Chapter 92 - 92: A Gentle Trap, the Fangs of a Marine!

Words : 1378 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Captain Tsugikuni! Vice Admiral Kuzan isn't human!" "He actually—he actually… he actually…" "…" Inside the navigation room, a Marine sergeant was animatedly relaying everything that had happened on the deck earlier to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, adding fuel to the fire with every word. He exaggerated the story of Kuzan rescuing the girl and bringing her back to his quarters, making it sound thoroughly scandalous. From his tone, Kuzan might as well have been a complete beast. Yoriichi sat in his chair, listening with great interest. He even nodded along from time to time, casually adding a few comments of his own. Judging from the way the two talked, they clearly weren't giving Kuzan much benefit of the doubt. "Mhm, mhm, that Kuzan really is a beast." "For him to do something like that… I definitely have to tell Teacher Zephyr and Vice Admiral Garp when we get back. They need to reevaluate Kuzan." "By the way, has that girl we rescued woken up yet?" At this question, the sergeant froze, words caught in his throat. After a moment of hesitation, he replied: "I'm not sure. After we finished preparing the hot water for the rescued girl, we left Vice Admiral Kuzan's room." "If she had woken up, the Vice Admiral would've opened the door to call for the ship's doctor." Yoriichi nodded slightly at that, tapping the table thoughtfully. Just then, the door to the navigation room opened. Kuzan stepped in wearing his white suit, both hands stuffed in his pockets. "I've found a way to get to Dongwu Island," he said. As he spoke, he pulled a small, irregularly-shaped paper slip from his pants pocket and handed it to Yoriichi. Yoriichi took it and held it in his palm. The slip shifted slightly toward the west. "A Vivre Card?!" "This came from that girl we rescued, didn't it?" Yoriichi's expression grew serious. Still seated in the "command chair," he didn't move an inch and asked the question directly. Kuzan didn't care about such formalities. He casually dropped into the seat beside him, nodded, and began explaining. "Her name is Lily. I've already looked into her background." "She's from the Yaga Archipelago. Dongwu Island is one of the islands in that chain." "The merchant ship she was on ran into disaster. She barely survived by clinging to a piece of wreckage." "This Vivre Card belongs to her mother. It can guide us to the Yaga Archipelago." "No wonder we couldn't find Dongwu Island on any charts—it's just one island within the archipelago." As he spoke, Kuzan pointed to the Yaga Archipelago marked on the sea chart, his voice tinged with excitement. Yoriichi, however, had already furrowed his brows. He gave Kuzan a puzzled look and asked, "Lily is…?" Kuzan smiled and replied, "Sharon Lily. That's the name of the girl we rescued." "In that case, let's head toward the Yaga Archipelago." "By the way, did she tell you anything about the archipelago herself?" At that, Kuzan shook his head. But before Yoriichi could press further, Kuzan continued: "I already know a bit about the Yaga Archipelago. There's a nation there called the Kingdom of Lissa." "Sharon is from the royal family of Lissa, 'Lily' is their royal surname. Her mother is the king's granddaughter." "The Kingdom of Lissa has a permanent population of about 200,000, a medium-sized nation made prosperous through maritime trade." "Dongwu Island is a port island and serves as a vital lifeline for the Kingdom of Lissa." As Kuzan shared what he knew, Yoriichi listened quietly, his fingers lightly tapping the table. Once Kuzan finished, Yoriichi finally spoke. "Kuzan, don't you think all of this is a little… suspicious?" "We get a distress call, and then we just so happen to run into a castaway girl." "And conveniently, she's from the Yaga Archipelago and knows about Dongwu Island?" "Isn't this all a bit too neat?" Before Yoriichi could finish the thought, Kuzan cut him off with a shake of the head. "No way." "How could a drifting girl at sea possibly know whether or not we'd even receive a distress call?" "And like you said, it's all way too coincidental. That's exactly why it can't be what you're thinking." "Yoriichi, do you believe in fate?" Hearing that, Yoriichi found himself momentarily speechless. Fate? To be honest, unlike many realists, he actually did believe in fate. After all, he'd been reincarnated not once but twice. If something like that could happen to him, what part of fate was really so unbelievable? That said, he believed in his own fate, not necessarily the version Kuzan was pushing. "Alright, let's go see for ourselves." Yoriichi stood up from his chair, still holding the Vivre Card. He walked over to the helmsman and signaled for the course to be adjusted based on the card's direction. The green-hulled warship sailed for three days. At last, land came into view. At the bow, Kuzan was carefully supporting a radiant young girl. When she saw land, her face lit up with a dazzling smile. "Miss Lily, is that the Yaga Archipelago ahead?" "Once we get you ashore, my mission will be complete!" Kuzan spoke with a grin. Despite it being winter, his face looked like spring had arrived. He was, after all, a young man. When faced with a beautiful girl, he couldn't help but lower his guard. Yoriichi had to admit, it was already impressive that Kuzan was managing to act as composed as he was. At the mast, Yoriichi sat cross-legged at the base, his sword in his arms, watching Kuzan and Lily from afar without saying a word. As the ship drew closer to the archipelago, a growing unease settled over Yoriichi's heart, something he hadn't felt in a long time. The last time he'd felt it… was the last time. At the bow, Sharon Lily gave Kuzan a soft smile and whispered, "Thank you, Vice Admiral Kuzan. I really don't know how I can ever repay you." "Vice Admiral Kuzan, if it's possible… would you stay in the Yaga Archipelago?" "I'd like to-" Before she could finish, Kuzan blushed and scratched the back of his head, apologizing with an awkward smile. "Sorry, Lily." "I can't stay in the Yaga Archipelago. I still have duties to fulfill." "After all, I'm a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters." "I really am sorry, Lily." Hearing his answer, Sharon Lily didn't show any visible disappointment. Instead, she gently wrapped her arms around his and said softly, "That's such a shame, Vice Admiral Kuzan." "I truly hoped you'd be able to stay in the Yaga Archipelago." As she spoke, a delicate fragrance wafted into Kuzan's nose. His face, which had been flushed a moment ago, suddenly turned serious. He let out a quiet sigh and said in a low voice, "It really is a shame, Lily." "You shouldn't have done this." "I may only be a Vice Admiral, and my adjutant may just be a Captain, but you can't measure a Marine's strength by rank alone." "Lily…" As he spoke, he turned his head toward Sharon Lily, his face filled with sadness. The girl, who had just moments before been gently clinging to his arm and whispering sweetly, instantly froze. Her posture stiffened, spine snapping straight. At some point, without a sound, a black blade had come to rest on her shoulder, its icy aura seeping into her skin. "As long as your Haki is strong enough, Devil Fruit abilities become meaningless. Miss Lily, you really did underestimate us." ************************ Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 350 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on P(a)treon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 92 - 92: A Gentle Trap, the Fangs of a Marine!

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