"Hiss—hoo—"
The Third Raikage stood alone before the window, warm golden sunlight spilling over his broad chest.
He had originally been wearing a patient's shirt, but he disliked it and had taken it off, tossing it onto the sofa. He had changed back into the one-shouldered white robe the nurses had washed and folded into the wardrobe.
It always gave off a fragrant scent, though, which made him rather uncomfortable.
So he lit himself a cigarette, intending to use the smell of smoke to cover up that overly feminine fragrance.
Cough, cough.
Actually, the shock he had suffered was simply too great, and his craving for tobacco had flared up.
So he told Director Marco that he wanted some time alone and asked for a pack of cigarettes while he was at it.
He had actually wanted cigars, but Marco did not smoke cigars, so he could only try this "water pipe" that was popular among the World Government's upper and middle ranks.
Its special feature was that the smoke inhaled gave one a sensation like soft water, while the smoke exhaled turned into little bubbles in the air.
He had heard it came from a place on the Sea Star Homeworld called Fish-Man Island, where nearly a million Fish-Men and Merfolk—beings said to exist only in stories—lived.
Marco had even used something called a Starlight Den Den Mushi to find video footage of the Fish-Man Race and Merfolk for him on some sort of network.
He had even said that he would be able to see them when he went out later.
Still, the Third Raikage felt that he did not really like this kind of water pipe.
Trying it once out of curiosity was fine, but if cigars were available, he definitely would not choose it again.
Enough