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A Day Before Freedom...
The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting golden rays over the Marine compound where Luffy and Kuina had been confined.
Tomorrow, their punishment would be over.
They were planning one last day of intense training, eager to push themselves further.
But today, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Yo! Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
A sultry, confident voice broke the peaceful air.
Both Luffy and Kuina turned their heads toward the entrance, only to find a tall, elegant woman with long curly black hair, her Vice Admiral coat draped over her shoulders, exuding both authority and allure.
It was Gion who was also famous with her alias Momousagi.
She had just returned from a mission and, rather than resting, had decided to check up on the two troublemakers.
Kuina's face lit up in excitement. "Gion! It's been so long!"
She ran over, hugging the older woman like a younger sister greeting her long-lost elder sibling.
Gion chuckled, returning the embrace warmly. "You've been behaving, I hope?"
Luffy, on the other hand, simply yawned, leaning back against the training post, his arms lazily behind his head. "Tchā¦ It's been boring as hell."
Kuina threw him a glare. "Luffy, don't be rude!"
Gion, however, merely smiled, her gaze briefly lingering on Luffy. Unconsciously, she swallowed, her heartbeat slightly irregular.
It was subtle, but every time she looked at him, she felt somethingā¦ off.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
Thump!
There it was again.
That irritating, heart-skipping sensation.
She had no idea why she felt like this around him.
Was it his confidence? His charm? The way he carried himself with an aura of pure dominance?
Gion wasn't the type to fall for just anyone. She was a Vice Admiral, a hardened warrior. Butā¦ every time she was near him, she felt like a young girl in love.
'What's wrong with me?' She wondered, shaking her head.
Gion stole another glance at Luffy, but before she could recover, Kuina's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"You're staring, Gion."
Gion froze, her entire body stiffening as if she had been caught committing a crime.
"IāI was not!" She blurted out, waving her hands far too frantically for her denial to be believable.
Kuina smirked, her sharp blue eyes glinting with pure mischief. "Oh? So you're just checking him out for fun, then?"
"Pftttā!!"
Gion choked on her own breath, coughing violently as her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
"W-What nonsense are you spouting, girl!?" She snapped, trying to sound authoritative, but her trembling voice betrayed her.
Luffy, who had been casually watching the entire exchange with growing amusement, suddenly grinned.
Now this was interesting.
His eyes gleamed mischievously as he finally stretched, cracking his knuckles before standing up.
"Well, wellā¦ looks like I caught the attention of a certain Vice Admiral."
Gion snapped her head toward him so fast it was a miracle she didn't get whiplash.
"D-Don't flatter yourself, brat!" She barked, trying to put on a stern front.
But the deep flush on her cheeks? The way her eyes flickered with uncertainty?
Oh, she was trapped.
Luffy's grin widened. "Oh? Brat, am I?"
He took a step forward.
Gion instinctively took a step back.
Another step from Luffy. Another retreat from Gion.
His presence was overwhelming, a dominant force that made her pulse quicken against her will.
"You sure don't look at me like I'm a brat, Gion."
Her breath hitched.
That deep, knowing toneālike he had already figured her out.
"I-I'm not looking at you in any way, you arrogant littleā!"
She tried to step back again... Only to realize she was trapped against the wall.
Her violet eyes widened slightly as the realization set in.
No escape.
Luffy tilted his head, his grin now filled with something far more dangerous.
"Oh?"
He leaned in just slightly, his eyes peering straight into hers. "Then why are you running, Vice Admiral?"
Gion's heart slammed against her ribs.
"IāI am not running!" She argued, but even to her own ears, the words sounded weak.
Kuina, watching from the side, was loving every second of this.
She folded her arms, a smug grin plastered on her face as she barely contained her laughter.
"She's cornered," She muttered to herself. "Oh, this is gold."
Gion, desperately trying to regain control of the situation, turned her face away from Luffy, as if not looking at him would make the heat in her body disappear.
"Youā¦ You're just imagining things!" She said hastily.
Luffy chuckled, his voice dropping into a low, teasing octave that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
"Am I?"
Gion clenched her fists, willing her legs to stop trembling.
"Y-Youā¦!"
Her mind was scrambling for a way outāsome way to turn the tables. But Luffy was relentless.
"Your face is red, Vice Admiral," He murmured, his voice dangerously smooth.
Gion whipped her head to the side, scowling as she refused to meet his eyes.
"It's hot today!" She snapped.
Kuina immediately snorted. "Gion, it's winter."
"....."
Gion wanted to die.
Luffy burst out laughing, the rich sound echoing through the air. "Oh, Gion, you're too fun to tease."
"Hmph!" Gion crossed her arms, pouting like a stubborn child. "Don't get ahead of yourself, brat!"
But her voice lacked conviction.
Her heart was still racing, her body still tingling from the sheer pressure of his presence.
Luffy smirked, stepping back slightly. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasingā¦ for now."
He turned to Kuina, who was giggling shamelessly.
"I like her, Captain," Kuina said with a smirk. "She's fun."
Luffy chuckled. "Oh, I know."
Gion huffed, trying to regain her dignity.
"Tch. I only came here to check on you two, not to be harassed."
Luffy tilted his head, his grin never fading. "Oh? If this is harassment, then what would you call it if I actually tried?"
Gion sputtered.
"Y-Youā!"
Kuina snickered. "Oh, I would love to see that."
Luffy stretched lazily, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"Well then, since you're here, Gionā¦ why don't we have a little spar? Or are you too flustered to fight?"
Gion immediately snapped out of her daze, her pride flaring.
"Who's flustered!? Fine! I'll spar with you, bratājust so I can wipe that smug look off your face!"
Luffy grinned.
"Looking forward to it, Vice Admiral."
Gion's lips curled into a smirk. "Fine. But don't cry when I kick your ass."
Kuina giggled, eyes flickering with amusement. 'Oh, Gionā¦ you have no idea what you just walked into.'
The game had begun...
They walked out to the backyard.
Gion unsheathed Konpira, her elegant Meito-grade blade, and took her stance.
Luffy remained standing casually, hands in his pockets, exuding absolute confidence.
A gust of wind swept between them.
And the next moment.
BOOM!
Gion vanished.
Her sword slashed through the air, aiming straight for Luffy's throat.
Clang-!
Luffy blocked it with a single finger, his golden eyes gleaming.
"That all?" He teased.
Gion gritted her teeth. "Cocky littleā!"
She twisted her wrist, unleashing a rapid barrage of slashes, each one infused with Haki, aiming to overwhelm him.
Luffy dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid, almost lazy.
To anyone watching, it looked like he wasn't even trying.
"Not bad, Gion," Luffy said, grinning. "But you'll have to do better."
"Tchā!"
She disappeared again, reappearing behind him with an upward slash.
Luffy tilted his head, dodging by mere inches.
But the moment she landed, his foot shot forwardā
"?!ā"
A perfectly aimed kick grazed past her waist, knocking the wind out of her.
Gion stumbled back, panting.
Luffy wasn't even using his full strength.
And that realization made her stomach flip.
'He'sā¦ stronger than I thought.'
Kuina, watching from the sidelines, smirked. "Having fun, Gion?"
The Vice Admiral scowled, but she couldn't deny the exhilaration coursing through her veins.
Her heart pounded for two reasons...
One, because of the fight.
Two, because of Luffy.
'Damn itā¦ why does he have to be so damn attractive!?'
Luffy, reading her like an open book, smirked.
"Still think I'm just a brat, Gion?"
Gion's grip on her sword tightened, her heart throbbing wildly into her chest.
Ā¶Ā¶Ā¶
The titles of the next three chapters! (š„Spoilerš„)
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Chapter 95: A Delicious Bet
Chapter 96: Liberation at Sabaody
Chapter 97: Marineford in Chaos
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