Chapter 355: 355. Gion Felt Her Skills Could Still Be Improved.
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After hearing Ikki's words, Gion paused for a moment.
Then she quickened her pace. She clearly had no intention of stopping halfway.
Seeing how hard she was working, Ikki didn't have the heart to let her efforts go to waste. He relaxed his physical restrictions and matched her rhythm.
Soon enough, Gion got what she wanted.
"Phew. As expected, the time was too short. It will be difficult to gain the upper hand against you, Ikki."
"Nothing we can do about that. We're both very strong."
Ikki stood up. Gion quickly tidied things up and helped him change his clothes.
"Thank you, Gion. We're almost at Marine Headquarters. I still need to get back to my ship and deal with a few things. I'll head off now."
He left her room under her gaze.
Moria had been among those gathered to receive them. That meant Ikki had to get back and deal with the matter of Perona. He knew how deep the bond between Moria and Perona ran.
If the two of them came face to face, there was every chance Perona would end up leaving with him. To prevent that, Ikki felt it was necessary to keep their chances of meeting as low as possible.
There was also another reason. Kalifa had killed Absalom, one of Moria's subordinates who had eaten the Clear-Clear Fruit. Absalom's death had been entirely his own doing, but Ikki didn't expect Moria to see it that way. If Moria found out, he would almost certainly try to drag Perona away with him and swear to fight Ikki to the death.
Out of respect for Perona, Ikki had no real intention of moving against Moria. And if Moria didn't yet know that Absalom's death was connected to them, it was better to leave things that way and say nothing. Keeping that secret was the cleaner option. Either way, he needed to get back and warn his crew before they docked.
"What a lively man."
Gion watched his retreating figure, a faint smile on her lips.
"Though I suppose I should wash up first. And as for technique, I still have room to improve."
She glanced at the state of the room and murmured to herself.
On the other side, aboard Ikki's ship.
"Captain Ikki, you're finally back from the Marines. So, did you get what you wanted?" Nojiko smiled at him from inside the gym. She leaned in close and sniffed, then gave him an extremely knowing smile.
"Hehe. You could say I got what I was after."
Ikki rubbed the tip of his nose.
He hadn't actually gotten his hands on the Devil Fruit yet. But based on his arrangement with Gion, he had already given her what she wanted. Once they reached Marine Headquarters, the fruit would follow. And when it did, Astolfo could finally be summoned into this world.
Inside the gym.
"Let's get to business. As you all know, we're about to arrive at Marine Headquarters. When we do, many Marine eyes will be on us. And among our number, there are those who cannot afford to be seen."
"Even if Aokiji, Tsuru, and Gion don't mind our presence, right now Marine Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates are on the verge of war. To avoid any accidents, I need some of you to stay out of sight for the time being."
"Our strength has grown considerably. Nami, you were the first to follow me, and among my crew your strength stands at the top. Your swordsmanship and your command of your Zanpakuto are both excellent. Nojiko and Robin, you two are no different."
"That said, Marine Headquarters is still the Marines' main base. There are powerful figures here. The three Admirals, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero of the Marines Garp, and others of that tier are among the strongest in the world. On top of that, the World Government may have sent additional top-level personnel for the war. To avoid any trouble, those of you with sensitive identities should stay hidden for now."
Ikki's expression was serious as he said it.
The room went quiet. Everyone's face shifted to match his tone.
Among all of them, Nami was the strongest aside from Ikki himself. But it was Robin, Kalifa, Ginrummy, and the others with complicated histories whose expressions turned the most grave.
Unlike Nami, Nojiko, Vivi, and Viola, their pasts and circumstances made appearing publicly at Marine Headquarters genuinely dangerous. Even behind masks, a crowded and chaotic environment with this many sharp eyes could still expose them.
At Marine Headquarters, there would be no shortage of people looking for reasons to make trouble for Ikki. If things escalated, he might not have enough attention left to shield all of their identities at the same time.
He had also made enemies within the Marines before. Most recently, during the voyage to Fishman Island, his group had run into Vergo and Vice Admiral Onigumo, and a clash had broken out between them. Neither Robin nor Nami was naive enough to think those two would simply let it go.
Ikki knew it too. He understood from the original story how hot-headed Onigumo was, and how rigidly he clung to Absolute Justice. In Onigumo's view, Ikki likely occupied an uncomfortable space, someone who straddled the line between righteous and criminal. That was precisely the kind of person Onigumo couldn't stand.
Whether he would come looking for trouble once Ikki's group arrived was an open question.
As for Vergo, the Donquixote Family was finished and Doflamingo was captured. Ikki had little doubt that Vergo now wanted him dead. If he had to name the one person at Marine Headquarters most likely to try to kill him on sight, it was Vergo without question.