Sengoku and the other two were momentarily stunned by the powerful aura radiating from Zoro.
None of them had ever witnessed his strength firsthand.
Everything they knew about him came from reports given by Gion and other Marines.
Among Rolan's crew, Zoro had always seemed relatively unremarkable.
Most of the others were former Warlords, or possessed rare Devil Fruits such as Logia or Mythical Zoan types. There were even scholars from Ohara capable of deciphering ancient texts.
Although Zoro was one of the founding members of the Ion Tempest, he appeared to be just a swordsman without a Devil Fruit ability or any unusual background.
Because of that, his presence had been overshadowed.
Even his bounty had been estimated based only on secondhand accounts.
But the Marines had never truly underestimated any member of Rolan's crew.
Now, it was clear they had still misjudged him.
The aura Zoro released carried overwhelming pressure.
It was already comparable to that of an Admiral.
Despite this, Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru remained completely calm.
Years of experience on the battlefield had made them unshakable.
Even in the face of sudden danger, their expressions did not change.
A fighter at the level of an Admiral was not enough to make them panic.
At that moment, Gion raised her arm and stopped Zoro.
"Zoro, wait."
Zoro glanced at her, slightly puzzled.
"They are Marines," he said.
From the side, Perona added quickly, "Exactly, and not just any Marines, those three are top level figures."
Gion shook her head.
"They have mostly stepped away from their positions."
Perona frowned.
"Even if Sengoku and Garp resigned, they are still part of the Marines. That still makes them dangerous."
On Kuraigana Island, aside from Zoro who focused entirely on training and rarely followed news, the others had kept up with world events.
Perona knew exactly how powerful and influential these figures were.
Gion pointed toward their ship.
"Look carefully. No markings, no crew, only the three of them. Doesn't that tell you something?"
Perona crossed her arms, still unconvinced.
"That makes it even more suspicious. Disguises like that usually mean they're planning something, maybe even a sneak attack on Peach Garden."
Gion shook her head again.
"They know the strength of Peach Garden. Three people are not enough to challenge it. They wouldn't act recklessly."
She understood Sengoku and Tsuru well.
They were not the type to act without preparation.
If they had hostile intentions, they would not come alone.
Perona still looked wary, though her hostility softened slightly.
Even without having visited Peach Garden, she already saw it as her home because of Zoro.
She would not allow anyone to threaten it.
Zoro watched the three figures silently.
Then, he slowly withdrew his aura.
Within moments, the pressure disappeared and the sea returned to normal.
However, his hand remained on the hilt of his sword.
If anything went wrong, he would act immediately.
Gion lowered her arm.
"Zoro, wait for me."
With a few quick Moonwalk steps, she crossed the distance and landed on Sengoku's ship.
"Hey, Sister Gion!" Perona called out, reaching forward, but she was too late.
Zoro spoke her name quietly, his gaze never leaving the three men.
Though he sensed no hostility, his grip on his sword tightened.
If Gion was in danger, he would not hesitate.
Gion smiled faintly toward him before turning to Tsuru.
"Sister Tsuru, you're heading to Peach Garden, right?"
Tsuru gave a small smile.
"You could say that. We're here to take a look. But what about you? Why are you with Rolan's crew?"
Gion instinctively glanced back at Zoro.
A faint blush appeared on her face.
She didn't answer directly, but her expression said enough.
Tsuru immediately understood.
"You chose him?"
Gion nodded without hesitation.
Sengoku and Garp looked at each other, confused at first.
Then realization slowly dawned.
Tsuru's expression turned slightly serious.
"So that's why you resigned from the Marines."
Gion nodded again, her cheeks still tinted.
Tsuru studied her carefully, then looked at Zoro.
In her memory, Gion had always been distant from men.
She had high standards and had never shown interest in anyone.
Yet now, she had chosen this swordsman.
What surprised Tsuru even more was what she had noticed earlier.
The pink haired girl beside Zoro clearly had a close relationship with him as well.
That meant Gion had accepted sharing him.
The thought alone made her uncomfortable.
At that moment, Garp finally burst into laughter.
"Gion, you really went and did it."
He wiped his nose casually and grinned.
"You've always been stubborn. If you've decided, then this old man supports you."
Then he turned his attention toward Zoro.
"But if you want to take our Gion, you better be ready. You're not getting away without proving yourself."
Tsuru frowned.
"Garp, stop talking nonsense."
Garp waved her off.
"You've known her long enough. You know she doesn't make careless decisions."
Tsuru sighed quietly.
She understood Gion better than anyone.
But that did not stop her from worrying.
Gion spoke calmly.
"I know what I'm doing."
Her gaze returned to Zoro.
A soft smile appeared on her face.
"He's the only man I've acknowledged."
Seeing her like this, Tsuru could only let it go.
On the other ship, Perona watched the interaction closely.
When she saw Gion smiling and speaking casually with them, she relaxed.
She wrapped her arm around Zoro's and leaned slightly closer.
"Looks like she's fine."
Zoro nodded slightly, his guard lowering just a bit.
Then he raised his voice toward the other ship.
"Hey, Marines, are you heading to Peach Garden?"
The sea grew quiet again as both sides waited for the answer.
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