Chapter 122: Is He Always This Brave? [Second Update]

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

Robin’s pupils shrank to needle-like points, and she immediately crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring fixedly at Aokiji.

Kuina, who was beside her, also smelled that the atmosphere was wrong and was the first to put her hand on Wado Ichimonji.

"Coincidence?"

Siano stepped forward, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Is it? You guy, you clearly came to the door on your own initiative, right? How long have you been squatting here?"

This must be waiting for the rabbit, right? Coincidence?

How could there be such a coincidence!

Last time on Thor Island, meeting Akainu in the cherry blossoms was already an event with a very low probability.

Now it’s another encounter...

Only a ghost would believe it!

What kind of unlucky person could encounter two Marine Admirals in a row?

"Ah-la-la, was it seen through?"

Aokiji scratched his messy curly hair. "Tch, I probably came at noon, but seeing that you were always scattered, it’s troublesome to find them one by one, so I just waited for you to gather before coming to talk."

"Hey, Smoker, who is this uncle?"

Looking at Aokiji in casual clothes, Nami didn't quite understand the situation and asked Smoker next to her in a low voice.

"Kuzan, an old friend of mine."

Smoker bit his cigar and narrowed his eyes. "At the same time, he is also one of the three Admirals who rank as the highest combat power in the Marine Headquarters."

Huh?

Marine Admiral?!

Nami was startled and hurriedly shrank her body, protecting Siano in front of her.

"Don't be so nervous, little girl."

Aokiji sat up straight from the bench slowly. "I’m not here to catch you, otherwise, you would have all become popsicles by now."

"Who can't talk big."

Siano’s Observation Haki was already released, sweeping across the island like a tide, confirming that there was only Aokiji alone, and he grinned:

"It turns out there is really only you alone, hey... is this a bit too looking down on people? A Marine Admiral alone, also dare to dream of taking me down?"

"..."

Aokiji tilted his head and supported his chin with his hand, looking at Siano.

"That’s true."

He shrugged and said seriously:

"If it were other brats who came to tell me this kind of thing, I would probably treat it as a joke, but you guy... really have this qualification."

"Siano, born in the Kingdom of Oykot, surname unknown, biological father and mother unknown, bloodline unknown, has been quite famous in the East Blue for several years."

Aokiji narrated calmly:

"And now, only eighteen years old, he has been highly valued by the World Government, with a bounty of one billion, possessing power sufficient to shake the world situation."

"What a terrible resume."

He sighed from the heart and looked up, his gaze turning to Robin.

"No wonder you chose this group of people as your hiding place, Nico Robin. Your vision and luck seem to have improved a lot this time. At least in the short term, you don't have to rush to find another home."

"Many threats that made you fear like a tiger before, and enemies that made you tremble with fear, are not worth mentioning to this man. He does have enough strength to protect you."

Robin bit her lip, staring fixedly at Aokiji, her hands clenched unconsciously.

"Enough, Kuzan!"

Smoker bit his cigar and frowned.

"Stop saying this kind of annoying thing on purpose. What is your intention? Is it just to uncover the scars of Ohara back then in front of Robin?"

"..."

Aokiji looked at Smoker with some surprise.

"With your rank, when you were still a Marine, you had no right to contact those things at all. As a result, after defecting, you seem to be very clear about those things now."

Aokiji raised an eyebrow. "Ah-la-la, it’s really surprising. Nico Robin, you actually told these people about what happened back then? It seems you have a good friendship with them..."

"If there were a few more shitty things like Ohara, I would have left the Marines a few years ago."

Smoker interrupted with a sneer and pulled out his Jitte from behind.

"Answer my question, don't change the subject. Also, Boss Siano and Robin have already spoken clearly to us. It was clearly you who let her go back then. Why have you been chasing her all over the sea in the dark for these years? Kuzan, what the hell are you planning!"

"I mean the same thing."

Siano’s tone became leisurely, he sat on the bench and crossed his legs:

"You came to the door this time, I’m afraid it’s mainly because of Robin, right? Even the World Government doesn't know she’s on my ship, but you guy found her first. Why, did you secretly put a tracker on her?"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't make me sound like a perverted stalker."

Aokiji raised his arms helplessly, making a surrender gesture. "I’m not chasing her everywhere... that’s too much. I just pay attention to her every once in a while, just to see what step the fire seed that Saul tried his best to protect can reach..."

"As for why I know she’s with you guys now."

Aokiji lowered his head, touched his pocket, and took out a photo. "Here, this is what Old Man Garp showed me after returning to the headquarters a while ago. That old man... appreciates you very much."

Siano reached out and took the photo.

It was Garp standing on the dog-headed warship, laughing and waving goodbye to the distant *Rakumu*. I don't know what the old man was happy about...

In short, the figures on the *Rakumu* were not clear, and Robin was standing at the back in a low-key manner, and her appearance could not be seen at all.

Let the professional agents of the World Government come, and they wouldn't notice.

But Aokiji stared at it for a few more times, and he was able to find the wrong place, chasing all the way here.

"You’re really something, you can even recognize this."

Siano threw the photo back and looked at him with disdain. "Still have the nerve to say you’re not a stalker?"

"..." Aokiji was speechless.

"Don't care about this kind of thing."

He said with some self-deprecation, "Seeing the child of Ohara back then, and what her destination is now, was indeed my motivation for this trip, but... after seeing you in person, these have all become unimportant things."

"Ah, including Smoker, this guy actually went to be a pirate, which was also something that made me unable to understand at first." Aokiji pointed to Smoker who was puffing smoke next to him. "But now I don't care anymore."

"Huh? Don't go too far, bastard!" Smoker roared with sharp teeth. "It’s been so long, and you’re still saying such hurtful things, be careful I burn you to death with a cigarette butt!"

"Don't misunderstand, that’s not what I meant. The reason I said that is because my curiosity about you two might find the answer in this man."

Aokiji shrugged and turned his head, bending down to stare at Siano.

"Hey, can you tell me? You guy, walking all the way to now... what exactly are you seeking?"

"What, why don't I understand your words?" Siano

"Do you really want me to spell it out?"

Aokiji locked eyes with him and spoke softly:

"From the time you were fourteen or fifteen, you began to make a name for yourself in the East Blue, resolving many thorny pirate issues and serving as a teenage idol for many years, even being hailed by many East Blue citizens as the embodiment of justice."

"And since you officially set sail, although you have been smeared in the newspapers by the World Government as having a record of evil deeds and a fearsome reputation, you and I both know what the truth is."

"In Loguetown, to protect the citizens, you didn't hesitate to bear the infamy of a pirate and stood against Vice Admiral Onigumo."

"In Alabasta, you saw injustice and acted, directly wiping out the Hanafuda Pirates."

"Just these past few days, you even rescued some poor slaves from a slave ship..."

"You have never plundered towns, never attacked civilians, and everywhere you have gone along the way, the people there have been grateful to you."

Aokiji's voice gradually deepened. His leaning posture became more pronounced, and he moved closer and closer to Siano. A bone-chilling, icy aura drifted from his body, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes:

"If you keep doing this, where does that leave the Marines and the justice we believe in?"

"Add to that your voluntary act of taking in the child of Ohara—what exactly do you want to become, and what kind of ambition are you harboring?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Kuina drew half of her blade, Nojiko clenched her fists, Zeff's heels lifted slightly, and Nami gritted her teeth as she flashed out from behind Siano, a roaring flame erupting from her orange hair with a hiss...

Siano stared at the bitter, crumpled face inches away.

Then, he suddenly grinned.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, a furious roar suddenly came from the garden entrance:

"How bold! Try laying a hand on my lord and see what happens!!!"

Everyone was stunned. They followed the sound and saw a hulking giant, eight meters tall, sprinting toward them. With every step he took, the ground of the entire garden trembled.

The couples who had been whispering sweet nothings on nearby benches immediately screamed and fled wildly toward the outside.

Wait, who is this guy?

For a moment, aside from Siano, who raised an eyebrow with an intrigued expression, everyone else—whether it was Aokiji or the crew members—was stunned.

One of yours?

Smoker and Aokiji exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison.

Then what is he running over here for?

"Hold on," Nami frowned. "This guy looks a bit familiar. I feel like we've seen him somewhere before..."

Before she could finish her sentence.

The hulking giant's body began to swell and deform rapidly. Thick, brown fur covered his sturdy limbs, and two curved tusks extended from his mouth.

—In the blink of an eye, a massive mammoth appeared before everyone, its blood-red eyes fixed firmly on Aokiji.

"If you want to hurt Lord Siano, you'll have to get past me first, you bastard!"

The mammoth let out a dull roar. Amidst the low growl, its massive trunk rose high, and it smashed down toward Aokiji, carrying a terrifying impact force.

"Ara ara..."

Aokiji raised an eyebrow. An Ancient Zoan ability? That is quite rare.

It’s just... why did he inexplicably start attacking him the moment he showed up?

His expression remained indifferent, and he didn't even blink. It wasn't until the trunk was about to smash into his head that he finally raised his right hand in a leisurely manner—

Crack!

The moment they made contact, a bone-chilling cold erupted. With Aokiji's palm as the origin, terrifying frost instantly spread up the trunk.

Jack widened his eyes in horror and struggled desperately, but it was to no avail. He could only watch helplessly as his trunk turned into a crystalline ice pillar in the blink of an eye.

But this was only the beginning.

The ice layer covered his entire body at a speed visible to the naked eye—the curved tusks, the thick legs, all the way to the tail—until, in an instant, only his eyeballs could barely move.

In just a short two seconds, this ten-meter-tall mammoth beast had completely transformed into a lifelike ice sculpture, refracting crystalline light under the streetlamps.