Master...
Hearing this shameful title, Stussy's heart skipped a beat. Her long legs subconsciously closed together, and she clenched her teeth tightly.
What the hell was going on in this bastard's head!
Why did he, a Marine, know so much about these things of the Pleasure District!
Who was the real master of the Pleasure District!
She gritted her teeth in indignation and said,
"We'll see about that!"
"But before that, don't you dare touch me again!"
She secretly resolved in her heart that she would not let that arrogant bastard Daren get his way, otherwise she would never be able to hold her head up in front of him again.
"Fine."
Daren smiled indifferently.
With his current power and fighting ability, there might be things he couldn't do on this vast sea, but interfering with the Shichibukai was not one of them.
As for this so-called bet, aside from a momentary whim, Daren had other ideas in mind.
He wanted to completely control, no, conquer the Queen of the Pleasure District standing before him!
Although he now held Stussy's secret as a "double agent" and could force her to obey his orders, using threats to make others do things for him was not Daren's style, nor was it a safe method.
Only through strong declarations and facts could he prove his unparalleled power and make a woman like Stussy completely submit.
Interfering in the selection of the Shichibukai was a good opportunity.
Through this incident, he would completely bind Stussy to his chariot!
As for the specific plan... he already had a rough idea in mind.
Thinking of this, Daren's mouth curved into a slight smile. He stubbed out the cigar in his hand and looked at Stussy again:
"Now that we've finished with the small talk, let's get down to business."
"Business? What business?"
Stussy was taken aback.
But she quickly saw the malicious look in Daren's eyes.
"What are you trying to do?"
Daren smiled and wrapped his arms around Stussy's slender waist.
"What do you think?"
Wasn't that enough?
Stussy widened her beautiful eyes. This guy's physique was too terrifying!
However, as Daren's rough and powerful hands gently slid down her back, her body trembled and her fair skin broke out in goose bumps.
"Didn't you say that you wouldn't touch me until the bet was over?"
Anger and shame flashed in Stussy's eyes as she glared at Daren.
But she didn't move away.
It was as if she was expecting something.
"The bet can start later," Daren smiled.
...
An hour later.
Daren put on his military uniform with a refreshed look on his face, jumped out of the window, and quickly disappeared in the distance.
Another fifteen minutes passed.
Stussy, who was still weak, regained some strength, and her slightly scattered pupils became clear.
"Damn bastard, what kind of sick sense of humor is that, tearing my clothes to shreds..."
She looked at the silk nightgown torn to pieces by the bedside and clenched her fists in anger.
...
Half a month passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was already 1495 in the Sea Circle Calendar.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters, Military Hospital.
"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Daren and Tok-sani. Judging from the current situation, the fetus is very healthy. No, it can even be described as unusually strong."
The female doctor looked at the examination report in her hand and smiled at Daren and Amatsuki Toki.
"It's no wonder he's Vice Admiral Daren's son. Just the strength of this baby's heartbeat is at least twice that of other babies of the same age."
Hearing this, Daren and Toki both breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces.
Even though Daren had experienced countless storms and life-and-death situations, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous at this moment.
This was his first child across two lifetimes, and with no experience, he naturally felt a bit uneasy.
"However, one thing to note is that because the fetus is developing very well,Toki-san needs to pay a little more attention to getting enough nutrition, not overworking herself, and taking care of her body."
The female doctor added.
"Thank you, doctor. We will keep that in mind."
Toki gently stroked her slightly rounded belly and smiled peacefully.
Perhaps because of the pregnancy hormones, her already stunning face glowed with a faint maternal radiance, making her even more beautiful.
"Thank you, doctor."
Daren also said sincerely, then took Toki back to their residence.
After communicating with Sengoku last time, Daren's residence had been granted the highest level of security, with experienced family doctors and nurses stationed in the annex to help care for Toki daily.
Even without using his Observation Haki, Daren could faintly sense the presence of numerous elite units stationed around the mansion, their defense airtight.
"Come, Toki, get some rest. I'll have the kitchen prepare lunch for you."
Daren carefully helped Toki sit comfortably on the sofa.
After settling Toki down, he turned and walked out into the mansion's courtyard, lit a cigar, and exhaled a long breath of smoke.
Toki's pregnancy was taking far more time and effort than he had imagined.
But whenever he thought of her radiant, happy smile, Daren felt that everything was worth it.
"Already starting to worry? There'll be plenty more to worry about in the future..."
A deep voice carrying a teasing tone suddenly rang out from outside the door.
Daren looked up and saw Zephyr striding in proudly, carrying a beautifully wrapped fruit basket.
"Zephyr-sensei? Why are you here?"
He asked in surprise.
Zephyr smiled, tossed the fruit basket into Daren's arms, and laughed heartily,
"You haven't come back to the training camp to visit me since you graduated. I had no choice but to come and visit you myself."
"But thinking about it, I can understand. As your teacher, I really couldn't help you much. I only ended up misleading you."
He sighed helplessly.
Daren: ...
That knot in his heart still hadn't been untied...
Daren gave an awkward smile. He hadn't been very proper about it, after all.
Since graduating, he hadn't once returned to the training camp. Zephyr's grumbling was understandable.
"I'm sorry, Zephyr-sensei... you know..."
Zephyr waved his hand, interrupting him with a laugh,
"I know you're busy. I understand."
"Since graduation, you haven't stopped for a moment. From Totto Land to Wano Country, from Kaidou to Shiki, and not long ago, you even launched a Buster Call to capture that Demon Heir..."
He took off his sunglasses and looked at Daren with burning eyes.
"It's my good fortune to have such an outstanding student."
He glanced toward the house and asked with concern,
"How's Toki's health?"
It was no secret that Amatsuki Toki lived in Marineford as Daren's partner.
In fact, Zephyr, Sengoku, and Tsuru often sent various nutritional supplements and greetings.
Toki's personality was excellent—generous and graceful—earning the affection of these old veterans.
Zephyr, now semi-retired and a pillar of the Marines, was particularly fond of her, treating her like his own daughter.
"Everything's fine. Toki and the baby are both healthy."
Zephyr nodded, patted Daren on the shoulder, and said,
"I know you're the restless type, always running around. When you're not here, I'll help take care of things. Don't worry."
"But actually, besides visiting you and Toki, I came for another reason."
Daren said seriously,
"Zephyr-sensei, please speak."
Facing Zephyr, a stubborn but respectable old man, he couldn't bring himself to act like a scoundrel and became unusually serious.
Zephyr smiled,
"No need to be so serious. It's not a big deal."
"You should know—the Officer Training Camp has been expanding. More and more young talents want to train at Headquarters, but I have limited energy and can't manage them all."
"Besides, your situation gave me some inspiration..."
As if remembering Daren's particularly special "training experience," Zephyr's mouth twitched, and he shook his head with a sigh before continuing,
"I've decided to try introducing new teaching methods in the next session of the training camp."
He paused for a moment and stared expectantly at Daren,
"Daren, I hope you'll serve as a Specially Appointed Instructor for the Officer Training Camp!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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