Sengoku was having a hard time. It wasn't the first time people from the World Government had come to the Marine headquarters, expecting to throw their weight around.
Usually, in such situations, others would handle the reception. Sengoku knew it wasn't a good assignment, so he would do his best to make such people leave.
Of course, there were occasional unavoidable situations. He would try his best not to appear, and could only grit his teeth and bear it.
But this time, it was truly unavoidable. He looked at Nero in the dining hall with a somewhat resigned expression.
"His Majesty Nero is amazing!"
"Her eyes are like jewels! And her golden hair is so soft."
"Heather? Her skin is so tender too! What's her secret to skincare?"
"Mwahahaha, that requires long-term training, maintenance, and a talent like mine!"
Watching Nero, who was surrounded by female Marine soldiers like a playboy, Sengoku couldn't help but cover his face.
Unbearable! Truly unbearable!
The dignified Marine Headquarters now looked exactly like an entertainment district. The most important thing was that most of these female Marine soldiers didn't even mind.
Other Marine soldiers frequently cast their gazes towards them, pretending it was accidental. The situation was great, but they didn't quite know who to envy.
"Eh? Does His Majesty Nero also read palms?"
"I am a polymath! Palm reading is naturally no challenge for me. Hmm, look, this is your love line. It's so deep and beautiful. You should pay more attention to encounters around you recently!"
Nero held a female Marine soldier's hand, pointing here and there. Hmm, the back of her hand was so smooth and moisturized!
"Heather?"
"Heather! Heather! I am an emperor, and an emperor's word is law!" Nero promised with a smile.
"Then, His Majesty Nero, can you read mine next?"
"Then I'm after that!"
"I also want His Majesty Nero to read mine!"
"First come, first served!"
"..."
It proved that fortune-telling and palmistry were very popular among girls, especially these female Marine soldiers who spent their days training.
At first, they all approached it with the mentality of entertaining a guest, but now their girlish side had been completely unleashed.
A sweet-smelling, soft, blonde emperor, knowledgeable and with a polite, gentle demeanor, quickly integrated with them due to her social skills.
It was no wonder these female Marine soldiers fell so quickly. She was handsome, wealthy, and held high status and power.
Aside from gender, Nero could completely fulfill everyone's fantasy of a Prince Charming from a fairy tale.
Sengoku was speechless. He felt that if this continued, he and Nero would be in a situation where people wouldn't know who they wanted to leave.
However, Sengoku quickly noticed that among the group of female Marine soldiers, there was one person who hadn't joined in with Nero.
Tina felt very annoyed. She hadn't joined the Marine to do such things.
Although this former Sea Emperor had successfully whitewashed her past and come ashore, Tina still couldn't develop any good feelings towards her.
Aside from those in power, no one liked such power games.
And most importantly, her nicotine craving was acting up. Her hands twitched restlessly, and several times she instinctively reached for her pocket.
But then she immediately realized what the occasion was and could only relieve the restlessness in her chest by drinking water and eating food.
"Open your mouth, ah~"
A voice sounded in her ear. Tina turned her head and saw that it was Nero, smiling brightly.
She had clearly hidden on the edge, yet Nero had still found her. This fact caused Tina's red lips to part slightly.
The next moment, a familiar sensation came to her lips. She instinctively wanted to spit out the foreign object in her mouth, but looking down, she found it was her own cigarette.
"Is this it?" Nero shook the cigarette pack in her hand: "Although I don't smoke, something so many people like must have its own charm, right?"
"Ah... Tina doesn't need it..." Feeling a bit awkward, like being caught slacking off in class by a teacher, Tina was somewhat flustered.
Nero snapped her fingers, and a small flame ignited at her fingertips, lighting the cigarette in Tina's mouth.
"Hmm, it's already very inconsiderate to have you come over to entertain me while you're so busy. If this small hobby were forbidden, I would feel very guilty."
Nero leaned her face closer. Tina could feel a pleasant, warm breath from Nero's breathing on her face.
A flush spread across her entire face. Tina was at a loss, idly smoking the lady's cigarette in her mouth, but couldn't taste anything.
Nero took the opportunity to pick up a strand of Tina's beautiful hair, wrapping it around her finger twice: "Hmm, pink hair is very beautiful! It perfectly matches my aesthetic!"
"N-Nero-sama, please don't tease Tina..."
Lowering her head, Tina's expression was obscured from others, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Sorry, it's my bad habit. When I see something beautiful, I can't help myself..."
"Nero-sama...♦"
Tina, with her coquettish voice, no longer showed any sign of her previous impatience... Sengoku felt quite annoyed. His desire to send her away became even more urgent, and other male Marine soldiers shared his sentiment.
Originally, female Marine soldiers were a rare species. These few pieces of choice meat were being eyed by several hungry wolves, but now there was a tendency for them to be 'digested internally'.
What a waste! Enemies of the class!
However, it was still a failure. Nero still had a grand time at Marineford for three days and three nights, finally leaving amidst the reluctant farewells of the female Marine soldiers.
"Nero-sama~" xN
"Please be sure to visit often!"
"That's right! We all welcome you!"
"Are you leaving so soon?"
"It feels like Nero-sama just arrived."
"No! I don't want to part like this yet!"
Nero stood at the stern of the golden rose, waving goodbye to everyone.
In stark contrast to the group of female Marine soldiers were the grim-faced male Marine soldiers, with Sengoku among them.
However, the one with the darkest expression was Kuzan. Over the past two days, as Nero's popularity among the female Marine soldiers grew, her previous words became increasingly credible in the eyes of some.
When he went to eat earlier, the cafeteria lady's gaze and the whispers of other soldiers were quite stinging.
A small portion of people had already accepted his title as a 'loli killer'.
After years of being lazy and unmotivated, this was the first time he had the thought of leaving the Marine.
Nero, his self-proclaimed lifelong rival, was no longer even a pirate, and he himself was becoming increasingly confused about justice.
"Tch!"
And behind him, there were more and more uncivilized guys spitting on the ground. Aokiji Kuzan silently pulled down his eye mask... And Nero's arrival sparked an idol-like fan craze among the female Marine soldiers for a long time to come...
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