Chapter Fifteen: The Great Battle Approaches

“Brother Camus, do you think they’ll be alright living there?” Robin lay in Camus’s embrace, her nose adorably tilted as she asked.

Camus pinched her little nose, holding her tighter, and replied, “Heh, that place is quite nice, and we don’t have to worry about being found.”

After the navy had retreated, Camus released them and asked if they wished to stay behind. Led by Dr. Clover, they all firmly refused to leave; even Robin’s mother was unwilling to abandon Ohara, insisting that the arrival of the navy’s main force in a few days was of no consequence. In his anxiety, Camus took advantage of their distraction, swept them into his ring, and then went to the Tree of Knowledge, where he collected all the books, the historical Poneglyph, and even the entire tree itself.

Deep in the Calm Belt, where the navy would never find them, Camus sought out an uninhabited island and left them all there. There was nothing else he could do for them; if they were all doomed to perish as in the original story, then what was the point of his existence here?

Olvia, Robin’s mother, resolutely refused to stay. In the end, Camus had no choice but to open all her meridians and imprint the first level of the Divine Technique into her mind. Olvia declared she would train on the island for a time before setting out to search for the historical Poneglyphs.

Mother and daughter wept for a long time at their parting, promising to meet again. Robin then returned to Ohara with Camus. Now, Ohara was a deserted country; the two sat on the rocky shore, chatting.

As the sun sank toward the horizon, Camus pressed a gentle kiss to Robin’s forehead. With a flicker of violet light, a sword appeared in his hand—a blade entirely blue and four and a half feet long.

“Robin, this sword is yours now. Use it well.” Placing the sword in her hands, Camus gazed at “Autumn Rain” with a flood of emotion. Who would have thought that even in Ohara’s weapon shop, he could find two Supreme Grade Swords among the twelve masterpieces?

“Robin, close your eyes,” Camus said seriously, his eyes aglow with a fearsome light.

“Why?” Robin asked, but obediently closed her eyes.

Glancing around—there was no one but them—Camus saw no reason for further caution.

A flicker of violet and an ancient ring appeared in his hand. He gently took Robin’s right hand and slid the blue ring onto her index finger.

Robin shuddered as Camus placed the ring.

“Open your eyes. Do you like it? This is an engagement ring. Once you wear it and never take it off, you’ll be my wife.” Camus gazed into her eyes, anticipation shining on his face.

“Yes, I love it. I love it so much.” Robin looked at the ring on her hand, her eyes misting with happiness. Though she’d been angry at Camus for his sudden disappearance over the past year, the ring melted her heart.

“Camus, you close your eyes, too!” Robin’s bright eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“What for?” Camus asked, but closed his eyes as told.

“Mmm…” Damn, she kissed him! Camus was a little flustered, but as Robin’s lips pressed against his, he responded, holding her gently. Though they were still young, their kiss was dizzying; eventually, Robin was the first to yield, her cheeks flushed. Camus chuckled softly and drew her into his arms, tapping her gently on the forehead before gazing up at the stars.

In his heart, he sighed, “Ah, when will we finally grow up?”

...

“Report—Vice Admiral Kuzan, here to brief on the mission.” Kuzan’s voice sounded outside the Fleet Admiral’s office.

“Come in.” Sengoku straightened his collar and shot a sidelong glance at the two men slouched on the sofa nearby—Admiral Kizaru, looking half-asleep, and the Navy Hero, Monkey D. Garp, who was devouring doughnuts.

The sliding door opened with a hiss. Kuzan entered, closed the door, and looked nothing like the disheveled figure he’d been in Ohara. Now he was full of energy. He made his way to the desk, saluted, and sat down—a privilege given to Vice Admirals when making reports.

“Report on the Ohara incident. In detail,” Sengoku said sternly.

At that, Kizaru ceased his drowsing and Garp stopped eating doughnuts, both turning their attention to Kuzan.

Kuzan’s pupils contracted, a trace of fear flickering in his eyes.

“This is what happened…” For the next hour, Kuzan’s report was met with alternating calm and frowns from Sengoku, Kizaru, and Garp. It was clear that these top figures of the navy were now taking Camus very seriously.

“You may go. We’ll call you if we need you,” Sengoku dismissed Kuzan with a wave.

Kuzan stood, saluted, and left, closing the door behind him.

“What do you two think?” Sengoku turned to Kizaru and Garp. Right now, the navy headquarters had only Kizaru and the two admirals stationed elsewhere, but fortunately, their hero Garp was present.

“How should I put it? That boy is strong—he owns an unknown Supreme Grade Sword, has an overwhelming Conqueror’s Haki, and his swordsmanship is formidable. Isn’t he supposed to have a Devil Fruit as well? The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, a Logia—now that’s a rare one! He didn’t even use its power in battle. Maybe he's just eaten it or simply disdains using it. This guy is very strong—probably stronger than me. At fourteen or fifteen, the world is getting crazier,” Kizaru said, after some thought.

“And you, Garp?” Sengoku prompted, seeing Garp resume eating doughnuts after Kuzan left.

“Haha, Elros D. Camus—a fine name! He’s a man with the will of D. If he’s as strong as Kuzan says, who knows which of us is stronger? Only a fight will tell,” Garp replied, his tone serious for once.

“Damn! He’s challenging the navy’s authority—over a hundred warships and several admirals, and he’s unafraid. Admiral Kizaru, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, I order you to mobilize thirty warships and gather twenty Vice Admirals. Capture the villain Elros D. Camus, or if you cannot, execute him on the spot!” Sengoku stood and issued his command with grave severity.

“Yes, sir.” Kizaru saluted and left.

“Alright, got it. You really need me for a kid?” Garp grumbled as he stood, picking his nose, and walked out.

As the navy’s top two combatants departed, Sengoku’s heart eased, if only a little.

“Sigh! I hope they can capture him. He’s so strong at such a young age—in a few years, no one will be able to match him. We can’t let him become the next Whitebeard. But can we really catch him?” Sengoku muttered, not quite believing his own words. Shaking his head, he returned to his paperwork.

Meanwhile, our protagonist was holding his beloved, gazing at the stars, quietly awaiting the great battle to come.

...

Working overtime again—sorry for the late update! The next chapter will be exciting; please support the story. Group number: 78796064