The banquet lasted deep into the night.
Singing echoed through the wooden halls of the Dadan Family's hideout. Laughter rolled like thunder as mugs slammed against tables and roasted meat disappeared faster than anyone could cook it.
Even the roughest bandits had begun chatting freely.
Stories were exchanged.
Jokes were shouted across the room.
And at the center of the lively gathering sat a man whose name was famous across the seas.
Monkey D. Garp.
The Marine Hero.
Vice Admiral of the Marines.
A living legend.
A top-tier combatant who stood at the pinnacle of the seas.
Years ago, he had joined forces with the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, to defeat the terrifying pirate captain Rocks D. Xebec during the legendary God Valley Incident.
And later
It was this same man who cornered Roger countless times and ultimately witnessed the Pirate King's surrender.
There was no doubt.
Garp was a monster among monsters.
Garp raised a huge mug of ale and grinned.
"Junior!"
"I thank you on behalf of my two grandsons!"
He spoke loudly, slapping the table.
Clearly, he had forgotten Saint Roselith Seraphina's true identity.
But the Marine coat she wore was enough.
To him, that meant she was a Marine subordinate.
Calling her "junior" was perfectly natural.
This was also the first time Seraphina had met the legendary Marine Hero.
She could not deny a certain curiosity.
Was this man truly as powerful as the stories claimed?
"Oh right!"
"I never asked your name!"
Garp leaned forward and casually patted her shoulder with a heavy hand.
Seraphina calmly sipped the barley tea in her cup.
The roasted fragrance was rich and soothing.
For a moment, she allowed herself to relax.
"My name is Seraphina," she said.
"Vice Admiral Garp may simply call me Seraphina."
"Hmm?"
Garp scratched his head.
"Seraphina, huh?"
He nodded approvingly.
To him, a Marine capable of defeating pirates and protecting civilians deserved respect regardless of rank.
But the name still sounded strangely familiar.
Garp squinted slightly.
Something about it rang a bell.
At that moment he noticed something peculiar.
Seraphina's eyes remained closed.
Always closed.
At first, he thought she was simply resting them.
After all, it did not hinder her movements in the slightest.
She moved naturally.
Gracefully.
Effortlessly.
Most people overlooked the detail entirely.
But Garp's sharp instincts eventually noticed.
She had never opened them.
Not once.
Seraphina sensed his gaze.
Her Observation Haki clearly detected the focused attention directed at her face.
"Vice Admiral Garp," she said calmly.
"Although I cannot see you…"
"I can perceive your presence clearly."
Garp froze.
"…Eh?"
A blind Marine?
Since when had such a person joined the Marines?
And a Captain no less?
How had he never heard about it?
Garp scratched his chin, thinking deeply.
Seraphina… blind… Celestial Dragons… bubble helmet…
His eyes widened.
He stared at her in disbelief.
Seraphina's brow twitched slightly.
Vice Admiral Garp.
You are thinking something extremely rude right now.
Isn't that correct?
Sensing the faint irritation in her aura, Garp burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! What sharp senses!"
He finally remembered.
Saint Roselith Seraphina.
A Celestial Dragon who had joined the Marines.
But what truly shocked him was something else.
"She's… a girl?"
Garp had always despised the Celestial Dragons.
The arrogant nobles living in Mary Geoise.
To him, they were parasites clinging to the world.
If not for the fragile balance of global stability maintained by the World Government, Garp would have punched several of them long ago.
Yet the woman sitting before him felt nothing like those nobles.
Her presence was calm.
Sharp.
Disciplined.
Then suddenly
"Hey! Big Sis Seraphina!"
A round, stuffed figure waddled toward them.
It was Monkey D. Luffy.
His stomach was so full it looked like a balloon.
"Are you a blind person?"
"What's a blind person?"
Clearly, Luffy had taken a liking to her.
After all she had saved his brother.
But the young boy didn't fully understand what blindness meant.
Seraphina paused.
For a rare moment, she didn't know how to answer.
To say she couldn't see…
Yet she perceived the world.
To say she had lost sight…
Yet what was sight?
She remained silent.
"Idiot Luffy!"
A fist smacked his head.
Portgas D. Ace sighed.
"Seraphina can't see things normally."
Ace had spent time in the Gray Terminal.
There, he had met people who had lost their eyesight.
They were called blind.
Still he found it hard to believe.
The Marine Captain who defeated Bluejam so easily…
Was blind?
Luffy tilted his head.
"But then why is she so strong?"
Garp answered.
"That's because of Observation Haki."
"Her Observation Haki is extremely powerful."
What Garp didn't know was that Seraphina also possessed a far rarer ability.
The mysterious Voice of All Things.
Luffy's eyes sparkled.
"Then if I learn Observation Haki… can I become as strong as Big Sis Seraphina?!"
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"No."
Luffy deflated instantly.
"You also need a powerful body…"
"And an unbreakable will."
"A heart that never stops moving forward."
Kuina listened quietly beside them.
She memorized every word.
So that was the secret to her teacher's strength.
No.
Kuina suddenly narrowed her eyes.
Teacher must also be using some kind of unfair advantage!
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
Skill Analysis Complete
Observation Haki Mastery: Advanced
Combat Prediction Accuracy: 92%
Seraphina ignored the system prompt.
Garp leaned forward again.
"Do you know the pirate you fought?"
"You mean Bluejam?"
Ace nodded.
"Yeah. We know him."
"We stole treasure from him once."
He paused.
His voice grew darker.
"He was the one who burned Gray Terminal a year ago."
Seraphina understood immediately.
The Bluejam Pirates had once cooperated with the nobles of Goa Kingdom.
But later the kingdom discarded them.
Bluejam's crew was wiped out.
If he survived…
He would hate Goa Kingdom with every fiber of his being.
Seraphina did not feel concerned.
Even if Bluejam had escaped.
He was insignificant.
Too weak.
Her strength would only continue to grow.
If he sought revenge against Goa Kingdom
So be it.
When she returned here someday, she could settle everything at once.
However, another matter required attention.
Marine Branch Captain Jess.
Corruption.
Bribery.
That would need to be reported to Marine Headquarters.
A small mischievous thought surfaced in her mind.
Instead of returning immediately to the warship—
She descended the mountain.
Toward the small seaside village below.
Foosha Village.
The legendary birthplace of the future Pirate King.
She had no ulterior motive.
She simply wished to see the place.
Morning arrived quietly.
Birdsong echoed through the open window.
Golden sunlight slipped through the thin curtains.
A few strands of silver hair rested against Seraphina's collarbone.
She slowly opened her eyes out of habit.
Though they still saw nothing.
She stretched slightly.
The exhaustion from months at sea had finally lifted.
For the first time in a long while she had slept peacefully.
"Miss Seraphina, you're awake already?"
A gentle voice greeted her.
It was Makino, the kind bar owner of the village.
Though she ran a tavern, she also offered lodging to travelers.
Outside the window Kuina was already training.
Her small body moved relentlessly.
Wooden sword cutting through the air again and again.
Sweat rolled down her forehead.
She had awakened even earlier.
Seraphina watched silently.
As a teacher…
She had been completely outdone by her student.
But she didn't feel embarrassed.
Resting properly was also part of training.
Because today she had something important to do.
Her thoughts returned to the words spoken long ago by Roronoa Zoro.
How far am I…
From becoming the strongest in the world?
There was only one way to find out.
Seraphina stood.
Her coat fluttered lightly behind her.
Then she walked outside.
Where a certain legendary Marine stood eating breakfast.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
Her voice was calm.
But firm.
"Let's have a fight."