Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Thanks, Ikki." Hancock stood still in front of him, the gratitude in her eyes almost overflowing.
After obtaining Aestus Estus and defeating Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Hancock clearly understood how much advantage she had gained. The help Ikki had given her was far more than a few words of gratitude could repay.
'No, even if the Celestial Dragon seal is erased, it can no longer be repaid with words of gratitude,' Hancock thought to herself.
Ikki patted Hancock on the shoulder and turned to look at the people behind him.
"Everyone, let's take advantage of Hancock's departure to prepare for a party. After all, today is also my birthday. Let's move the dinner and other things to this afternoon. By the way, call Hina and Smoker over too. And Vice Admiral Onigumo – that guy is pretty decent, and it'll be livelier with more people. Of course, there are also the members of the Kuja Pirates. But don't call Doflamingo over."
Hearing this, Nami and the others nodded in understanding and immediately turned around, walking out of the Sword Enlightenment Room to do their own things.
But before Robin left the room, she gave Ikki a meaningful smile.
"Ikki, is today actually your birthday?" Hancock asked hesitantly, lowering her head and looking around. "But... I... I haven't prepared any gifts."
"For you to be my partner is the best gift I could have received," Ikki replied warmly. "I believe that if I need you in the future, you'll come to help. Of course, if you must give me a gift..." He raised the corner of his mouth. "Why don't you be my model?"
Hearing this, Hancock nodded without hesitation. From what she'd just learned, she already knew that Ikki liked to paint. She was very happy to be able to become his model.
Ikki asked Hancock to wait, then took a drawing board and stool from the captain's cabin and started painting in front of her. As for clothes, what Hancock was wearing now aligned with his aesthetic perfectly.
"Ikki, may I ask a question?" Hancock asked, keeping her position unchanged.
"What's the question? Please ask."
"That's... are you... are you married?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
"Well, there are so many women on your ship, and the woman with black hair seems to be quite close to you," Hancock said, already blushing so much she could barely continue.
"Well... she's actually my woman," Ikki said, putting down his paintbrush and meeting Hancock's eyes. He decided it would be better not to hide the matter from her.
"Woman! Damn it, I was beaten to it. If only I could have met you earlier, Ikki," Hancock said, her body beginning to tremble slightly.
At this moment, a trace of strong jealousy flashed in her eyes. Having said that, she quickly thought of Robin and Perona's words again, and her eyes gradually became lonely.
"Are you okay, Hancock?"
"No... I'm okay." Hancock shook her head and looked at Ikki with determination in her eyes. "Ikki, let's get married."
"What?"
Under Ikki's somewhat surprised gaze, Hancock walked directly up to him and took his hand.
"At least, let me be your second woman, Ikki."
"Uh!" Ikki scratched the back of his head. "Actually, there's someone else for the second spot..."
Hancock: "..."
On the other side, Marine warship
"Onigumo, you're saying that Ikki didn't just get his sword from Silvers Rayleigh, but he's also involved with the Empress of the Kuja Pirates? He also agreed to take Hancock as a partner?" came the extremely surprised voice of Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku through the Den Den Mushi in Onigumo's hand.
"That's right! After Ikki agreed to help Hina and Tashigi with their training, Hancock asked him to engrave a 'Partner Seal,' and he agreed without hesitation," Onigumo reported. "However, because of Ikki's suggestion, Hancock honestly agreed to go to Marine Headquarters for the Shichibukai meeting. It's just that she's a pirate after all. Fleet Admiral, do you think it's appropriate for Ikki to get too close to her?"
"Hancock is supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world, so it's normal for a man to be attracted to her," Sengoku replied. "Ignore it for now. After all, whether it's Hancock's power or Ikki's power, the Marines are in great need of both. What I'm more concerned about is Silvers Rayleigh. Onigumo, does Ikki already have the power to defeat Silvers Rayleigh? What was the outcome of the battle, and what's Rayleigh's current situation?"
Sengoku's extremely serious voice came through the connection. For him, Empress Hancock was nothing compared to Silvers Rayleigh. What he was more worried about was whether Ikki would be connected to Rayleigh. After all, the upcoming execution of Ace had a lot to do with Silvers Rayleigh.
"According to Ikki, Rayleigh seemed careless and didn't use all his strength," Onigumo explained. "As for the specific outcome, I don't know. Their battle location should have been somewhere far from the Sabaody Archipelago. I haven't even seen Silvers Rayleigh himself. But the sword that Ikki showed earlier is indeed the blade that Rayleigh used before."
While Onigumo was talking, a Marine soldier ran over and gave him a military salute.
"What's the matter?" Onigumo asked.
"Reporting, Vice Admiral! News from Ikki's crew. Ikki has completed preliminary training with Hancock, and the Marines can now take her to Marine Headquarters. But before that, Ikki hopes to hold a birthday party while Hancock is present, and he invites you, Vice Admiral Onigumo, to attend the birthday celebration."
The Marine soldier answered seriously.
"Birthday? Whose birthday?"
"It's Ikki's."
"That guy... Fleet Admiral Sengoku, what do you think?" Onigumo scratched his head and turned to look at the Den Den Mushi.
"Since it's his birthday, then you can congratulate him on my behalf. After his party is over, you take Hancock and Doflamingo back to Marine Headquarters."
Hearing Sengoku's words, Onigumo nodded. "By the way, there's one more thing I'm not sure about that I want to tell you, Fleet Admiral."
"What's that?"
"Among Ikki's crew, there's a little girl who seems to be Moria's subordinate!"
Although Moria and his crew stayed in the Devil's Triangle all year round, there were many Marines who had been deprived of their shadows by him. Through those Marines, Marine executives had still learned some information about Moria's subordinates. Naturally, this included information about Perona, who was surrounded by ghosts all year round.
"The little girl surrounded by ghosts... that matches the information we obtained. Moria's crew member is now part of Ikki's crew? That Ikki, why is he thinking of taking women as crew members? Hancock is one, and so is the ghost girl. If one day he meets a beautiful pirate woman with a bounty on her head, will he also accept her as a partner?"
At this moment, Sengoku couldn't help but feel a headache about Ikki's situation. Thinking of the two women who often wore masks following Ikki in the intelligence reports, Sengoku couldn't help but wonder if they were pirates with bounties on their heads.