One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

At Marineford, the Navy Headquarters, there was a large town where most of the Marines' families resided. At this point, Rear Admiral Jonathan, the future supreme commander of G-8 Branch and the Porcupine Fortress—Navarone, was just over thirty years old.

As a vice admiral promoted alongside Sakazuki, he also had his own officer's quarters in this town. (Although Jonathan was originally a character created for the TV series, he later appeared in Oda's work during the Marineford War and in One Piece Film: Z. This reflects Oda's style of incorporating original characters he deems fitting into the main storyline.)

The vice admiral's coat was casually draped over the back of a chair. Jonathan sat relaxed, elbows resting on the table, hands propping up his chin, gazing at a chessboard mid-game in an international chess match.

The knock on the door broke his train of thought. He got up to open it, and the first thing that met his eyes was Sakazuki's towering frame, standing like a wall in the doorway. However, Jonathan seemed to ignore the presence of his long-time comrade and instead scanned his surroundings as if searching for something.

A small head poked out timidly from behind Sakazuki's coat—a little girl nervously observing the short-haired man with reddish-brown stubble at the door.

Intrigued, Jonathan crouched down to bring his gaze level with the girl hiding behind Sakazuki's coat. He exclaimed as if he'd just seen a rare creature, "Oh! So this is the child you mentioned on the phone!"

Startled by his gaze, which seemed to regard her like an exotic animal, Robin immediately shrank back behind the coat.

Sakazuki looked down at his kneeling comrade and said with a tinge of impatience, "Aren't you going to invite us in, Jonathan?"

"Oh! My apologies, my apologies." Realizing his lack of manners, Jonathan quickly stood up and gestured for them to come inside.

The interior of the house wasn't particularly spacious, but it exuded a warm, homey vibe, reflecting the owner's meticulous care. A dark brown wooden dining table caught the eye, while the walls were adorned with navy seagull emblems crafted from an arrangement of leaves.

A bookshelf neatly lined with books stood against the wall, and delicate photo frames were placed on the shelves. One frame showed the stubbled vice admiral embracing a beautiful blonde woman with cascading hair, both smiling brightly.

Sakazuki glanced at the dining table and the chessboard atop it. The black king was surrounded by several white pieces, cornered and isolated.

"Jessica went out to buy groceries and will be back soon. Meanwhile, shall we play a game to pass the time, Sakazuki?" came Jonathan's voice from behind.

Sakazuki didn't immediately respond but instead turned to Robin, who was clutching his coat. "Do you know how to play chess?"

"I've read the rules in a book, but..." Robin replied cautiously.

Sakazuki then turned to look at Jonathan, who was resetting the chessboard. He pulled out a chair and sat directly across from him, gesturing for Robin to sit in a side chair to observe.

Without any preamble, Sakazuki nodded and made the first move, taking the white pieces and launching an aggressive opening.

He opted for a system known as an "open game," where forces develop rapidly, the center is less locked, and skirmishes erupt quickly.

Moving the pawn in front of the white king two squares forward, Jonathan responded by advancing his black pawn, blocking the white pawn's path. Twirling his short mustache thoughtfully, he asked, "I was on a mission earlier, but I heard you executed a Buster Call in the West Blue?"

Robin, sitting quietly on the side, lowered her head without speaking. Her shoulder-length black hair fell in front of her face, obscuring her expression.

Sakazuki moved his knight to f3. "That's right. Target location—Ohara—has been reduced to rubble."

"The soldiers on this mission said it was all to eliminate scholars studying history?" Jonathan, with hair and beard of matching color, moved his knight out as well.

"Correct. That was the order from Admiral Sengoku." The pawn in front of Sakazuki's queen stepped forward two squares, ignoring the black pawn that could attack it diagonally.

"There must have been significant civilian casualties in this strike!" Jonathan's black pawn immediately captured the white pawn that had boldly advanced.

"While the Navy did its best to provide aid, Jonathan, war inevitably comes with sacrifices." Ignoring the early disadvantage of losing a piece, Sakazuki's bishop suddenly emerged, protected by his earlier-developed knight, and aimed directly at the black queen. His expression grew somber. "I do not approve of this strike, but I carried it out regardless."

"?!?" The black queen, surrounded by allies, was unable to move in any other direction. Losing it to a bishop this early in the game would be disastrous. With no other choice, Jonathan sacrificed his bishop as a shield, placing it in front of his queen. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "I heard from Vice Admiral John Giant that you and Kuzan dealt with Saul?"

Without hesitation, Sakazuki traded bishops and continued pressing the black queen. His expression turned indifferent. "I intended to capture him, but since he resisted to the end, I had no other choice."

Jonathan retaliated by using his queen to capture the enemy bishop. However, the initiative was already lost. Sakazuki relentlessly pursued the attack, aggressively trading pieces and tearing through Jonathan's defenses. The "Scotch Game," characterized by its fast-paced action and complex counterattacks, unfolded with all its nuances in Sakazuki's hands.

By the midgame, Sakazuki had gained a significant advantage. Just then, the sound of a key turning in the door interrupted the match.

A radiant blonde woman stepped into the room, carrying a large paper bag filled with fresh groceries. Despite the bag partially obscuring her figure, her curvaceous silhouette and graceful demeanor immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Dinner will be ready soon!" she declared confidently, even though she'd just stepped inside and hadn't begun preparing anything yet.

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