I,Akaino will not die easily

Sakazuki said no more. He grabbed Nico Olvia with one arm tucked firmly at his side and swiftly walked to where little Robin was still crying, scooping up the sobbing girl and placing her on his shoulder.

"Doctor! Everyone!" Sitting on Sakazuki's shoulder, Robin cried uncontrollably. Her tiny arms stretched out from the tips of her palms, one after another, extending toward the scholars.

She activated her Hana Hana no Mi ability, desperately trying to grab hold of Professor Clover. But in the end, Sakazuki was faster. His feet moved swiftly, and with a burst of "Soru," he dashed toward the nearby residential area, away from the scholars. T

he artillery fire continued to bombard the island relentlessly, and he knew he had to act quickly to rescue more residents.

The rapid movement of "Soru" forced Robin, sitting on Sakazuki's shoulder, to stop using her ability. She clung tightly to his head to avoid being thrown off. Fortunately, the abrasive attitude of the government agents during the evacuation had ironically increased the residents' willingness to comply.

Although the streets were now chaotic due to the hurried retreat, Sakazuki found no civilians left behind in the residential areas near the island's center.

Gradually calming down, Robin sat on Sakazuki's shoulder and began to observe her surroundings. Despite the ongoing artillery fire, it was either dodged with astonishing speed by this "magma monster" or intercepted by his free hand, which hurled volcanic punches to obliterate the projectiles.

Carefully lowering her gaze, Robin looked at Olvia, who was still tucked tightly at Sakazuki's side, and whispered softly, "You're my mom, aren't you? I'm Robin! I've been waiting, waiting for you to come back! Don't you remember me?" She paused for a moment before continuing,

"I... I always hoped you'd hold my hand as we walked together... I've been working so hard... I..."

Tears began to stream down the little girl's face again.

Olvia, stealing a glance upward at Sakazuki, saw him focusing ahead and pressing forward without pause. He broke the silence, his tone calm but purposeful:

"There are some things we know that we know. There are some things we know that we don't know.

There are also things we don't know that we don't know. And then there are things we can choose not to know, even though we 'know.'"

"?"

"!"

Robin didn't quite understand this seemingly convoluted statement, but Olvia did. The Vice Admiral, whom the government referred to as Sakazuki, had already promised earlier to adopt Robin.

Coupled with his previous remarks, it became clear that he was not entirely ignorant of Robin's identity and was even willing to take on such a risk.

Understanding this, Olvia no longer suppressed her emotions. Tears streamed down her face as she reached out to gently wipe away the tears from her daughter's eyes.

"I wanted to hold your hand too, Robin. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I've been such an unworthy mother."

"Mom!" Robin's voice choked as countless words she wanted to say remained trapped in her throat.

She loosened one hand and stretched it toward her mother. Their fingers intertwined, gripping each other tightly.

"You must have worked so hard, Robin. I'm so, so proud of you!" Olvia lifted her head, gazing deeply into Robin's eyes with a radiant smile.

Though momentarily immersed in the warmth of familial love, Olvia couldn't shake the echo of Professor Clover and sakazuki's earlier conversation in her mind:

"Are you scholars so fallen that you'd drag an innocent 'civilian' to their deaths with you?"

"This 'civilian' girl is just here by chance. Please ensure her safe departure from this island. Let us bear the burden of the devil's sin alone."

Smiling but with a trace of severity in her tone, Olvia spoke: "Robin, can I ask you for a favor? No matter what happens next, little Robin must promise to obey, okay?" For now, the most important thing was to ensure Robin understood the situation and stuck to a consistent story.

She had to maintain her identity as a "civilian resolutely." Only this could guarantee her safety. In other words, Robin is just an "ignorant" civilian girl abandoned by her mother in chaos.

"Mom..." Robin hesitated slightly. 

"Promise Mama, okay!?" Olvia's voice carried a tone of near pleading. In the end, Robin finally agreed, nodding, "Mm!"

"You must remember, from now on, no matter who asks you, you can only answer that you are an ordinary child abandoned on the island by your parents and that you have no connection with the scholars of Ohara. I… I… I am no longer your mother!!" Olvia lowered her head; her final words were heavy but unwavering.

"But—!?"

"You promised Mama, didn't you, little Robin?"

"..."

"There's a civilian!" Sakazuki's voice abruptly broke the sentimental atmosphere.

Though he had tacitly allowed it, the two individuals hanging on him had suddenly started performing a melodrama as if he weren't even there. Meanwhile, he resembled a monkey carrying its young, leaping through the artillery fire.

In the distance, his sharp eyes caught sight of an old man dragging an oversized, heavy suitcase, moving slowly toward the island's edge. Craters littered the surroundings.

Sakazuki stomped the ground hard, adjusted his trajectory with Geppo, and landed directly in front of the old man, shouting, "Drop the luggage!! Hold onto my neck!"

"No way! This is everything I've worked for my whole life!" To his surprise, the old man, despite sweating profusely in panic, outright refused.

Sakazuki nearly choked on his frustration. Without wasting more breath, he reached out with his free hand, grabbed the old man by the collar, and slung him over his back.

The stubborn old man, despite his protests, had no choice but to clutch Sakazuki's neck. The Marine Vice Admiral immediately accelerated, leaping into the air, while the old man's suitcase was obliterated by a following artillery shell.

At the same time, Kuzan was guiding the fleeing civilians from the island's outskirts toward the evacuation ships.

Along the way, he casually created barriers of ice with a wave of his hand to block incoming shells. By now, he had made several trips between the island's interior and the evacuation vessels. This group of civilians seemed to be the last he could find.

Suddenly, his sharp ears caught a sound, and he turned his head to look into the sky. There, a bizarre figure was darting through the air, like a circus act.

Sakazuki had a woman tucked under his left arm, a frail girl perched on his shoulder, and three civilians clinging desperately to his broad back, their faces filled with terror as they screamed and cried. The scene was comically absurd.

"Pfft!" Kuzan couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter. But while he laughed, his actions didn't falter. "ICE BALL!!" With a flick of his wrist, two streams of freezing mist shot forth, encasing several incoming artillery shells in precise spheres of ice.

Unable to detonate, the shells were sealed inside the frozen balls and plummeted harmlessly to the ground.

Still mid-air, Sakazuki was well aware of how ridiculous he must have looked in his current state. But he hadn't expected Kuzan to laugh out loud so blatantly, his eyes almost tearing up from mirth.

Enraged and embarrassed, Sakazuki roared at his subordinate, "Laugh again!!! Laugh again, and I'll break your legs and toss you onto the island while I save the civilians!!"

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what do you think guys about the book so far