Chapter 283: Angst
[February 14th TST/October 7th DBT]
With their recon team returning safely three days prior, the Revolutionary Army sent over the one hundred and nine people they would be sending away for five years. They had originally been allotted one hundred spots, but the inclusion of Dr. Vegapunk and his Satellites brought the number to 107, with the final two positions being filled by Rebecca and the so-called Queen of the Pleasure District—a stunning, blonde-haired beauty named Stussy.
Though initially skeptical, Rebecca was convinced to place her trust in the Dragon's Pavilion after hearing about the plan to liberate her Kingdom and end Doflamingo's tyranny in as little as a week's time. As for Stussy, she was an exceedingly high-ranking member of the World Government's top Intelligence Organization, CP-0, but she had only infiltrated their ranks at Dr. Vegapunk's instruction, making her a double agent. The apple-headed, Einstein-inspired scientist had asked if she could be extracted since there was a high chance she would be exposed following his disappearance, so she would be participating in the training mission to learn Devil Magic and how to install and maintain Waypoints...
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"Alright, be good. And remember, if things become too stressful or you simply get bored, there's no shame in returning early..." expressed Vahn, caressing the heads of Riko and Kunou as they prepared to pass through the large, dragon-embossed doors denoting the entrance to the training room. He still harbored misgivings about permitting Kunou to participate in the training, but since her mother had given her permission and he was letting other children take part, he didn't have a strong argument for why she shouldn't.
"Return early? There's no way~!" exclaimed Riko her green eyes sparking as she balled her tiny hands into fists, asserting, "I'm going to train my butt off so that when it grows back, it will be rounder and fuller than ever! Just you wait...!"
'I would have preferred to wait five or more years real-time...' thought Vahn, exhaling faintly from his nose but smiling as he shifted his gaze to Kunou, her golden eyes fixed on him as she flatly asserted, "I will return and become Chichiue's bride..."
Hearing Kunou's declaration, Millicas, also participating in the five-year training expedition, had his smile cramp. It was no secret that he had a crush on Kunou, who was also a member of his Party, so hearing her say she would become the bride of his de facto stepfather was awkward, to say the least. It didn't help that Killua, whom he had become good friends with, placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
"I'll definitely be here when you return..." affirmed Vahn, choosing not to address Kunou's assertion directly but offering a slight nod before turning his attention to Bonney, eyeing him with crossed arms and a narrow-eyed pout. She had tried convincing him to enter the training room the previous night, but since he was just as eager as his wives to welcome his first nine children into the world, he had turned her down as gently as he could.