[Photo: The Strange Hina!]
[This woman actually planned to just grab it… and even use her mouth?]
[Was she trying to bite my dick off?]
[This is so bizarre. Is she really so crazy about me that she wants to be my meat toil— or whatever that is… and came here just for that?]
[It sounds way too far-fetched.]
[But it seems the Order curse did work…]
[Then, is Hina actually being serious here?]
Smoothie: "Hahaha, this is very entertaining. I can't believe we get to watch something like this."
Belo Betty: "Hina is pretty lucky, I'd say. Embarrassing as it is, at least she kept her life."
Sadi: "The way she reached out to grab his— and even opened her mouth to bite… the Diary Copy can force Hina to go that far?"
Gion: "Either way, things turned out okay. It looks like Hina and Tashigi will be safe, for now."
…
Hina trembled as she stared at the photo Arton had taken and at the passages he'd written about her. For once, she wasn't the least bit happy about the extra points that came with having her photo and name recorded. Instead, all she felt was endless shame.
Imagining how that photo had been posted through Arton's diary system, appearing before all the Diary Copy holders, Hina was filled with regret. She wished she'd never come looking for Arton in the first place.
"Ahem… Tashigi," Arton said, clearing his throat. "You didn't come here because you like me, right? Hoping to become my meat toilet or something like that, together with Hina? I order you: answer me."
Under the Order curse, Tashigi immediately answered.
"No!"
"Then how did you know where to find me?" Arton pressed on.
The moment the question was asked, the female Marines, who had just begun to relax, tensed again. Tashigi had already said it wasn't because she had feelings for Arton, so she couldn't use Hina's excuse.
In a spot Arton couldn't see, Tashigi's Diary Copy flared with light, swiftly enveloping her. A heartbeat later, Tashigi responded quite naturally.
"I came with Captain Hina."
Hearing that and seeing the glow on Tashigi's Diary Copy, the gathered Marines breathed a sigh of relief.
"I see—it's still Hina, then," Arton muttered. "So, you came here because you like me and set out to find me. Don't tell me you conveniently just stumbled upon me on that island, Hina?"
"I order you to answer!"
"Yes!" Hina declared. "Hina went to sea to look for you because Hina likes you and want to be your bitch. Hina picked some random route, and fate guided me to that island where Hina found you. So please, grant Hina's wish, Arton!"
Though Hina blushed bright red, her entire body trembling, she spoke without hesitation. The resolute way she declared it made Arton think that if he lifted the order curse, she would literally jump on him.
Staring at this version of Hina, Arton was taken aback, mouth agape. Nami, Carina, and the others, who understood the real reason, couldn't help laughing. Hina's embarrassment only grew as she heard their laughter.
Monet: "It looks like the Diary Copy will do anything to conceal its existence from Arton. In that case, I guess I don't have to worry about him finding out through me."
Viola: "That poor Marine woman looks like she's on the verge of crying."
Domino: "If I were forced to say and do all that, I'd probably cry too."
Gion: "If Arton kept pressing and didn't stop Hina's movements, would the Diary Copy really make her go all the way with him?"
All of a sudden, bright light burst from Arton's body, engulfing him. It gradually split into two distinct shapes. When it faded, Arton and Nojiko each reappeared.
Nojiko's knees gave out the instant she materialized, and she slumped backward against Arton. Quickly, he reached out to steady her.
"You okay, Nojiko?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Sorry, Captain. It looks like my stamina wasn't enough to sustain the fusion any longer."
"It's alright. That form we used was one of the ace powers of the Mirajane template. It's bound to eat up a lot of energy."
"Arton, I promise I'll train harder. Next time, you'll be able to unleash an even stronger mode when you merge with my body."
"Mm. I look forward to seeing you grow," Arton said, nodding. "With that power as a seed, I'm sure you'll make quick progress."
Doll: "So that's it. They separated because Nojiko's stamina ran out."
Kujaku: "At least for now, Arton can't use Mirajane Seilah's powers to force any more answers out of Tashigi and Hina."
Gion: "And from what Nojiko just said, it sounds like the Mirajane template has even stronger modes… That's troubling."
Seeing that Arton and Nojiko had separated, both Hina and Tashigi let out a breath of relief.
Arton passed Nojiko over to Nami, then solemnly lifted Hina off the ground. Dusting off her shoulders, he spoke with a serious tone.
"Hina… you really surprised me. I never imagined you'd be so crazy about me after only meeting me twice."
"Honestly, I'm a bit flattered—but I'm afraid there's a problem."
"I'm a pirate, and you're a Marine. I don't want any part in… fraternizing with Marines."
"Unless you're willing to quit the Navy, I'm not going to spend a night with you."
"So, are you willing to quit?"
Blushing, Hina clamped her lips shut and shook her head emphatically.
"Exactly. So I'll have to turn down your wish to be my bitch or whatever."
Arton gave Hina a couple of pats on the shoulder.
"Hi… Hina has been rejected?" she said in a daze. "After everything Hina said, he just brushed Hina off?"
Her eyes fixed on Arton's face as an indescribable sense of humiliation washed over her. That vacant, mortified look was promptly seen by everyone watching the Diary feed.
Yamato: "Hahaha! Hina's expression is priceless!"
Stussy: "Oh dear… after making such a confession only to be rejected—no doubt that's a huge blow, even if the words weren't really her own."
Black Maria: "Looks like Hina's about to cry~."
Smoothie: "But at least one thing's clear: even if you're a heroine in Arton's works, if you're on the opposing side, he won't necessarily take you in."
Gion: "This is a headache… maybe we should use force—get a Navy woman pregnant with Arton's child first."
"This is your second time aboard the Sylvan, right?" Arton asked, folding his arms. "What do you think I should do with you now?"
Tashigi and Hina remained silent. It was the second time Arton had captured them, and also the second time, in a way, that he'd saved them. Neither could quite bring themselves to ask him to let them go.
"You know," Arton went on, "meeting again in these vast seas must be fate, don't you think?"
"How about it? Why not quit the Navy right here and join my crew as pirates?"
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in while Tashigi, Hina, and the other female Marines stared wide-eyed.
"You've witnessed what Nezumi did, and the actions of the World Nobles your Navy serves," he said. "Hardly what I'd call justice, right?"
"Besides that, I know plenty more about the darkness behind the Navy and the World Government. I bet you joined the Marines in pursuit of justice, didn't you?"
"But now you've seen the Navy's and the World Government's corruption for yourself, so why stay in that filthy black water?"
"Sure, I'm a pirate. But at least I'm no hypocrite, unlike the Navy or the Government. I wouldn't stoop to bullying the weak like Nezumi."
"So, why not give my side a try? Maybe you'll discover a different kind of justice."
Of course, Arton was aware he wasn't exactly a paragon of justice—he was at best straddling the line between right and wrong. But in the context of the One Piece world, pitting himself against the World Nobles and the World Government pretty much made him justice in his own way.
Hina frowned and shook her head decisively.
"Even if part of the Navy is tainted, Hina believes most of it is still good. Hina has no intention of leaving."
Arton shrugged, clearly unconcerned. He hadn't really expected Hina to join anyway. But at that very moment, an unexpected voice piped up.
"Arton… would you let me join you?"
Arton raised an eyebrow and turned to see the speaker: Tashigi.
"Tashigi—are you saying you'll quit the Navy to become a pirate?" he asked, intrigued.
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm thinking."
Tashigi nodded firmly.
...
Guys, you asked for a bigger harem and faster heat—here my new book: Awesome! Kill the Pervert, Steal the Dragon, Claim the Girls! New girls every arc, real chemistry, and steady growth across new worlds.Expect more frequent R-18 chapters and cliffhangers that hit hard.