The training grounds were already filled with dozens of female cadets waiting in neat formation.
It was hard not to notice that when Gion picked her trainees, she must have factored in appearance as well—because not a single one of them could be called plain-looking.
Even after months of outdoor training, not one of them had tanned; they all stood tall and striking, a scene that was, frankly, pleasing to the eye.
Still, even among all these beautiful women, Conis stood out easily. Her gentle face and the pair of white wings on her back made her impossible to ignore.
Right now, she looked visibly nervous, yet in her eyes flickered a faint trace of anticipation.
After a short wait, Gion arrived—Kaito at her side.
The moment the cadets caught sight of him, they erupted with excitement. After all, most of them had joined the Marines because of Kaito. Seeing him in person? How could they not be thrilled?
"Kaito-sama!"
The chorus was perfectly synchronized. Only Conis hesitated. She whispered softly under her breath,
"Kaito-san…"
Kaito's sensory perception was razor-sharp. The instant those words reached him, he froze briefly—then quickly spotted Conis among the crowd.
Their eyes met. Conis' face brightened with joy, but when her gaze flicked to Gion standing beside him, she quickly looked down, flustered.
That tiny movement didn't escape either of them.
Gion nudged Kaito lightly in the side and whispered,
"Hey… do you know that winged girl over there?"
Kaito didn't bother to hide it. He nodded.
"Yeah. Her name's Conis—she's from Skypiea."
He then briefly explained to Gion what had happened back on Skypiea.
When he finished, Gion gave him a strange look and teased,
"So you really left quite an impression on her, huh? She joined the Marines and came all the way here just for you?"
Kaito chuckled helplessly. It was only then that he remembered—when he'd left, his Deva Path puppet had entered standby mode. To Conis, that must've felt like he'd suddenly vanished.
For her to join the Marines under those circumstances… the meaning behind that was pretty obvious.
"Ah, what a troublesome bit of luck I've got…"
Kaito sighed softly, then—under the curious eyes of everyone present—walked straight toward Conis.
The cadets standing near her instantly began whispering and fidgeting, each secretly hoping that Kaito was heading toward them.
But no—he walked right up to Conis, smiling warmly.
"It's been a long time, Conis."
Conis froze. She hadn't expected Kaito to come straight to her, in front of everyone. Joy and a hint of pent-up emotion welled up inside her, leaving her momentarily speechless.
Kaito waved a hand in front of her eyes and said teasingly,
"What's wrong? Are you mad at me for disappearing for two years?"
"No!"
Conis snapped out of it immediately.
Kaito had defeated Enel and even left a puppet behind to protect Skypiea—that alone was an enormous favor. How could she possibly be angry over something so trivial?
She quickly explained, flustered,
"Kaito-san, I'm just… really happy to see you again, I…"
She paused for a heartbeat, then mustered her courage and blurted out,
"I missed you!"
The surrounding cadets were stunned.
Wait—what?
This quiet Skypiean girl… had that kind of connection with him?
The King himself?!
If she had such powerful backing, why was she even training here like the rest of them? Just dropping his name would've gotten her at least a higher rank!
Gion stepped closer and asked with mild surprise,
"Conis, why didn't you ever mention that you knew the King personally?"
Conis' cheeks turned crimson. She mumbled softly,
"I was afraid no one would believe me… and Kaito-san is already a King. I… didn't feel worthy to bring it up."
Kaito cut her off before she could finish.
"There's no such thing as being unworthy. If you ever want to see me, you can come anytime, you dummy."
That single word—"dummy"—broke through the distance she had felt between them.
Conis finally lifted her gaze, looking straight into Kaito's eyes, her voice soft but full of warmth.
"Thank you."
Kaito smiled, then leaned in close and whispered,
"When this is over, come to my place."
Conis' face flushed even redder, but she nodded quickly, eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.
Of course, Kaito couldn't focus on her the entire time—he was here to address all the cadets, after all.
With a flicker of movement, he appeared on the raised platform at the front and casually pulled out three Devil Fruits.
They were trophies from his campaign—namely, the Stone-Stone Fruit, the Ton-Ton Fruit, and the Art-Art Fruit. None of them were the rarest of their kind, but each was a solid Superhuman-type ability—far from weak.
For most people, even seeing a Devil Fruit once in their lifetime would be a miracle. But to see three at once—especially such powerful ones—was mind-blowing.
The instant Kaito released his grip and let the fruits float before him, the crowd below erupted in shrieks and gasps.
Gion rubbed her temples helplessly. For the first time, she began doubting whether bringing Kaito here had been a good idea. The fangirls' enthusiasm was simply overwhelming—she, the instructor, might as well have been invisible.
Kaito scanned the crowd—his gaze lingering on Conis for just a second longer—then said,
"These Devil Fruits are my gift to you. I'll be entrusting them to your instructor, Gion. She'll decide who earns them based on your performance."
The field immediately exploded in noise again. Three Devil Fruits, just like that? That kind of generosity was beyond anything they'd imagined.
Kaito raised a hand, and in an instant, the entire area fell silent again.
Even Gion couldn't help but be impressed by how easily he commanded the crowd.
He continued,
"Of course, if you don't want a Devil Fruit—or if you already have one—you can make a wish through Gion. As long as it isn't too unreasonable, I'll grant it."
A collective gasp rippled through the cadets.
Everyone knew the King's power was extraordinary—rumors said his abilities could even defy death itself.
They all remembered how Zephyr's family had returned from the dead—and even his own children had publicly declared, 'Kaito is our family's savior!'
It didn't take much imagination to figure out what that meant.
After all, who among them didn't have someone they'd lost?
For many of them, the chance to bring back a loved one was an even greater temptation than a Devil Fruit.
In short, every single reward he offered here was enough to drive anyone mad with desire.
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