"..."
The man was speechless. With the scar-faced woman speaking so bluntly, what could he even say? Exhaling a puff of smoke, he turned to leave the cabin to clear his head.
Just then, his eyes fell on the cage. Among the three sisters locked inside, the most delicate-looking black-haired girl was peeking timidly through the bars, sneaking glances at the newspaper on the table.
The moment she realized his gaze was on her, her face went pale, her body trembling as she shrank back into the corner.
"Another fan of that guy? Hah. And here I thought women from Amazon Lily had never even seen men before."
The man let out a cold laugh, spat on the floor, and ignored the three captives. Cigarette dangling from his lips, he shoved open the door and left the cabin.
—What nonsense. Already about to be sold as slaves, and they still have the mood to think about their idol?
And yet…
As the sea breeze chilled his skin, he recalled the scar-faced woman's earlier reaction, and a sour knot twisted in his chest. Envy, plain and bitter.
Natsuya Nao.
If only he could be born looking like that guy… No—just half as handsome would've been enough. Then maybe, after chasing the scar-faced woman for years, he wouldn't still be treated with disdain.
Of course, in this world, being despised wasn't something unique to that trafficker. Far from it.
Take, for example, Marineford at this very moment.
In front of the fourth-floor infirmary, Chaton was practically begging. But the aide, Martha, stood at the door with an icy expression, blocking him coldly no matter what he said.
"Please, Martha!"
Hands clasped together, Chaton looked like a thirty-year-old child pleading.
"I heard Gion was badly injured in the war this time—so badly she couldn't get out of bed for days! I've been worried sick ever since. Just let me see her once, please!"
"Rear Admiral has already said she needs rest. She doesn't want to see anyone."
Martha's voice remained calm and firm. "But her condition has already improved. There's no danger. Please leave, Vice Admiral Chaton."
Being soft didn't work, and he didn't have the guts to be hard, so Chaton had to give up. He scratched his head in distress, squatted in the hallway, and lit a cigarette.
Sigh, it was all because he had tried too hard to pursue Gion back then, leaving her with too deep of a psychological scar.
Now, even though he had given up on the pursuit, he still wasn't allowed to visit her just to check on her.
"Forget it…"
Chaton left the fruit basket and flower basket by the wall, sighed, and went downstairs.
It was still early in the morning, and Gion was probably still asleep.
He really shouldn't disturb her at this time. He should just let her rest well alone. As long as there was nothing wrong with her body, he would be at ease…
...
Inside the ward.
Morning light seeped through the cracks of the curtains, a faint scent of gardenias drifting in the air.
Gion had just woken. Gazing at the clear sky outside the window, she heard the fading footsteps and spoke softly:
"He's gone?"
"Yes, Rear Admiral," Martha's steady voice replied. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will disturb you."
"Good…"
Gion let out a quiet breath of relief. But when she lowered her eyes to the figure still asleep in her arms, her cheeks flushed. With a mix of shame and irritation, she suddenly twisted his ear hard.
"The sun's already up, and you're still lazing around here instead of going to work?!"
"Ugh… huh?"
Only then did Nao stir, rubbing his sleepy eyes, staring blankly at the sunlight. "Eh? What time is it?"
"Half past seven already."
Gion shoved him away in annoyance.
"Where's that biological clock of yours? Ten-plus years of waking at five-thirty sharp, and now you sleep like a dead pig! Do you have any idea how heavy you were lying on top of me all night?"
"Hey, I barely slept for a month, and those battles the other day drained me…"
Nao yawned, swung his legs off the bed, and stretched with a lazy groan.
Mm. As expected—his own body was the only place he could truly rest. No bed-picking, no restless nights, no thoughts gnawing at him. Not like those sleepless nights in Garp's guest room, tossing and turning until dawn.
Besides…
Again, the soft and springy little rabbit really was much more comfortable than any pillow.
After a quick wash, Nao left the ward full of energy, heading home.
Not long after, he returned, this time with Shia at his side. Both of them were carrying lunch boxes, which they carefully placed on the bedside table, one after another, revealing a rich breakfast spread.
"Ah, is this from Aunt Yukika?"
Gion accepted a box from Shia with a smile, asking casually. Though her body was still recovering, her face was pale, and her voice softer than usual.
"No, Mom went with Dad to handle his retirement paperwork, she's not back yet. Bell-mère made it."
Nao ladled himself a bowl of seafood porridge, crossed his legs, and drank slowly.
"Her injuries were lighter than yours, and she just got discharged from the hospital yesterday. When she heard you hadn't recovered, she was so worried that she made this porridge to nourish you. She'll probably come by later to visit as well."
He let out a disgruntled sigh.
"Such blatant favoritism… I was the one injured worse, wasn't I? How come she never fussed over me like that?"
"That's because with your body, no matter how serious the wound, you'll be healed in no time. It hardly counts as an injury at all."
Shia giggled as she set utensils before Gion.
"Besides, Gion-sis said that on the very day the war ended, you'd already healed enough to be running around. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been left behind to clean up the aftermath and only returned to headquarters with the last batch last night."
"And the moment you got back, you used the excuse of visiting me just to freeload in my bed for the night."
Gion sipped her porridge with narrowed eyes, enjoying the warmth, but when she glanced at Nao, she shot him a glare.
"Heartless man. Couldn't you have gone to keep Shia or Bell-mère company first?"
Strong and unyielding Bell-mère, sweet and adorable Shia—both were girls worth cherishing…
During those few days of body-swapping, she had come to know them better. The more familiar she grew with them, the more she felt it was unfair. How could such good girls fall for a silver-tongued scoundrel like Nao?
—This shameless playboy!
"Well…"
Caught under her glare, Nao looked a little guilty and explained honestly, "Actually, I got back to headquarters around five yesterday morning. I went home first to be with the kids, and Bell-mère…"
"Hm?"
"Then around eight, I went to Shia's place, stayed with her until she fell asleep…"
"...?"
"And only after ten did I come here, to spend the night with you, Rear Admirale."
Gion almost burst out laughing from anger.
"A master of time management, huh? And here I was touched when you showed up—turns out I was last on your list?"
"See? That's why sometimes it's better not to ask. The truth can be… pretty hurtful."
"..."
Gion wanted nothing more than to kick the bastard, but her legs were still too weak to move freely. All she could do was snort, keep drinking her porridge, and snap coldly:
"What about the future then? Do you plan on keeping things muddled like this forever?"
"Well…"
Nao actually liked Gion's blunt, straightforward nature. After thinking for a moment, he asked tentatively:
"Should I make a schedule? One day each, taking turns?"
"Who asked you that!"
Flustered and angry, Gion finally lost her composure. She sat up and flicked his forehead hard with her finger.
"What's in that head of yours all day? What I mean is…"
But she trailed off, unable to find the exact words. Status? A formal relationship? They couldn't just keep going on like this forever. Sooner or later, word would spread, and tongues would wag.
But Nao instantly understood. That unspoken tacit bond between longtime companions was enough.
His expression grew serious. Meeting Gion's eyes, he said with absolute sincerity:
"Don't worry, Rear Admiral. Just like I promised when I apologized, I'll take responsibility from now on. I won't let down any of you!"
"After I see my dad and mom after work today, I'll officially talk to them about marriage. After everything is ready, I'll definitely give you a grand and perfect wedding!"
That… was more like it.
Gion leaned back against the wall again, satisfied, taking small, delicate sips of her seafood porridge. Suddenly, a loud clang startled her, and she looked up curiously.
Shia was staring blankly at Nao, her beautiful light-blue eyes brimming with surprise and joy. She didn't even notice the lunch box slipping from her hands onto the floor.
That silly child… Gion pressed her lips into a smile, then cast a warning glance at Nao.
—The meaning was clear enough: Such an adorable girl. After we're married, if you dare betray her and chase skirts outside, you'd better be ready to face me.
Nao instantly shot back a look of his own, perfectly in sync—
Don't worry, Rear Admiral. I'll turn over a new leaf, live straight and true, and be a proper man from now on!
...
Leaving the hospital.
Nao went straight to his office, beginning another day of clocking in and routine work.
Along the way, he couldn't avoid drawing a commotion from the marines. Everywhere he passed, it was like an idol's meet-and-greet, shrieks of excitement ringing endlessly in his ears.
It took no small effort just to push through the crowd. By the time he made it inside, he was drenched in sweat, utterly exasperated.
Sitting down at his desk, his gaze first went to the calligraphy scroll he had hung on the wall at the end of last year.
It was a habit for many officers at Marine Headquarters to hang such scrolls in their offices, as a way of declaring their own stance on justice.
Sengoku had "Reigning Justice."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's was "Pure Justice."
Akainu's was "Absolute Justice."
When Nao was interning at G-2 branch, he'd even seen Kizaru's: "Ambiguous Justice."
As for Nao, his scroll bore the words—
[Best Justice]
Just like he'd once told Aokiji on the Calm Belt two years ago.
Even a firefly must try to shine its light. No matter how weak that light may be, when it gathers into a sea, it can pierce through the darkness and illuminate the vast sky.
And now—
Though he was still some ways off from becoming that blazing sun he'd spoken of, he was no longer a feeble firefly. His strength, his identity, his position—all had already undergone earth-shaking change.
But still…
It felt as though his state of mind had subtly changed as well—quietly, imperceptibly, with the faintest signs of swelling pride and creeping corruption.
After staring at the scroll for a while, Nao suddenly ground some ink and raised his brush, adding a smaller line of words in the corner below:
[Arrogance is the beginning of downfall]
This failed handling of his love triangle could also be considered a wake-up call for him. The thought of using a mental control-type skill on the person he loved to get away with it made him feel a sense of lingering fear and guilt whenever he thought about it now.
A person must have an insurmountable bottom line after all. Especially in this world filled with chaos and evil, the higher one's status rises, the more one needs to stay clear-headed.
He didn't want to become the kind of man he despised most. And even more, he didn't want to betray the pure heart he'd once had.
"Huu…"
Exhaling softly, Nao steadied himself, then sank back into the soft sofa.
Before tackling the mountain of documents piled on his desk, he first pulled up his system panel.
He had been too busy running around for the past few days and hadn't had time to open his quest rewards yet. Now he finally had a free moment to do his third-favorite activity: opening loot boxes.
The blue system panel popped up. He lowered his gaze and went straight to the quest log.
[Temporary Quest: Settle the Battle Royale — Completed]
[Rewards: 1.2 million points, S-Rank Gift Box ×1, Random Attribute Points ×3]
[Note: Compared to earlier side quest, this one was much more difficult and messy. But, young man, a temporary brake and a moment of self-reflection are only to solidify your foundation—so you may walk further and deeper on the path of the Sea King!]
…
"What do you mean, temporary brake? I've told you a hundred times, I never planned on becoming some Sea King in the first place, okay?"
Nao was long used to the system's ridiculous notes. He didn't bother nitpicking. Since the rewards had already been auto-claimed, he moved straight to his inventory.
The haul was generous. 1.2 million points—by far the biggest lump sum he'd ever received.
With the war just concluded and newspapers worldwide scrambling to report on him, his point balance, which had nearly been drained, was suddenly flush again, now sitting at 1.75 million.
And that was without mentioning the S-Rank box and the three attribute points. The S-Rank rank gift box had never once let him down, and as for the attribute…
At his current level, each manual attribute increase cost him millions. Three free points was essentially the same as pocketing three million points. Utterly satisfying.
"Let's roll the random points first."
He tapped the icon with practiced ease, eyes fixed as the blue dice began spinning rapidly.
[Rolling… please wait.]
[Your Charm +1]
[Your Charm +1]
[Your Stamina +1]
…
A rare combo.
The stamina boost was a nice little bonus, but two points straight into Charm…
Nao blinked in surprise, staring at his stat sheet as his Charm jumped from 19 straight to 21.
If he remembered correctly, every three points in Charm pushed him over a threshold, unlocking a new innate skill.
Which meant…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a new prompt popped up on the panel:
[Your Charm has advanced to the next stage. New cost per upgrade: 5,000,000 points.]
[Your Charm has reached 21. You have acquired a new talent skill: Petrifying Gaze.]
[Petrifying Gaze]
Type: Charm Talent Skill
Description: When you gaze at a target, with a mere flick of will, anyone captivated by your appearance and aura—if their affection value crosses the threshold—has a chance of being petrified.
Note: This skill has no cooldown. To undo petrification, the player's blood must be applied. Use with caution.
"Medusa—there is no greater sorrow in the world than knowing you are beautiful, yet not daring to look into a mirror…"