Gion

"All right, you've all worked hard. The next seven days are for rest. We'll gather again after seven days."

After exchanging his merits, Doflamingo gave his subordinates a vacation. Although this year was a crucial period for the assessment, Doflamingo did not want them wound too tightly.

Besides, a few days would make no difference.

Incidentally, Steve, Doflamingo's current disguise, was far ahead in the assessment rankings. As for Tokikake, Doflamingo had searched the middle of the list for quite a while before finally finding his name.

"What is going on with this guy?" Doflamingo looked thoroughly baffled. "He went out for two months, and after coming back, he stopped going to sea?"

Waiting around here would not give Doflamingo any answers. He might as well go ask Tokikake directly.

Doflamingo's dormitory had been assigned right next to Tokikake's. When he returned and went looking for him, however, he did not find him.

After searching around, Doflamingo finally found Tokikake at the Training Grounds, a rare sight indeed.

Tokikake was not particularly diligent by nature. He completed every kind of training seriously, but that was all. Unless Doflamingo dragged him along, he rarely did any extra training.

Yet now, this fellow who had once used Pig as his codename was desperately showing off in the Training Grounds like a monkey in heat.

His opponent—or rather, the one currently beating him up—was a tall, beautiful young woman with a pair of long, snow-white legs exposed, dressed in a Wano Country hairstyle.

The young woman held a long blade gleaming with cold light. Her expression was stern and serious, her sword flowing like surging river tides. Though she was a woman, her blade techniques were broad and forceful, carrying an astonishing presence. Judging by her strength alone, excluding Devil Fruit abilities, she was not much weaker than Doflamingo.

"Aaaah!" Tokikake cried out miserably. Though he tried hard to show off, whenever it came time to truly attack, he became timid and hesitant. In the end, the young woman's blade struck him squarely on the forehead.

Doflamingo slapped a hand over his face. He simply could not bear to watch anymore. Without ten years of experience as a shameless simp, no one could possibly act this pathetically!

A moment later, Tokikake got back to his feet with blood all over his forehead and fussed over the young woman solicitously. She, however, barely acknowledged him, looking thoroughly irritated.

Even after the young woman finally left, Tokikake remained in a daze, staring in the direction she had gone.

"Say," Doflamingo said as he walked up behind Tokikake and slapped a hand onto his shoulder. "What's gotten into you? She's just a beautiful woman. Is this really necessary?"

"You don't understand. Gion is different!" Tokikake still looked utterly infatuated. "I think I'm in love!"

Doflamingo curled his lip and answered with only two words. "Heh heh!"

He was just a damn pervert. What kind of love-struck saint was he pretending to be?

Only then did Tokikake come back to his senses. "Steve, you're back? How did your assessment go?"

"You still remember the assessment?" Doflamingo rolled his eyes. "I thought chasing girls was all you remembered."

"Haha." Tokikake scratched his head in embarrassment. "Isn't there still plenty of time left? If I don't plan on fighting for first place, working hard for the second half of the year will be enough. I can at least secure the rank of Commodore."

Doflamingo neither agreed nor disagreed. What Tokikake said was indeed true. With his strength, if he did not intend to compete with Doflamingo for first place, there was no need for him to work so hard.

After all, aside from each other, the other Training Camp students posed no threat to either of them.

Doflamingo and Tokikake were already nearly as strong as veteran Vice Admirals. The strongest among the remaining students were only at the level of Headquarters Captains. How could they possibly compete with the two of them?

As for securing the rank of Commodore, it was because promotions between officer ranks and flag officer ranks in the Navy were relatively difficult. Even with Tokikake's strength, he would likely need to work for several years. Promotions within the flag officer ranks, however, were much easier.

After Commodore came Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral. Even if Tokikake merely coasted along, he could probably reach them in seven or eight years.

The Three Admirals, as the Navy's highest combat power, had far higher requirements. Even Tokikake did not dare guarantee that he could rise that far, so he had not considered it.

"So, Big Brother Tokikake, you've decided to pursue Miss Gion? Come to think of it, she should be our junior, right?" Doflamingo asked directly.

"Yeah, she's a student in the newest Elite Training Camp class." The moment Gion was mentioned, Tokikake's face flushed red, and his eyes practically turned into hearts. "She took first place in her Elite Training Camp class. She's only sixteen this year, and her dream is to become the Navy's first female Admiral..."

Yep, diagnosis complete. This guy was beyond saving.

As Doflamingo watched Tokikake ramble on endlessly, he could practically see the scene of him being rejected after a hundred future confessions.

Peach Rabbit Gion—of course Doflamingo knew her well. Compared with Tokikake, this female Admiral Candidate was far more famous.

Unlike Tokikake. When Doflamingo first heard his name, he had not even remembered who he was. It was only after seeing that big round face that his memories had been stirred.

After Tokikake babbled on for ages, he finally stopped, only to start worrying again.

"What gift do you think I should buy her? How about flowers?"

"Not good. I just got back today, and I didn't see you welcome me back. Instead, you're already thinking about buying Miss Gion a gift. You're seriously valuing women over friends."

"Uh..." Tokikake looked a little embarrassed upon hearing that. "All right, all right. I'll treat you to a big meal today."

Although the Navy's food benefits were quite good, especially for elite geniuses like them, restaurants would never disappear no matter where one went.

And any restaurant that could open at Navy Headquarters had to be fairly good. After all, an ordinary chef's cooking could not even compare to the Navy cafeteria.

"All right~," Doflamingo agreed without much enthusiasm. His cooking skills were probably the best in Navy Headquarters now—perhaps even the best in the entire Pirate World—so he naturally did not have high expectations for any so-called feast.

However, the moment Doflamingo and Tokikake left the Training Grounds, they stopped.

Before them, the tall Gion stood in their path back, holding her long blade in her arms.