Taro appeared very surprised by Betty's appearance. He looked her up and down, feeling an indescribable sense of strangeness in his heart.
On one hand, Betty, whose clothing style was usually quite bold and unrestrained, was now properly buttoning up her Marine uniform.
Furthermore, as a member of the Revolutionary Army wearing a Marine uniform, there was a sense of identity displacement.
Betty walked over and sat down next to Taro. The Marines at the nearby tables tactfully moved away, crowding onto other tables.
Those few Marine Soldiers also quickly brought over several meals and then retreated far away.
Taro stared at Betty for a while, then turned back to look at those Marine Soldiers who were burning with the fire of gossip, and roared.
"What are you looking at? If you don't want to eat, get back to your posts!"
In an instant, the sound of knives and forks rang out. The Marine Soldiers lowered their heads to eat, but their eyes still involuntarily glanced toward Taro and Betty.
"It's dinner time, is there something wrong with me coming to the cafeteria?" Betty said softly after sitting down, lighting a cigarette first.
Taro raised an eyebrow and said casually, "Cafeteria rules, no smoking!"
These words made the cafeteria much quieter in an instant. Betty was also stunned for a moment, and then she actually extinguished the cigarette.
Noticing Taro's surprised expression, Betty said calmly, "Army building, discipline first. That's what you said!"
Betty's words refreshed the spirits of the Marines in the cafeteria, and their gaze toward Taro became filled with solemn respect.
"As expected of Vice Admiral Taro, even the Vice Admiral's wife knows that soldiers must obey discipline!"
"Yeah..."
"That's right..."
Taro's lip twitched, and he roared again at the Marine Soldiers watching the excitement behind him, "Get lost, all of you! If you don't want to eat, then don't!"
Sensing that Taro was truly angry, the Sergeant Major instructed the cafeteria chef to deliver the meals to the posts and then quickly urged the other Marines to leave.
Soon, only Taro and Betty were left in the cafeteria. Taro felt a bit awkward for a moment.
He never expected that his verbal barrage would actually fire Betty up to such an extent, even triggering her Devil Fruit Ability Awakening.
Normally, doesn't Awakening only occur when an ability user develops their Devil Fruit Ability to the extreme?
Like Magellan, Mingo, and Katakuri from the Big Mom Pirates.
"What they said about the Vice Admiral's wife is just nonsense. I'm usually too lenient with them, don't misunderstand..."
Taro thought for a while and started a conversation to break the silence.
Betty took a light taste of the Marine food. "No, I think it's quite good!"
Taro was stunned, not knowing whether she was referring to the food or the title of Vice Admiral's wife.
"They respect you very much, I can tell. And that 'execution power' you mentioned, that's the word, right?"
"I think you indeed have a very deep understanding of army building," Betty explained with her red lips slightly parted while eating.
Understanding my ass! I slack off all day and have never managed them, okay?
Taro was instantly speechless. He helplessly rubbed his forehead, his spoon moving back and forth in the food on his plate.
"I think you must have misunderstood. I never..."
Betty put down her utensils and turned sideways, her long legs crossed. She pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead and stared at Taro with her large eyes.
"Taro, I'm grateful that you helped me achieve my Devil Fruit Ability Awakening, but your secretive personality is really annoying!"
"Uh," Taro was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long while, he sighed, "Fine, whatever you say!"
It's really hard to communicate with you pirate natives!
After saying that, Taro lowered his head and fed the mashed food into his mouth spoonful by spoonful, turning his grief and indignation into an appetite until he finished all the food on the plate and put down the small spoon.
Betty just sat there sideways, looking at Taro and his empty plate, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, she also sat back properly and began to focus on the food in front of her.
After Taro finished, it was his turn to watch Betty eat. He became more and more surprised. Could this girl with such a slender waist really eat this much?
Betty put in a lot of effort to finish the portions for several people brought by those enthusiastic Marine Soldiers. She was so full she almost vomited, and it took her a long time to hold it back.
"Uh, now that you should have learned what you wanted to learn, are you going to leave?"
Taro was stunned by Betty's incredible appetite for a while before speaking, "I'm heading to Alabasta. You can get off the ship at an island along the way!"
Betty shook her head. "No, I'll stay for a while longer."
"Ah?"
"What? You seem unwilling?"
"No, it's just that I have nothing more to teach you!"
"But I feel like I can still learn other things!"
"Other things? There's nothing left!"
"There is!"
"..."
In the end, Taro admitted defeat and waved his hand helplessly. "Fine, let's stop this meaningless conversation. If you want to stay, then stay!"
Lounge.
Betty came back holding a set of new bedsheets and quilts, threw them onto the bed, and then impatiently unbuttoned her top.
"Whew..."
She let out a long sigh of relief. After some thought, she pulled out a den den mushi from her sweat-soaked vest and placed it on the table.
Then she threw all her original clothes into the washing machine in the bathroom before sitting back at the table and picking up the den den mushi.
"Betty, did you see him?" Dragon's deep voice came through.
"Yes, I saw him," Betty's tone was somewhat strange.
Dragon also noticed something unusual. "Did something happen?"
"My Devil Fruit Ability has awakened!" Betty's words were startling!
"What did you say?" Dragon was stunned by Betty's words. After a while, he continued, "What happened?"
"I'm not quite sure myself. I was just listening to him very seriously, and then..."
Combining her own memory with Taro's account, Betty told Dragon the whole story.
Dragon became more and more serious as he listened. Once Betty finished, he said solemnly, "Betty, I hope you continue to stay there for a while longer."
Betty nodded upon hearing this. "I already told him that, and he agreed."
Dragon couldn't help but be a bit surprised. "Betty, did he tell you that story too? Did you also think of that possibility?"
"Story? Possibility? Leader, what are you talking about? I want to stay here because I feel I can still learn some other useful things."
Betty had always been straightforward. She felt like the Leader's words didn't match what she was thinking.
Dragon's expression froze for a moment, then he gently shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Let's leave it at that for now. I'll temporarily have Sabo lead the Eastern Army. You don't need to worry!"
Seeing that the Leader was unwilling to say more, Betty didn't press further and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm not sure how long I'll stay. I'll leave the Eastern Army to the Chief of Staff. For the next period of time, I'll probably be in Alabasta."
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