"Gion?"
Yukika's heart sank, but she pretended to be in deep thought, pinching her chin for a long time, and said with a confused look:
"I think I've heard Nao mention her before… said she's his direct superior in the West Blue. That's all I know. Why bring her up all of a sudden?"
"I just found out about that name today."
The normally proud and headstrong Belle-mère was gone. She was half-leaning on Yukika, looking like a wounded kitten:
"After I finished the transfer of my Marine status, I saw a photo of a female Rear Admiral on a desk. That female Rear Admiral was so beautiful, I couldn't help but stare at her for a long time…"
"And then?"
Yukika's expression became a little strange. Why did this girl have the same reaction as I did the first time I saw Gion's photo?
That woman really was dangerously beautiful—paired with the white Justice coat, the crisp uniform, that gallant and commanding air… she was enough to charm men and women alike.
Even Yukika, who had always stood firmly on Belle-Mère's side, had felt a flutter of fondness at first glance. She'd even been secretly pleased—What a wonderful woman… and she's my daughter-in-law.
"And then I couldn't help but ask the officer who was handling the transfer about her. She was quite surprised and said, 'You don't even know who Rear Admiral Gion is?' She talked to me for a long time, saying that she was also a fan of hers, but unfortunately, she was already taken a long time ago…"
Belle-mère lowered her head. "I couldn't resist my curiosity and asked who it was. The officer told me that it was, that it was…"
"Nao?"
Yukika was speechless in her heart, secretly cursing that female officer for running her mouth, but on her face, she put on a look of disbelief.
"…Mm."
Belle-Mère bit her lip, looking miserable.
"She said the two of them got together two years ago. At the promotion ceremony, in front of thousands of people, Nao confessed to her—it became a famous romantic tale at Headquarters…"
"She even showed me a photo from back then. Aunt Yukika… the two of them really look perfect together…"
"That little bastard!"
Yukika was furious. She immediately grabbed the Den Den Mushi from the coffee table. "You've been childhood friends with Belle-mère since you were a kid, and you're already engaged, and you're still going around messing with other girls!"
"Outrageous!"
She furiously pressed the numbers on the keypad. The sleepy Den Den Mushi was so scared that it retracted its neck.
"Don't worry, Belle-mère. I'm going to call him and tell him to get his butt back here and explain things to you!"
"…"
Belle-mère didn't say anything. She hugged her knees, curled up in a corner of the sofa, and remained silent with her head down, her eyes looking dim. No one knew what she was thinking.
Noticing this, Yukika sighed inwardly while bringing the receiver to her mouth with a fierce expression, a hint of worry brewing in her heart.
...
Whssshh—!
In the huge training ground, the sound of air being torn apart suddenly rang out, one after another.
Those were slashes of sword energy, roaring out from the swinging twin swords. Every single slash contained a terrifying will of wind swordsmanship.
And after each slash, a dazzling light erupted, like the moonlight rising from the sea on a full moon night.
The training ground, which was still shrouded in night, was instantly lit up as if it were daytime!
BOOM!
The moment the sword-energy swept out, the surrounding wire fences disintegrated into powder.
Trees on the perimeter snapped and toppled.
The ground of the field itself was carved into countless deep, criss-crossing ravines—some tens of meters deep—enough to make the eyes go cold.
"The power has improved again."
Nao floated down from mid-air and landed on the ground. He looked at the training ground, which had become a barren wasteland, and showed a gratified expression.
This sword technique, where every slash was imbued with the power of a fierce wind and at the same time, a blinding and dazzling light.
It was something he had come to understand and explore recently while immersing himself in swordsmanship training.
It was flashy and incredibly gorgeous.
At the same time, its destructive power was also quite formidable. It could fully unleash his swordsmanship skills. In a way, it could be called an advanced and combined version of his two sword techniques, "Jade Slash" and "Lunar Eclipse."
He'd named it Twin Blade Slash: Lunar Flare.
Although he had just mastered it and still needed a lot of time to practice and consolidate it, so he couldn't unleash its full power yet.
But this was a satisfactory start after all.
Not relying entirely on the system's skill rewards, not following the old paths of his predecessors, but creating his own unique swordsmanship.
For Nao, this was the only way to go deeper and farther in swordsmanship.
He believed that after he completely understood the swordmanship notes from Elder Suma in the future;
And combined it with his own understanding of the Twin Blade Style through his daily hard training and practical experience from fighting to the death against powerful enemies.
Day after day, for a long time.
He would definitely be able to master more sword techniques and even gradually create his own style, allowing his swordsmanship to truly reach the peak level of the world.
"The sun is up."
Sheathing his swords, Nao glanced at the fish-belly white in the east, his eyes flashing slightly. He decided to end his training for the night.
"It's about time… to go and pick up Shia."
...
Marineford, Harbor.
The morning light was dim, and the early spring sea breeze blew, carrying a salty, moist warmth.
The passenger ship from the Kingdom of Paja docked outside the pier under the guidance of a broadcast.
As for the inner harbor, no civilian ships were allowed in, except for Marine ships. This was a rule of Marine Headquarters, and even the royal ships of affiliated countries were no exception.
"Your Highness, we've arrived at Marineford."
A guard knocked on the cabin door, waiting respectfully.
"Yes, I understand."
A faint voice came from inside.
A moment later, the cabin door opened, and a blue-haired girl in a simple white dress, accompanied by a group of palace maids, walked onto the deck.
Her face was expressionless as she looked indifferently at the majestic fortress in the distance. Her beautiful figure, although bathed in the warm morning light, still exuded an unapproachable cold and noble aura.
A white pigeon landed on her shoulder, also staring intently into the distance without moving. This scene looked as if it had come out of a painting.
Her Highness's aura is becoming more and more powerful…
Behind Shia, the female steward stood with her hands clasped, and seeing this scene out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but sigh.
She'd watched Shia grow up motherless and withdrawn, and step by step mature into the woman she was.
Especially last year, when the old king was seriously ill, a group of incompetent children eyed the throne with covetousness, playing dirty tricks against each other and even secretly using underhanded methods to do some nasty things.
At that time, Shia was living deep in the palace, guarding her elderly and sick father.
She seemed to be indifferent to outside affairs, but she was well aware of these undercurrents and conspiracies and had already taken precautions.
With her thunderous methods, she quickly put down the various plots and eliminated the threat of turmoil in the kingdom.
In the middle of it, she even personally made a move several times, easily and effortlessly killing a few assassins who had snuck into the palace late at night with her excellent martial arts skills.
This shocked the guards, who wondered if they were about to lose their jobs, and they were completely in awe of the princess.
However.
The female steward knew better than anyone that even though she had matured and become much more composed than she was a few years ago, Shia still had no interest in the throne. The only thing she ever cared about, from beginning to end, was that one man.
And her only wish was to be with that man forever.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have rushed to Marineford the moment her father regained his health.
Suddenly.
The female steward noticed that the blue-haired girl's eyelashes trembled, and the calm look in her eyes suddenly showed a hint of joy, as if a black-and-white sketch had suddenly been filled with color, making her look radiant.
The white pigeon, which had been standing on her shoulder, also brightened its eyes. After letting out a light, excited chirp, it suddenly spread its wings and flew out.
"Did that man come…"
This was the only possibility that would make the icy princess so emotional. The female steward looked into the distance, following the direction of the flying pigeon.
And sure enough.
On the dock to the southeast, a figure in a white "Justice" cloak had appeared at some point. He was smiling and waving in their direction…
...
On a tree-lined avenue…
Under the curious or envious gazes of passers-by, Nao and Shia walked slowly, arm in arm.
The familiar scent of the girl wafted into his nostrils, making him feel as if he were at a quiet lake deep in a forest on a quiet morning. Just being close to her like this gave him a strange sense of peace.
After not seeing each other for more than half a year, the two naturally had a lot to talk about.
From her experience of taking revenge on Whole Cake Island after being forcibly separated by Big Mom, to the thrilling and prolonged battle with Shiki not long ago…
Most of the time, Nao was doing the talking while Shia listened quietly with a faint smile.
The morning light fell on her shoulder, dyeing the girl's already delicate blue hair a translucent color, as if it were coated with a layer of soft gold.
She was like a fawn that had been lost in the woods all night and had finally returned to its familiar lakeside cabin at dawn. She snuggled up to him with her eyes slightly closed, her face full of enjoyment.
"You've also grown up a lot, Shia."
Nao also heard about the series of tumultuous royal upheavals in the Kingdom of Paja from Shia. He couldn't help but smile and rub the girl's head:
"It's a shame I wasn't there during that time. It must have been tough for you. But speaking of which, do you really not want to go back and inherit the throne?"
"No way."
The princess, who was unapproachable to outsiders, was now as adorably naive as a newborn kitten. "Now that my father has recovered, I'll just leave the country's affairs to him. I just want to stay here at Headquarters with you, just like I did at the G-2 branch."
The G-2 branch…
Nao felt a little dazed for a moment. It had been almost two years since his time as a trainee. He didn't have a very deep impression of it, but for Shia, during those three months, he belonged to her alone.
Perhaps that was the happiest and most precious time of her life so far?
Unfortunately.
Now, everything is different…
"It's okay."
As if sensing his mood, Shia squeezed his hand and smiled softly.
"I'm already very content with how things are now…"
Nao didn't say anything back. He smiled and squeezed her little hand back, feeling a little guilty as he looked at the girl snuggling up to him.
It was a little subtle to say, but his thoughts had been completely focused on how to resolve the conflict between Belle-mère and Gion, and he had never considered Shia's side of things.
Partly because she already knew everything—
Partly because he'd been "spoiled" by her love—
He knew she loved him more than herself.
Even if a bloody lovers' war broke out, she'd never ask for more—just being allowed to stay was enough.
Buru-buru-buru!
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket vibrated lightly. Nao frowned and answered it. Before he could even speak, Yukika's angry scolding came from the other end.
At first, he was completely confused, but a few words later, he understood what had happened at home.
"What are you still doing out there? Get your butt back here and explain things properly!"
That was the last thing his mother said before hanging up. She sounded furious, as if she were standing up for Belle-mère, but Nao could hear a hint of a warning in her tone.
The secret has been revealed! You little brat, you'd better be mentally prepared and rehearse the story you've prepared on the way home!
What a headache…
Nao put away the Den Den Mushi, rubbed his temples, and let out a wry smile.
He had actually expected this to happen. After all, too many people at Headquarters knew about his relationship with Gion.
To be honest, it was already a surprise to him that it had been almost half a month and Belle-mère had only just found out by chance through an external source.
"Has Belle-mère… already come to Headquarters?"
Shia had been listening quietly to the call and had probably guessed what was going on. She tilted her head slightly and asked softly.
"Yeah, she came with my dad and mom," Nao shrugged. "Anyway, I have to go home now. Why don't you go to the Elite Camp? You haven't seen Zephyr-sensei in a long time, have you? You can go visit him, and then in the afternoon, I'll go…"
"No."
The blue-haired girl shook her head slightly and squeezed his hand tightly. "I want to go with you."
"Are you trying to make things worse at a time like this?" Nao said with a wry laugh. "Don't worry. I'll let you meet them properly later, but today is not the day…"
"I just really want to see what your childhood friend looks like…"
Shia pouted, looking a little unhappy, but then her eyes darted around, as if she had an idea, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Ah, I know…"
Just as the two of them turned a corner and came to a secluded, uninhabited patch of woods, Shia's form suddenly changed. She grew taller and longer, and under Nao's dumbfounded gaze, she transformed into another familiar figure.
A tall man in a Marine uniform, with a cigar in his mouth.
"Now that I look like this, I won't cause any trouble if I go home with you, right?"
"Shiryu of the Rain" winked at Nao playfully.