Rear Admiral Gion?
Nao froze for a moment, his expression changing drastically in an instant. His first reaction wasn't to look toward the distant pirate ships — it was to glance downward.
Sure enough.
What met his eyes wasn't the broad, muscular chest he was used to seeing.
It was something far more familiar…
The little rabbit's "little rabbit."
And below that, a waist that could be held with one hand, and long, slender, snow-white legs.
Gion seemed to have just bathed and changed clothes; a faint fragrance drifted into his nose — light and elegant, like gardenias, refreshing and very pleasant.
Her damp hair hung loose down her back, not yet tied up into a bun — just as disheveled as Nao's own state of mind at that moment.
— He had… swapped bodies with the little rabbit again?
The same thing that had happened two years ago during his probationary period, in the Calm Belt, was playing out all over again?
What the hell was going on?!
Was this so-called "random event" supposed to mean this?
"Damn it, and at a time like this of all times…"
Nao felt a sharp headache coming on. He quickly opened the system panel and looked toward the quest log.
A new quest notification was refreshed at this very moment:
[Temporary Quest Name: Settle the Battle Royale]
[Quest Description: Do you want to rely on a cheat to get through it? That's too lame, young man! A true Sea King, even when facing the most brutal battle royale, should be open and honest and face his mistakes head-on!]
["Sea Raccoon's Grudge" event has been triggered. The difficulty might have been greatly increased, but it's okay, go! Show your sincerity and fundamentally resolve this crisis!]
[Quest Objective: 1. Eliminate the hostility between all members of your harem and get them to reconcile with each other.]
[2. Eliminate the resentment of all members of your harem towards you and make them completely forgive you.]
[Quest Reward: 1.2 million points, S-rank random gift box 1, random stat points 3.]
[Note: The player's abnormal state will be automatically removed after all conditions are met.]
[Note: When using the current body, the innate skills of the original body will be automatically disabled.]
[You have received a new game notification.]
[Your Charm Skill: "Radiance Smile," has been disabled.]
[Your Charm Skill: "Craftsman's Spirit," has been disabled.]
...
One notification after another popped up in succession, dumping a massive load of information into his vision all at once.
He quickly scanned the notifications.
1.2 million points, an S-rank random gift box, and three random stat points.
There was no doubt that this was the most generous quest reward he had ever seen since he got the Love Cell Cultivation System.
But the random event that was triggered was too much of a pain in the ass. It directly put him in Gion's body, and this abnormal state would only be removed after he completed the two quest objectives?
In other words —
If he failed to complete the quest…
He'd spend the rest of his life stuck in the little rabbit's body.
And since he was now in Gion's body, it went without saying — Gion herself must have regained consciousness inside his body by now.
And when she opened her eyes, what situation would she be facing?
Belle-Mère bustling in the kitchen, his father and mother displeased with his "handling" of something, plus Shia trailing along out of curiosity…
Damn! That was going to be a nightmare.
As the saying went, "three women make a drama." Nao rubbed his temples helplessly — he could already imagine exactly what the house would look like without him there to manage it…
So yeah.
Getting this generous quest reward wasn't going to be easy.
"Rear Admiral? Rear Admiral!"
A familiar voice jolted him from his thoughts.
It was Gion's aid, Martha, urgently seeking his orders after not receiving a command for some time:
"The enemy ship has entered our firing range — should we open fire immediately, or let them get a bit closer?"
Enemy ships?
Nao finally recalled the sentry's startled cry from the lookout tower when he had first opened his eyes.
He turned and looked into the distance — through the drizzling rain, three pirate ships were racing toward them at full speed. As they closed in, he could vaguely make out the pirates' ferocious faces and their loud, arrogant laughter—
"It's a Marine ship from the West Blue!"
"Hahaha, we've been lying in wait here for more than half a month, and finally got something!"
"Men! Let's surround them and make these little West Blue weaklings tremble with fear! Let them know the power of us pirates from the Grand Line!"
…
It was obvious.
This was a group of old hands who had been wandering around the Grand Line for a long time and knew which Marines they could afford to mess with.
They were lurking near the Calm Belt and would not provoke the large standard Marine ships with Headquarters Vice Admirals on board. Instead, they specialized in hunting ships from the four seas.
The ship that Gion had brought from the West Blue's G-1 Branch was now a fat sheep in their eyes.
Nao's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around.
The Marines on the ship were basically members of the G-1 Branch and were also Nao's former subordinates. There were many familiar faces, and he could even call them by name.
They were already prepared for battle and were standing by.
But many of them were coming to the Grand Line for the first time, and facing these enemies, whose auras were far superior to those of West Blue pirates, they were inevitably a little nervous and uneasy.
Originally, to keep things at home from spiraling out of control, Nao had planned to use his vivre card to teleport straight to Gion.
But it was clear that in this situation, he had to take responsibility for the crew on this ship first.
Which meant…
Ending the battle as quickly as possible.
"You can only blame yourselves for being unlucky and walking right into my trap when I'm in a bad mood…"
Nao's eyes were cold as he mumbled to himself. Then, amidst the exclamations of the surrounding Marines, he suddenly left the deck with Geppo and shot up into the air.
At the same time, he drew the famous sword Konpira from his waist…
...
Marineford – Nao's Home
"Mmm…"
It was as if she had been sleeping for a long time. When she slowly woke up, Gion instinctively let out a soft groan, then frowned as she looked at the unfamiliar scene in front of her.
Where am I?
In front of her was a bright, spacious living room. A kindly older couple — unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar-looking — sat on the sofa, whispering to each other.
Further away, in the kitchen, a long-haired young woman with chestnut-red hair tied in a high ponytail was humming a tune as she carried one steaming dish after another to the dining table.
Gion was standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the living room, but her perspective felt off — noticeably higher than usual by half a head.
And…
Why had the sound that had just come out of her mouth been so low-pitched, with a strangely familiar undertone?
She swallowed instinctively. The movement of an Adam's apple instantly made her suspect something, and she looked down in disbelief.
A tall, powerfully built male body.
And one she knew better than anyone.
Over the past two years —
Countless nights had she traced every inch of this body's skin with her fingertips.
Sometimes on top, sometimes beneath him, locking eyes in fascination as his low laughter filled her ears…
And now…
"Did we hide in the closet and play hide-and-seek again?"
She remembered Nao's joking description from the last time they swapped bodies while she was bedridden — a metaphor so fitting she'd never forgotten it.
But…
This time, they were thousands of kilometers apart, not even in the same place, and they hadn't run into that little raccoon again…
So weird.
Not that she disliked the experience — in fact, she sometimes caught herself nostalgically recalling those novel, amusing days when they first met.
"Hey, Nao, have you had breakfast yet?"
At this moment, the girl with the long chestnut-red hair and the high ponytail in the kitchen finally finished her work. She took off her apron and asked him with a smile.
"Of course I…"
Gion calmed herself down and answered subconsciously, but the next moment, her stomach growled, making her change her mind. She shook her head slightly: "No, I haven't."
That Nao guy.
She complained inwardly. He was probably in the training room again, training hard all night, and hasn't had time to eat breakfast yet, has he?
He really doesn't know how to take care of his body. I even told him on the phone last time that since he's already a Headquarters Vice Admiral, there's no need for him to work as hard as he did when he was a recruit…
So.
This must be Nao's house?
The more Gion looked around, the more certain she was. This was clearly the house that the higher-ups had assigned to Nao after he became a Headquarters Vice Admiral. It had just been renovated, and the furniture was still brand new.
The identities of the old couple on the sofa were also obvious.
They're Nao's parents…
Little rabbit felt a little shy for some reason, and with a bit of irresistible curiosity, she secretly glanced at the old couple again.
This was her first time meeting Nao's family. The old couple had very decent looks. They must have been a handsome man and a beautiful woman when they were young, which was why they were able to have such a handsome and excellent son.
She suddenly had a mischievous thought.
That Nao guy is probably in my body right now, right? He's probably panicking because of this inexplicable reenactment
So, should I formally introduce myself to his parents right now?
Or should I just act for a bit and try to get to know the old couple as Nao?
Hmm, the second option is definitely more appealing.
"Dad, Mom, breakfast is ready. Come and eat with us?".
As she walked through the living room, she tried her best to look like the usual Nao and greeted the old couple with a smile.
But when the words "Dad" and "Mom" left her mouth, the blush on her ears betrayed her inner embarrassment.
"?"
On the sofa, Yukika and Captain Old Natsuya froze for a moment, then exchanged puzzled glances at "Nao's" retreating back toward the dining table.
Why did it feel like…
Something about the kid was a little off since he came back from the bedroom?
Meanwhile —
At the table, Gion finally got a good look at Belle-Mère up close.
What a lively young woman!
Her eyes lit up slightly. Belle-Mère had just untied her apron and turned her head, flicking her high ponytail — bathed in the morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she radiated the sunny vitality unique to youth.
Her features were delicate and pretty, but there was also a certain firmness in her expression that felt strangely familiar — like looking into a mirror at her younger self.
But who is she?
Gion pulled out a chair, sat down at the dining table, and poured herself a bowl of borscht as she made wild guesses in her mind.
I've never seen her before. Did Nao hire her as a nanny to take care of his parents after he returned to Headquarters?
No, she just called me "Nao," and she wasn't being polite or respectful at all. She seemed more like a family member she had been with for many years.
So… is she his younger sister?
But I've never heard Nao mention that he had a younger sister. Maybe she's a close relative, a cousin or something?
"Aunt Yukika, Mr. Natsuya, what are you still talking about over there? Come and eat!"
Just then, Belle-mère urged the old couple again. Gion pinched her chin, feeling more and more that this was the most likely possibility.
Just as she was pondering what to call her, she suddenly felt a shadow fall over her face, and then something touched her lips.
Soft. Cool.
The sensation disappeared quickly, and Belle-mère, who had just gently kissed him, straightened up and smiled brightly. She winked at him:
"Sorry for misunderstanding you before — that's my way of making it up to you. Now we're even, okay? Don't just sit there, eat up!"
"…"
Gion subconsciously touched the corner of her lips where the kiss had landed, then looked up at the red-haired girl smiling back at her, dazed.
"Oh, where's that friend who came with you? Have him sit down too. …Oh, here he comes."
Suddenly, there were footsteps behind her.
"Make yourself at home — treat it like your own place."
Belle-mère greeted "Shiryu of the Rain" with a polite smile, then went to the living room again to urge the old couple, who were still on the sofa.
"Nao."
Gion hadn't even recovered from that kiss when a man with a sharp, sullen gaze sidled up beside her, lowering his voice:
"I used to think I wanted a son. But now… I think having daughters is way better. How about we have two daughters in the future?"
Gion turned her head in stunned disbelief.