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"You can put your idea into practice later, let me just try this first..."
Before Ikki could even finish the sentence, he was already shaking his head helplessly, watching as Kujaku set to work adjusting the clothes on her own body with her ability.
She was, it had to be said, remarkably skilled with her Devil Fruit. On her very first attempt, she turned the shorts into a miniskirt. Ikki raised an eyebrow. If anything, her thighs seemed even more striking peeking out from beneath the short hem.
That wasn't the end of it, either. She kept working the fabric with her ability, and gradually the uniform, which had started out a touch loose, drew in to fit her figure more closely, making her look all the more striking for it. The small stretch of stomach that came into view as the hem shortened further was no less alluring.
The change didn't stop there. Before long, the once-loose uniform had shrunk down to something that looked almost like a snug swimsuit. With his sharp eyes, Ikki could even make out a hint of the underwear hidden beneath the fabric.
"I have no complaints about your technique, but can we save the rest of this for later? If you keep going like this, I might just turn around and walk straight to Marine Headquarters Plaza," Ikki said.
"What an unromantic man. Why would you think I'd do that?" Kujaku pouted.
"I really am grateful to you. If this were a different time or place, I'd happily admire you a good while longer. But right now, I honestly don't have the time," Ikki said.
He didn't wait for her to respond. He set his hand directly on her shoulder, and to make sure the test actually worked, he put a little extra force behind it to keep her from slipping away. Two streams of flame poured out of his hands and straight into her body.
Boom!
A burst of fire lit the air, and in an instant Kujaku was wreathed head to toe in flame.
"It actually works!" Ikki stared at the sight in front of him, amazed.
Her compatibility with the Breath of Flame was no less than her compatibility with the Breath of Love. In other words, she really could practice two entirely different sword styles at once.
"So, from what you're saying, Ikki, I guess I'm some kind of dual-talent, huh?" Kujaku took a deep breath. The flames stung faintly against her skin, but they also left her feeling warmed through, and she found she didn't mind the sensation at all.
"That's right, you're lucky. You might actually be able to combine two sword styles into one," Ikki said, nodding as he withdrew his hand.
The flames vanished from her body immediately after. Just as the two of them had expected, the uniform she'd changed into vanished right along with the fire, and that included the two scraps of cloth underneath.
"Bigger than I expected," Ikki said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I did make a point of wrapping them up carefully," Kujaku said, pressing her lips together and crossing her arms over her chest, a blush spreading across her face. Stripped of everything, she found she could no longer meet his eyes.
This amused Ikki to no end.
"What, you were so bold a minute ago. I thought you were something special. Turns out you're just a shy little girl after all," Ikki said with a smile.
"Who knew you still had it in you to blush, Kujaku." Ikki grinned at the beautiful woman in front of him.
Faced with his teasing, Kujaku opened her mouth, but nothing came out. There was nothing else for it. With her clothes on, she could talk back to him, even tease him right back. Without them, she was like a peacock stripped of its feathers, unable to face anyone. So she said nothing at all.
"Alright, go get changed. It's about time we headed back," Ikki said, waving her off.
He was in a hurry to get back, and though part of him wanted to keep teasing her and enjoy the view in front of him a little longer, he knew this wasn't the time for it. If they got back too late, they'd have Sengoku's nagging to deal with.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Sengoku, but at a moment like this, he really didn't want to waste any more words on him. Of everyone at the Marines, only Gion had ever truly touched something in him. Even Kujaku standing right in front of him now, or Ain, who'd spent some time in his company, mattered far less to him than Gion did.
"I see."
This time Kujaku didn't argue. She turned and hurried off toward the spot where she'd left her clothes.
Ikki raised an eyebrow again, watching the sway of her hips as she went. It was a shame he hadn't brought a camera. He'd have loved to have that silhouette on record. Before long she returned, dressed once more, though compared to before she was noticeably quieter, a blush still lingering on her fair skin.
"You're even more bashful than I gave you credit for. I figured you for bold, but I guess you've got nothing on Hina," Ikki said, waving to her and turning to head back the way they'd come.
"Well... that was the first time I've ever acted like that in front of a man. I'm sure I'll stop once I get used to it," Kujaku said, falling into step behind him.
"You still want to get used to it? Do you expect me to admire your figure more often from now on?" Ikki asked, curious despite himself.
"No... that's not what I meant." Kujaku ducked her head, embarrassed.
But then, as if something had just occurred to her, she asked, "You said earlier I wasn't as bold as Hina. Didn't she show any embarrassment after you burned her clothes off?"
Ikki shrugged. "It wasn't that she wasn't shy, it's just that her shyness only lasted a moment. Outside of that, she was perfectly composed."
Answering her, he couldn't help but recall the moment he'd tested Hina's talent for himself. Then he glanced at Kujaku again, his mind drifting into an unbidden comparison of the two women. Physically, Kujaku carried herself with more maturity than Hina did. Hina, though, was the more athletic of the two.
Both had their own appeal, as far as Ikki was concerned.