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At the moment, Robin wasn't preparing for training. She had simply dressed in clothing suited for movement and combat, the same as the others.
She knew the war between Marine Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates was about to begin, and wanted to conserve her strength for it. It might not come to needing her power, but she preferred to be on the safe side.
Kalifa shared the same thinking. She had already changed into the black combat suit she'd once worn as a special agent at Enies Lobby.
"Yes, being a mermaid really is a huge advantage. If only I could be one myself."
Belo Betty exclaimed.
"Even without being a mermaid, Belo Betty, your beauty has already reached mermaid levels. Honestly, you're more charming than some mermaids I've known."
Shyarly said, wiping the sweat from her body with a towel as she stepped in front of Ikki.
Ikki looked up and found two mountain ranges blocking his view. Shyarly noticed his gaze and, with a slight smile, drew even closer, letting him get an even better look.
"Hehe, Shyarly's words really do put me at ease."
Belo Betty said with a light laugh. She glanced at Shyarly, then at Ikki, whose eyes hadn't left her.
"Would you two like me to give up my seat?"
Belo Betty covered her mouth and chuckled.
"No need for that. Captain Ikki and I can share one."
As Shyarly spoke, she set her snow-white hands on Ikki's waist and lifted him up, and the two switched positions. She took the seat he'd been sitting in, and he ended up settled on her lap instead.
That wasn't all. Shyarly wrapped both hands around Ikki's lower abdomen and let his head rest against her.
She'd originally meant for him to lean against her chest, but given the difference in their sizes, he ended up resting against her stomach instead.
That suited him well enough. He only had to tilt his head slightly to take in the view, and her stomach made for a remarkably soft cushion. Ikki leaned back without a trace of discomfort.
"Oh no, I forgot to wipe the sweat off first. I've gone and gotten your clothes wet, Captain. Why don't you change out of them, and I'll wash them for you later?"
"Actually, why don't we head to the bathroom together right now?"
Shyarly lowered her head and whispered the words into Ikki's ear, every syllable dripping with allure.
"Well... let's just forget about it."
Ikki said, shaking his head, though not without a flicker of temptation.
"Huh, Ikki, you actually turned down Shyarly's invitation? That's not like you at all. Are you sure you're not an imposter?"
Perona flew over to his side and asked, curious.
"Hehe, why don't you strip down and come join me in the bathroom instead? I could go take a nice shower right about now."
Ikki said, looking Perona up and down. Unlike Shyarly, she was fully covered.
"Um, well, maybe we shouldn't."
Perona twitched her lips and said in a low voice.
She was fully dressed at the moment, but for some reason, whenever Ikki's gaze swept over her, she still felt as though she'd been seen naked.
In truth, Ikki really could see through to her. He was, after all, a man with the ability to see through nearly anything.
That said, he'd already seen Perona's body plenty of times before, and there were other sights in the gym worth his attention. So he didn't bother spending the effort to look beneath her clothes this time.
"Judging by the time, the war should be starting soon. Someone might come to call me to the plaza at Marine Headquarters before long, so let's save the shower for another time."
Ikki said, shaking his head.
A regular wash wouldn't take long on its own, but that wasn't really Ikki's concern. Going with Shyarly could easily turn into losing track of time entirely, and if that happened, he might miss the assembly at Marine Headquarters.
Ikki knew about the World Government's scheme against him, and he had no intention of taking this war seriously either way, but even so, he couldn't afford to miss the show.
Beyond that, there was still the matter of rescuing Ace to prepare for. Whitebeard and Vista's swords were waiting for him to claim, after all, and Ikki was a man who valued his commitments.
A deal was a deal, and now that he'd struck one with Whitebeard, he had no intention of going back on it.
"I see. So it's about the war between the Whitebeard Pirates and Marine Headquarters. In that case, I suppose I'll have to put off the idea of swimming with Captain Ikki for now."
Shyarly said, a note of regret in her voice.
"A public bathhouse isn't really suited for swimming anyway. If you want to swim properly, we should find the ocean, or at least a proper pool."
Ikki said, hopping down from Shyarly's lap and turning to smile at her.
"So, Captain Ikki, does that mean you'll come with me?"
Shyarly asked.
"Of course."
Ikki nodded without hesitation.
Hearing his answer, Shyarly smiled again. Looking at him, she felt more and more certain that Ikki was the one meant for her.
On Fishman Island, mermaids who grew legs after reaching adulthood often went to live on land, and many of them ended up marrying humans there.
Shyarly had never intended to follow that path. Even when she'd first met Ikki, marrying him had never crossed her mind.
She had only followed him to find some way of changing Fishman Island's circumstances. But the more time she spent with him, the more her thinking began to shift.
Ikki was something of a womanizer, but he was, at heart, a genuinely good man. Shyarly had come to feel that if she let him slip away, she might never find anyone better.
Having settled on that, she was more than willing to set her old convictions aside. She had come to see him as her future husband.
If Ikki had known what Shyarly was thinking, he probably would have been thrilled. He had already been with other women, but none of them had ever had a figure quite like hers.
'If I ever got the chance to date a woman built like her, I might get to experience something entirely different.'
"Captain Ikki, are you sure it's really unnecessary for us to get involved in this war? If you're worried my presence might expose me, I'm willing to fight wearing a mask."
Kalifa said, walking over with graceful steps.
Robin nodded in agreement at Kalifa's words. Like her, she too needed to stay hidden.
If either of their identities were exposed, it could put Ikki's position as a Warlord of the Sea at serious risk.