Wazamono 21

By the time he finished bathing, it was already ten o'clock at night. Noah changed into the clothes Momousagi had prepared for him, and the bandages were finally gone.

He was still wearing a white commodore's uniform, with pale pink epaulettes and cuffs. He looked every bit the dashing officer.

Lying in bed, he wished Momousagi good night while she settled onto the bedding on the floor. Then he pretended to close his eyes and drift off, while silently willing the system panel to open.

The faint blue panel appeared before him as smoothly as ever. It seemed the system was indeed bound to his soul, just as he'd expected. It had followed his consciousness and hadn't remained in his body.

Noah relaxed. When he glanced to the side, Momousagi had already fallen fast asleep, her breathing steady and even.

Good night.

He silently repeated the words, gazing at her for a long while before lying back and looking away.

Listening to the breathing in the quiet darkness, sleepiness gradually washed over him like a rising tide. Before long, he drifted off without even realizing it.

Beyond the porthole, stars filled the sky beneath the cold moonlight.

The next morning, Noah was woken by a rustling sound.

He sat up in bed, still groggy, and turned to find Momousagi staring blankly at the ceiling, looking as though her entire understanding of life had been shaken.

"What's wrong, Commodore Gion?"

"You've got some nerve asking me that."

At the sound of his voice, Momousagi whipped around and demanded through gritted teeth, each word clipped and deliberate, "Your. Body! What exactly is wrong with it, huh?"

"Why does it wake up automatically at five thirty in the morning, and then refuse to go back to sleep no matter what?"

She looked furious, almost at her wit's end, and maybe even a little... aggrieved?

Noah wasn't sure, but he knew exactly who was to blame for Momousagi's sleeplessness. Clearly, his body's second-perfect biological clock was the culprit.

"It's been years. I've always gotten up at this time, so my body's developed muscle memory. Sorry."

He gave an awkward smile, glanced at the pale light outside the window, and began to ponder a question.

Should he stick to his usual routine and go out for morning exercise?

If he skipped it, he'd feel like something was missing, and he'd be restless all over. But if he exercised, he wouldn't be training his own body. No matter how hard he pushed himself, it would all be for nothing.

Noah hesitated, then decided to ask Momousagi what she thought.

"Don't even think about it."

That was Momousagi's exact response. Her tone brooked no argument, and she crushed the idea right out of his head.

The reason was simple: there were plenty of familiar faces aboard the ship. What would people think if Noah, in her body, went jogging around the deck or doing basic fitness exercises under everyone's watchful eyes?

The Navy's famed beauty, a rising star of the next generation, had her pride to think of.

"Then I can't just sit around in my room doing nothing for the next few days, can I?" Noah trailed close behind Momousagi, wearing a pained expression as he voiced his complaint. "There's a saying back in the East Blue: an inch of time is worth an inch of gold, Commodore Gion!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Your time isn't worth that much."

Momousagi was brushing her teeth. She snorted and answered around her mouthful of toothpaste, "It's only three days. Deal with it."

After brushing her teeth, she quickly washed her face. As she dried it with a towel, her eyes lifted slightly and met the gaze of the exceptionally handsome young man in the mirror, a boy who seemed easy to like.

Beneath his not-quite-short, not-quite-long black hair were clear, deep black eyes. His face was resolute, with sharp, well-defined features, and his clean-cut demeanor radiated the vitality and energy of youth.

Momousagi paused, her expression briefly dazed.

At that moment, even she, usually so confident in herself, had to admit that the guy in front of her was almost as charming as she was.

Especially when he smiled: his eyes curved into crescents, revealing a row of white teeth. His smile was so infectious that it seemed to chase away people's worries and brighten their whole day.

Maybe that was why she could tolerate him living in her body for over a week, even going out to sea alone to carry out a mission on her behalf?

If it had been someone else, like Tokikake, she probably would've resorted to underhanded tactics long ago, knocking him out and getting through the next few days in the simplest, roughest way possible.

"Commodore Gion?"

Behind her, Noah watched Momousagi stare into the mirror without saying a word for a while. He tentatively called out, puzzled.

"Hm?"

Momousagi snapped out of it. She turned around as if nothing had happened and continued wiping her face with the towel, casually asking Noah, "Before I left Marineford, I heard someone mention that among this year's new recruits at the Marine Headquarters Elite Training Camp, there was a training maniac who pushed himself to the limit and practically lived on the training grounds."

"Now that I've seen you, I'm guessing that the weirdo in that rumor was you?"

Has my reputation spread beyond the Recruit Camp already?

"Probably," Noah answered honestly, scratching his head. "If you mean this year's recruits, then I guess there really isn't anyone who trains harder than I do."

"No wonder you look so restless after a day without training."

Momousagi hung the towel back in its place and thought for a moment before saying, "In that case, I'll ask Kuzan to set up a small training room. I'll give you one-on-one instruction for the next few days."

"Huh?"

Noah's gloomy mood instantly soared. His face lit up with delight. "Really?"

Several days of one-on-one instruction, plus a training room set up just for him aboard the warship—that was incredible. Two days ago, when he first met Momousagi, he wouldn't even have dared to dream of such treatment.

"Yes. Consider it compensation for not being able to take part in this practical assessment."

Momousagi's expression remained calm, as if she'd just done something trivial. "As I understand it, Mr. Zephyr only recently started teaching you the Six Powers, right? Would you like me to focus on those, or something else?"

"Anything's fine!"

Noah nodded eagerly, then suddenly remembered something and his eyes lit up.

"Oh, right—swordsmanship! I forgot to mention that I'm a Two-Sword Style swordsman. I hope you can give me some pointers on the way of the sword!"

He remembered clearly that the future Momousagi would not only be a candidate for Admiral, but also a highly skilled Great Swordmaster. When it came to swordsmanship alone, there was hardly anyone in the entire Navy who could surpass her.

Everyone had their strengths. At least in this area, Zephyr, whose specialty was physical combat, could hardly compare to Momousagi.

"Fine."

Momousagi remained indifferent. She gave a slight nod, then returned to the bedroom with Noah, pulled a sword from behind the table, and tossed it to him.

"Take it. After breakfast, I'll arrange the training room and start your lessons for the day."

"Oh, okay."

Noah fumbled as he caught the sword. At first, he hadn't thought much of it, but the moment he took it, the heavy feel in his hands told him something was different.

He looked down carefully and realized Momousagi had tossed him the long, slender sword she'd always carried. Its scabbard was ornate and elegant, decorated in pale pink, just like Momousagi herself.

He nudged the hilt with his thumb, and half the blade slid out. In the light, it gleamed with a cold, murderous sheen. The steel felt hard, and when he touched it with his fingertips, it was like ice that had endured for ten thousand years.

"What a sword..."

Noah gazed at it, entranced, before finally coming to his senses and murmuring to himself.

As a swordsman, he knew quality when he saw it. He was certain that since beginning his sword training, he'd never seen another blade that could compare to this one.

"Famous Sword Kompira, one of the Wazamono 21."

Momousagi's voice came calmly. "You've got a decent eye, so I'll lend it to you for now. But only for these three days. Take good care of it. I'll take it back before you leave the warship to carry out your mission. Understood?"