The news of Kaito's return spread quickly throughout Marineford.
At the women's training grounds,
Gion was standing with a stern expression, watching the group of female soldiers train. From time to time, she would bark a sharp reprimand, making the trainees tremble and curse their misfortune in silence.
Suddenly, Ain came running over in high heels, stopping right beside Gion and whispering a few words into her ear.
Under the curious gazes of all the female soldiers, Gion's face instantly shifted from dark and stormy to radiant and bright. Her eyes lit up as she asked excitedly,
"Kaito's back!?"
Ain nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushing pink, making her look unexpectedly adorable.
However, in the eyes of these female recruits, neither of these two women had ever been associated with the word "adorable." The duo of Gion and Ain was infamously known across Marineford as "The Devils."
Gion almost screamed from joy, but she forced herself to suppress the surge of emotion. Trying her best to appear composed, she turned to face the bewildered group of trainees and said,
"That's it for today's training. You're all dismissed for half the day!"
And with that, Gion grabbed Ain by the hand and dashed off, disappearing in an instant.
The group of soldiers stared at each other in confusion until one finally muttered,
"What's up with Vice Admiral Momousagi today? I haven't seen her smile like that in ages!"
"Yeah, and she just gave us half a day off! Oh my god, am I dreaming!?"
"Forget that—didn't you hear what she said? Kaito's back!"
"Kaito? That name sounds so familiar… Wait—don't tell me—that's the King!?"
Kaito's name carried tremendous weight in the world of pirates. Ever since he became King, his name had become something of a taboo—few dared to say it aloud. So, it was no surprise that these newly recruited women didn't immediately realize who they were talking about.
Kaito had been gone for over two years, and rather than fading, his influence had only grown more mythic with time. Many veteran Marines took pride in having once met him, bragging about it as if it were a badge of honor.
These new recruits had joined the Marines less than half a year ago. Chosen personally by Gion for their talent, they were still rookies—and their knowledge of Kaito was mostly from legend. So when they heard he had returned, the whole training ground erupted.
"The King is back! Oh my god, that means we might actually get to see him in person!"
"No wonder Vice Admiral Momousagi was acting so strange! She's definitely going to meet the King—I'm so jealous! If I could just say one word to him, I'd run a hundred laps without complaint!"
Among them stood a quiet blonde woman with pure white wings folded neatly behind her back. Unlike the others, she kept her head down and didn't join in the chatter.
Someone nudged her and said,
"Conis! Why are you spacing out? The King's back! Don't you want to see him?"
Conis hesitated and answered softly,
"I do… but with our rank, do we even have the right to meet him?"
"Of course we do! Haven't you heard about Vice Admiral Momousagi's relationship with the King? Don't worry, we'll definitely get a chance!"
"Mm..."
Conis nodded quietly.
Ever since Kaito had left, the Deva Path puppet he'd given her had gone into complete dormancy.
That had terrified her—she thought maybe Kaito had grown tired of her and cut their connection.
His presence had left too deep an impression on her heart. Even after the puppet fell silent, she continued to play music before it every day, hoping it would one day awaken.
The waiting was agony. The longing she felt for Kaito only deepened with time, until finally she decided to leave Skypiea for the Blue Sea and join the Marines.
When she enlisted, she never mentioned anything about Kaito—of course, even if she had, no one would have believed her.
Now that he had suddenly returned, Conis was overjoyed—but also afraid.
She lifted her gaze toward the tall golden statue of Kaito and whispered,
"Kaito… do you still remember me?"
...
Inside Marine Headquarters,
Kalifa, her hair tied in a sleek ponytail, hung up the Den Den Mushi. She adjusted her glasses, then yanked off her headband, letting her long golden hair cascade down like a waterfall. Leaving a mountain of paperwork behind, she strode out the door.
The moment she stepped outside, she saw Robin leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed.
A faint, knowing smile curved Robin's lips as she said,
"So… you've heard too?"
Kalifa nodded, her face lighting up with unrestrained joy.
"The boss is back. I'm going to see him!"
"Then… shall we go together?"
"Let's!"
By the time the two of them reached the palace, they realized they were the last to arrive.
Shalria was clinging to Kaito like a koala, refusing to let go, while Hancock could only smile helplessly beside them. Gion and Ain sat across from Kaito, chatting about something quietly.
At that moment, Kalifa couldn't help but envy Shalria. Taking a deep breath, her voice still trembled slightly as she spoke,
"Boss…"
Kaito turned toward the doorway, where Kalifa and Robin stood. His golden eyes softened with warmth, and the gentle smile on his face made both women's hearts skip a beat.
"You're back? Come here."
The moment the words left his mouth, Robin hesitated slightly, but Kalifa couldn't hold back anymore. She rushed forward and—without a hint of restraint—sat right down on Kaito's lap.
The sight made Shalria and the others' eyes twitch. To them, Kalifa had always been the epitome of professionalism—a no-nonsense, career-driven woman.
After Kaito left, she'd buried herself completely in work, using it to fill the void.
When she'd followed Kaito before, she'd never shown affection like this in front of others. But now? She didn't care. She was taking her chance—literally.
Seeing that, Shalria immediately wanted to assert her "territory," but before she could move, Kalifa's eyes flashed pink.
In an instant, Shalria's face went blank, her body going limp as she leaned motionlessly against Kaito's shoulder.
Kaito gently shook her, then turned to Kalifa with an amused expression.
"Kalifa, is that a new ability from your Devil Fruit?"
Kalifa leaned her head against Kaito's chest, closing her eyes as she answered softly,
"Mm. Just a simple charm ability—it doesn't hurt anyone."
"I see… as expected of a nine-tailed fox. I suppose it fits your nature. Still, this skill…"
"I've only used it on Shalria. She gets too noisy sometimes, so this helps her calm down."
Everyone burst into laughter. They all knew Shalria was hopeless in combat—weak, playful, and constantly getting teased. Every time she got tricked, she'd shout,
"Go ahead and bully me now! Once Kaito's back, you'll all be sorry!"
Kaito chuckled at that, rubbing the little tuft of hair sticking up from Shalria's head.
"You, huh… maybe I should get you a Devil Fruit to eat after all."
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