Kaito quickly stopped Kalifa from finishing her catchphrase—Ain was still in the room. If Kalifa actually said that out loud, where would his image go?
Kalifa, always one to maintain Kaito's dignity, shut her mouth the moment he interrupted. But she still glared at him with her wide eyes.
It was one thing to just sit down, but what the hell was that leaning-back move supposed to be? Ain was right there!
Ain gave Kaito a strange look too, thinking to herself that he had to be doing it on purpose. Of all the places he could show up, why did it have to be Kalifa's lap?
She was sitting right there too, wasn't she?
Faced with this awkward moment, Kaito quickly composed himself and calmly shifted the conversation to something more serious.
"I've received a new mission. I'm heading to Kaido's main base—Onigashima."
At the mention of business, both women immediately switched into work mode. Kalifa adjusted her glasses, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Boss, you're going alone? Isn't that too dangerous? That's the heart of the entire Beast Pirates crew!"
"It's fine. With my current strength, they're no threat to me anymore."
"But still..."
"Enough. I'm not going alone. You and Ain are coming with me. I heard the scenery in the Flower Capital is beautiful—thought I'd take you two out for a bit of fun."
"..."
Kalifa and Ain looked at the indifferent Kaito, completely speechless.
This was the territory of a Yonko, and Kaito wanted to just stroll in like it was a sightseeing trip? And he was taking them with him?!
Both women were about to refuse—they didn't want to be a burden to Kaito—but before they could say anything, he cut them off.
"That's settled. Don't worry about it. Just think of it like a vacation."
Kalifa didn't argue further. Her loyalty to Kaito was absolute. If he had made up his mind, she would never go against him.
Ain was usually just as obedient, but this time, she surprised both of them by speaking up.
"I'll stay. Let Kalifa go with you. She's been working really hard lately—she deserves a break."
"Hm?"
Kaito looked at her, a bit surprised. Since coming aboard his ship, Ain had always been by his side—what was up with her today?
Her expression didn't change, but inside, Ain did want to go.
If Kaito said it was safe, then it definitely was. A trip to Wano with him sounded like a dream.
But she was a proud girl. Watching Kalifa work herself to exhaustion lately while she hadn't done much made her feel a little guilty. So she wanted to give Kalifa the chance to go have fun alone with Kaito.
Kaito didn't push the matter. He wasn't going undercover or anything—it wouldn't be a long stay.
After thinking for a moment, he handed Ain the box containing the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Ox Demon King.
"Ain, when you get back, give this to Zephyr-senesi. It's a Mythical Zoan-type—Ox Demon King form. Tell him: 'For the sake of justice.' Whether he eats it or not is up to him."
Ain accepted the Devil Fruit and tucked it away with care. She respected Zephyr deeply and knew how much this fruit could mean to him.
Any regret she had about not going to Wano began to fade. There would be more chances to travel with Kaito in the future. For now, delivering this to Zephyr felt like something meaningful she could do.
A small smile appeared on her face. Seeing her cheer up, Kaito let out a sigh of relief.
He had suspected she wanted to go, but hadn't known why she declined. Thankfully, this little errand managed to lift her spirits.
With everything settled, Kaito didn't stick around. He called the two women out to the deck, then used a summoning technique to call forth the clumsy bird. It hovered overhead in wide circles.
Kaito scooped Kalifa into his arms and leapt onto the bird's back. He gave Ain a nod from above, then patted the bird.
The clumsy bird understood the cue. Its wings gave a powerful flap, launching them into the sky. In a flash, they vanished into the clouds.
Watching them disappear, Ain puffed her cheeks and muttered under her breath,
"Don't go messing around. Come back soon!"
...
Wano Country – Flower Capital
Kaito strolled through the bustling streets of the Flower Capital, dressed in a black cloak with a ping-pong paddle symbol on the back. He was holding Kalifa's delicate hand.
Kalifa wasn't wearing her glasses today. Instead, she wore a purple kimono with a white sash tied neatly at her waist, looking elegant and serene.
Kaito glanced at her and couldn't help but appreciate the view.
It wasn't that Kalifa wasn't pretty normally, but this sudden change in style made her look even more stunning.
A few swordsmen passing by shot frequent glances in their direction, wondering when such a beautiful woman had arrived in the city.
With his enhanced senses from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Kaito's awareness was razor sharp. Once he activated his Heavenly Net, those curious stares showed up in his mind like radar blips.
With a cold snort, he released a wave of Conqueror's Haki. Suddenly, several men on the street collapsed, their eyes rolling back into their heads.
The strange scene stirred up some panic in the crowd. Kalifa, knowing exactly who was behind it, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
Kaito gave her a side glance.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. I just think you're kind of cute when you're like this."
"...I just don't like samurai."
"Okay, okay, I get it, Boss. Those samurai really are disgusting."
"And what's with them staring so much anyway? Serves them right."
"Mm-hmm. But I see a lot of women looking this way too. Want to take care of them too, Boss?"
"Nah. Let them look. Not like it's gonna cost me anything."
"Hehe."
Kalifa rolled her eyes. Compared to the men, the number of women staring was clearly higher. And it was obvious who they were staring at.
From the moment Kaito stepped onto this street, those women's eyes had been glued to him.
Oh? Not annoying now, huh? Where's that Conqueror's Haki of yours? Doesn't work on women?
Kaito remained calm, unfazed by her expression. After all, he was an Uchiha.
If there was one thing every Uchiha had going for them, it was their looks.
Especially in the One Piece world—compared to most of the rugged, wild-looking men here, the Uchiha were straight-up in a league of their own.
As the two continued bantering, someone in the crowd shouted,
"The oiran parade is starting!"
The crowd, previously somewhat packed, immediately cleared to the sides of the street, eagerly looking toward the entrance.
Kaito didn't even flinch and kept walking with Kalifa.
Kalifa looked at his completely indifferent expression and asked curiously,
"Boss, aren't you interested in the oiran? She must be beautiful if she made it to that rank."
"Just an act. Look over there."
Kaito chuckled and pointed toward a group standing in a corner.
Unlike the excited crowd, these people wore ragged clothes and dark expressions, their eyes filled with resentment.
Kalifa noticed the off vibe immediately but still didn't quite understand what Kaito meant. She looked at him with confusion.
Kaito explained,
"Those guys were the top patrons before. They threw all their money at the oiran. Now? All they've got left is the wind."
"Top patrons? What's that?"
"The ones who spent the most money supporting the oiran."
"Oh… so what you mean is this oiran was basically propped up with cash, but might not actually be that attractive?"
"Not exactly. She's probably pretty—otherwise, no one would've spent money on her."
"I see. But Boss, how do you know all this? Don't tell me you used to throw money at her too?"
"Of course not!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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