Upon hearing this, the elegant and sophisticated woman beside the middle-aged gentleman immediately responded with excitement:
"That's Ms. Gion! She's one of my idols. She's one of the few women on the sea who embody both strength and grace so perfectly."
Listening to the unreserved admiration in his wife's voice, the middle-aged gentleman chuckled, seemingly long accustomed to her enthusiasm.
"Yes, it really is her. One of the only three candidates for the position of admiral… What an honor to see her in person."
As he spoke, his expression suddenly grew serious. A thought seemed to cross his mind, and he hesitated before furrowing his brows and saying:
"I remember reading in the newspaper a few days ago… about Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, and Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin. It was reported that they've formed an alliance."
"Haha, don't scare yourself like that." His wife laughed lightly, waving off his concerns. "Besides, don't forget—Vice Admiral Luffy is stationed here, leading the Marine G-66. With him in charge, things should be under control. Could it be that Miss Gion came to Onigashima because of this situation? After all, this place was originally Kaido's territory."
Hearing this, the mature woman instinctively clung to her husband's arm, her expression shifting.
"Dear… please don't say such terrifying things." Her voice carried a trace of unease. "The Four Emperors joining forces… That's terrifying." She hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Maybe we should leave. Your business here is finished anyway, isn't it?"
Seeing his wife visibly shaken, the middle-aged gentleman immediately softened his tone, gently patting her hand.
"Alright, alright, my mistake. I shouldn't have brought it up at a time like this," he said reassuringly.
Though he comforted her, in truth, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of apprehension himself. However, thinking about Vice Admiral Luffy's presence, he felt somewhat reassured.
"Besides, isn't your idol, Miss Gion, one of the candidates for admiral? With her here, what's there to be afraid of?"
"That's true." She nodded, her fear dissipating slightly.
The mention of Luffy's name seemed to have a magical effect—it brought a sense of reassurance, as if his presence alone was enough to keep trouble at bay.
The couple continued their conversation with lighthearted laughter as they prepared to leave, strolling down the bustling street.
Just as they turned a corner, a black-haired young man suddenly dashed out from an alleyway, nearly colliding with the middle-aged gentleman.
The man instinctively stepped back in surprise, but before an accident could occur, the young man stopped just in time.
"Ah, my apologies!" the young man said quickly, slightly out of breath. "My companion was starving, and in his rush to find food, he wasn't paying attention to the road. I'm really sorry for almost running into you."
A moment later, another figure, a blond young man, hurried over and bowed in apology.
"Yes, please forgive us," he said sincerely. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble."
The middle-aged gentleman, though startled, was good-natured and waved his hand dismissively.
"It's alright, no harm done. Just be careful next time."
Seeing that the gentleman wasn't angry, the two young men sighed in relief. Just as the couple was about to continue on their way, the blond young man hesitated for a moment before calling out to them again.
"Um… excuse me," he said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Do you happen to know where we could meet Vice Admiral Monkey D. Luffy?"
The gentleman turned back, surprised by the question. His gaze flickered toward the uniforms they were wearing—Marine attire—before he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"You're Marines, aren't you?" he asked, puzzled. "Shouldn't you know that better than I do?"
The blond young man faltered, struggling for an answer, while the black-haired young man, completely unfazed, responded bluntly:
"Ah, that's because we're not stationed here—"
Before he could finish his sentence, his companion swiftly covered his mouth.
The couple exchanged glances, clearly finding their behavior suspicious. The blond young man let out an awkward chuckle before quickly explaining:
"Ah… what he meant was that we're not part of the G-66 branch Marines."
That explanation sounded reasonable enough, and since they were indeed in Marine uniforms, the middle-aged gentleman didn't question it further.
The blond Marine quickly followed up, attempting to make his excuse sound more natural.
"We actually arrived from headquarters with… Vice Admiral Gion. I've heard a lot about Vice Admiral Luffy's exploits and really admire him. That's why I wanted to meet him in person."
The businessman nodded thoughtfully before shaking his head.
"Sorry, I'm just an ordinary merchant who came here for business. I've heard many stories about Vice Admiral Luffy, of course, but I have no idea about his daily whereabouts."
He paused for a moment as if recalling something before gesturing toward a nearby restaurant.
"However… I did see Vice Admiral Gion enter that establishment a short while ago. If someone as important as her is here, there's a good chance Vice Admiral Luffy is meeting with her. He might even be inside right now."
Hearing this, the black-haired young man's eyes lit up with excitement.
"That's great! I'm starving anyway—let's go inside and eat first!"
The blond Marine hesitated for a second before nodding in agreement.
"That does sound like a good plan," he admitted.
Having settled on their course of action, the two Marines exchanged a glance before bowing deeply toward the couple.
"Thank you very much for your help," the blond young man said gratefully. "And sorry for taking up so much of your time."
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