After ending the Den Den Mushi call, Saint Roselith Seraphina gently placed the receiver down.
A trace of helplessness appeared on her delicate face.
"Father… please don't tell me you did something strange again."
Knowing Victor, the possibility was extremely high.
Seraphina sighed softly.
Unfortunately, she was currently stationed far away in East Blue, thousands of miles from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Even if she wanted to confirm the situation herself, she had no way to reach the Grand Line quickly.
More importantly
She was now a Marine officer.
And a Marine could not simply abandon their post whenever they pleased.
Every branch commander carried responsibility.
A heavy responsibility.
Seraphina gathered her long silver hair and tied it neatly behind her head.
Two swords rested against the table beside her.
She picked them up.
The blades were elegant and cold.
One pure white.
One pale blue.
Both were sheathed and secured carefully at her waist.
Click.
She opened the cabin door.
Today, she planned to test the results of Kuina's training over the past several months.
Seraphina walked through the corridor and stepped onto the deck of the Marine warship.
Kuina had already been waiting there.
Unlike Seraphina, the young swordswoman had cut her hair short.
Her soft black hair framed her face neatly.
Clean.
Sharp.
Practical for combat.
Her bright eyes burned with determination.
"Teacher!"
"I'm ready!"
Kuina gripped a bamboo practice sword with both hands.
Left foot forward.
Right foot back.
Her posture was precise.
A perfect kendo stance.
Seraphina smiled faintly.
She walked to the side of the deck and casually picked up another bamboo sword from a barrel used for training.
Without warning
She stepped forward.
Her figure blurred.
In an instant she appeared directly in front of Kuina.
Tap.
The bamboo sword lightly struck Kuina on the head.
"Ow!"
Kuina immediately recoiled.
Even though Seraphina had barely used any strength, the sudden hit still hurt.
Kuina quickly swung her bamboo sword upward, knocking away the blade resting on her head.
Seraphina spoke calmly.
"Kuina."
"The moment your opponent draws their sword…"
"The battle has already begun."
Kuina straightened.
"Yes, Teacher!"
She returned to her stance without the slightest complaint.
Seraphina watched her with approval.
"My little apprentice."
"Blindly defending is useless."
The next moment
Seraphina launched a series of swift attacks.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
The sound of bamboo swords colliding echoed repeatedly across the deck.
However, Seraphina carefully controlled her strength.
She matched Kuina's level rather than overwhelming her.
This was training.
Not domination.
Kuina gritted her teeth.
She quickly realized something.
Her teacher's attacks were flawless.
No openings.
No hesitation.
So Kuina made a decision.
She deliberately swung her sword aggressively to draw Seraphina's attention.
The moment Seraphina responded
Kuina suddenly threw away her bamboo sword.
Then she lunged forward with empty hands.
A bold and reckless tactic.
Of course
Such a move would be extremely dangerous in real combat.
But in rare situations, abandoning a weapon could create unexpected opportunities.
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
With her free hand, she easily intercepted Kuina's attack.
However
Just as she blocked Kuina
The entire warship suddenly shook violently.
BOOM!
The sudden movement disrupted their balance.
Kuina stumbled forward.
And crashed directly into Seraphina.
Kuina's face instantly turned red.
Her cheeks flushed deeply.
But Seraphina didn't notice.
Her attention had already shifted toward the sea.
Two enormous shadows moved beneath the water.
Sea Kings.
The violent shaking was caused by them.
Seraphina gently steadied Kuina.
Then she stepped onto the railing.
"Wait here."
Before Kuina could react
Seraphina jumped into the ocean.
Splash!
Cold seawater closed around her.
Her eyes immediately focused on the creatures below.
"Running wild inside my territory…"
"You must be tired of living."
The warship was about to enter the waters under the jurisdiction of Marine Branch 18.
As its commander, Seraphina took the stability of her region very seriously.
Soon
She saw something familiar.
A long eel-like Sea King.
Smaller than most.
A juvenile.
Seraphina's eyes widened slightly.
It was the Sea King cub she had encountered months ago.
It had disappeared near Cocoyasi Village during her pursuit of Arlong.
At the time, she had actually felt a little disappointed.
After all, the creature had followed her for quite some time.
She had even given it a name.
Luna.
But now
Something else caught her attention.
Another creature was chasing Luna.
This monster had a strange appearance.
A cow's head.
A massive fish-like body.
Seraphina blinked.
She recognized it instantly.
Moo Moo.
The sea cow once used by Arlong's crew.
The creature was much larger than Luna.
The difference in size was enormous.
Luna was clearly being chased.
"Help! Help!"
"Save me!"
Because Seraphina possessed the rare ability known as the Voice of All Things, the cries echoed clearly in her mind.
Seraphina's expression darkened.
Without hesitation
She rushed forward.
BOOM!
Her fist slammed into Moo Moo's head.
Then another punch followed.
"Ah!"
The giant sea cow clutched its head in confusion.
"I was wondering why my pet disappeared…"
"So you were bullying it."
Moo Moo looked extremely wronged.
"Why are you hitting me, human?"
"I was just playing with it!"
Although the creature only produced a long "Moo" sound, Seraphina clearly understood its meaning.
Its watery eyes looked as if it might cry.
Luna immediately protested.
"You're lying!"
"You keep chasing me everywhere!"
"For days!"
"Every time I eat, every time I swim, you follow me!"
"You're a stalker!"
"A total pervert!"
Moo Moo lowered its head pitifully.
"I couldn't find my master…"
"You seemed nice…"
"So I followed you."
"You kept running away."
"I thought we were playing tag…"
"Enough!"
Seraphina punched both of them lightly.
Bonk. Bonk.
"Stop arguing."
Luna sniffled.
"It started it!"
Suddenly
Both creatures froze.
Their eyes widened.
They stared at Seraphina in shock.
"…Wait."
"…How can this human understand us?"
Seraphina blinked.
"Why are you both staring at me like that?"
Moo Moo spoke cautiously.
"How can you understand our language?"
Even though Luna was young, Sea Kings inherited ancient instincts and memories.
Communication with humans should be impossible.
Only one being in the world could naturally command and understand Sea Kings.
Their King.
But this human
She could hear them.
Seraphina shrugged casually.
"You're curious?"
"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure either."
"Ever since my Observation Haki improved…"
"I gained the ability to hear the voices of living things."
The two sea creatures were stunned.
After a moment, Seraphina smiled.
"Well."
"Since neither of you seems to have anywhere to go…"
"Why not follow me?"
"I'll make sure you're well fed."
Moo Moo and Luna looked at each other.
Then they nodded enthusiastically.
Following a human who could actually talk with them seemed… pretty good.
Moo Moo spoke first.
"My name is Moo Moo."
Luna hesitated.
"I… don't have a name."
Seraphina crossed her arms.
"Yes you do."
"I already named you."
"You're Luna."
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