"Ha… so the saying is true. Corner a rabbit, and it really will bite."
Malverick wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth where Gion's resistance had caught him.
"You've got a fiery temper," he said with a half-smile. "I respect that."
The night had been full of tension and struggle, and by morning, the two were still in the same room. When Gion opened her eyes, she found herself resting awkwardly against Malverick's chest. Memories of the previous night flashed through her mind — their fight, her desperate attempt to keep things from escalating, and how she had finally bargained her way out of danger.
Looking down at the faint marks left on her skin, she felt a complicated mixture of relief and bitterness. She had avoided the worst outcome, but at a cost.
"…Do you keep your word?" she asked quietly, wiping her eyes but not looking at him.
"Of course," Malverick replied. "You've paid your debt. You're free to go."
He tossed her folded Marine uniform to her. "Here. Your clothes."
Gion took the uniform and retreated to the washroom. When she emerged again, she was dressed, composed, but still carried that guarded look. She turned toward the door.
"Wait."
The sound of Malverick's voice made her tense up instantly.
"What now? Don't tell me you've changed your mind."
Her tone was sharp, defensive.
"Relax," he said with a small chuckle. "You forgot something."
A glint of steel flashed in his hand — her sword, Kinunra, one of the twenty-one Great Grade blades.
Gion stepped forward, took it back, and gave a cold huff.
"Keep your promises, Dark King. Next time we meet, don't expect me to go easy."
"Don't worry," Malverick said lightly. "I'll come find you when the time's right, little rabbit."
With that, Gion left.
Soon after, she was rescued by nearby Marine forces and returned safely to Vice Admiral Tsuru's ship.
When Tsuru saw her, she immediately checked her condition and sighed in relief.
"I'm so sorry, Gion. I should have protected you better."
"It's alright, Tsuru-san," Gion replied softly. "I'm just… tired. Let's head back to headquarters."
From that day on, Gion locked herself in her quarters. Tsuru, worried, quietly kept an eye on her health for weeks — afraid of what might have happened during her capture.
After a month with no troubling signs, Tsuru finally let herself relax.
Fleet Admiral Kong, however, was far less composed. Furious, he ordered a worldwide manhunt for Rayleigh and Malverick, vowing to bring them down for what had happened.
But despite months of searching, neither man's whereabouts could be found.
One Year Later
Noon sunlight shimmered across Germa 66's territorial waters — until suddenly, the skies dimmed, and a wave of power exploded upward like a storm.
The siblings and Alice, watching from the ground, could barely breathe under the crushing pressure. Their eyes widened at the sight of the figure suspended high above.
"Whoa…" someone whispered.
Floating there, Malverick exhaled slowly, stretching his arms as if shaking off invisible chains.
"Finally," he said, and a grin spread across his face. "That feels good."
The surrounding sea roared in response to his unleashed Haki before he finally reined it in. The air lightened again.
[System Notification]
Congratulations to the host — power level advanced to King Rank!
After a full year of relentless training, Malverick had ascended another tier — reaching the highest level of strength known in the world.
He summoned his interface:
Name: Malverick
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Power Level: King Rank
Abilities: Dark-Dark Fruit, Dragon Essence
Equipment: Five-Sight Observer, Water-Dragon Black Marlin,
Thousand-Mile Wings — Mostima,
Lightning Fury — Susanoo,
Hundred-Arm Titan — Xiaobi
Current Quest: None
Satisfied, Malverick descended to the training grounds where his crew had gathered.
"Captain!"
Alice ran forward, throwing her arms around his leg in excitement.
Over the past year, under Reiju's careful guidance, Alice had grown more disciplined and mature — no longer the naive girl who trusted anyone who smiled at her. It was progress worth noting.
"Congratulations, my lord," Reiju said with a bright smile. "You've reached another level."
Their time under Malverick's leadership had not been what she'd feared. Germa 66 hadn't been destroyed or enslaved; if anything, things had become more balanced, even livable.
With Judge locked in his lab most of the time, the oppressive atmosphere had eased, allowing Reiju to finally breathe.
"You've done well too," Malverick replied. "Your progress is impressive."
A quick system scan confirmed it — Reiju had reached Platinum Rank, a level few in the North Blue could match. The bloodline modifications Judge had given his children were indeed remarkable.
"That's all thanks to Lord Susanoo's sparring sessions," Reiju said humbly. "Without his guidance, we wouldn't have improved so quickly."
Since Malverick had been focused on his own cultivation, the training of the Germa soldiers had fallen to Susanoo, whose experience made him an excellent instructor.
Soon Judge and Corazon joined them. Since being brought back, Corazon had become Malverick's trusted aide, standing in for him whenever needed.
During Malverick's year of training, Corazon had kept the organization running smoothly.
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