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Long Ring Long Island, Coast
A ship with the word "Tsuru" written on its sail quickly docked at the coast.
On the deck of the Explorer, Ikki and his crew stood together, clearly separated from Marine Admiral Aokiji, who remained in a corner of the deck.
"Here they come," Aokiji said with a serious expression, his face slightly complicated as he glanced at Ikki.
Noticing Aokiji's gaze, Nico Robin approached Ikki and whispered in his ear:
"Do you think Admiral Aokiji and Vice Admiral Tsuru will really keep their end of the bargain? What happens if you cure Gion, and then they go back on their word and reveal my identity?"
Ikki smirked and patted Robin on the shoulder.
"Even if they regret it later, they'll still owe me a favor," he assured her. "Besides, with Aokiji's character, he'll probably stick to our agreement. After all, he's hidden your information from the Marines for a long time too, hasn't he? And Gion's a pretty good person. I can't just let her suffer."
After saying this, Ikki smiled and stepped toward Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was jumping onto the Explorer's deck from the Marine warship with Gion in her arms.
Behind Tsuru, several female Marines who cared about Gion also boarded the Explorer.
"Ikki, you can help her, right?" Tsuru asked, almost running up to him with eyes full of hope.
"Let me take a look," Ikki replied with a frown. Even after hearing about Gion's situation from Aokiji, seeing it with his own eyes was still shocking.
"The Demon Slayer Mark is indeed activated, and her life force is severely weakened," he observed, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Gion's now-white hair and once-delicate face now marked with visible lines. He couldn't help but sigh.
Ikki placed his hand on the Demon Slayer Mark on Gion's face, wanting to see if his touch could create a reaction.
"Mmm!" With a soft groan, Gion, who had been in a comatose state, seemed to respond to his touch. Her face, previously contorted with pain, became slightly more relaxed.
"Gion!" Tsuru's eyes widened with excitement at this development.
But her Observation Haki soon detected that Gion's life force was still draining away at a concerning rate. Ikki's touch had only slightly eased the symptoms.
"Ikki, that must mean there's a solution," Tsuru said hopefully. Regardless of its effectiveness, Ikki had managed to slow the loss of Gion's life force, which gave Tsuru hope.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Tsuru. I like Gion, so I'll find a way," Ikki nodded reassuringly.
He activated his own Demon Slayer Mark, wanting to see if they could influence Gion's condition. Flaming marks spread from Ikki's forehead. To Tsuru's surprise, once the Demon Slayer Mark appeared on Ikki's face, the drain on Gion's life force actually stopped.
"Is it working?" Aokiji, who had been standing at a distance, approached them. Though he kept his distance, his Observation Haki had never left Gion.
When Nami and Nojiko saw Aokiji coming closer, they moved to shield Nico Robin behind them.
Tsuru glanced curiously at Aokiji, Nami, and the others, but her main concern was Gion, so she didn't ask any questions.
"This is only temporary. I can't maintain this state indefinitely," Ikki explained, glancing at Aokiji with mild annoyance. "Even though my Demon Slayer Mark is innate, my body can't handle keeping them activated all the time."
He wasn't joking—if he could constantly wear his Demon Slayer Mark, Ikki would have done so already. That way, even crew members like Vivi and Nico Robin, whose life force hadn't yet reached S level, could soon activate their own Demon Marks.
"Can't you... keep them activated?" Aokiji asked, scratching his hair. "Why not try keeping them on while you sleep, or eat to replenish your energy?"
"I've considered that," Ikki began, shaking his head. But before he could continue, he noticed Gion's eyebrows moving. Looking closer, he saw her slowly opening her eyes.
"Morning... no, I should say good afternoon, Gion. We meet again," Ikki said with a smile, his hand still on her forehead.
"Gion, you're awake?!" Tsuru exclaimed in surprise.
The Marines behind Tsuru heard her and Ikki speaking and gathered around. When they saw Gion regaining consciousness, their faces lit up with joy.
"What happened to me?" Gion blinked, looking at Tsuru and the others in confusion. Then her eyes fell on Ikki's face.
"Are you... Ikki?!"
"It's me," Ikki nodded slightly. "Vice Admiral Gion, I didn't expect you'd be in such a state when we met again. I warned you many times, but you still activated the Demon Slayer Mark. And you did it during a competition?"
After hearing Ikki's words, Gion finally recalled what had happened and why she was there.
"I'm sorry, Ikki," she said with an apologetic smile. "I couldn't control myself very well against Mihawk. But I think you must have a solution."
After waking up, she had noticed the condition of her body. The life force that had been constantly draining had stopped. After thinking about it for a moment, Gion realized this was Ikki's doing.
"Well... there is one way," Ikki said thoughtfully. He looked at Tsuru and moved his hands to Gion's back and legs, preparing to lift her. "Vice Admiral Tsuru, would you mind leaving Gion with me for a while?"
"Of course, I'll leave her to you," Tsuru agreed readily, having seen hope for Gion's recovery. She carefully transferred Gion into Ikki's arms.
"Admiral Tsuru, Admiral Aokiji, please come with me," Ikki instructed. "As for the other Marines, please stay here and wait."
Ikki nodded to the Marines behind Tsuru and turned toward the cabin.
Although the Marines were worried about Gion's condition, now that there was hope for her recovery, they could only follow Ikki's rules. They watched helplessly as Aokiji and Tsuru followed Ikki into the cabin.