Marine Base G-8 Officers' DormitoryNight gradually descended over Marine Base G-8.
The massive fortress, which had remained noisy throughout the day with repairs, patrols, and artillery inspections, slowly quieted beneath the moonlight. Only the distant sound of waves striking the steel harbor walls occasionally echoed through the night air.
Inside one of the officer dormitories, silence filled the room.
"…Kuina?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina finally broke the silence after noticing something strange.
Ever since lights-out, Kuina had wrapped herself completely inside her blanket without moving at all.
At first, Seraphina assumed her disciple had already fallen asleep.
But after sensing her restless breathing through Observation Haki, she immediately realized something was wrong.
"…Hm?!"
Kuina abruptly poked her head out from beneath the blanket.
"Yes, Teacher!"
Her voice came out far louder than necessary.
Seraphina blinked.
"I haven't even asked anything yet."
Kuina froze.
Then, in complete panic
"Whatever Teacher says is correct!"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
"…?"
Seraphina became even more confused.
"Are you feeling sick somewhere?"
Kuina immediately shook her head violently.
"N-No!"
Then she buried herself back under the blanket again.
Seraphina sat quietly on her bed for a moment.
Could it be discomfort from sleeping in a new environment?
That seemed possible.
After all, Kuina had spent most of her life aboard Marine vessels or at Shimotsuki Village.
G-8's dormitories probably felt unfamiliar to her.
Thinking this, Seraphina gently placed aside her own blanket before standing up.
She wore only a loose white nightgown, her silver hair flowing softly down her back beneath the moonlight spilling through the dormitory window.
Without making much noise, she walked over toward Kuina's bed.
"Kuina-chan~"
With one smooth motion, Seraphina pulled away the blanket entirely.
"Ah !"
Kuina instantly curled up in embarrassment.
The blue-and-white nightclothes assigned by G-8 suited her surprisingly well, making her appear softer and more youthful than usual.
Even in the darkness, Seraphina could still clearly perceive every detail around her through Observation Haki.
"Teacher…"
Kuina's voice became small and nervous.
Truthfully, when she first heard they would be sharing accommodations, she had briefly misunderstood the arrangement.
She had imagined
No.
Absolutely not.
The reality was simply that G-8 had provided them with a two-person officer dormitory because the fortress was overcrowded from recent pirate conflicts.
Normally, ordinary Marine personnel stayed in rooms containing six or even eight people.
This arrangement was already extremely luxurious by Marine standards.
Still…
Actually being alone in the same room as her teacher all night…
Kuina simply could not calm down.
"Kuina-chan~"
Seraphina sat gently beside the bed.
"Tell Teacher honestly. What's bothering you?"
"N-Nothing!"
Kuina immediately turned her head away.
"It's just… a little hot…"
Her black hair swayed softly as she spoke.
Outside the window, moonlight illuminated the room with a pale silver glow.
That same light reflected beautifully across Seraphina's silver-white hair, making it resemble flowing silk.
For a moment
Kuina completely lost her train of thought.
Beautiful.
The word surfaced instinctively in her mind.
Then, suddenly
Seraphina tilted her head slightly.
"…Wait."
"Kuina."
"Did you get your period?"
"…?!"
Kuina's face exploded red instantly.
"T-That already happened a long time ago!"
She nearly buried herself into the mattress from embarrassment.
"Teacher! I'm fine!"
"I'm just not used to the environment yet!"
Seraphina blinked slowly.
"Oh."
That explanation actually sounded reasonable.
Since Kuina had calmed down considerably and no longer appeared uncomfortable, Seraphina finally relaxed.
Still…
She silently reflected on herself.
Recently, she truly had been somewhat neglectful as a teacher.
Between Skypiea, Marine responsibilities, training, and political planning, she had unconsciously spent less time paying attention to Kuina's emotional state.
Being a teacher was far more difficult than expected.
"…If anything truly bothers you, tell me immediately, alright?"
Seraphina gently patted Kuina's head.
Kuina lowered her gaze slightly.
"…Teacher."
"Hm?"
"Will you always be my teacher?"
The sudden question made Seraphina pause briefly.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Of course."
"The fact that I am Kuina's teacher will never change for as long as I live."
Kuina quietly tightened her grip on the blanket.
"…Mhm."
Outside the dormitory, the moon continued shining silently over Marine Base G-8.
The following morning.
Marine Base G-8 Training Grounds.
Kuina stared blankly at her reflection in a metal water bucket.
Dark circles.
Very obvious dark circles.
"…I definitely didn't sleep enough."
After washing her face quickly, she headed toward the training grounds anyway.
Regardless of exhaustion, her daily training routine could not stop.
That was one lesson Seraphina had engraved deeply into her.
Discipline created strength.
"Fifty laps first…"
Kuina muttered quietly while stretching.
At that moment
"Yo! Kuina!"
A loud voice suddenly echoed nearby.
Riva walked into the training grounds while adjusting his Marine uniform sleeves.
"You're up early again."
Ever since joining Seraphina's fleet, the two had frequently trained together in the mornings.
Although the warship deck limited proper movement, they still maintained regular physical conditioning every day.
Riva grinned.
"How about a race?"
He pointed toward the running track.
"We never had enough space aboard the ship before."
Kuina narrowed her eyes immediately.
"…Fine."
She also wanted revenge for their previous sparring sessions.
Although she had improved greatly recently, Riva still possessed overwhelming advantages in physical strength and stamina.
"Hah! That's the spirit!"
At that moment, another figure entered the training grounds.
Bruce.
Dressed neatly in Marine uniform, he walked over calmly.
Truthfully, Bruce had been thinking carefully lately.
Seraphina's growth had become terrifyingly fast.
So fast that even he increasingly questioned his own role.
As her bodyguard and subordinate, being weaker than her by such a vast margin felt deeply uncomfortable.
If danger truly appeared someday…
Would he even be protecting her anymore?
Or would she end up protecting him instead?
That thought irritated him greatly.
Which meant
He could no longer afford complacency.
"I'll act as referee."
Bruce folded his arms.
"Ready?"
"No problem."
Kuina and Riva both lowered their stances.
Bruce raised one hand.
"Begin."
BOOM!
Riva immediately surged forward using the advantage of his long legs and superior physique.
Kuina followed closely behind without hesitation.
Although it looked somewhat unfair for an adult man to compete physically against a fourteen-year-old girl…
Riva himself never viewed it that way.
Because after sparring against Kuina personally, he already considered her an opponent worthy of full seriousness.
Back aboard the warship, their duel had nearly ended with his defeat.
The only reason he narrowly won was because Kuina's stamina failed first.
And that had been while she used a practice sword.
If she had wielded a real blade…
Even Riva himself did not know how that fight might have ended.
The race continued around the training grounds at astonishing speed.
Eventually
"This round goes to Riva."
Bruce announced calmly.
Kuina bent forward slightly, breathing heavily while sweat rolled down her face.
Still
There was no frustration in her eyes.
Only determination.
Even though Riva had managed to lap her once, she could still feel herself improving.
Riva scratched his head.
"…Kuina."
"Your stamina improved again, didn't it?"
Kuina wiped sweat from her forehead.
"…Maybe."
Actually, she felt she could have performed even better today.
Unfortunately…
Her lack of sleep had clearly affected her condition.
At that moment
"Riva."
A calm voice suddenly echoed from behind them.
"Were you bullying my apprentice again?"
Everyone turned immediately.
Saint Roselith Seraphina stood near the training grounds entrance, still carrying traces of sleepiness in her expression.
Unlike most Marines, Seraphina usually slept until she woke naturally.
Not because she was lazy.
Rather
She firmly believed proper sleep was important for physical development.
Especially height.
That particular matter remained extremely important to her.
After all…
Someday in the future…
She absolutely refused to be shorter than Hancock or Hina.
That was a battle she intended to win no matter what.
Meanwhile, Kuina immediately straightened her posture the moment she saw her teacher appear.