At first, Shiro tried to resist.
Instinctively, he raised his hand, wanting to push Doll away—but the moment his palm touched her warm skin, when he saw her flushed cheeks and unfocused, dazed eyes, his movement froze.
Doll was already strikingly beautiful to begin with. Now, with her face tinged red and her breathing uneven, she carried an added, irresistible allure. Combined with her fiery figure, it was simply too much for a man who had been single his entire life.
In the end, Shiro failed to hold back.
An hour later, the sea breeze continued to sweep across the deck. The redness on Doll's face finally faded, and clarity slowly returned to her eyes.
She released her grip on Shiro and leaned weakly against the railing, breathing heavily.
Only then did Shiro let out a long breath of relief. He stood up, straightened his disheveled clothes, and looked at Doll—who had regained some strength.
"The poison should be neutralized now," he said.
"You should leave quickly. This is a pirate ship—it's not safe for you."
Doll shook her head.
Supporting herself against the railing, she slowly stood up, her voice still weak.
"The effects of Ecstasy Fruit Powder aren't that easy to eliminate. What you did just now only suppressed it temporarily. The toxin is still inside my body."
She looked at him seriously.
"You'll need to use Armament Haki to help me detox further. Otherwise, once some time passes, the poison will flare up again."
"…!"
Hearing the words Armament Haki and continue detoxifying, Shiro sucked in a sharp breath.
He immediately understood what she meant—and his expression turned complicated.
But after a brief pause, another thought surfaced.
He had already helped her once. If he abandoned her now, she really might die.
With a reluctant sigh, Shiro nodded.
Carefully, he picked Doll up and carried her toward his cabin.
Another hour passed.
The curtains in Shiro's room were drawn tight, and the air inside gradually settled.
Doll sat against the headboard, the last traces of redness finally gone from her body. Her complexion had returned to normal, though fatigue lingered in her eyes.
Shiro pulled back the blanket and stepped out of bed, silently dressing as he asked:
"That should do it, right? The poison's completely gone this time?"
"For today… yes."
Doll hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. A shy flush crept onto her face, and she avoided meeting Shiro's gaze.
Just as Shiro thought it was finally over, she suddenly added—her voice barely above a whisper:
"But the toxin lasts for a full month. Today was only temporary relief. For the next month… I'm afraid I'll have to rely on you."
"…What?!"
Shiro froze in place.
The clothes in his hands slipped to the floor as he stared at Doll in disbelief.
"A month?"
"That means… you'll be staying here for a whole month? On my pirate ship?"
"That's right."
Doll lifted her head and nodded. Her cheeks reddened slightly, but her eyes were resolute.
"When the poison acts up, I lose control. I don't want any other man touching me. Only you can…"
Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her head.
"…after all, we've already…"
"…Uh…"
Shiro stood there blankly, his mind completely empty.
He never imagined things would turn out like this.
After a long moment, the first thought that came to his mind was—
How am I supposed to explain this to the crew?
A female Marine officer… living on the ship?
If the others found out, who knew what kind of chaos would erupt?
As Shiro wrestled with the thought, Doll suddenly blinked and broke the silence.
"By the way… what's your name? I still don't know it."
"Jabal Shiro," he replied with a faint smile.
"You've probably heard of me."
The hesitation vanished from his face, replaced by confidence. He straightened his posture, a natural air of pride surrounding him.
"…You're that Jabal Shiro?"
"The strongest rising king of the next generation?"
Doll's eyes widened instantly.
She sprang up from the bed without thinking, completely forgetting that she was wearing only a thin shirt. Her expression was filled with shock and disbelief.
She had heard his name countless times—the most promising young pirate in the South Blue, powerful and dangerous. She never imagined meeting him like this.
"Yes. That's me."
Shiro looked at her reaction with a teasing smile.
"Well? Now that you know who I am… are you still planning to arrest me? You are a Marine, after all."
"…I…"
Doll hesitated.
Her sense of duty as a Marine clashed violently with everything that had just happened.
On one hand, pirates were her sworn enemies.
On the other, Shiro had saved her life—and his strength and presence made her heart race despite herself.
After a long silence, she sighed.
"Forget it… What's done is done."
Her gaze softened.
"For the next month, I'll stay here. I won't reveal my identity. And you'll… continue helping me detoxify."
"If you're fine with it, then I don't mind," Shiro shrugged casually, already having accepted the situation.
"You should rest. You've burned through a lot of energy. I'll bring you some food later."
With that, Shiro turned and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Doll stared at his departing back, her cheeks growing warm again.
Her heartbeat quickened as she touched her face, memories replaying in her mind. A small, unconscious smile curved her lips.
When the crew finished resupplying and returned to the ship, laughing and chatting—
Several sharp presences suddenly intertwined within the ship.
Veterans of the sea, the Virtue Pirates had honed their Observation Haki to a razor's edge.
Almost the instant they stepped onto the deck, they all sensed it.
Something was wrong.
There was an unfamiliar presence aboard the ship—
One none of them had ever felt before.
The crew came to a halt, expressions tightening as wariness spread through the air.
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