Sunlight glittered across the blue sea as a Marine warship slowly sailed into port. The ship's hull cut cleanly through the calm waters, sending ripples fanning outward in shimmering layers.
Standing at the bow was Gern Reginald Sigmar. From a distance, he had already spotted the tall figure waiting on the pier.
Zeff stood with his arms crossed, towering and immovable. His expression was hidden behind dark sunglasses, but the faint upward curve of his lips carried a dangerous edge.
"Tch…" Gern rubbed his temple and muttered under his breath."Looks like what I said last time had more… aftereffects than I expected."
"Gern, is that Instructor Zeff?" Lipo peeked out from beside him, her pink eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yeah." Gern nodded, a helpless smile forming.Then he glanced at her—and back at Zeff.
His mind involuntarily drifted to their last meeting, and to the way his teacher had once openly envied other people's daughters.
After all… the power of a "little cotton-padded jacket" was terrifying.
"Lipo," he said.
"Hm?" She tilted her head.
"Remember to be polite later. He's my teacher."
"No problem!" Lipo puffed out her chest proudly."I'm the heroic Lipo of justice! I'm super polite!"
As the ship slowly docked and the gangplank dropped—
"GERN!!"
Zeff's roar exploded across the harbor, making nearby soldiers instinctively shrink their shoulders.
Before Gern could even react, a white blur leapt from the ship.
Whoosh!
Lipo landed lightly in front of Zeff.
"You're Instructor Zeff?" she asked brightly.
Zeff was nearly three meters tall, forcing Lipo to tilt her head far back. She smiled sweetly, pink eyes curving into crescent moons.
The moment Zeff saw that smile, the anger he'd been stockpiling jammed in his throat.
He stared down at the rabbit-eared girl in a Marine uniform—complete with two holes cut into the hat so her ears could stick through—and momentarily lost his train of thought.
"F… fluffy?" he blurted out.
"Not fluffy!" Lipo struck a dramatic pose, arms crossed over her chest like a transforming hero, voice ringing with justice."I am the hero of justice—Lipo!"
The exact same pose his own son used.
And yet somehow… it felt completely different.
Zeff fell silent for two full seconds.
Slowly, his gaze shifted from Lipo to Gern, who had just stepped off the ship.
His eyes screamed one thing:You'd better explain this.
Gern gave an awkward chuckle, about to speak—
But Lipo had already bounced over again, stopping right in front of Zeff with a radiant smile.
"Instructor Zeff! How did I do? Was I good? Was I cool?!Gern told me you're one of the earliest heroes of justice!"
Her expression was so innocent it hurt.
Zeff's mind involuntarily flashed to his own four-year-old menace back home—the one who'd recently declared during a Marine Academy event:"Dad's my backup, Gern's my future, I'm invincible!"
If I had a daughter… would she be this cute?
Behind his sunglasses, Zeff studied Lipo's bright, unguarded face… then glanced at Gern, who wore an utterly innocent I-taught-her-nothing expression.
And in that moment, Zeff realized something terrifying—
He, Zeff.Marine Admiral.The "Black Arm."The man feared across the seas—
Could not get angry at this fluffy rabbit girl.
Especially when she looked up at him with those sparkling pink eyes and called him Instructor Zeff.
His authority was visibly crumbling.
"Ahem! Anyway—" Zeff coughed loudly, trying to recover."So… you—no, Lipo. You're Gern's subordinate?"
"Yes!" Lipo nodded enthusiastically, ears swaying."I'm Gern's partner in justice—Ensign Lipo!"
"Ensign?" Zeff raised a brow and glanced at Gern."You really know how to arrange things, don't you?"
Gern shrugged innocently. "You know how it is, Instructor. The Marines need fresh blood."
Zeff snorted, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
His eyes drifted back to Lipo—and before he could stop himself, he reached out and patted her head.
"All right. If you're his adjutant, then do your best. I'll take care of your rank personally."
"Yes, Instructor Zeff!"Lipo snapped into a salute—crooked, clumsy, but bursting with spirit.
Zeff finally laughed, shaking his head."Come on. Let's head inside. The Fleet Admiral is waiting."
"The Fleet Admiral?" Gern raised a brow."Fleet Admiral Kong wants to see me?"
"Who else?" Zeff shot him a look."That little speech you gave about 'my teacher being my backing' shook the entire high command.Now the recruits are saying things like 'When Zeff rises, the Fleet Admiral falls.'"
Gern: "..."
I may have overdone it.
At that moment, Lipo tilted her head, looking between them curiously.
"Instructor Zeff, Gern said you're his support… so does that mean we can walk sideways everywhere now?"
Zeff: "???"
Gern: "...Lipo. Some things don't need to be said out loud."
Zeff took a deep breath—then burst into laughter.
"You brat… that adjutant of yours—she's something else!"
And just like that, what could've been a terrifying confrontation melted away completely under Lipo's innocent "assistance."
For the first time, the soldiers of Marineford witnessed something truly unbelievable—
Black Arm Zeff, defeated… by a fluffy rabbit.
Lipo skipped ahead, marveling at the towering structures of Marine Headquarters.
As soon as she was far enough away, Zeff suddenly hooked an arm around Gern's neck and growled in a low voice:
"This is all your fault! I was a proper instructor before you came along!Now I'm some political centerpiece with disciples everywhere!Even Sengoku keeps hinting that 'old comrades should support each other'!"
"I didn't know you were in the Fleet Admiral's office that day…" Gern struggled.
"You did that on purpose—!"
Zeff stopped mid-rant when Lipo suddenly turned back.
"Instructor Zeff! That fountain is so pretty!"
Instantly, Zeff released Gern and switched expressions, gently patting his head.
"Yes, yes… that's one of Marineford's landmarks…"
Gern: "..."
Taking advantage of Lipo's distraction, Gern quickly added:
"Instructor Zeff, Lipo's a Mink. She also has a Healing Devil Fruit and strong physical talent.The Minks are natural warriors—if you have time, I was hoping you could guide her."
"As if you needed to say it." Zeff snorted."She already called me Instructor."
Gern watched as his teacher tried—and failed—to hide his pleased expression.
For the first time, he felt a strange sense of dread.
(…My junior might be losing his father's love to a rabbit.)
Just then, Lipo ran back and grabbed Zeff's hand.
"Instructor Zeff! Do they sell carrots here?!"
Zeff burst out laughing.
"Of course! Tons of them!"He hoisted Lipo onto his shoulders. "Come on! I'll take you to the best carrot cake in all of Marineford!"
"Yay!" Lipo cheered, her legs swinging as her ears brushed against his face.
The fearsome "Black Arm" now laughed like a doting father, completely forgetting he had come here to interrogate someone.
Watching the two of them walk away together, Gern suddenly realized—
It wasn't just his junior who might be losing paternal affection.
He himself… might already rank lower than a rabbit.