Chapter 36 — Recognition
…Crap.
Did this old man seriously come all the way here to arrest the Demon Child?
No—wait.
Where was Kuzan?
As Zephyr's words fell, Eiger felt Nico's hand stiffen further in his own.
He tightened his grip, heart tensing, and looked directly at Zephyr, ready to explain—ready to defend her if needed.
But before he could speak—
Zephyr's stern expression suddenly cracked.
Then—
"Hahaha!"
With a loud laugh, he flashed his familiar easy-going smile.
"So that's why, huh? With such a beautiful wife, no wonder this brat refused to come back to Headquarters!"
"…"
He's doing that on purpose.
He had to be.
Eiger twitched an eyelid, staring silently at the old man's grinning face.
There was no doubt now—Zephyr must have recognized Nico.
He must know.
But since the old man chose to gloss over it, Eiger didn't hesitate either.
He lifted Nico's hand, still slightly trembling, and said with a calm smile:
"This is my wife, Nico, Instructor Zephyr."
The moment the words "my wife" left his mouth—
Nico's world lit up.
All the fear, the icy dread gripping her heart—
melted.
Warmth surged through her chest, spreading outward, wrapping her whole body like a soft blanket.
She looked at Eiger—
the man who didn't hesitate for even a second—
then turned to face the three Marines, especially the legendary instructor of Marine Headquarters, and smiled softly:
"Hello. Thank you for taking care of Eiger."
"Hahaha! If anything, it's old me who should be thanking your husband."
Zephyr waved dismissively, still grinning.
"This brat slapped me across the face—twice!"
"???"
Nico blinked.
Her husband… did what to the Marine Headquarters' Chief Instructor?
Before she could react, Eiger cut straight to the point.
He glanced from Zephyr to the two students behind him.
"Why are you here?"
Zephyr waved a hand.
"Not important. We'll talk about that later."
He swept his gaze across the gathered villagers, the cheering crowd, the festival atmosphere—
"Right now is party time, isn't it? Shouldn't you be inviting me to join the feast?"
"???"
Eiger opened his mouth, but—
"Yes, yes! It's still the festival!"
Chief Marin rushed in excitedly.
"This is the grand opening ceremony for the Sibia Distillery! Whatever business you all have—talk tomorrow! Today we celebrate!"
Before Eiger could object, the old village chief had already wrapped an arm around Zephyr's shoulder like they were old drinking buddies.
"This way, friend! Forget that brat—come enjoy the feast with me!"
"Well, after being stuck in a hospital bed so long, I suppose I should enjoy myself for once."
Zephyr didn't resist at all—he let himself be dragged off with a cheerful grin.
"I also heard you brew your own green grape wine. I must try it!"
"No problem! Drink as much as you want! Eiger's wife taught us the recipe—it's rich and aromatic!"
"Is that so? That boy really did marry himself quite the woman!"
"…"
Eiger watched the two old men walk off arm-in-arm, speechless.
Then—
Marin, hands behind his back, glanced back and secretly flashed Eiger a "don't worry, I've got this handled" gesture.
The old fox.
Eiger sighed and shook his head.
Looks like… things were safe after all.
But still—
What was the Marine Instructor doing here?!
Though doubt still lingered in his heart, now clearly wasn't the time to ask questions.
Feeling Nico's hand gripping his so tightly, Eiger turned to her with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry. Let's just enjoy the feast."
"Okay."
For reasons she couldn't explain, Nico's fear had completely melted away.
She smiled sweetly and whispered, "My love."
"Uh… sorry to interrupt."
Binz, who still hadn't left, raised a hand awkwardly.
"We're still standing right here. Can you arrange a spot for the two of us too?"
Then he smacked his lips, eyes shining.
"Also, is there more of that green grape wine? I wanna try some!"
"…"
Eiger finally snapped back, turning to the two lingering students with mild surprise.
"You two aren't joining your teacher at his table?"
"I overheard earlier—looks like he's sitting with all the village chiefs."
Compared to the silent Ain, Binz was practically bouncing with energy.
"We don't want to disturb Instructor Zephyr's fun. So! Where can we sit? And the wine? After all that tension on the way here, I need this feast!"
"Find any seat you like."
Eiger said helplessly, though without a hint of refusal.
A small grin tugged at his lips.
"As for the wine… the village chief said there's plenty. Drink all you want."
"That's what I like to hear! Time to enjoy myself!"
Binz immediately dove into the feast without a shred of restraint.
Ain, the fiery-tempered "small chili pepper" of yesterday, was unexpectedly quiet today.
She hesitated, then softly murmured a "thank you" to Eiger before joining a table as well.
"Where's the green grape wine? Hurry, hurry!"
Thus, the opening festival of the Sibia Distillery… continued in full force.
---
The Next Morning
Eiger woke late—much later than usual.
He rubbed his lower back and sat up with a tired sigh.
Last night, Nico had been very enthusiastic.
But when he opened the door and sunlight—nearly noon sunlight—washed over him, his fatigue vanished instantly.
He felt more alive than ever.
He chuckled to himself.
Thank goodness he had eaten that Devil Fruit.
Originally he had hesitated; though the Fortress-Fortress Fruit was useful for surpassing his limits, the Light-Light Fruit was a top-tier natural fruit that could skyrocket his power in an instant.
Best decision ever.
Endless stamina.
No problem training at night and in the morning.
The fruit chose him—and he chose the fruit.
After cooking a simple breakfast, Eiger quietly left the house without waking Nico.
He shouldered his axe and headed toward the back mountain to continue his training.
He shut the door behind him.
And inside…
Nico, who had seemed to be asleep, slowly opened her eyes.
She touched her lower abdomen gently.
Her lips curved into a tiny smile.
Her gaze trembled with hesitation—yet also faint expectation.
Softly, barely audible, she whispered:
"…a child?"
---
At the Village Entrance
Eiger had just reached the village gate when a familiar voice called out:
"Brat, aren't you going to come have a proper talk with me?"
"…"
Eiger froze, then turned.
There, standing like some worldly sage—with his right arm wrapped in bandages—was Zephyr.
Obviously waiting for him on purpose.
This geezer… absolutely did this intentionally.
---