When Wood brought Aokiji to Robin and explained the situation, Robin was visibly stunned.
She never expected that a former Marine Admiral like Aokiji would fall to such a state.
However, Robin was no fool. Considering Wood's history, she quickly realized that Aokiji leaving the Marines and seeking refuge at their weapons company couldn't be as simple as it seemed.
"Don't worry, Captain. I'll take good care of the newcomer. You can rest assured," Robin said with a charming smile.
Hearing Robin's words and seeing the expression on her face, Wood smiled back, relieved.
Talking to a smart person like Robin made everything easier. If he had to explain things to someone like Ruth, who was all brawn and no brains, it would have taken much longer.
But with Robin, there was no need for such explanations. Having a capable second-in-command really made things smoother.
After Wood left, Aokiji couldn't help but feel uneasy as he noticed the shift in Robin's expression from sunny to cold. He spoke up cautiously, "You promised your captain to set aside past grievances and not target me intentionally."
Robin smiled sweetly and replied, "You're overthinking, Kuzan-san. Once I've made a promise to the captain, I never go against his wishes.
I'm just reflecting on how ironic life can be. Who would've thought that the once-powerful Marine Admiral who hunted me down as a helpless little girl would now be working under me?"
Back in Ohara, Robin had been just an eight-year-old girl, while Aokiji, then a Vice Admiral, had played a key role in the tragedy.
If not for Jaguar D. Saul, Aokiji might not have hesitated to kill her back then.
Now, years later, Aokiji had gone from a Marine Admiral to an unemployed wanderer, while Robin had risen to become Wood's second-in-command, ranking among the top female pirates on the seas.
"Well, Kuzan, if you're serious about learning, you'll need the right attitude.
From today on, you don't need to call me 'Robin-sama,' but at the very least, you'll address me as 'Secretary-General Robin.'
And to adjust your attitude, you'll start with some grunt work to refine your character. After that, we'll see how I... mentor you further."
Hearing Robin's instructions, Aokiji's expression darkened. The grunt work she assigned? Cleaning up waste left on the island.
"This is your idea of mentoring? Are you sure this isn't just personal revenge?" Aokiji asked, his face grim at the thought of being reduced to a glorified janitor.
"I told you, before I can teach you anything else, we need to break down your arrogance.
You're no longer a Marine Admiral—you're just a newcomer in our company.
In terms of rank and experience, you're below everyone else on this island. If you continue to act like a Marine Admiral, it shows you haven't accepted your new reality.
Sure, I might not be as strong as you, but I don't think I'm wrong in my approach. If you want to resist, go ahead, but whether the captain keeps you around is another matter."
To prove she wasn't singling him out, Robin called Perona over as a witness.
At first, Perona panicked upon seeing Aokiji, thinking the Marines had invaded Dark Abyss Island. But once she realized he was alone—without any other Admirals or even low-ranking Marine soldiers—she quickly calmed down.
The Perona of the past might have been scared stiff by the sight of a Marine Admiral, but after the Paramount War, she had seen her share of Warlords, Admirals, and even the Four Emperors.
Aokiji? He was nothing special anymore. After all, her captain, Wood, could single-handedly take on two Admirals. This wasn't Marine Headquarters—this was Dark Abyss Island.
"Perona, why don't you tell Kuzan-san about your experiences when you first joined the island?" Robin suggested.
Perona, initially confident, froze at Robin's words. Memories of her early days on the island flooded back, and her body began trembling uncontrollably.
As a seasoned Marine Admiral, Aokiji prided himself on his ability to read people. Seeing Perona's reaction, he immediately recognized the fear and trauma in her eyes as genuine, not an act.
This puzzled him further. The girl in front of him had seemed unfazed when she realized he was an Admiral. Yet a few words from Robin had her quaking in terror.
What on earth had she experienced here? Could Robin be telling the truth about the brutal training process for new recruits at Wood's weapons company?
"Relax, Perona," Robin said with a smile. "You've been through enough hardships during our recent mission, so I'm officially promoting you.
Your first task as a full-fledged member is to mentor our newcomer, Kuzan-san.
If you're unsure how to teach him, just repeat everything I did to you when you first joined.
And don't hold back—it's essential to break down his arrogance and help him adjust to our environment.
If he resists, let me or the captain know. We'll take care of it for you."
Perona stared blankly for a moment before her expression shifted to pure joy.
Though she didn't fully understand the situation, one thing was clear: she was no longer the "newbie." That title now belonged to none other than the former Marine Admiral, Aokiji!
What's more, Robin had clearly taken pity on her past struggles and entrusted her with the job of mentoring the newcomer.
Aokiji—a man who once made her tremble just at the thought of him—was now her subordinate. How many people in the world could claim such a distinction?
"Kuzan-san seems to think I would treat him unfairly out of personal spite.
Now that I've assigned Perona to handle your training, that shouldn't be an issue, right?" Robin said with a sly smile.
Looking at Perona's wide, mischievous grin and Robin's knowing smirk, Aokiji's instincts told him this was not going to be as simple as he thought.
Still, compared to working directly under Nico Robin, someone with a personal grudge against him, Perona seemed far less threatening. Aokiji couldn't come up with a reason to refuse.
"Very well," Robin said. "Perona, Kuzan-san is your responsibility now. Remember, our goal is to strip away any lingering pride from his days as a Marine Admiral and make him realize he's just a newbie here.
I trust you're more than capable of handling this task. Make good use of your skills."
Hearing Robin's pointed words, Perona nodded with a knowing smile, while Aokiji, completely bewildered, started to regret his decision.
He had a sinking feeling that he had chosen the wrong path.
As soon as Robin left, Aokiji turned to Perona, who was floating in mid-air, and asked, "You were one of Gecko Moria's subordinates, weren't you? Why are you here now, and how did you end up as one of their crew members?"
Perona, while not particularly famous, was still somewhat known as one of the officers under the Warlord Gecko Moria.
Having hit a dead end trying to extract any useful information from the old hands like Wood and Robin, Aokiji thought he might have better luck with Perona. She didn't look particularly sharp, so he decided to adopt an authoritative stance and see if he could coax some intel out of her.
However, as soon as Aokiji mentioned Moria's name, Perona's expression changed drastically, and she exploded in anger.
"It's because of you damn Marines!" she shouted. "You had to go after Fire Fist Ace, and then you pulled that ridiculous Warlord Summoning Order! That's why Moria-sama died in battle!"
For Perona, Moria wasn't just her captain—he was her benefactor, the one who had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go.
Moria had indeed perished during the final battle, though whether it was at the hands of the Marines was unclear.
Considering the caliber of fighters present at the time, it wouldn't have been surprising if Moria, with his middling abilities, had simply been collateral damage.
After returning to the island, Perona had spent days in a deep depression. While she wasn't conscious of who exactly had killed Moria, she had decided to place the blame squarely on the Marines who had instigated the war.
Needless to say, as a former Marine Admiral, Aokiji was now the target of all her resentment.
"Enough talking! Put this on, and from now on, your name is Kumacy. You're not allowed to speak in front of me!"
Perona tossed a bear-shaped doll costume at Aokiji, who stared at it in silence. Doing chores was one thing. Keeping quiet wasn't a problem either—he wasn't particularly talkative to begin with. But to make him wear this humiliating thing? Absolutely not.
"Negative Hollow!"
As a former Admiral, Aokiji's battle instincts were razor-sharp. The moment Perona launched her attack, he reacted instantly, even covering his arm in Armament Haki to intercept.
However, just as he was about to punch the goofy-looking hollow in front of him, he hesitated.
Robin was surely watching, waiting for him to slip up so she could use it as an excuse to kick him out. She was probably lurking in a corner right now, observing his every move. If he fought back, it would only give her ammunition against him.
With that thought in mind, Aokiji stopped his attack. After all, Perona was just a minor character—what harm could one of her attacks possibly do?
Then the next moment…
"I'm the eyepatch-faced Admiral. It's a disgrace for someone like me to exist in this world. This costume is the only outfit that suits me…"
The Negative Hollow passed through him, leaving no physical damage, but Aokiji suddenly collapsed to the ground in utter despair, curling into a pathetic heap.
When he came to his senses, shame washed over him. He had never expected Perona's attack to bypass physical defenses and inflict devastating psychological trauma instead.
That moment would undoubtedly go down as one of the most humiliating episodes in his life. If word got out, his reputation across the seas would be ruined.
Looking at Perona's smug expression and thinking about his own embarrassing display, Aokiji briefly considered silencing her for good. But then he remembered his mission…
Besides, even if he got rid of Perona, it wouldn't be enough. He could sense the presence of two others nearby, watching from the shadows.
It wasn't hard to guess who they were.
The woman would be a challenging opponent, but Aokiji was confident he could take her down if it came to that.
The man, however… That was a different story. Not only was he a powerful fighter, but he was also a natural counter to Aokiji's abilities. If it came to a fight, there was little chance of success, let alone covering his tracks.
After weighing the risks, Aokiji decided to stay calm.
"So, what's it going to be?" Perona asked with a wicked grin. "Are you going to behave, or should I give you another dose of my Negative Package?"
Seeing more Negative Hollows drifting from Perona's fingers, Aokiji—an Admiral once feared across the seas—unintentionally shivered. Then, with a conflicted expression, he reluctantly picked up the costume.
"To accomplish great things, one must endure great humiliation," Aokiji muttered to himself as he shakily lifted the bear costume.
From a distance, Robin and Wood, hiding in a corner, nearly burst into laughter at the sight of Aokiji wearing the ridiculous outfit.
This was undoubtedly the peak of Perona's life. Aokiji, once a mighty Marine Admiral, was now her personal toy Kumacy, reduced to the same treatment a certain green-haired swordsman had once endured.
Yet this situation also confirmed one thing: Aokiji was definitely up to something.
What kind of person, with his status and pride, would go to such lengths just to stay and earn their trust? Surely, only someone with ulterior motives.
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