"Hm?"
"Kuina… have you gotten bigger?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her expression perfectly innocent, as though she had just made a harmless observation.
For a moment, the entire bath chamber seemed to freeze.
Kuina's face went scarlet almost instantly.
At some point while Seraphina had been teasing her, Kuina had already climbed out of the bath in a panic and was now standing barefoot on the polished floor, clutching the towel tightly against her chest as if her life depended on it.
Her still-developing figure trembled slightly from embarrassment.
"Teacher…!"
"P-Please stop joking around!"
Her voice rose in pitch out of pure panic.
The steam around her only made the situation feel more humiliating.
Seeing that her little disciple truly looked like she was on the verge of combusting from embarrassment, Seraphina finally gave in and lifted both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright~"
"I'll stop."
Then, with the corners of her lips curling upward, she added casually,
"Kuina, let's train together tomorrow."
Kuina blinked.
The topic had shifted so suddenly that her brain lagged for a second.
"Huh?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Seraphina turned and leaned lightly against the edge of the doorway, crossing her arms.
"Patrolling here is boring anyway."
"There's nothing interesting about it."
"Tomorrow, we'll train while I work."
Kuina stared at her blankly.
"Train… while patrolling?"
Seraphina nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"No choice."
"The World Conference security duty sounds important, but in reality, it's just the same old people coming and going."
"Kings, nobles, retainers, attendants, diplomats… all of them walking around acting important."
She let out a quiet breath.
"To be honest, I originally wanted to use this opportunity to properly observe the rulers of the world."
"I thought I might be able to get a clearer understanding of what kind of people hold power over the various nations."
"But after what I saw today…"
She paused for half a second.
Then her tone flattened.
"Not one of them impressed me."
That was the truth.
The kings and nobles who had already arrived at Mary Geoise had, for the most part, only deepened her disappointment.
Some were arrogant.
Some were greedy.
Some were weak-willed.
Some had long since rotted beneath the luxury of their own status.
There were very few who carried the bearing of someone truly worthy of ruling others.
And after the incident involving the noble from the Kingdom of Notus not to mention the later encounter with Charloss Seraphina's motivation to treat this security assignment seriously had plummeted even further.
She had already figured it out.
The Navy dispatching an Admiral and a Rear Admiral to assist with the defense of Mary Geoise during the Reverie was mostly for show.
A political gesture.
A visible symbol of Marine presence.
Because in truth, there was almost no chance that any external enemy would successfully attack the Holy Land during this period.
Marineford was already on high alert.
A large number of Vice Admirals and elite forces had been mobilized.
The Admirals remained within response range.
And above all else, Mary Geoise itself was under the watch of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero the strongest intelligence and enforcement force directly under the Celestial Dragons.
Even if a real incident occurred, Seraphina and Kizaru would only be one layer of response among many.
In other words
She and Kizaru were mostly there to fill the quota.
To represent the Navy.
To stand there and look official.
And if that was the case…
Then it would be a waste not to use this opportunity for something more meaningful.
She still wasn't strong enough.
Not nearly strong enough.
There were still too many monsters in this world who stood above her.
Too many people she could not yet defeat.
Too many forces she could not yet challenge head-on.
If she wanted to truly realize the future she envisioned…
If she wanted to reshape this world one day…
Then strength was not optional.
Without power, ideals were nothing but decorative words.
She had already been given a chance beyond reason.
A second life.
A terrifying talent.
And
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
Reminder: Host's current growth trajectory remains within optimal range.
Do not neglect daily accumulation.
Any interruption in long-term combat conditioning may affect future peak potential.
Yes.
She could never allow herself to become complacent.
She had to make full use of the talent and advantages she had been granted.
There was no room for laziness.
There was no room for stagnation.
Kuina, meanwhile, had only managed to process half of what Seraphina said.
But one thing she understood clearly:
Her teacher was serious.
So she nodded obediently.
"I understand, Teacher."
Then, after a slight pause, she tightened the towel around herself and lowered her voice awkwardly.
"Um… but…"
"Could I ask Teacher to step outside for a little while first…"
Her damp black hair clung softly to her flushed cheeks.
Clear droplets of water slid down her fair skin and along the line of her neck.
Even though she tried to keep a straight face, the embarrassment in her expression was impossible to hide.
Seraphina looked at her for a moment.
Then, with a completely unhelpful expression, she muttered under her breath,
"You were pretty open before."
"Why are you so shy now?"
Kuina nearly died on the spot.
Thankfully, Seraphina did not continue.
Instead, she waved one hand lazily and finally stepped back out of the bathroom.
"Fine, fine."
"I'm leaving."
The door slid shut behind her.
The moment Seraphina was gone, Kuina let out a long, exhausted breath as though she had just survived some kind of life-or-death trial.
She placed one hand over her chest and patted it lightly.
Then she crouched slightly, burying half her face in the towel while her ears burned red.
"Kuina…"
She whispered to herself in a shaky voice.
"You are a woman destined to become the World's Greatest Swordsman…"
"How can you be defeated this easily…?"
It sounded less like self-encouragement and more like desperate psychological first aid.
Still, after saying it out loud, she felt marginally better.
Only marginally.
The next morning.
The cries of seagulls echoed across the coast.
Waves rolled rhythmically against the massive walls and port structures below the Red Line.
At the harbor entrance beneath Mary Geoise, ships of every shape and size gradually gathered as more royal delegations arrived for the Reverie.
One large vessel in particular was drawing steadily closer to the docking point.
Standing at the railing with her upper body practically hanging forward from excitement, a little blue-haired girl stared wide-eyed at the bustling harbor ahead.
"Wow!"
"Father!"
"The ships up ahead are huge!"
"And there are so many of them!"
Her voice was full of unrestrained curiosity.
Nefertari Vivi's eyes sparkled as she pointed toward the harbor, where countless vessels were already anchored in orderly rows.
There were escort ships.
Merchant ships.
Government vessels.
Royal ships carrying the banners of kingdoms from all over the world.
Some were elegant and majestic.
Others were intimidating and heavily fortified.
The sight was enough to overwhelm any child seeing it for the first time.
Behind her, Nefertari Cobra, King of Alabasta, gave a helpless but fond smile.
"Haha…"
"Vivi, it looks like we've arrived."
As he said that, he placed one hand carefully against her back not because he wanted to interrupt her excitement, but because he was genuinely worried she might lean too far over the railing and fall straight into the sea.
Vivi immediately turned back toward him, her face shining.
"Really?!"
"This is the Holy Land Mary Geoise?!"
"It's so beautiful!"
As the ship drew closer and closer, the upper levels of the Red Line and the sprawling grandeur of the Holy Land gradually came into clearer view.
Towering white structures rose majestically in the distance.
Elegant bridges, terraces, gardens, and official buildings stood layered against the sunlight.
Everything looked spotless.
Everything looked refined.
Everything looked… impossibly far removed from the ordinary world.
The harbor itself was also bustling with life.
Well-dressed nobles moved alongside attendants and soldiers.
Officials coordinated arrivals.
Royal entourages descended from their ships one after another.
The entire place radiated the atmosphere of a gathering where the rulers of the world had come together beneath one banner.
Not long after their ship fully docked, the escorting Marine personnel completed the final formalities of arrival.
Then one of the escorting officers stepped forward.
"King Cobra."
"Our escort mission ends here."
"We will now return to our assigned station."
Cobra turned and nodded respectfully.
"Thank you very much for the escort, Vice Admiral Yamakaji."
Standing before him, Vice Admiral Yamakaji gave a short, calm nod.
The man carried himself with the composed dignity of a seasoned Marine.
During the voyage, Cobra had already spent enough time speaking with him to form a solid impression.
And that impression had been very favorable.
Yamakaji was not one of those Marines who merely wore justice as a decorative slogan.
He was a man with real principles.
A Marine who truly believed in the role he served.
A soldier who understood both duty and restraint.
That alone was enough to earn Cobra's respect.
In fact, during the voyage, Cobra had found himself thinking more than once:
If the Marines were all like this man… then perhaps the Navy truly could become a force worthy of the world's trust.
On the other hand, Yamakaji had also formed a favorable impression of Cobra.
From their conversations, it was easy to tell that the King of Alabasta was not an incompetent ruler coasting on inherited authority.
He cared deeply about his country.
He understood responsibility.
And most importantly, he genuinely cared about the people under his rule.
Yamakaji had seen enough kings in his life to know that such rulers were rarer than they should have been.
If Alabasta had a king like Cobra, then its people were fortunate.
The two men exchanged one final nod.
Then the Marine warship slowly departed, moving away from the royal docking area.
But the moment it vanished from view
A loud, unpleasant voice suddenly shattered the calm.
"Cobra!"
"So you came too, you bastard!"
The voice was so obnoxiously aggressive that even Vivi instinctively stiffened.
Cobra's expression changed slightly as he turned toward the source.
Standing not far away was an absurdly ugly and overweight man who looked almost like a bloated hippopotamus in human form.
His body was thick and misshapen.
His dark purple hair was short, greasy, and clearly neglected.
A cylindrical metal plate sat beneath his lower lip like some ridiculous piece of self-decoration.
His entire appearance screamed vulgarity.
This man was none other than the king of the Drum Kingdom.
Wapol.
The moment Cobra saw him, his expression darkened slightly.
"Wapol."
The man immediately grinned in a deeply irritating way.
"I told you before, didn't I?"
"If I saw you at the Reverie, you'd better be ready."
His tone carried the crude arrogance of someone who had never once learned the difference between status and worth.
Cobra's eyes narrowed.
"The Reverie is not your personal playground, Wapol."
"Watch your mouth."
Even though Cobra's voice remained controlled, there was unmistakable firmness in it.
As a king, he could not simply bow his head every time another ruler chose to provoke him.
But even so
He also could not allow things to escalate recklessly.
Because Wapol was not some random thug.
He was also a king.
And the Drum Kingdom and Alabasta were both sovereign nations.
If the leaders of two nations openly clashed here, the consequences would not remain personal.
It could quickly become a diplomatic issue.
Or worse
A cause for future conflict between states.
That was exactly the kind of thing Cobra had always tried to avoid.
Wapol, however, only sneered when he saw Cobra's restraint.
Then his eyes shifted.
And landed on Vivi.
His expression changed into something uglier.
"Hm?"
"This your daughter?"
"She's pretty cute."
Then he added in a tone that instantly made Cobra's expression turn colder,
"You'd better keep a close eye on her in the future."
Vivi immediately shrank back in fear and grabbed the edge of Cobra's coat.
Wapol, meanwhile, lost interest almost as quickly as he had spoken.
He snorted dismissively and turned away.
A king like Cobra, who didn't even have the guts to start a war, was simply not worth much in Wapol's eyes.
To him, strength meant aggression.
Authority meant domination.
A nation's value was measured only by what it could conquer.
And in his twisted view, Alabasta with its massive population and wide territory was simply being wasted under Cobra's rule.
If he were king of such a country, he believed he would have already used its resources and military power to devour surrounding nations one after another.
In his own delusional fantasy, he would eventually become some great hegemon of the Grand Line.
An idiot's dream.
Once Wapol was finally gone, Vivi slowly peeked out from behind her father.
Her small face was pale.
"Father…"
Cobra looked down at her.
The fear in her expression did not escape him.
So, after a brief silence, he slowly crouched down to her height and gently held her hand.
"Vivi."
"Do you think your father is weak?"
"Or perhaps… incompetent?"
Vivi's eyes widened slightly.
Then she shook her head with force.
"No!"
"Father is a great king!"
Her answer came so quickly and so firmly that Cobra almost smiled despite himself.
Because Vivi knew.
She understood far more than most children her age ever could.
She knew her father was not weak.
She knew he endured things for a reason.
She had seen him work late into the night more times than she could count.
She had seen him seated behind piles of documents, frowning under candlelight while discussing water supply, trade, food security, and the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
Alabasta was a desert kingdom.
Every year, the issue of water remained one of the nation's greatest burdens.
Every year, there were regions that suffered.
Every year, there were people who needed help.
And every year, Cobra threw himself into that responsibility without complaint.
Even though he was only in his forties, strands of white had already begun to appear in his hair.
The kingdom weighed on him every single day.
Vivi had seen all of it.
So how could she ever think he was weak?
Cobra looked at his daughter for a moment longer.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Vivi."
"You must understand something."
"The people respect the Nefertari Family not because we wear crowns."
"Not because we are royalty."
"Not because we sit above them."
He tightened his hold on her little hand slightly.
"They respect us because we are supposed to lead them toward a better life."
"Because we are supposed to protect them."
"Not sacrifice them."
"Not drag them into endless wars just to satisfy pride."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
But every word carried the weight of conviction.
"As royals, we must carry responsibility."
"We do not have the right to act however we please."
"We do not live only for ourselves."
"We carry the expectations of an entire nation."
"And we must never betray that trust."
Vivi's bright eyes trembled.
Before she knew it, tears had already welled up and gathered at the corners.
"I know…"
"I know, Father…"
She raised one arm quickly and tried to wipe them away before they could fall.
But the tears still came.
And once they started, it became harder and harder to stop them.
She didn't cry loudly.
She didn't throw a tantrum.
She simply bit her lip and tried her best to hold herself together.
Because she understood.
Because she was Nefertari Vivi.
And because she knew that one day
She, too, would have to shoulder that same responsibility.
Cobra looked at her with a complicated tenderness.
Then he gently placed one hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair.
His daughter had always been a strong child.
Much stronger than people realized.
Since she was very young, she had already learned how to be considerate.
Whenever he was overwhelmed with work, she would quietly stay by his side.
Whenever she was upset, she rarely complained.
Whenever she felt lonely or sad, she often kept it all inside.
And when she truly couldn't bear it anymore
She would find some quiet, hidden corner and cry by herself while looking at her late mother's portrait.
Cobra knew all of that.
He knew far more than she thought he did.
And because he knew
He also understood something else very clearly.
His daughter was kind.
Gentle.
Strong.
And one day, whether she wished for it or not…
She was destined to inherit the burden of the Nefertari Family.