Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Don't worry, I'll ask Garp first if they have a Eternal Pose to Fish-Man Island."
Ikki shook his head, wrapped his arm around Gion's waist, and used Geppo to fly toward the Marine warship where Garp and Chaton were waiting.
By now, the Straw Hat Pirates had most likely already left Water 7. To prevent the famous sword Shusui from falling into Zoro's hands, Ikki knew he had to reach the next destination quickly.
If he waited for the Log Pose to store Water 7's magnetic field, it would take a full five days. If he really had to wait that long, Ikki felt certain that Zoro would have already claimed the famous sword Shusui and taken it away.
Of course, there was still a chance the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't gone to the Florian Triangle and hadn't encountered Moria's pirate ship. However, Ikki didn't want to gamble on that possibility.
"Is there something else you need?"
Garp looked at Ikki and Gion with some confusion.
When Chaton saw Ikki's hand on Gion's waist, his face became even colder, as if all hope had drained from his life.
"Vice Admiral Garp, you should have a Eternal Pose pointing toward Fish-Man Island. Can you give me one? I want to reach Sabaody Archipelago as soon as possible."
Ikki said with a laugh.
"A Eternal Pose to Fish-Man Island? That's not something I can just give to outsiders." Garp paused, then waved his hand dismissively. "Well, forget it. You're considered a friend of the Marines, so it won't hurt to give you one."
Garp gestured behind him, and an adjutant immediately brought over the permanent pointer.
"Thanks, Vice Admiral Garp."
After receiving the permanent pointer, Ikki was about to offer a few more words of thanks to Garp when he suddenly felt an strange aura coming from Gion beside him.
He frowned and quickly turned to look at her. Garp and Chaton also sensed the unusual energy radiating from Gion and turned their attention to her as well.
What happened next surprised them all.
The Demon Slayer Mark covering less than half of Gion's cheek began to shrink. After a few seconds, the mark on the right side of her neck contracted into a small flame-like pattern.
Not only that, but Gion's hair, which had turned snow-white, instantly returned to its natural black color.
"This... what is this?!" Chaton stood up from the deck, staring at Gion in disbelief.
"Gion, you succeeded? How do you feel now?" Garp asked quickly.
Gion touched her neck and looked at her hair, which had returned to its black color. She was overwhelmed with emotion. She knew her own body well, and at this moment, she could clearly feel how stable her condition had become.
Even if she wasn't with Ikki, she no longer had to worry about losing her life force due to the Demon Slayer Mark.
"Congratulations, Gion. You did it." Ikki removed his hand from Gion's waist and retracted the Demon Slayer Mark from his own face, speaking with a smile.
By observing Gion's condition, he had confirmed that the woman before him had successfully activated her natural Demon Slayer Mark.
"This is all thanks to you, Ikki. Although my physical strength is still lacking, I should be able to recover after a short rest." Gion smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Ikki.
She understood that without Ikki's dedicated efforts, she never would have been able to activate the natural Demon Slayer Mark so quickly.
"Since your health is no longer a problem, do you want to come back with us, Gion? You could return and attend some meetings at Marine Headquarters," Garp suggested at the right moment.
After hearing Garp's words, Chaton also looked at Gion expectantly.
"Yes, Gion, there's a lot happening at Marine Headquarters right now. You should come with us."
Chaton still couldn't give up on Gion. In his mind, if she left Ikki's side now, maybe after a few days, she could become the Gion she once was. That way, he might still have a chance.
However, Gion saw through his thoughts immediately. She smiled and took Ikki's hand.
"Vice Admiral Garp, I will return to Marine Headquarters with you, but can you wait for me a little while? It's rare that I came to Water 7 with my boyfriend. I want to walk around the city with Ikki. Also, I have some questions about swordsmanship that I'd like to ask him while I have the chance."
CRACK!
The sudden scene made Chaton feel like he could hear the sound of glass breaking. He stood frozen in place, as if his soul had left his body.
Garp glanced sympathetically at Chaton, then nodded to Gion. "Alright, if it's just a few hours, we can afford to wait."
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Garp."
Gion smiled. This time, she wrapped her arms around Ikki's waist and flew directly toward Water 7 using Geppo.
"Stay strong, Chaton." Garp looked at the backs of Ikki and Gion as they flew away together, patting Chaton's shoulder.
However, as soon as he spoke those words, Chaton couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.
"Waaahhhhh!"
Money makes the world go round - this saying held true everywhere. With several billion Berry in capital, Ikki and his crew quickly purchased a medium-sized three-masted sailing ship in Water 7 that was perfect for their current crew size.
Ikki regretted that there were no treasure tree ships available here.
"Ikki, our flag is up! This way, it'll be our new Explorer," Vivi called out after hanging the flag. She jumped down from the mast with a smile on her face.
"Ikki, we've moved everything from the original Explorer, and we got a good price when we sold the old ship," Nami said as she jumped onto the deck from the shore, giving Ikki an "okay" gesture.
"Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. I'll guard the ship for now. You all go explore Water 7 and buy some supplies. Oh, and Kalifa, you must have many acquaintances here. Make sure you control your temper and don't blow your cover."
Ikki spoke to Nami, Vivi, Nojiko, Nico Robin, and Kalifa, who were standing nearby.
Kalifa had worked as a spy in Water 7 for several years before finally losing her identity as a CP9 agent because of a mission in the city. Ikki was genuinely worried that she wouldn't be able to control her temper and would attack Mayor Iceburg directly.