"Zephyr, there's no need to say those things."
Ross raised an eyebrow and chuckled as he said:
"There's still some time before the Celestial Hunt, and it's almost the end of the year. Go to the Marine Headquarters yourself and retrieve the sword."
Should I go get it?
Zephyr paused for a moment. Although he was not opposed to doing it, it seemed unnecessary for him to personally escort a great sword.
"Professor Zephyr, it's almost the end of the year."
Gion said softly, a different kind of light in her eyes.
"End of the year..."
Zephyr paused for a moment, his eyes immediately turning dejected.
Yes, it's almost the end of the year, and it's time for him to pay respects to his wife and children.
"Saint Ross, thank you..."
Zephyr was genuinely grateful.
The matter of his wife and children had always been a knot in his heart.
He was tormented every day, every hour.
He would often wake up startled from his sleep.
Surprisingly, Ross actually remembered this day that he himself didn't want to recall.
"Recently, the Marine captured 10 pirates with bounties over 100 million, and they have all been ordered to be brought to the Holy Land. You don't lack anything else, and I will personally kill these 10 pirates to send you off later."
Ross smiled and said, "Anyway, I'm going to kill pirates to gain strength. Pirates' lives are very precious, so of course I have to make the most of them."
After he said that, the way Zephyr and Gion looked at him changed slightly.
Sometimes people's hearts are complicated, but sometimes they are very simple.
Doing a good job on small details is far better than being enslaved by status and force.
After explaining some more details, Ross left the reception hall and led Gion towards the palace's backyard.
Ross isn't a master of impartiality; he has his own sense of right and wrong.
Some women simply need to be treated well, while others require special treatment.
Of all the women Ross has ever been with, Gion is his favorite.
The other women were merely a diversion in his life; he liked them all, but none were as important as Gion.
"Is that Robin over there?"
As Gion passed by the training ground, she noticed a small figure sweating profusely and looked surprised.
She had left earlier and hadn't heard the conversation between Ross and Robin.
Unexpectedly, Robin, this historian, is now even more obsessed with improving her strength.
"It's her. I heard from the family that she's been very diligent these past six months, completing the CP9 reserve training every day."
Ross nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Robin.
Compared to the last time we met, perhaps due to changes in diet and environment, Robin's skin has become much whiter, and her original short hair has grown to shoulder length.
The most significant change lies in Robin's strength.
When Robin was in Ohara, even with her Flower-Flower Fruit, she was only at the level of an ordinary marine.
But now, after a period of training, her moves and techniques have become quite impressive.
With the development of the Flower-Flower Fruit, she might be able to put up a fight against Marine Vice Admirals.
For Robin's current age, having this level of strength is already quite impressive.
"Robin, attack me!"
Ross made no attempt to hide anything, walked to the center of the training field, and waved to Robin.
Gion stood to the side, her hands hanging down in a completely relaxed posture.
Robin's strength is insufficient to pose a threat to Ross. If it were anyone else, she would remain constantly vigilant in case anything happens to Ross.
"Ross...Master!"
When Robin saw Ross, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.
She didn't spend much time with Ross, but those few days left a very deep impression on her.
Ohara, her hometown, was destroyed by Ross.
Saul, whose friend was killed by Ross.
Dr. Clover, whose teacher was murdered by Ross.
Olvia, whose mother was driven insane by Ross.
These days in the Holy Land, in what is arguably the safest environment in the world, she frequently suffers from insomnia.
She was afraid... she was terrified...
Whenever she closes her eyes, scenes from Ohara appear in her mind.
There's Olvia's crazy side, and also Ross's playful smile.
These two people have become a shadow over her entire life.
"What are you standing there for? If I were your enemy, you would be dead by now."
Ross walked over to Robin and patted her on the shoulder.
Even if a nine-year-old girl is very smart, her ability to hide her emotions is still too immature.
Ross took in almost all the complex emotions in Robin's eyes, but he didn't care.
Robin is far more interesting than some useless pretty faces, and he looks forward to the surprises Robin will bring in the future.
"Master, I've arrived!"
Robin pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and activated the Flower-Flower Fruit.
She didn't know how strong Ross was; Ross had ordered her to go all out. If Ross died like this, then it would only be because the other party was too careless.
On the ground, countless tiny hands reached out, clenching their fists and attacking Ross.
Ross leaped lightly, using Geppo to fly into the sky.
There were many hands on the ground, at least 100, which is enough to show that Robin used all her strength.
But...
Robin looked at Ross flying in the air, then at the little hands on the ground, her eyes filled with confusion.
He was flying, how was she supposed to fight?
The combat methods taught to her by her instructors did not include any strategies for dealing with aerial combat.
The key issue is that Robin discovered she couldn't directly use her powers on Ross's body. Whenever she tried to grow a hand on Ross, she would instantly feel powerless and suddenly be unable to use her Devil Fruit powers.
"Robin, you still have a long way to go."
Ross easily leaped over the sea of flowers formed by tiny hands, landing once again beside Robin, and smiling as he tapped her forehead with his index finger:
"That flying move you just used was the Geppo from the Rokushiki. In the future, you will often encounter opponents who can fly."
"But it's mainly Armament Haki, isn't it?"
Robin pursed her lips, a hint of resentment in her eyes:
"The Flower-Flower Fruit can grow arms on any object, but it doesn't work on its user. The instructor mentioned before that this is an ability of Armament Haki, which can block the power of Devil Fruits."
Her current strength lies entirely in her Devil Fruit powers, but her stamina doesn't support prolonged combat with the Flower-Flower Fruit, leaving her with pitifully few combat methods.
"Armament Haki is everywhere in the New World; basically every pirate knows it. So, no matter what Devil Fruit you have, you still need to improve your own strength."
Ross smiled, patted Robin on the head, and patiently began to teach her.
The method he used to block Robin's Devil Fruit ability was not Armament Haki, but rather he directly used the Devil Fruit's ability to form a barely visible seawater film on his body.
With this layer of protection, almost all special Devil Fruit abilities are ineffective against him, making it even more effective than Armament Haki.
"I see..."
Robin turned her head slightly away, feeling very awkward.
Why was he still so good to her when he caused her family to be destroyed?
Baffling…
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