The two fell backward to the ground, staring into each other's eyes. Ginny's face grew redder and redder until Gigue patted her waist, and only then did she slowly straighten up.
With a soft smack, their lips parted. Ginny still did not get off Gigue, her long legs spread in a V as she sat on top of him, making the pose look even more suggestive.
She lowered her head and stared unblinkingly at Gigue beneath her, asking softly,
"Brother Gigue, just now... did you feel anything?"
"Not bad. Soft."
"Ah!"
Ginny sprang off Gigue in embarrassment, covered her face, and ran away without a trace.
Gigue smacked his lips, then stood up and watched Ginny disappear into the distance with a faint smile. Having lived two lives, how could he not understand what Ginny meant? He simply felt that it was not the right time yet.
At the very least, it could wait until he graduated from the Marine Academy. By then, his physical age would only just have turned eighteen.
Over the following days, Ginny's attitude toward Gigue remained the same as before, except she often "accidentally" made physical contact with him.
Each time, Gigue calmly played along. How could a tender young sprout like Ginny stand up to an old bull like him? Every time, she was left blushing furiously before fleeing in defeat.
Of course, the two did not spend all their time fooling around. Most of their time was still devoted to training.
Though Ginny's talent could not compare to a monster like Gigue, one should not forget her bottomless appetite. She ate so much without gaining any weight, and in the world of the King of the Pirates, people with that trait were usually far from weak.
The massive amount of food Ginny consumed every day caused her physical strength to grow rapidly. Combined with the systematic daily training and professional guidance at the Marine Academy, after several months, she had become the strongest among the female cadets.
Cheerful and generous by nature, she often helped her close friends deal with male cadets with dirty mouths, and she was gradually showing signs of becoming the girls' leader.
Yet when she faced Gigue, she still seemed like a soft little girl next door, and Gigue was always "teasing" her...
That day, after running several laps around the training ground, Ginny sat down listlessly and traced circles on the ground with her finger.
Several female cadets close to Ginny gathered around her. One of them, a young cadet with short golden hair and a heroic air between her brows, patted Ginny on the shoulder and asked with concern,
"Ginny, why have you been so listless these past few days? This isn't like you."
Ginny blew at the pink bangs over her forehead and pouted.
"I'm fine, Jessica. When do you think Brother Gigue and the others will be back?"
Jessica sighed helplessly and put her hands on her hips.
"So that's what this is about. You! You think about your Brother Gigue every day. He's only been gone for a few days, and you're already like this? Pull yourself together, Boss Ginny!"
The other girls joined in teasing her.
"Yeah, Ginny. Teacher Zephyr is with Gigue and the others, so it's not like they'll run into any danger. Aren't you worrying a little too much?"
"Come to think of it, Gigue really is amazing. He's only been here for such a short time, yet Teacher Zephyr has already taken him out on missions!"
"Exactly! If it weren't for our Ginny, more than half the girls here would want to get close to him. Even I..."
The girl stopped halfway through, because Ginny had already pinched her cheeks and glared at her.
"What do you want to do?"
"Nothing! I'm a loyal member of the Ginny faction!"
Jessica grabbed Ginny's ear from behind and said irritably,
"Enough. We're not going to steal your Brother Gigue from you, so stop acting like a mother hen guarding her chicks!"
Ginny suddenly turned around and hugged Jessica, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Jessica~ But I haven't been apart from Brother Gigue since I met him. I miss him so much!"
She rubbed her face against Jessica's stomach again and again, making Jessica's body tingle. Jessica held Ginny's pink little head and soothed her softly like an older sister.
Over with the male cadets, Momonga and the others sparred while chatting.
"I wonder how Sakazuki and the others are doing. I really want to go out to sea with them and see it for myself!"
"Ha, who doesn't? The seas aren't exactly safe these days. Without the strength of those four, even with Teacher Zephyr protecting you, it'd be easy to lose your life!"
"Yeah, we should just train hard!"
As everyone chatted, a tall, beautiful figure suddenly appeared at the entrance to the training ground.
She wore her black hair in a high ponytail and had light makeup on her face. A beauty mark rested beside her lips, and her features were exquisitely delicate.
She wore a peach-colored short-sleeved top and dark shorts. A striking spider tattoo marked the smooth, fair skin of her long legs, while an ornate sword hung at her waist.
The moment such a beauty appeared, she immediately captured the attention of many male cadets.
The female cadets were also sizing her up. When they saw her towering chest, quite a few of them drew sharp breaths and lowered their heads in shame.
Jessica tugged on Ginny's clothes and pointed at the girl standing at the entrance.
"Ginny, look! That girl is so pretty. Is she new here?"
Ginny merely glanced at her before looking away. Her mind was entirely occupied with hoping for Gigue's return, and she had no interest in anything else.
The girl swept her gaze over everyone on the training ground, then walked in with elegant steps.
She walked up to Momonga and the other male cadets, first giving them a dazzling smile that left them utterly captivated. Then she spoke in a gentle voice.
"Hello. Is there a cadet here named Gigue?"
The moment they heard that she was looking for Gigue, disappointment appeared on everyone's faces. Kashou stepped forward and asked,
"Gigue and Sakazuki were taken out by Teacher Zephyr on a mission. May I ask who you are?"
Hearing that Gigue was absent, the girl looked somewhat surprised. She raised a hand to partly cover her alluring red lips.
"My name is Gion. Did you say Gigue went on a mission? Isn't he still a cadet?"
"Yes. He's very strong. Teacher Zephyr believes he already has the ability to go to sea and carry out missions."
"I see. No wonder Sister Tsuru keeps mentioning him to me..."
Gion pinched her chin as she pondered. Suddenly, a fair hand landed on her shoulder.
She turned her head and saw a lovely face with a style completely unlike her own, yet equally beautiful.
Ginny looked suspiciously at Gion and asked,
"Hello, I'm Ginny. I heard you were looking for Brother Gigue. What do you need him for?"
Before you continue