The moon's chill and the ground's ice could not dampen everyone's spirits.
They had just won a great victory.
Although A Hua and A Tao had been a bit impulsive during the process, the outcome was acceptable; at least no one was injured this time.
Thus, even though they were in a world of ice and snow created by Kuzan's abilities, no one felt cold.
Back on the ship, a specially made hot pot was brought out. Under the bright moon, on the sea beneath the ship, they sat in a circle on the ground and ate ice and snow hot pot.
Picking up a slice of deep-sea fish, frozen by ice and shimmering with a cold halo under the moonlight, Kong Tai dipped it into the sauce made from a unique island spice given by Maya in his small bowl and brought it to his mouth. He narrowed his eyes slightly and then chewed gently.
The fish slices, a delicacy from the Grand Line, were even more crisp and sweet after being frozen. Combined with the unique spice sauce, one bite was enough to make one drown in this human delicacy.
This sea always offered something new. This fish was caught before they came to this island.
Seeing that it was another unfamiliar fish, everyone unanimously decided to store it well and enjoy it slowly after the island matters were resolved.
Yes… it was delicious.
It had not disappointed their expectations.
Opening his eyes, he glanced at Kuzan, who stood quietly in the distance.
The man stood on the ice and snow, radiating a sense of loneliness, a stark contrast to the liveliness around them.
He neither left nor approached, seemingly waiting for one of them to come over.
Clearly, he had something to say to that person.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Robin.
"Robin, it seems this Admiral has something to tell you. Why don't you go see what he wants to say?"
Putting down his chopsticks, Robin smiled faintly at everyone.
Then, he slowly stood up, turned, and walked towards Kuzan.
"What do you think that guy wants to say to Robin-chan?"
"What else could it be? That guy is one of the main culprits behind the destruction of Robin-chan's homeland."
A Luo stared at Kuzan in the distance, hostility rising from him. "I say, why don't we just leave this guy here?"
*Slam!*
A large hand quickly slapped A Luo on the back of his head, making a crisp sound and sending the food he was chewing flying out of his mouth.
"What are you doing, you brat?"
Turning around, A Luo glared angrily at the owner of the hand, A Tao.
A Tao retracted his hand, picked up a slice of sashimi, dipped it in sauce, and chewed slowly before speaking, "Are you an idiot?"
"Robin-chan clearly knows this Admiral, and if they wanted to keep him, Kong Tai and Gu Yi Na would have already done it. Would they still let him watch us for so long?"
After saying that, he turned and glanced disdainfully at A Luo.
*Bang!*
A Luo punched the ground, staring at A Tao, his eyes blazing with anger. "You brat, do you want to fight again?"
"Fight?"
A Tao, who had just withdrawn his gaze, didn't even turn his head. He glanced at A Luo with extreme contempt from the corner of his eye. "You!"
"Ah! I can't stand you anymore."
Saying this, A Luo was about to get up and fight A Tao.
However, at that moment, Gu Yi Na's clear voice rang out.
"Enough."
There were no extra words, but it was like a basin of ice water that instantly extinguished A Luo's anger, making him wilt like a frost-bitten eggplant.
"This Admiral saved Robin's life. Moreover, he is considered a moderate within the Marines, not someone who indiscriminately kills all pirates."
Gu Yi Na looked at everyone, picked up her chopsticks, took a slice of lotus root from the hot pot, placed it in her small bowl, and said while eating, "Besides, in my fight with him initially, he didn't use his full strength. It was only after I used Thunder Breathing that he fought me with all his might."
"This is why he and Kong Tai let him go. Although he is an Admiral, he is not a bad person, and he is Robin's savior. Keeping him in the Marines is not a bad thing, but rather a good thing."
"A good thing?"
A Luo had also come to his senses. He hadn't known Kuzan was Robin's savior before, which was why he had shown hostility towards Kuzan.
After all, although they were not injured this time, it was equally dangerous. If Kong Tai hadn't warned them in advance, they might have walked into the town and not only become someone else's power but also grown old forever.
This was what the woman had told them earlier.
They had felt a lingering fear after hearing it.
So that town was that dangerous!
That was why he had shown deep hostility towards Kuzan, who was allied with Cartres. Even after the fight ended, his hostility had not completely dissipated.
"Yes!"
*Gulp!*
Kong Tai took a sip of wine, reached out, and wiped his lips with his sleeve. Then, he picked up where Gu Yi Na left off and continued, "Keeping him is one aspect Gu Yi Na mentioned. Another aspect is that the Marines are currently divided into two main factions. One faction is Admiral Sakazuki, known as 'Akainu'."
"This guy is a hawk in the Marines, believing in the ideology of 'absolute justice.' He treats everything that has the potential to become 'evil' with ruthless methods."
"Among the three Admirals, this guy is the most like a soldier. Honestly, I admire him quite a bit. If this guy weren't so extreme, I wouldn't bother with the Marines' affairs!"
In fact, if Akainu's methods and personality were a bit milder, and he didn't harm civilians, he would be a good candidate for a leader of the Marines.
"Then… what about that guy over there?"
A Hua pushed up his glasses, tilted his head, and looked at Kuzan, who was talking with Robin in the distance, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"This guy?"
Kong Tai leaned back. An ice wall automatically rose from the ice surface behind him, as if welcoming him, supporting his back so he wouldn't fall.
Tilting his head back to take another drink, Kong Tai continued, "This guy is a representative figure of another faction within the Marines. Although he believes in 'lazy justice,' he doesn't deny the justice of others."
"He believes that 'justice' has different interpretations for people from different standpoints and changes with those standpoints. Combined with his personality, he has become the representative figure of the moderate faction in the Marines."
"The moderates advocate for stabilizing the situation at sea. Although they also strike against pirates, they don't do it as extremely as the hawks. Their methods of capturing pirates are much milder, and they don't harm civilians in the process of capturing pirates, thus not causing large casualties."
"And this guy…"
Kong Tai paused slightly at this point, took a sip of wine, and continued, "When this guy was cracking down on pirates, he also turned a blind eye to kind-hearted pirates when the situation called for it, letting some pirates go."
"Although this is not what a soldier should do, for adventurers who are out at sea and have done no wrong, having this guy in the highest position in the Marines would be a good choice for both the Marines and the sea."
"The highest position, Fleet Admiral?"
Hearing Kong Tai's words, everyone looked at Kuzan in the distance in unison, then turned to look at Kong Tai.
It was obvious that reaching that position would not be easy.
And keeping a representative figure of one of the two factions in the Marines was indeed a good choice for the Marines and the sea.
Actually! Kong Tai hadn't mentioned another faction in the Marines.
That was the "slacking off" faction led by Kizaru.
The people in this faction were all laid-back individuals. Kizaru had no ambition to compete for Fleet Admiral, so everyone in this faction, from top to bottom, adopted a relaxed attitude.
After all, as the leader, so would be the subordinates.
Wouldn't they?