Gigue Returns

In her fury, Gion unleashed a pink sword slash far more powerful than before. At almost the same moment, Ginny pulled the trigger, and a pitch-black bullet burst from the muzzle.

After firing that shot, Ginny suddenly seemed to lose all her strength. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.

Yet the bullet that Kompira had easily sliced apart before now held its ground against Gion's sword slash. Gion stared at the spinning bullet in the air and said in a low voice,

"A bullet coated in Haki? I didn't expect you to have awakened Armament Haki too."

She glanced at Ginny, who was slumped on the ground, then shook her head and said,

"Looks like you only awakened it recently. It must have been difficult for you to use it at a time like this, but Haki at this level is nowhere near enough to block my attack."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ginny's bullet finally reached its limit. After a violent tremor, it exploded into fragments. With the bullet no longer blocking it, the sword slash once again howled toward Ginny.

Momonga and the others could no longer hold themselves back and wanted to rush in to help. If Ginny was struck head-on by that sword slash, she would definitely be seriously injured. They would truly have no face left to meet Gigue.

But their speed likely would not be enough to make it in time. Ginny raised her pistol with trembling hands. Even if she could only fire an ordinary bullet, she would never admit defeat.

But it was already too late. Before she could pull the trigger, Gion's sword slash had reached her. The blinding sword light made her close her eyes instinctively, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

So I still lost. That's kind of embarrassing...

I've been training so hard! Brother Gigue praises me all the time!

If I had just a little more time, I definitely wouldn't lose to this woman!

It'll probably hurt a lot if it hits me, right? Sob... I'm actually really afraid of pain!

...Why haven't I felt anything yet? Don't tell me I'm dead!? Wouldn't that mean I'd never see Brother Gigue again? No!

Ginny suddenly opened her eyes. A tall figure appeared before her, blocking out the sunlight and leaving her surrounded by darkness. Yet she felt incredibly warm, because her Brother Gigue was the embodiment of darkness!

The newcomer was none other than Gigue, who had just returned.

A radiant, captivating smile bloomed on Ginny's slightly pale face as she called out in a soft voice,

"Brother Gigue!"

Gigue held one hand out in a grasping pose, and his pitch-black hand gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Hearing Ginny call him, he turned around with a smile that was incomparably familiar to her.

But when he saw Ginny's blood-covered hands and pale complexion, thick waves of black energy seeped from the corners of his eyes.

The moment Ginny saw Gigue, the weakness throughout her body seemed to vanish. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, saying joyfully,

"Brother Gigue, you're finally back! I missed you so much!"

Gigue gently stroked her pink hair and said softly,

"I was only gone for less than a month. Look how anxious my Ginny got. Didn't we talk on the Den Den Mushi?"

"Den Den Mushi are too ugly! I still prefer seeing Brother Gigue with my own eyes!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down first and tell me what that woman over there is about."

Ginny obediently nodded and briefly explained everything to Gigue. She did not speak ill of Gion just because she had lost, only saying that Gion had come to challenge her.

Gigue listened quietly, and when Ginny finished, he softly said that he understood.

Then, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed Ginny's smooth forehead. Ginny instantly froze stiff, as if she had been turned to stone.

Gigue smiled and pinched Ginny's soft, pretty cheek. When he turned to face Gion, not a trace of his smile remained, and his eyes were filled with darkness so dense it seemed absolute.

Gion still held the posture of having swung her sword, her face blank with shock.

Her mind was still stuck on what had just happened: just as her sword slash was about to strike Ginny, Gigue had appeared like a ghost and crushed it with one hand.

The instant Gion met Gigue's eyes, a chill surged through her entire body. She instinctively gripped her sword with both hands and said solemnly,

"You're Gigue, aren't you? Sister Tsuru was right. You really are strong!"

Gigue did not respond. He slipped his hands into his pockets and slowly walked toward Gion, one step at a time.

The sharp-minded Momonga immediately sensed something was wrong. Gigue's mood did not look right. That woman named Gion was in danger!

It was not that Momonga had been swayed by her beauty. He was not worried about Gion—he was worried about Gigue!

Gion had said she was Vice Admiral Tsuru's younger sister. Whether they were blood-related or not, their relationship was certainly very close!

He trusted Gigue's strength without reservation. Precisely because of that, he feared Gigue might accidentally...

If that really happened, even Vice Admiral Tsuru's generosity would likely not be enough to settle the matter peacefully. If Vice Admiral Tsuru became enraged, even Teacher Zephyr might not be able to protect Gigue.

Speaking of which, why had Gigue returned alone?

Teacher Zephyr, where did you go!? Do you have any idea a huge disaster is about to happen!?

Watching Gigue draw closer and closer to Gion, Momonga was frantic. He glanced at Kashou and the others, who were still staring dumbly, cursed them as useless teammates, then turned and ran toward the office building. He had to make a call!

At that moment, no one on the field noticed Momonga's sudden departure. Watching Gigue approach, Gion cautiously sent another sword slash at him.

Gigue merely waved a hand, swatting the sword slash apart in midair as though he were batting away a fly. His pace did not slow in the slightest.

He was not moving quickly, yet he placed enormous psychological pressure on Gion. She pushed off the ground and rapidly retreated.

She did not stop until she had backed away more than a hundred meters. Before she could even catch her breath and steady herself, she looked up and found Gigue already standing before her.

Gigue leaned forward slightly and quietly looked at Gion. Their faces were extremely close, close enough that they could even feel each other's breath.

Gion wanted to keep retreating, only to discover in horror that she could no longer move at all. Gigue's body was like a magnet, radiating a powerful pull that held her firmly in place.

Gigue's expression remained calm and still. In a low voice, he said,

"You seem very confident in your strength. You wanted to challenge me, didn't you? Come on. I'm standing right here. You can make your move."

How could Gion endure that? She clenched her teeth and swung her sword with all her strength. Kompira passed through Gigue's body and sliced through the air.