our infamous God Slayer Rolan to be leisurely bringing his wives to Golden City for sightseeing."
Rolan's eyes narrowed subtly at her choice of words. Was she mocking him?
"Yes," he replied smoothly, "I heard this place is the world's premier entertainment city, so I brought them along."
He glanced over Gion's form casually. There was no denying her beauty — poised and mature, with not a single trace of age beneath her composed exterior.
Curiosity flickered in his tone as he added, "I wonder what Vice Admiral Gion is doing here."
Gion offered no immediate answer. Her presence in Golden City wasn't to hunt pirates — she had come on orders to investigate rumors of a possible arms transaction involving a weapons syndicate and the Revolutionary Army. She had not expected to run into Rolan and his company here.
At this, Rolan's brow lifted slightly in surprise, his stoic face betraying the tiniest hint of confusion. Before he could ask her about it, Gion spoke again.
"Why don't I see that swordsman young man?" she asked, her eyes fixed on Rolan with a strange intensity.
Rolan raised one brow. "You mean Roronoa Zoro?"
Gion nodded with a hint of eagerness.
At once, the tension around the women eased. Since this Marine Vice Admiral's interest seemed not to be about Rolan at all, everyone relaxed.
Rolan, on the other hand, was puzzled. Why was Gion searching for Zoro?
The confusion deepened when Rolan caught a fleeting look in her eyes — a momentary hint of something shy, almost vulnerable.
He stood there, processing it. Zoro and Gion had only met once before, and that as opponents. So why did her expression suggest something… more than mere rivalry? He hadn't known the particulars of their last confrontation, but he had assumed Zoro's stoic Green Algae Head temperament would never inspire anything romantic.
He wondered whether he should try to play matchmaker — Zoro was notoriously awful with romance, after all.
"What exactly does Marineford's Vice Admiral want with Zoro?" Rolan asked, his voice deceptively calm.
Gion's cheeks flushed faintly as she met his gaze, eyes burning with candid intensity.
"Tell Zoro," she said without hesitation, "that I'm interested in him."
!!
Everyone was stunned into silence.
Lina and the others were impressed — boldness like that coming from a Marine Vice Admiral was astonishing.
Robin's expression softened with interest, glancing at Gion's retreating form.
Even Issho seemed taken aback.
Rolan's jaw tightened slightly. Holy crap, she said that so directly? he thought, not at all prepared for such a confession.
Now fully aware of her feelings, Rolan decided to lean into it and help where he could. If anyone could guide Zoro toward something resembling romance, it might as well be him.
"Then," he said, his voice calm and measured, "would you like to visit Peach Garden to find Zoro together?"
Gion paused in thought. She had come to Golden City only on a mission, never expecting to meet Rolan, let alone encounter the pirates at all. Yet as a woman unafraid to love boldly, her heart was already pulled in another direction.
She had met many fighters and many pirates, but the one who made her heart flutter — perhaps for the first time — was that young swordsman with emerald hair.
Though she was a Marine Vice Admiral, she did not feel strong allegiance to the Marines. She understood their hidden corruption and hypocrisy. If she were to choose between her duties and this young swordsman, she knew exactly what her heart wanted.
Seeing Gion's expression soften with genuine consideration, Rolan felt a quiet satisfaction that Zoro might finally have a chance at something more than solitary wandering.
"Um… I came to Golden City to…" Gion began, when suddenly a Den Den Mushi on her wrist buzzed urgently.
Buruburu, it vibrated.
Gion stepped aside, nodding to Rolan apologetically and answering the call.
"Gion-chan, we have a lead," a voice whispered through the receiver.
Her brow creased in mild irritation. "Where?" she asked sharply.
"It's underground at store number ten in the East District."
"Understood, and don't call me by that name again," she snapped before ending the call.
Turning back to Rolan, she declared firmly, "Tell Zoro, I've been single my entire life. He is the first man I have ever truly loved, and he will be the last. I'm going to find him."
With that, she turned and walked away without waiting for a response.
Lina stared after her, wide-eyed. "Rolan… I'm not dreaming, right? That really was Marine Vice Admiral Gion just now?"
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Rolan allowed himself a small smirk, expression distant yet calm. "Yes. Even I did not expect that."
Lina muttered with respect, "That Green Algae Head really has talent, to inspire such admiration from a Marineford Vice Admiral."
Even Issho, veteran of countless battles and controversies, stood there quietly stunned.
___
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