"Hold it right there, Portgas!" Agitated, Akainu calls out storming out of the meeting hall trying to reach the woman after she gave her report to the rest of the vice admirals, her eyes narrowing at the loudmouth before her.

"Ah Sakazuki…something wrong?" Politely, Ann attempts to be civil to the man she had no time for, furrowing her brow at him.

"Well, duh! Yes, something is wrong! What was that nonsense at the war council just now?!" Sakazuki shouts raising his voice to the bored Ann as a fair few fearful marines flee fearful of the marine's wrath.

"What, with the battle scenario simulations?" Sighing, Ann asks arching a brow by his heated hostility.

"On the last one, you said we should let the enemy retreat. Are you daft?! Anyone with half a brain would know to pursue and finish off the pirate scum!" Shouting, Sakazuki shouts at Ann arching a brow bored by the man before her.

"I considered pursuit, but it seemed too risky. Factoring in everyone's exhaustion from the first round, it seemed safest to stay put. Chasing a bear into its den can be asking for trouble, especially after a long fight." Formally, Ann attempts to hint however…

"Unless you actually want to SLAY the bear, in which case it's exactly what you do!" Done, Akainu angrily roars barking back at Ann swearing she felt some salvia upon her cheek much to her disgust.

"I think it really depends on the circumstances... In that scenario, we would've been chasing them into rugged, mountainous terrain." Tiredly, Ann using the back of her hand swiping said salvia off her cheeks coolly.

"So?!" Snarling, he glares glowers down at her.

"So, they can't travel at speed through those mountains. It's just not possible. That leaves us plenty of time to finish them off once we're back at full strength. Besides, if a storm hit while we were marching, we'd be devastated. Mountains are fickle things. I thought it best to play it safe in that case." Calmly, Ann explains herself to Akainu not that she had to internally in her head she thought so at the least.

"...You just think you've got ALL the answers, don't you? You sure have gotten a big head since becoming Sengoku made you the marine's tactician..." Tense, Akainu crosses his arms over his chest as Ann simply sighs at the fool furrowing her brow at him, she knew he had felt threatened, she had heard the rumours of him having hoped to take the rank, a rank Sengoku practically pleaded to her to have…

"Hey, I hardly think that's fair..." Frowning, Ann attempts to be civil despite her argument however as she makes said argument, furrowing her brow at him. Unlike Sakazuki she could see the eyes upon them, she could see the crowd forming around them, she could see the many marines watching worriedly on, some watching to see her break, some watching to see what her next move would be. Akainu was known as a bully amongst the workforce breaking up and coming recruits, breaking soldiers into line supposedly in Ann's head all she saw was a bully breaking marine after marine into some psycho or sending them packing…

"Oh, so you DON'T think you're the smartest one here? How humble of you!" Sneering, Sakazuki sneers scowling down at the bored blonde of sorts, raising his voice, earning a fair few flinches from marines going about their day, trying to keep their heads down. She simply sighs, trying to collect herself, trying to find a solution to deal with the fool before her.

"All right, then. Let's say you were the tactician in the same situation. What would you do? How would you direct the marines to pursue the enemy crew?" Calmly, Ann asks proposing it to Akainu astonishing him taking him aback as Ann could practically see him practically perk up at the chance to show her up; to prove he should be the tactician.

"…" Silently, Sakazuki sneers staring down at her needing a moment, to think as she simply stares back, she didn't have time for this, she had work to do, reports to be filed, files to be signed, she hadn't the time to be dealing with this man-child. Ann glances over at the clock hanging above as she simply tuts clicking her tongue, she had promised to meet Sengoku after this…

"I'm honestly curious. If you have a solid plan, then great. I don't want to let them retreat any more than you do, after all. Take a while to think on it and let me know. Right now, I need to meet with Sengoku." Smoothly, she turns on her heel heading off after looking over at her nails seemingly done with the conversation coolly turning to leave, ignoring the faint chill coursing down her spine.

"Oooh! The big broad has a big meeting! You think you're so clever." Sakazuki sneers scowling at the rather done Ann, raising his voice once more attempting to have the spotlight shine down upon her startle scare her almost as if hoping she would act like a deer in headlights however, she simply stares back bored unamused at his bullying tactic.

"I don't now do you have the answer or not?" Ann demands done but is met by the still silence of the scowling man as she looks towards the ticking clock, her brow twitching tiredly.

"…That's what I thought. Good day." Ann dismisses him turning on her heel to leave, heading off to meet up with Sengoku seething stepping forward, fury flowing through him, droplets of ruby red magma dripping down his arm as he is about to go after her only to stop faltering from the shy steam clouds caused by his magma making him grunt glaring down at the reaction, she had caused, he knew he had lost this round and he had hated it, he hated her. Scowling, he glares at the direction, she had left, oblivious to the small smirk of a certain chill-chill fruit user watching on…

"I'm so sorry, Vice Admiral Ann!"

"I-it's fine Isuka. I suppose it is a bit complicated the first time…now could you please get up? There really is no need for the bowing head thing." Tiredly, Ann sighs softly, furrowing her brow down at the girl bowed before her, her head swiftly slammed down upon her office floor much to her discomfort, she had just returned from a mission with the girl in question who had insisted on apologising as Ann stood there with her friends frowning, not really quite sure what to say.

"But I can't believe I got lost patrolling the camp. So embarrassing! And I don't know HOW I managed to drop that potion. That...expensive potion. Although you did agree the broom was worn out before it broke, so that's probably... Oh gosh, and the fire! I'm SO SORRY about the fire! You have a spare tent, right?" Isuka asks anxiously hopeful almost as Ann simply smiles strained down at the girl, not wishing to worry the guilty girl anymore.

"Yes, well, look on the bright side: you did a splendid job pulling weeds. I don't see a single straggler in this entire camp!" Cheerily, Ann offers optimistically attempting to cheer up the girl, she was on watch while Isuka wanted to do some training but Ann knew how tired the girl was and how stubborn she was so sent her to do the weeds, do discipline work she supposed around the town they were supposedly staking out.

"Well, I always liked making little chains and bracelets out of flowers!" Isuka smiles softly.

"...Er, you did just pluck weeds, yes? Not the flowers from the flowerbeds?" Frowning, Ann asks alarmed at it.

"Flower...beds? Oh, no! It's true! All I'm good for is falling on my face! I'm going to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head." Horrified, Isuka bows her head, her head in her hands.

"Oh, come on it's fine!" Feebly, Ann attempts to calm the girl down.

"B-But..." Isuka begins brow furrowed.

"The most important part of any battle is that you give your all. Everything you did today was out of consideration for your fellow marines. And if the results were less than optimal? Well, it's not the worst thing in the world. So long as you strive to help people, success will eventually find its way to you." Ann attempts to explain to the girl gritting her teeth trying to hold in the sickening sense of corniness from her words.

"If you really think so, then I promise not to give up! Perhaps I could make little flower necklaces for everyone!" Smiling, Isuka offers.

"...Please don't." Drained, Ann pleads, plopping herself down on her chair bowing her head too tired to argue anymore as she dismisses the girl.

"Vice Admiral Tashigi here reporting for duty." Tashigi salutes the frowning Ann.

"Ah so you came." Ann leans back in her seat.

"That I did mam." She bows.

"No need for the formalities kid." Ann arises from her seat sighing.

"A-Are you sure?" Surprised, she raises a brow.

"I'm quite sure." Ann brushes by her.

"O-Oh okay thanks again for agreeing to help me with this!" Tashigi beams brightly.

"I'm only going to give you tips kids if I do anymore Sengoku will be on my ass." Annoyed, Ann asserts stating the fact firmly.

"R-Right but I'm sure any sort of training you give me will be much welcomed." Tashigi beams brightly at Ann.

"…Yeeah." Ann draws out not quite sure what to say as the two start sparring…

Loudly, Ann's ring at the clash of metal ringing feeling the vibrations of her training blade clash against Tashigi's iron sword as they duel one another, circling one another, sparks spewing out until with one swift strike she dives down, axe kicking Tashigi tripping her down to the ground. Grunting, Tashigi reaches for her blade but before she could do much more the teasing touch of a blade tauntingly touching her neck swiftly stops her.

"Focus…" Sternly, Ann orders.

"You think I'm not trying?" Tense, Tashigi huffs grimacing at her aching muscles frowning from the searing sensation of her throbbing tense muscles.

"Well, you're talking to me right now so…" Cheekily, Ann points out easily offering her hand to her.

"Alright let's have a break," Ann sighs noting her sweating demeanour, huffing, heaving even perhaps Ann had been a bit rough on her...? She didn't know this was her training when she was a kid…she even gave more breaks than Rayleigh ever gave her…

"I will not…" Defiantly, she refuses making Ann arch a brow by her words.

"Tashigi you're exhausted come on for me…" Gently, she smiles at the girl bowing her head from Ann's request, softly patting her head.

"I suppose one break wouldn't hurt." Shyly, she gives in standing up brushing off the dust collected from their duel.

"Great…besides I think…" Guilty, Ann smiles strained trailing off glancing at her training sword.

"You broke another practice sword, didn't you?!" Tired, Tashigi scowls snatching said sword looking it over and grumbling at the damage.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ann feigns innocence making her eyes narrow adjusting her lenses upon said sword.

"The hilt is in your hand," She points out, examining the blade newly stolen from Ann.

"If I don't see it, I don't have to mend it," Snickering, Ann reasons as his eyes narrow at her pitiful excuse.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Scowling, she huffs at the amused Ann.

"Nope but still, you did well." Ann compliments her.

"I-I did?" Immediately said fury fades away as a faint feverish tint crosses her cheeks.

"Yeah…for a rookie." Cheekily, Ann winks.

"Was the rookie part necessary?" Tashigi huffs pouting.

"Was that sloppy strike to my left necessary?" Smirking, Ann arches a brow.

"N-No…" Tashigi bows her head.

"Tell me something Tashigi why do you fight like that?" Curious, Ann asks as the two take a seat, Ann perched upon the stone steps, Tashigi on the sandy shores of grit below.

"Fight like what?" Tashigi adjusts her lenses.

"So recklessly. You rely heavily on speed, but your strikes are rather sloppy." Sighing, Ann reports to her.

"I…I'm trying to copy your style." Shyly, she reveals taking Ann aback.

"My style?" Surprised, she points to herself.

"Yes, you're known to be swift, quick I'd like to be like that!" Tashigi reveals.

"Tashigi that takes years not to mention as well you can't just copy a style." Smirking, Ann argues.

"You can't?" Confused, Tashigi looks up at her.

"No, you can incorporate it into your own though like inspiration but one's style is something they must make for themselves. Don't try to be something you're not, try to be you, try to be who you want to be." Ann arises from her seat placing her hand on the girl's shoulder looking up at her.

"Who…I want to be…" Tashigi whispers weakly while Ann leaves her to it, deciding to do some training of her own…privately or so she thought.

"Whoa so cool!"

"Excuse me!?" Alarmed, Ann stops her practice motions, turning on her heel to furrow her brow by the familiar girl before her. Ann furrows her brow by the young woman with short vermilion hair, brown eyes, a band aid on her left cheek and a burn scar on the back of her hand. She wears a Marine uniform with a collared, buttoned shirt, a tie, brown gloves, shorts and heeled boots. On her shoulders she wears the standard Marine coat with "Justice" on the back.

"Apologies vice admiral!" Isuka bows her head to the annoyed Ann.

"Isuka practice is tomorrow." Tense, Ann sheathes said blade brow furrowed here he had hoped for some alone time…

"Oh, I know Eep!" Clumsily, the girl steps forward fumbling however as she trips falling flat on her face.

"You, okay?" Ann asks eyeing the girl below what was with her and attracting clumsy people…

"I-I'm fine still you're so cool vice admiral! Training alone that takes real dedication you're so cool you were born to be a vice admiral!" Grinning, Isuka beams brightly at Ann making her blink baffled by her bright blazing aura of light.

"Then why are you…? Were you stalking me again!?" Agitated, Ann scowls sternly staring at the redhead's habit.

"Guilty as charged I can't help it that fight you had with vice admiral Garp was so awesome the way you so easily dodged his fist of love it's like you two knew each other." In awe, Isuka continues her rant about Ann being so great baffling her, confusing her as Ann turns away feeling a strange heat pooling in her crimson cheek from such an animated girl, genuinely gushing about her befuddling her. She was a good student, a nice girl at that, she seems too thick to have an ulterior motive, or at the least too soft-hearted or naive to be up to anything.

"Considering he is my grandfather we would know one another." Ann remarks crossing her arms, not sure what to make of this small bundle of energy.

"You know what I mean it's like you knew each other's moves!" Nevertheless, Isuka continues babbling on, a part of Ann finding her earnest expression quite adorable.

"Like I said we are related, and I did learn aspects from him." Robotically, she responds, turning to leave.

"So cool! I always watched your matches! You got to teach me!" Pleadingly, he begs confusing Ann as she grabs her arm.

"It isn't really cool. It's simple a battle and you will wait when it's time to train with your other marine soldiers." Bluntly, Ann refuses not wishing to teach someone, much preferring to train alone then take on someone else.

"What!? But that's tomorrow besides I saw you training with that sword chick before!" Isuka argues.

"She's a rookie I'm giving her some pointers that's all." Aloofly, Ann dismisses her.

"But it's not just a battle when you fight you know things are getting serious when the fluidity of your movements gets…" Amazed, she continues to boast making Ann turn away flustered from her praise, not sure what to say not used to such compliments.

"As much as I appreciate the praise this…. fangirling is quite odd." Honestly, Ann tells her trying to stop such a flustered flushed reaction of hers, it is most uncivilized and unheard of for someone of her to be in that position.

"S-Sorry I just please take me on as your apprentice!" Isuka begs bowing before Ann.

"This again…?" Annoyed, Ann holds her head at the relentless warrior.

"I'm not giving up! You're going to train me you hear me, me and you we're gonna fight! You're gonna take me under your wing!" Earnestly, Isuka beseeches Ann.

"Goodbye." Done with it all, Ann turns on her heel to leave.

"H-Hey come back here! I'll prove to you I am wor-EEEP!" Isuka tries to chase after Ann only to end up flat on her face once again…

"Portgas!" Roaring, the voice hollers as Ann arches a brow bored by the bellowing boom baffled that he even had the gall to raise his voice at the fleet admiral's office or at the least on the outside. She looks towards both the scowling Sengoku and glaring gramps, munching his rice cracker, her look alone assuring the two she could handle the moron.

"…Sakazuki. What brings you here?" Ann asks him as she exits out of Sengoku's office, noting his worried look, concern clear on his furrowed features towards her, noting her gramps glaring at the man who she doesn't even bat an eye to, simply staring ahead, a stack of paperwork underneath her arm, attempting to head back to her office however…

"Don't play dumb with me. I'm here with an answer to your little question." Sakazuki sneers storming stomping over to her, catching up to her much to her annoyance as Ann internally curses at the stubborn mad dog.

"Ah, how best to pursue enemies fleeing into mountainous terrain? Excellent! And what is your solution?" Smirking, she accepts the challenge calmly, noting a fair few eyes of marines nearby on them, her eyes widening when noting Aokiji leant against the wall waiting for her, ah…she had agreed to join him for lunch last she checked…

"You let the main force rest but send a small strike force of your best fighters. That way, you minimize risk while also having the best chance of killing the foe. What do you think about that?!" Tense, Sakazuki demands from Ann as Akainu smirks smugly at the thought, a glint gleaming glistening in his heated eye at the thought of facing a pirate at the thought of killing them slightly unnerving Ann at his severity.

"It sounds reasonable enough... But what if their retreat was just a ruse, and they littered the mountain with traps?" Tentatively, Ann offers from the top of her head huffing, ignoring the brief shy shudder of fear from the sheer intensity of his words, practically feeling the bloodlust bursting out of him from her offer.

"H-hey! You didn't say anything about traps!" Tense, Akainu angrily roars raising his voice in an attempt to trip Ann up as she simply sighs at the mess.

"Without knowing anything about the path ahead, sending anyone is a risk." Resolved, Ann states the fact firmly, in the real world, they wouldn't know about the traps unless they had the scouts.

"Yeah, and so that's why you send your best men and minimize casualties!" Cockily, Akainu crosses his arms over his chest confidently almost as if he had won something surprising her taking her aback at his cockiness.

"...Not good enough." Ann answers stating the fact firmly.

"Not good enough?!" Sakazuki snarls steam spewing out of his left arm, magma soon forming frightening a fair few onlooks as Ann notes Aokiji straightening slightly as Ann simply stares ahead at the moron undeterred unfazed by the bully before her.

"Sengoku and I aren't trying for fewer casualties, Akainu. We're trying for none. Anytime we lose a fighter, the operation is a failure—no matter the end result. Your plan is a compromise we're just not willing to take." Tense, Ann admits stating the fact firmly trying to get it through the thickhead of the fool.

"Are you serious?! You think you can win a war with pretty ideals and zero casualties? Wake up! You think the war fairy is gonna come flying over and sprinkle victory dust everywhere? Pirates are a plague, a plague we need to wipe out any means necessary!" Mockingly, Akainu angrily berates the blonde below brow furrowing from his words.

"Do you even consider what those words mean?" Icily, Ann demands from him taking him aback.

"What do you think I mean? I said what I said." Seriously, Sakazuki argues.

"Any means implies the sacrifice of innocent lives!" Ann argues frustration flowing through her baffled by his reasoning, alarmed almost at it seeing Sengoku's reasoning far more clearly, she knew he was an ass but this…now she didn't feel so bad about breaking his arm a while back.

"If innocent lives are tied with pirates, then they aren't so innocent." Akainu states what he worriedly thinks is a fact firmly frankly flabbergasting Ann.

"You ever heard of blackmail?" Bluntly, Ann places her hand to her hip.

"If they are weak enough to fall for that then they aren't worth it." Aloofly, Akainu answers as Ann ignores the urged to just deck him right there and then.

"That sort of thinking is what leads to more wars." Ann sneers scowling at him.

"This is war." Akainu asserts aggressively leering down at her.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic it's a group of pirates huddled in a cave we can deal with it there's no need for such extremes for a small group of pirates." Scoffing, she waves him off dismissing him turning on her heel to leave.

"How do we know they're small what if that's a cover!?" Cross, he roars raising his voice trying to catch up to her.

"You're being a bit paranoid don't you think?" Tiredly, she looks over her shoulder scowling at him.

"You shouldn't take such scum lightly one ship may have an entire fleet behind them!" Tense, he roars raising his voice to her once more.

"We're done here." Aloofly, Ann orders dismissing him.

"Who the hell are you to tell me we're done? Portgas! Oi Portgas!" Sakazuki snarls scowling raising his voice about to step forward about to chase after her, drag her back to see reason when his eyes widen when a familiar tall towering figure steps out, his eyes narrow at the man with the marine jacket, his stern shades scowling glaring at Akainu, no words needing to be shared between both men, getting the message loud and clear. Sakazuki scowls, watching as Aokiji calmly joins Ann's side her not even batting an eye to him firmly focusing on words, sharing words now and again as they head to the lunch hall.

"How goes the paperwork, Ann?" Amused, a familiar voice calls out as Ann simply scowls at the voice alone already feeling the sharp sting of her head aching from the voice alone already feeling the headache begin to surface, begin to form, begin to take root from the voice alone. Ann didn't know what to make of the gaudy golden man before her, he was an enigma you could never tell what was on his mind which Ann hated, despised sure she felt the same towards Aokiji a bit due to how hard of a read he was but she adjusted to it, she knew he meant well deep down, Kizaru however was a whole other ball game, a whole other league, a whole other galaxy that Ann did not have the energy for.

"It's Portgas to you Kizaru." Curtly, Ann states the fact firmly, focusing on the paperwork below, ignoring the urge to vomit just form the creepy old man before her.

"So cold Ann-chan so cold. You've been spending too much time with Aokiji-kun." Cheekily, the man in gold plops himself down on

"Shove off." Ann sneers scowling at the fool.

"Not even offering me some tea so cold!" Lazily, the man drapes his arms around the sofa stretching out, one leg over the other.

"Get it yourself." Ann huffs, not batting an eye to the fool firmly focusing on her work.

"So, mean!" Mischievously, he whines while she simply tries to do her work.

"So, you could repeatedly." Rudely, Ann sneers scowling slamming stabbing her pen down upon the paperwork below a part of her cursing to see said sheet below be impaled fully, seeing the ink smear stain across the paper seeing the hole form from the vicious hit she had influenced upon the peaceful paper sheet a part of her feeling a tad bit guilty at letting her anger get the best of her in that moment.

"Your form is as lovely as ever." Kizaru compliments Ann as Ann grits her teeth, flinching form his words, repulsed from it, holding in another wave of nausea hitting her hard in the side screaming at her to just spew, to just let the vomit out but she refused, refusing to let the man win, she places the back of her hand to her nose trying to stop herself from doing anything unwise.

"What do you want, Kizaru?" Done, Ann holds her head brow furrowing.

"You could use a break from training. What say you and I go have some fun." Flirtatiously, Kizaru offers as Ann ignores the sickening sensation to vomit, feeling the coy chunks of her food crawling climbing up her tense throat, feeling as if the acidic chunks digging deep into the walls of her throat climbing up, trying to use the geyser of acid stinging her throat to spew out into the open air.

"I'm afraid to ask what your idea of fun entails." Frowning, Ann holds her throat tense, trying to massage it, trying to calm her throat, trying to stop it from doing anything unwise at the older man.

"Madam, you wound me! A chaste cup of tea was all I had in mind. Perhaps some cake. Eating sweets is a proven pick-me-up, and you owe it to your exhausted body!" Bemused, Borsalino offers as Ann seemingly squirms from his words feeling as if someone was walking over her grave, the man was like 20 years her senior she assumed as she couldn't help but place the back of her hand over her mouth now, trying to stop the vomit from spewing out.

"Pass. Now if you're done talking, I have a training regimen to get back to. ...As should you." Assertively, Ann orders brow furrowed fury flowing through her at the fool's mind games, he was messing with her, he was that sort of person he was like a cat if he found a mouse, he wouldn't kill it right away he'd mess with it, he'd torture it, he'd play with it until he grew bored. She knew him as the definition of an enigma no one could get a read off him, no one and that was what made him so terrifying.

"Ouch! That hurts. All work and no play makes Ann a dull...um...Ann. If you don't blow off steam every once in a while, you'll explode!" Borsalino points out as Ann couldn't help but scoff internally at his attempt at feigning concern, the man didn't care, he wanted information that's it, that's what Ann thought why else would he want to invite out a girl like 20 year his junior it was weird, he was weird this was so…so weird.

"Working isn't stressful. It's fun...listening to you is stressful." Snippily, Ann argues, sure she was lying a bit but still she was lying for her own safety to avoid being with him, to avoid being near him, this was gross, he was gross, all of this was so, so, so gross.

"Oh, come on! It'll be a blast! I'll pay." Playfully, he offers smirking smugly at Ann disgust drenched on her furrowed features.

"Go. Away. Now." Scowling, she orders him, brow furrowed fuming, feeling fury flow through her veins, feeling her muscles tense up.

"Fine. Fiiiiiine! I'll just go eat cake by myself, then. But I'll be back tomorrow! Just you wait! Tauntingly, he shoves his hands into his pockets turning to leave, bowing his head winking at Ann as he leaves, where as soon as he does, Ann slams her hand down upon the desk disgusted, releasing shy shudders coursing down her spine, dry heaving almost as she grimaces feeling nothing but grossness as she tries to deal with it all, a part of her looking over towards a familiar sheath to her side, eyeing it.

"...I wonder if Sengoku would mind if I stabbed him?" Ann couldn't help but ponder to herself glaring at the back of the tall towering ignore that was the yellow monkey of the marines.

Quietly, the soft shining light of the lamp on the desk stands tall before the tired dishevelled blonde staring sombrely down upon the papers littered about the desk. Her brow furrowed as she stares at the papers, her weary browns twitching slightly. She pinches the bridge of her nose, ignoring the sharp sting to her blurry vision. She had to focus, she had to, she had to…

Ann shakes her head brushing it off as she reaches out to the mug by her side, softly sipping from the rim of the cup., trying to focus on the task at hand with the quick boost to her systems. She is oblivious to the soft sound of footsteps hitting the wooden floor below as the tall, towering familiar figure wanders through the hallways of HQ at night, his eyes narrow noting the shy stream of light emitting from a familiar office. Curiosity gets the best of the vice admiral peering in, furrowing his brow when seeing the blonde by her desk.

"Bit late to be working eh Ann?" Surprised, Ann jolts up at the voice turning to see the small smirk of Ann, exhaustion etched into his fatigued facial features paling in comparisons to the woman opposite him. He looks down at the mess below.

"No rest for the wicked Aokiji." Aloofly, Ann brushes him off making him furrow his brow.

"Well, I wouldn't call you wicked." Aokiji offers.

"Some would beg to differ." Drained, Ann hollowly heckles making Aokiji furrow his brow.

"…You shouldn't push yourself so hard." Aokiji approaches her side, wrapping his arms around her bringing her into a side hug making her sigh bowing her head, feeling her head begin nodding off before she quickly corrects herself, forcing herself not to doze in his arms.

"I'm not pushing myself." Mumbling, she grumbles slowly lowering her pen.

"The bags beg to differ." Aokiji leans down placing his hands on either side of her facial features, his thumb gently pressing into her cheek slightly drawing patterns into the side of her head, gently pulling her bags down, concern clear on his face.

"Have you looked at yourself lately? Look just five more minutes and…I'll go rest." Ann assures Aokiji.

"And I can believe that?" Aokiji furrows his brow down at her, grabbing hold of a nearby chair alerting Ann.

"Aokiji…what are you doing?" Lost, Ann furrows her brow at the lazybones leaning back.

"I'm staying until you're done." Determined, Aokiji crosses his arms over his chest cross.

"Aokiji, you have work tomorrow you can't afford to be tired." Truthfully, Ann tells him.

"And you can?" Aokiji huffs crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's just paperwork." Ann argues.

"Exactly, you could come back to people berating you for your sloppy paperwork." Aokiji warns her.

"You think my paperwork is sloppy?" Scowling, her eyes narrow glaring, glowering at him.

"In your state I'm surprised drool is not on here." Honestly, Aokiji remarks, his eyes narrowing at the stacks upon snowy stacks of white.

"Aokiji…just go home you got a tough day tomorrow." Annoyed, Ann pinches the bridge of her nose.

"Nope." Resolute, Aokiji leans back in his seat.

"Aokiji." Ann scowls at him.

"No." Aokiji refuses.

"Urgh…fine just let me finish this." Tiredly, she sighs at him.

"I'll sign these while I'm here." He takes the completed stacks of paper Ann had done prior just needing to be signed off.

"You're tired." Ann argues.

"So are you." Aokiji argues.

"…Fine." Sighing, she gives in as he too joins her side, the two soon standing going over to the sofa as if it were clockwork, the two leaning against one another, doing their paperwork for the night as soon enough, Aokiji feels the heavy weight slumped over his back as he wraps his arms around her bringing her into the dark depths of sleep once again…