One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

"To capture a man's heart, you must first learn to capture his stomach," Jessica said earnestly as her slender jade-like fingers slowly slid over the other two bento boxes on the table.

"Since even Gion didn't have time for dinner, then I suppose the Vice Admirals didn't either..." Jessica's voice had barely fallen when a wail came from outside the door. A voice, loud and clear, preceded the person: "Ahhh~ I'm starving to death~ Jessica."

Vice Admirals are generally robust individuals who can endure several days in harsh environments without food or water. Naturally, Jonathan's dramatic display was just an act. Despite having a key to the dormitory, he waited obediently like a little dog outside the door for his mistress to let him in.

Jessica sighed with a touch of helplessness. "Don't you have a key, Jonathan?" Yet, the indulgence in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

With an apologetic smile to Gion, who was seated at the dining table and watching from the side, Jessica turned to open the door for her husband. Jonathan, fresh from a headquarters meeting, had his short, auburn hair in a messy state, sticking out in all directions.

Despite his wind-beaten face and whatever urgent matters he might have been handling, he always greeted his beloved wife with a radiant smile.

"I'm hungry!!! I need food~" The usually composed and intelligent newly-promoted Vice Admiral shamelessly played cute.

"Jonathan, we have a guest," Jessica said, suppressing her laughter as she stepped aside, revealing Gion sitting at the dining table, her gaze directed toward them.

Jonathan scratched his messy hair awkwardly. "Haha, sorry for making a fool of myself," he chuckled. "You must be Jessica's comrade, right? I believe your name is… Gion, correct?"

"Not at all. Seeing such a loving couple, I can only feel envy," the swordswoman said with genuine admiration for the couple before her.

Jessica gently nudged Jonathan with her elbow just as he was about to dart toward the table. "Robin, what's the number one rule before a meal?"

Lying on the sofa and uninterested in gossip, Robin looked up from her book with a radiant smile and replied, "Always wash your hands before eating!"

The former top-tier warship chef smiled at her husband without saying a word, her gentle gaze silently urging compliance.

"...…" Unable to withstand the silent opposition, the head of the household let out another exaggerated wail, "I haven't eaten all day~"

Despite his protests, Jonathan obediently headed toward the washroom.

"This is absolutely delicious! So good, so delicious!!" exclaimed the slightly asthmatic Vice Admiral as he shoveled the exquisite bento into his mouth, his praise unrestrained.

The flattery nearly sent the housewife over the moon. Jessica smiled, resting her fair hands under her chin, and stared intently at Jonathan, as if she could never get enough of him.

She suddenly lifted a finger. "Vegetables~ Be good~"

"...…" The carnivore's little plan was seen through, and with hesitation, he picked up the broccoli he had deliberately set aside and reluctantly put it in his mouth.

As if remembering something, Jessica pointed to another bento box. "If Jonathan stationed at the Gates of Justice hasn't eaten, then Sakasuki, who's still patrolling, probably hasn't eaten either."

"Robin" The golden-haired beauty clasped her hands together. "Could I trouble you to deliver this to Sakasuki?"

"Huh? Me?" Robin asked, uncertainly.

"Gion~ Could I trouble you to go with Robin? I'd still worry about a child going out alone at night, but with a super~ amazing swordswoman accompanying her, it's no problem at all!" Jessica winked playfully at Gion, silently signaling, "Sister can only help you this far, okay!"

The tall Gion stood up, made an adorable V-sign with her fingers, and faced Robin and Jessica.

Waving goodbye to the girl determined to go out and walk the dog, Jessica returned to the table and sighed softly. "I hope this kind of daily interaction can improve the relationship between Sakasuki and Robin. I always feel that child has some resistance toward him."

Jonathan gently held his wife's hand and said warmly, "We don't know what issues exist between them, but I believe everything will resolve with time, whether it's Robin or Sakasuki."

"Mm!" Jessica held his hand in return, her smile intoxicating.

"Um... Would you like some lemon water?" Sakasuki, now dressed, came out of the inner room and offered politely to the two sitting on his sofa.

Robin handed over the bento box she was holding with both hands. "With ice, please, Sakasuki. Jessica said you haven't had dinner yet."

The usually stern man accepted the bento box with both hands, his deep voice sincere. "I should be the one thanking you. Please thank Jessica for her thoughtfulness."

Seeing Sakasuki treat the food so earnestly, Robin couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. However, she still couldn't bring herself to show her most genuine smile to the burly admiral before her. Some things are too deeply etched into one's memory, like drinking absinthe; the bitterness slowly seeps in and lingers.

Sakasuki glanced back at the still-steaming bowl of instant noodles and hesitated.

Gion followed his gaze to the large bowl of noodles and asked curiously, "Is that instant noodles?"

"Yes, a gift from Jonathan last time." Relieved to find a topic, the magma fruit user let out a breath of relief. "It's rare to see something with no nutritional value like this at headquarters, isn't it?"

The swordswoman's tone remained icy, though a subtle hint of embarrassment could be heard by the perceptive. "Yes, I've never tried it before on warships or in the cafeteria at headquarters."

Having gotten the hint, Sakasuki hesitated but eventually asked, his deep voice uncharacteristically hesitant, "Would... you like to try it? Although my cooking is nowhere near the level of professional chefs."

He then turned to the girl sipping lemon water. "Robin, would you like a little late-night snack? Jessica probably wouldn't usually let you have this kind of instant (junk) food. How about we sneak a taste?"

"Mm!"

"Mm!!"

The two ladies nodded in unison.

Oblivious to having been set up, Sakasuki turned back into the kitchen to fetch an extra set of bowls and chopsticks for the two, carefully serving them small portions of perfectly cooked instant noodles. "It won't taste as good if it cools down."

He opened the bento box they had delivered to him. The vegetables, seafood, rice, and meat were all delicately arranged in the small container. Picking up his chopsticks, he placed two tempura shrimp into Robin's bowl and all the mouthwatering slices of char siu pork into Gion's soup.

Lifting his bento box, the three spoke in unison: "Itadakimasu!"

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