Just as Ash had predicted, Pini, with his Devil Fruit enhanced physique, gradually grasped the essence of advanced Armament Haki, similar to Ryuo, after enduring several of Green Pepper's Eight Impact Fist techniques.
What began as endurance soon turned into adaptation.
After that breakthrough, the battle stretched on for hours.
By the time Ash returned from a satisfying meal on Gourmet Island, the fight had already reached its final stage.
Pini had fully understood the principle of Ryuo and was now applying it in real combat. His fists clashed against Green Pepper's once overwhelming attacks without hesitation.
Although he still could not completely overpower the veteran pirate, both fighters understood one thing clearly.
Green Pepper no longer held the advantage in close combat.
Refusing to accept defeat, Green Pepper unleashed everything in his arsenal.
He released waves of Conqueror's Haki in an attempt to shake Pini's will. He followed with his signature techniques, Martial Head, Martial Head Rotation, and the chaotic storm of blows known as Martial Head Rotation: Chaotic Dance.
Finally, he used his ultimate attack, Drill Dragon Drill Nail: Green Pepper's Opening.
Yet none of it was enough.
Every attack failed to deal decisive damage.
The battle dragged on until nightfall.
At that point, Pini realized he had reached his limit in terms of learning. There was nothing more Green Pepper could teach him through combat.
After another heavy clash, Pini sensed the shift.
Green Pepper's stamina was faltering.
Seizing the opportunity, Pini became more aggressive. His attacks came faster, sharper, and more relentless.
Then, in a decisive exchange, he broke through Green Pepper's defenses.
Using the speed granted by wind and thunder, Pini closed the distance instantly and pressed both hands against Green Pepper's body.
A deep, thunder-like sound erupted.
In the next moment, smoke rose from Green Pepper's seven orifices as his body stiffened before collapsing to the ground.
The twelfth leader of the Happo Navy, the once feared pirate of the New World, Green Pepper, had fallen.
Pini stood victorious.
After nearly a full day of battle, his stamina was heavily drained, but the thrill of defeating such a powerful opponent filled him with excitement.
Returning to the Dawn ship, he looked at Youki with a calm but sharp gaze.
"Rest well today. Tomorrow, I will beat you."
Though Youki understood that this was Pini's way of helping him grasp advanced Armament Haki through sparring, the tone still irritated him.
Ash, however, paid no attention to their rivalry.
After collecting Green Pepper's body, he led the group straight toward the Ice Continent.
The so-called treasure sealed within an unbreakable ice continent meant little to him.
Ice was still ice.
If it could not be opened one way, it could be destroyed another.
Along the way, after capturing several members of the Happo Navy and extracting information, they quickly located the treasure site.
Ash chose not to use his flames, as he did not want to risk destroying the treasure itself.
Fortunately, there was a better option.
Nojiko, who possessed the Netherworld Fruit, had mastery over ice.
For her, opening an ice vault was effortless.
Moments later, the group entered the hidden treasure.
The sheer volume of gold and jewels was impressive, but beyond that, it was underwhelming.
There were no Devil Fruits, no rare artifacts, no legendary items.
Just wealth.
Even so, Nami, Carina, and the others were thrilled.
After all, unexpected treasure was still treasure.
After selecting what interested him, Ash took only a tower-shaped necklace pendant and two fine grade swords.
Everything else was left behind.
The following day, upon returning to Gourmet Island, the World Economic Journal arrived as usual.
The headline spread across the seas.
Pini, a combatant of the Dawn Pirate Hunters, had defeated and killed Green Pepper in the West Blue.
The news stirred the entire world.
At present, only two Mythical Beast users aboard the Dawn ship were publicly known.
Youki, who had defeated Gecko Moria, and Pini, who had just slain Green Pepper.
The implications were shocking.
Did this mean that even their combatants possessed the power to defeat a former Warlord of the Sea or challenge veterans of the New World?
Even within the Marines, opinions were divided.
The hardliners, led by Akainu, believed such pirates were doing the world a favor by eliminating others.
Meanwhile, the more moderate faction under Aokiji viewed them as dangerously excessive.
Even Monkey D. Garp, while eating senbei during a brief rest, learned of Green Pepper's death.
He sighed at the fall of an old rival, but his curiosity about Ash only deepened.
Unfortunately, the ongoing conflicts in the New World left him with no time to investigate further.
While the world stirred with speculation, Ash remained focused on one thing.
Food.
Gourmet Island had become his personal paradise.
Moving from one restaurant to another, he treated every meal like a grand feast. His enthusiasm pushed the island's chefs into fierce competition, constantly creating new dishes to impress him.
Even the Kirk siblings occasionally returned to learn new recipes and refine their own skills.
A month passed in this lively atmosphere as the Dawn ship continued its journey across the West Blue.
Then one day, Sali contacted Ash through a Den Den Mushi.
"Around twenty two or twenty three years old, fair skin, about one hundred eighty five centimeters tall, medium-length black hair. Ash, the person you told us to watch for has appeared."
Ash's eyes sharpened.
"Nico Robin?"
"Yes. It should be the Devil Child, Nico Robin."
Sali paused before adding, "You should come quickly. She is cautious and already suspicious of us."
Ash glanced reluctantly at the fruit sorbet placed before him.
Without hesitation, he picked up the plate.
"Keep the food coming. I will be back soon."
The restaurant owner laughed. Ash was a well-known regular, there was no concern about payment.
Moments later, Ash vanished.
At Reverse Mountain, near the Twin Capes, Ash stepped out from a spatial gate, casually eating his sorbet as he walked.
Near the lighthouse, he saw her.
Nico Robin stood surrounded subtly by the Daly brothers, her posture calm, but her eyes alert.
Her appearance matched what he expected.
Fair skin, long legs, and a composed expression.
Her hair was neither as short as before nor as long as it would be in the future.
She carried the quiet tension of someone constantly on the run.
Yet even so, her presence was striking.
Ash approached without hesitation.
"Go on, you can leave," he said casually to the Daly brothers.
Noticing one of them staring at his dessert, Ash sighed and handed over the remaining sorbet before sitting down on a nearby stone bench.
Facing Robin, he smiled slightly.
"Nico Robin, hello."
Her eyes narrowed.
"You know who I am?"
"Of course."
Ash leaned back slightly, his gaze calm but knowing.
"Just like you know who I am. So tell me, how long do you plan to keep pretending in front of me?"