Arima carried Tsunade back to their bedroom and spent the entire day by her side as she rested.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room, spilling across Tsunade's delicate skin, the fine down on her face glimmering in the light.
Watching his wife's peaceful sleeping face, Arima couldn't help but lean down and kiss her.
Just then, the Den Den Mushi began to ring with an untimely "purururu", breaking the beautiful moment.
Tsunade stirred slightly, turned over, and hugged Arima around the waist, refusing to let him get up.
Seeing her childish behavior, Arima couldn't help but chuckle.
He doted on his wife far too much to pull away by force. Opening his Tenseigan, he simply drew the Den Den Mushi from the table to his hand with a soft pull of chakra.
Tsunade adjusted her position, buried her face against his chest, and smiled smugly, clearly pleased with herself.
Arima answered softly, "Hello, this is Arima."
"Hey, Arima! Good morning!"
The rough, booming voice of Garp came from the other end.
"Vice Admiral Garp, you're calling so early, did something happen?"
"I just wanted to ask you, have you thought about taking over the seas around Totto Land?" Garp got straight to the point without any preamble.
"I haven't considered it. Why?"
"Well, the old man's been thinking, if you were stationed there to keep those lawless monsters in check, we might be able to avoid a massive war at sea."
"I see. And what exactly would I need to do?"
"You're agreeing to it?" Garp sounded surprised; he hadn't expected Arima to accept so readily.
"Mm. I don't want to see innocent lives caught in the crossfire either."
"Hahaha! I knew you were a good one, Arima! All right, we'll spread the word. When the time comes, just plant your flag over Totto Land and call it yours!"
"That simple?"
"Hahaha! That's simple! You think this old man would lie to you?"
"Then I'll trouble you for that, Vice Admiral Garp."
"Trouble me? I should be the one thanking you! I've had enough of that fat old hag, if not for those damn Gorosei…"
Before Garp could finish, Sengoku snatched the Den Den Mushi from his hand and hung up.
"Garp, honestly! You're fearless to a fault. The Gorosei already have plenty of complaints about you, you're making my job harder!" Sengoku muttered, exasperated.
"Hahaha! That's what friends are for, right? … These donuts are damn good today!" Garp leaned back on the sofa, munching happily.
"You idiot," Sengoku said with a helpless grin, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite himself.
Back in the bedroom, Tsunade was now wide awake thanks to the noisy call.
She sat up behind Arima, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her chest against his back as she asked curiously, "Arima, are you really going to take Totto Land?"
Arima shook his head.
"It's just a temporary move. I'm not about to let everyone scatter across the seas.
If the World Government takes advantage of that gap, we'd be in trouble. If any of you got hurt because of it, I'd never forgive myself."
"But don't you have the Six Tomoe Rinnegan? Even if someone gets seriously injured, you could just reverse time and heal them, right?" Tsunade said casually.
Arima turned to glance at her from the corner of his eye, then flicked her forehead.
"You really think I'm a god? What if there's nothing left to revive?
Once I see the moment of death, that's it. If I ever wanted to bring someone back, I'd have to go to the Pure Land myself. Though, who knows if this pirate world even has one?"
Tsunade rubbed her forehead and pouted. "Arima! You used Armament Haki on me!"
"You didn't complain about pain when you were training your Haki," Arima said with a shrug.
"Heehee, I don't care! … Ninja Art: Tsunade's Embrace of Death!"
She slid around in front of him, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and holding his head captive against her chest.
Feeling that dangerously soft warmth, Arima panicked.
"Ah, not this again! Okay, okay, I give up! Tsunade, I'm sorry! Come on, we've got to get up, everyone's heading out soon, and they'll tease you again if we're late!"
Satisfied by his surrender, Tsunade planted a kiss on his cheek, then got out of bed.
"Arima, what are you really planning to do about Totto Land?" she asked as she dressed, her graceful body glowing in the morning light.
"Ahem… well, I'll handle it properly," Arima replied, momentarily distracted.
"Heehee, I knew you'd react like that!" Tsunade finished dressing, gave a proud little laugh, and left the room in high spirits.
"You childish woman," Arima muttered with an amused smile.
He already had a plan in mind. He'd simply send wood clones to Totto Land from time to time to maintain pressure.
He'd recently obtained partial intel about someone from CP0, information that, in fact, had revealed his own position as well.
"Sooner or later, we'll meet face to face."
The news that Yonko Arima would take responsibility for Totto Land spread quickly through the Navy's channels.
Not long after, every major pirate crew in the New World heard the news. Many who had been eager to claim that territory suddenly lost their nerve, including the Donquixote Pirates.
"Hey, Doffy, are we really backing off?" Trebol asked, clearly reluctant.
"Yeah, Young Master, this is the perfect time to expand our turf!" Diamante added.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… Let's go. That man isn't someone we can afford to provoke. We tried to play him once already, no telling when he'll decide to return the favor."
Doflamingo glanced at the newspaper with calm indifference, not the least bit disappointed.
"So what now, Doffy?"
"Nothing. We stay put. I can't defeat him, but he won't get anything from me either. If he really sets foot in Dressrosa… fufufufu…the Gorosei will take care of him for me."
A low, menacing laugh slipped from Doflamingo's lips, his entire body radiating a sinister aura.
Meanwhile, aboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates had also received the Navy's special announcement.
"Pops, Arima's really something, he wiped out the entire Big Mom Pirates single-handedly!"
Marco's expression was grave; worry flickered in his eyes.
"Gurararara! Silly son, you're fearing him too much!" Whitebeard said, clapping Marco hard on the shoulder.
"Pops, they say he used black mist to swallow all of Whole Cake Island. Do you know what kind of Devil Fruit that could be?"
"Hmm… I'd guess it's that forbidden fruit."
"You mean the Yami Yami no Mi? But he never showed that power before! That would make him even stronger!"
Marco's tension grew with every word. The first time he'd heard Arima's name, he'd thought the man was just another rookie making noise.
In the blink of an eye, Arima had left him far, far behind.
"Gurararara! So what? I've met plenty of monsters in my lifetime, and I still don't know what fear feels like!"
Conqueror's Haki surged from Whitebeard's body, dark clouds instantly gathering over the ship.
Then he asked, "By the way, what's going on with Teach? Why did he suddenly quit the Fourth Division?"
"Not sure. He's been distracted since yesterday, and no one knows when he slipped off the ship."
Marco shrugged, clearly out of the loop.
"Did Thatch go after him?"
"Yeah. Ace set out after that too. He said his brother's planning to set sail soon, heading back to the East Blue for a while."
"Is that so? Gurararara… that's good. You're all fine men of the sea!"