Chapter 79: The Master of Deception Reappears
With one hand hooked under each of Axel's arms, Momousagi lifted him clean off the ground. Then she pinned him against her side with one arm and reached for his shirt with the other, clearly intent on stripping it off right then and there.
Axel naturally resisted.
He twisted and struggled with all his might, trying to squirm free. In the middle of the struggle, he managed to slip a little lower from her grasp, but the next second, his face was buried straight into Momousagi's chest with a soft smack.
Momousagi did not react in the slightest. Her expression did not even change as she continued trying to pull his shirt off.
Tokikake, on the other hand, nearly burst a blood vessel.
His eyes widened, his nostrils flared, and it looked like a nosebleed might erupt at any moment. He spun around at once, turning his back like a man trying to preserve the last fragments of his sanity.
Then Momousagi calmly said something that almost made him cough up blood.
"He's a boy. Why are you turning away?"
"Pfft!"
Tokikake nearly lost control on the spot.
The woman he loved, the woman he had chased for so long, had just had another man smash face first into her chest. Even if that man was only a brat, it was still a man.
That was enough.
He whipped around immediately, strode forward, grabbed Axel by the leg, and yanked him backward.
"You brat, stay away from Momousagi!"
The moment Tokikake pulled, Momousagi let go.
He had put too much force into it and had no chance of stopping in time. He staggered backward and crashed onto the ground. Axel was dragged with him, falling in the same direction, but unlike Tokikake, he reacted instantly. He manipulated the flow of force through his body, steadied himself in mid fall, and landed smoothly.
Then he felt something strange under his feet.
It was not the hard ground.
It was soft.
He instinctively stepped twice more, testing it.
Yes. Definitely soft.
Axel slowly lowered his gaze and caught sight of yellow fabric from the corner of his eye. It was the same color as the clothes Tokikake had been wearing.
So he really had landed on him.
An apology was already forming in his mind when his body suddenly froze. His face went white.
Because he had not just stepped on Tokikake.
He had stepped right between his legs.
Axel jerked his foot back as if he had been struck by lightning and quickly turned around.
Tokikake was foaming at the mouth.
Tears welled up in his eyes. One hand clutched at the ground while the other covered his mouth as he tried to endure the pain.
"I'm sorry. That was an accident," Axel said at once.
He had concentrated force in his legs to stabilize his landing. If that kind of impact hit an ordinary man there, it would probably be enough to ruin him on the spot. Tokikake was an Admiral candidate and far stronger than a normal person, so he should not be crippled, but judging by his current state, that blow was still vicious enough.
"You... you bastard..." Tokikake squeezed out through trembling lips.
If apologies solved everything, what would the Marines need prison cells for?
He would never forgive the brat who had kicked him there.
And if the first step had been accidental, then what about the next two?
If Axel had not landed in the worst possible place, he never would have lost face like this.
Tokikake sucked in a cold breath, straightened up with visible effort, picked up his top hat from the ground, and placed it back on his head. For Momousagi's sake, he forced himself to pretend nothing had happened.
Then he narrowed his eyes at her.
"Momo, what exactly is your relationship with this kid?"
If they were not close, then this brat needed a proper lesson.
If they were close... then fine. He would swallow this humiliation. For the sake of love, a real man had to know when to endure.
"Nothing special," Momousagi replied.
The moment those words left her mouth, Tokikake's fingers cracked one by one. He looked at Axel with an ugly grin.
Then Momousagi added, "But I treat him like a younger brother. So if you want to hit him, you'll have to get past me first."
Her tone was light, but the warning in it was unmistakable.
Tokikake's shoulders slumped on the spot.
So revenge was impossible.
Not only that, but now he probably had to get along with the brat.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket started ringing.
Buru buru buru...
Tokikake pulled it out and answered. The instant the call connected, Sengoku's furious roar exploded from the snail.
"Vice Admiral Tokikake! What do you think Marine Headquarters is? Your personal stage for firing salutes whenever you want?!"
Tokikake immediately looked aggrieved.
"This was my fiftieth confession. Of course it had to be grand. Besides, didn't I report it to Headquarters before firing?"
Sengoku roared even louder, "Reporting it is not the same as getting permission! Who told you that was allowed?!"
He paused, clearly forcing himself to calm down.
Then he continued in a much colder tone, "Put that aside for now. There's a mission. You and Momousagi are to depart immediately. We'll deal with the rest later."
The Den Den Mushi clicked and the call ended before Tokikake could say another word.
He silently put it away, feeling rather depressed.
Being scolded by Sengoku was not a huge deal in itself, but being scolded in front of Momousagi was another matter entirely. He muttered a few curses under his breath, then looked toward her.
Momousagi spoke first.
"What's the mission?"
"It concerns the Vinsmoke family of North Blue."
"Vinsmoke..."
Momousagi's eyes sharpened slightly. Of course she knew that name.
The Vinsmoke family had existed for roughly three hundred years. In the past, they had conquered the entirety of North Blue by force and ruled it with overwhelming military might. They were the legendary Germa 66, the villains of countless stories, and even now, despite having no fixed territory, they still held the right to attend the World Government's summit.
That alone said enough about how much weight they carried.
But Momousagi had promised Tsuru she would look after Axel, and Tsuru had not yet returned. If this mission truly involved the Vinsmokes, taking Axel along could be dangerous.
For the first time, hesitation appeared on her face.
After thinking for a moment, she took out her own Den Den Mushi and walked off to the side.
Axel watched her leave and nearly despaired.
Leaving him alone with Tokikake right now was practically the same as handing him over for revenge.
That was a real problem.
He needed a way out, and quickly.
Momousagi did not go far. Once she was out of earshot, she dialed Tsuru and briefly explained the situation.
"I see..." Tsuru's calm voice came through the Den Den Mushi. Then she let out a faint sigh. "Matters involving Axel are my responsibility. Unfortunately, I'm caught up in some troublesome business and won't be able to return to Headquarters any time soon. Plans truly never move as expected. Take him with you."
"Take him?" Momousagi frowned. "But I'm worried about his safety. We don't know the full details of the mission yet, and if it truly involves the Vinsmokes, I can't guarantee he'll be safe."
Tsuru chuckled softly.
"That brat has a terrible personality, but he's tougher than he looks. You needn't worry too much. Besides, when I took you out for training in the past, did I ever stop to consider whether it was dangerous?"
She paused, then said with gentle certainty, "Flowers raised in a greenhouse are too fragile. Bring him along. I don't believe there will be any major issue."
Momousagi fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood."
With her decision made, she turned and headed back.
What greeted her when she returned was a scene so absurd that even she was momentarily stunned.
Tokikake, who just moments ago had looked ready to kill Axel, was now sitting cross legged in front of him like a student humbly seeking wisdom.
Axel, meanwhile, had one leg folded up and his chin slightly raised, wearing an expression that practically screamed mysterious expert.
"Want to know Momousagi's preferences?"
"Want to know her measurements?"
"Want to know how to win her heart?"
"Then humble yourself and learn from me."
In an astonishingly short amount of time, the master of deception had made his return.
And this time, his victim was Tokikake.
.....
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