Time returned to a few minutes earlier.
"Good afternoon, Admiral Kizaru."
Saint Roselith Seraphina gave a polite greeting as she rose from her seat.
No matter what, Borsalino was still an Admiral of the Marines and her senior in rank.
At the very least, proper courtesy had to be maintained.
Besides, he had helped her more than once before.
Probably.
"Ooh… how polite."
Kizaru adjusted his sunglasses and spoke in his usual lazy tone.
"How about we go have lunch together?"
It was a casual invitation, one made more out of habit than sincerity.
Seraphina immediately understood that much.
"No, thank you."
"I won't trouble you any further, Admiral."
She declined with a faint smile and a slight shake of her head.
Kizaru merely shrugged.
"Scary… young people really are diligent these days."
Before either of them could say anything more, both suddenly sensed a disturbance near the main entrance of the conference hall.
A ripple of commotion spread through the crowd.
Their expressions changed almost at the same time.
Though Kizaru still looked as leisurely as ever, Seraphina's senses sharpened instantly.
Her Kenbunshoku Haki expanded outward in a flash.
The voices.
The footsteps.
The panic.
The impact.
In an instant, the scene near the entrance became clear in her perception.
A little girl had been struck.
And not just any little girl.
It was Princess Vivi of Alabasta.
Seraphina's silver eyes narrowed.
She had not expected to find such a sensible, kind-hearted child in this world.
And yet, that very child had just been wronged in public.
As a Marine, how could she simply stand there and watch?
Her body vanished in a blur.
Soru.
The marble beneath her feet cracked from the force.
By the time the surrounding nobles realized what had happened, Seraphina had already crossed the distance.
Wapol had not even fully turned around before a terrifying pressure slammed down on him.
Boom!
His face smashed directly into the polished stone floor.
The impact was so violent that a crater spread through the marble beneath him.
Dust and broken fragments burst outward.
The surrounding crowd gasped.
"Gyaaaah!"
Wapol let out a shrill scream as his face was ground into the floor.
Seraphina didn't even spare him a glance.
Her attention had already shifted elsewhere.
The attendants Wapol brought along rushed forward in panic, attempting to protect their king.
But to Seraphina, they were no different from background noise.
Her movements were swift, efficient, and utterly merciless.
One man was dropped with a single palm strike to the chest.
Another was swept off his feet and slammed onto his back before he could even draw his weapon.
A third barely had time to raise his arms before he was struck in the abdomen and sent rolling across the ground.
The entire exchange lasted only seconds.
The only one among them who made Seraphina pause for even half a breath was Dalton.
And even then, it was not because he was strong enough to trouble her.
It was because he still seemed to possess a conscience.
When Dalton stepped forward, Seraphina immediately noticed the hesitation in his stance.
His fists were raised, but there was no killing intent.
No hostility.
Only conflict.
Even so, Seraphina did not intend to let him pass.
A man who enabled a tyrant was still helping evil continue.
Even if he was not rotten to the core, he still had to bear responsibility.
Dalton threw a punch.
It looked powerful.
But the moment Seraphina caught it in one hand, she understood.
He had held back.
And Dalton himself was just as shocked.
Even if he had not used his full strength, he was still a grown man blessed with monstrous physical power.
Yet the slim silver-haired woman before him caught his strike as casually as if she were stopping a child.
His pupils shrank.
Before he could react, Seraphina twisted her body and swung her arm.
The force behind the throw was overwhelming.
Dalton's massive frame was sent flying through the air before crashing heavily into the ground several meters away.
Boom!
The impact shook the floor.
Dalton coughed violently and tried to rise, only to realize that his body had already gone numb from the throw.
His expression changed completely.
So strong.
This Marine woman was absurdly strong.
The rest of Wapol's guards were dealt with even more easily.
To Seraphina, they were insignificant.
Compared to Dalton, they were hardly worth mentioning.
One after another, they were dropped to the ground without even understanding what had happened.
The entire battle ended in the blink of an eye.
By the time the surrounding kings and nobles processed the scene, the dust had already settled.
Only then did the soldiers assigned to guard the conference hall finally arrive.
"Detain them for now."
Seraphina spoke calmly, brushing invisible dust from her white Marine coat.
The leading soldier froze when he saw her.
It was him again.
The very same guard captain who had once stopped her outside the restricted zone of Mary Geoise.
His face twitched.
"Yes, Lady Seraph"
"Ahem."
Seraphina covered her mouth and coughed lightly, her eyes narrowing just a fraction.
Keep it low-key.
Keep it very low-key.
The soldier immediately understood.
His back went cold.
"Yes!"
"Rear Admiral Seraphina!"
Only then did he dare continue.
The guards under him hurried forward and restrained Wapol and his attendants.
As they moved, the captain couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.
Ever since that night, he had learned one thing very clearly:
this particular World Noble absolutely did not want her identity spread around carelessly.
Fortunately, he had not forgotten.
Back then, after offending her by mistake, he had thought his life was over.
Yet not only had Seraphina not punished them, she had even praised their vigilance.
Because of that, their unit had not only escaped punishment but had actually been transferred to conference security duty, a highly prestigious assignment.
In a place like Mary Geoise, that counted as a major opportunity for advancement.
After all, they were men who had once been personally acknowledged by a Celestial Dragon.
That alone was enough to make others look at them differently.
Back then, one of the younger guards had quietly asked their captain a question.
"Captain… why would Lady Seraphina choose to become a Marine?"
The captain had nearly smacked him on the head.
"Keep your voice down!"
"Ask fewer questions if you want to live longer."
"But… if I had to guess…"
He lowered his voice.
"She's probably just experiencing life."
"Big shots sometimes like doing strange things."
"Maybe Lady Seraphina wants to live in a more low-key way for a while."
"Not many people know about her status, and the papers certainly won't print it."
"So if you value your future, keep your mouth shut and don't let anything slip."
The captain had said it in a serious tone.
And the younger guards had all obediently nodded.
Now, seeing her in action once again, the captain felt even more convinced.
This lady was terrifyingly strong.
And also terrifyingly dangerous to offend.
Meanwhile, not far behind the disturbance, King Nefertari Cobra had still been immersed in thought.
Even during recess, his mind remained occupied with state matters.
Water shortages.
Agricultural strain.
The future development of Alabasta.
Whether or not he should request technical support from the World Government.
If he did, how could he present it in a way that would actually be approved?
These were all matters he had been organizing in his mind in preparation for the second half of the conference.
Then suddenly
"Vivi!"
"My daughter, are you alright?!"
Cobra's expression changed dramatically.
The moment he noticed the crowd surrounding his daughter, the usually gentle king lost all composure.
His eyes immediately fell on the red swelling on Vivi's cheek and the scrapes on her clothing.
His face darkened at once.
What father would not be furious seeing his child hurt?
Especially a child he treasured so dearly.
"Igaram!"
"What happened here?!"
His voice carried a rare edge of anger.
Igaram immediately knelt on one knee, his head lowered.
"Your Majesty, it was my dereliction of duty!"
"I failed to protect Princess Vivi!"
He accepted the blame without excuse.
Because he knew it was true.
He had failed.
And that failure filled him with shame.
"Daddy!"
"Don't blame Igaram!"
Vivi quickly stepped forward, her little hands clutching at Cobra's sleeve.
"It wasn't his fault."
"I was the one who ran ahead carelessly."
Her voice was gentle, even now trying to protect others.
That only made Cobra's heart ache more.
He crouched down in front of her and carefully held her shoulders.
"Come here."
"Let Father see where you're hurt."
"Did you hit your head?"
"Does your cheek hurt?"
Vivi shook her head quickly, though tears still glimmered faintly in the corners of her eyes.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"A Marine big sister put medicine on it for me."
"It feels cool now."
Cobra paused.
"A Marine…?"
Vivi turned and pointed.
"It's that sister over there."
Cobra followed the direction of her finger.
At the end of the corridor, Seraphina had just finished speaking with the conference guards.
As if sensing their gaze, she turned her head.
Her silver-white hair shimmered beneath the light.
Her expression remained calm and composed.
When their eyes met, she offered a faint, polite smile.
Then she began walking toward them.
The surrounding soldiers also started dispersing the crowd.
Blocking the entrance to the conference hall like this was obviously inappropriate.
The kings and nobles who had gathered to watch the commotion gradually began to leave.
There was no more entertainment to be had.
Still, many of them couldn't help glancing back at Seraphina as they walked away.
Though she was "only" a Marine Rear Admiral on the surface, there was something about her that made her impossible to ignore.
Her beauty was breathtaking.
Her bearing was noble.
And her strength…
Well.
That was another matter entirely.
Some kings had, for a fleeting moment, entertained certain thoughts.
A woman like that would make a remarkable royal consort.
But after witnessing her effortlessly slam Wapol into the ground and throw a man the size of Dalton like a sack of flour…
Those thoughts were swiftly and decisively abandoned.
Beautiful?
Yes.
Marriage material?
Potentially.
Safe to bring home?
Absolutely not.
That kind of woman could very well send her husband to an early grave.
By the time Seraphina arrived before them, Cobra had already straightened himself and composed his expression.
Still, the gratitude in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Thank you for saving my daughter, Rear Admiral."
His tone was solemn and sincere.
It was not empty courtesy.
It was heartfelt.
Seraphina shook her head lightly.
"It was nothing."
"Maintaining order is the duty of a Marine."
"And in this case, I saw clearly who struck first."
She had always followed a simple principle.
Whoever struck first was usually the one in the wrong.
And whoever preyed on the weak in broad daylight deserved to be stopped.
Besides…
Vivi was worth protecting.
The only pity was that the incident had happened too suddenly.
By the time Seraphina moved, Wapol had already managed to land that slap.
And Seraphina had no intention of simply letting that irritation go.
Cobra looked slightly surprised.
He had expected some kind of request.
A favor.
A connection.
A political opening.
After all, in his experience, kindness rarely came without purpose.
People lived by exchanging value.
That was simply how the world worked.
Outside of family, who would truly help another person for nothing?
And yet, the silver-haired Marine in front of him had shown no such intention.
That alone made Cobra reassess her.
"Regardless," he said, "I am deeply grateful."
Then, realizing his own lack of manners, he quickly continued:
"Please forgive me."
"I have yet to properly introduce myself."
"My name is Nefertari Cobra, King of Alabasta."
He gently rested a hand on Vivi's head.
"This is my daughter, Vivi."
"And this is my minister, Igaram."
Still kneeling, Igaram lowered his head in acknowledgment.
Seraphina gave a slight nod.
"My name is Seraphina."
She paused for the briefest moment.
Then, with calm dignity, she added:
"Rear Admiral Saint Roselith Seraphina."