Chapter 284
Inside the cabin, Hancock's heartbeat continued to echo through the silence.
Zaraki could no longer hear it.
The moment he stepped through the door, freezing sea wind laden with fine snow struck him full in the face, sweeping away the thick, awkward tension that had lingered inside.
In its place came the sharp scent of salt and the biting cold of the open deck.
He drew a deep breath.
The chill filled his lungs and brushed across the smooth skin where the wound in his abdomen had been only minutes earlier, reminding him just how completely the Senzu Bean had restored him.
Zaraki did not leave immediately.
He lingered beside the half-closed door for a moment and tilted his head, listening.
Nothing came from inside except the faint rustle of fabric, followed by silence.
That was enough.
The three sisters needed time to process what had just happened, Hancock most of all.
Zaraki could easily imagine the turmoil behind that proud woman's expression, but whatever conclusions she reached were hers to deal with.
As far as he was concerned, he had simply repaid a debt.
Hancock had helped him when it mattered, so he had returned the favor with something worthwhile.
He had not come to this world to become some pirate king's husband.
He had come to reach the summit, master the strongest templates available to him, and crush anyone who refused to accept it.
A faint smile crossed his face before he turned toward his private quarters.
The Marine deck had already returned to order.
Soldiers moved supplies, cleaned up the aftermath of the battle, and carried out their duties with practiced efficiency.
Farther away, Garp was shouting instructions at someone at his usual cheerful volume, loud enough to send several seabirds veering away from the ship.
Zaraki had taken only a few steps when a familiar figure hurried around the corner ahead.
She clearly had not seen him.
The two collided with a heavy thump.
Zaraki barely moved, but Gion bounced off his chest and nearly lost her footing.
His hand shot out before she could fall, catching her around the waist and steadying her.
A faint scent of gardenia reached him, clean and elegant with a slight coolness to it.
"Zaraki?!"
Gion's startled cry carried unmistakable panic, and her face flushed almost instantly.
She hurriedly pulled away from his hand and put some distance between them, then glanced past him toward the closed cabin door before looking back at his face.
The complicated expression in her eyes made it obvious that she was already trying to reconstruct what might have happened inside.
Zaraki sighed inwardly.
'What the hell is she imagining?'
"Zaraki, you..."
Gion hesitated before lowering her voice.
"You came out... rather quickly."
Zaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Quick?"
The dissatisfaction in his tone was immediate.
Of course he understood what she meant.
He had gone inside, said a few things, poured two cups of water, demonstrated what a Senzu Bean could do, and left.
The whole thing had probably taken less than five minutes, and somehow that had already become quick?
'These people really have nothing better to do.'
He had done nothing, yet she was already filling in the rest of the story herself.
The straightforward temperament that came with the Zaraki Kenpachi template had very little patience for that kind of insinuation.
Irritated, Zaraki reached over and ruffled Gion's hair, ruining the careful arrangement almost immediately.
Her hair was unexpectedly soft beneath his hand.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his tone carrying more helpless familiarity than anger. "I was discussing something serious with them."
The gesture only made Gion more embarrassed. She went completely stiff while he casually messed up her hair and did not seem to recover until he finally withdrew his hand.
She hurried to fix the damage.
"S-Serious business?"
Her voice was still flustered.
"What kind of serious business requires bringing them into your private cabin?"
The question had lost most of its earlier accusation, but she clearly could not resist asking.
Zaraki glanced toward the closed door.
A faint, unreadable smile touched his mouth, but he gave her no answer.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"What do you think the Five Elders are going to do about everything that happened today?"
The embarrassment vanished from Gion's expression almost immediately.
She thought for a moment before answering.
"You're still a Marine Headquarters special envoy, and you were the greatest contributor to everything that happened here. Even if your relationship with several Warlords is... somewhat unusual, the Five Elders shouldn't dare move against you openly."
She hesitated.
"But..."
"But?"
Zaraki leaned back against the bulwark and folded his arms.
Gion drew a slow breath.
"The World Government's attempt to manipulate Kaido and Charlotte Linlin ended up dragging the Whitebeard Pirates into this crisis too. And after what you did to Charlotte Linlin, your reputation has reached a level they can't ignore."
Her expression grew more serious.
"But that same strength is exactly what will make the Five Elders uneasy. They care about balance, and you've already grown beyond what they can comfortably control."
Zaraki gave a slight nod and waited for her to continue.
"They may retreat for now and deal with you later. Sengoku already proposed medical leave. They could use that as an excuse to keep you away from the public eye and weaken your influence."
Gion's gaze hardened.
"Or they could arrange something behind the scenes. That's what worries me most."
Zaraki understood what she was getting at.
"Because of what it'll do to Marine morale?"
Gion nodded.
"Exactly. Marine soldiers bleed for this organization. If even someone with your achievements can be discarded once you become inconvenient, how many people are going to start questioning what they believe in?"
Zaraki gave a short laugh.
"They won't care."
There was contempt in his voice, but none of what he said sounded uncertain.
"From their perspective, someone this young with this much authority and strength, who still refuses to be completely controlled, is already a threat. Getting rid of one disobedient officer probably looks cheaper than keeping a piece on the board that might eventually turn on them."
Gion's expression tightened.
"As for morale?" Zaraki continued with a shrug. "That's a problem for the people below them. If one hero disappears, they'll make another. If one symbol falls apart, they'll replace it."
His tone remained calm.
"That's all."
A chill ran through Gion.
She knew what he was saying made sense, but hearing him discuss his own position with such detachment left her uneasy.
He spoke as though the matter concerned someone else entirely.