New Year's Night by the Sea

Time passes quickly and before Galan knew it the new year rolled around.

Olvia was up and walking around since a week ago, returning to perfect health. She has been reading the Armament book for a few months now and demonstrated the ability to roughly use it. However, it was only the most basic form.

Galan decided to start the next stage of training after the New Year.

Currently.

Galan was sitting in his chair on the beach, drinking by his lonesome in the moonlight as fireworks went off in the more populated areas of Marineford.

The rest of the Marines were celebrating the New Year with drinks and festivities, but Galan stayed at his house. Garp was off somewhere, not at Marineford, Tsuru was celebrating with Doll, Sengoku was celebrating with his little adopted kid Rosinante, and Zephyr was dragged along by his trainees.

Tsuru, Zephyr, and Sengoku all came by to invite Galan to celebrate with them but he turned them down, saying that he had things to do, however next year he would join them. Whatever they thought of his reply, it didn't matter.

They simply smiled and wished him a Happy New Year before leaving. None of them seeing Olvia as she was out buying something in the Market area.

Galan and Tsuru had interacted less and less over the years to the point where they were almost strangers. Mostly through Galan avoiding all contact with her and Doll, not wanting to fuck up their lives anymore than he already had.

Tsuru didn't know how to feel, she simply gave up and focused on the only thing left between them, which was her daughter. Doll was 18 this year and would be turning 19 in the New Year, Galan had been keeping tabs on her personally.

He even found out her likes and dislikes, who her friends were, what unit she was assigned to, how her training was going, everything.

Which was why on her 18th Birthday, Doll received an excessive amount of gifts from an anonymous person. The courier simply dropped the gifts off and left. There were clothes, necklaces, spiked chokers, bracelets, guns, swords, daggers, etc.

Everything she could ever want, she got.

The strangest thing for her was that she didn't even know who it was from. Tsuru had an inkling but she didn't know that Galan found out because Doll had never told her that they met before.

And they would never know.

Simply because Galan didn't want them to know. From the day he found out to the day he died, he would never let them know. No matter how desperately Doll wanted to know.

She was doing fine on her own and entering her life wouldn't be doing her any favors.

He reaffirmed this when he met Robin. Look at her life, complete misery from the moment he appeared.

Galan shook his head and forgot about it. Doll was having fun with her friends before going home before midnight tonight to celebrate with Tsuru.

He looked up at the moon and drank from his whiskey bottle before, leaning back in his wooden chair, placing the bottle in between his legs and resting his hands on it as he turned to the waves.

The only sound in his ears was the soothing crash of the waves and the occasional whistle and bang of a firework.

It was peaceful.

Suddenly, soft and gentle footsteps displacing the sand, sounded, getting closer.

Galan continued looking forward as Olvia sat in her chair, gently blowing on the small wooden table between them. The sand cleared the wooden table and she placed two glasses on it, pouring Special Sake in them silently.

Galan glanced at her, her short white hair, falling from behind her ear, hanging in front as she poured. A soft and calm look in her eyes as she finished pouring, tucking the hair behind her ear again, looking up at Galan and curling her lips into a gentle smile.

He glanced at the glasses and she said in a soft voice "Happy New Year." Galan turned back and said "You should be with the rest of the Marines." Olvia snorted gently, leaning back in her chair, not touching the glass as the bottle of Sake was placed at the back of the table on her side.

She was wearing a white floral button up, tied under her breasts with the top buttons open and black short shorts, covering just under half of her thighs.

She placed her hands on a book that was resting on her lap as she looked at the waves, replying gently "I told you I wouldn't leave you out here alone." Galan stared at the crashing waves, simply wearing a standard white Marine shirt and black board shorts.

His hair long and wavy, hanging just below his ear with a semi-groomed beard on the lower half of his face. His blue eyes were bright as always but the blank look and lack of expression made him seem very distant, cold, and serious.

His physique was the same as always, like a well trained soldier ready for his next orders.

He replied slowly, "I don't need you here." Olvia ignored him, saying in a soft tone "I'm not going to give up on you like everyone else did." Galan paused and glanced at her, she tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling at him, "No one is born to be alone."

He stared at her for a few moments before going back to the waves, saying after a few minutes "We're not friends." Olvia turned back to her book, maintaining a smile.

"I know."

The fireworks went off in the distance as cheers erupted, carrying over to the isolated home by the beach.

The two people sat there in silence, not celebrating, not cheering, not doing anything other than listening to the sound of the waves in each other's company… Whether they wanted it or not, nobody was alone that night.