Heading to the East Blue

Kizaru strolled away with his hands in his pockets.

"Rear Admiral Noki!!"

The female Marines swarmed forward, surrounding the young man on the training ground.

"You've worked hard. Have some water and rest for a while."

"Rear Admiral, please drink mine! And I brought cookies I made myself."

"You should wipe off your sweat after exercising. I have a towel here. It's... it's one I use personally!"

"You still dare to offer something used? Do you think the rear admiral is just any ordinary man?"

"Exactly! Rear Admiral Noki is a neat freak. He never uses anything someone else has used."

Noki had long since grown accustomed to this and used "Soru" to break out of the encirclement.

Ain ran toward him, her little red lips curving into a sweet smile. "Honey, here. This is the cup you gave me. I've been using it all along, and there's juice I squeezed inside."

"Oh, thanks."

Noki unscrewed the cap and gulped down several large mouthfuls.

The girls watching from behind felt as if they had suffered 10,000 points of damage.

What happened to his cleanliness obsession?

Why didn't it count when she had used it?

Another day of envying Noki's girlfriend...

Ain took Noki's hand, and under the envious gazes of the men and women around them, the two left the training ground inseparably.

As the residence of the Navy's elite, Marineford possessed facilities even more prosperous than those of other towns.

Restaurants, bars, and everything else could be found there.

After all, soldiers had the same needs as ordinary people, and their families lived in Marineford as well.

Those who owned property in Marineford were either Marines ranked colonel or above, or people with connections. Their average incomes were relatively high and stable.

High incomes meant high spending power. Coupled with the Navy's various subsidies, business there had developed exceptionally well.

Noki and Ain had once been people with connections themselves. Both of their homes had been inherited from their fathers.

The two entered a simply decorated Western restaurant.

Its elegant colors, soft lighting, white tablecloths, exquisite tableware, and refined music created a strong romantic atmosphere.

It could be called the best place in Marineford for couples to date.

Ain had made her final confession to Noki here. It was where they had become a couple.

Because it was so famous, the prices on the menu were not low.

Based on Noki and Ain's usual income in the past, eating there had been a tremendous luxury.

But now that Noki had been promoted to rear admiral, his salary had increased considerably. He could certainly afford a meal.

After placing their order,

Ain leaned gently against his shoulder and asked softly, "Have you decided when you're leaving?"

Noki shook his head. "Not an exact date. I'm guessing three or four days from now."

"Oh, you'll definitely need to prepare lots of things for this long trip. Shall we go shopping together?"

"Sure. Admiral Borsalino is coming to my place for dinner in the next few days, so we can buy the ingredients we need at the same time."

"Mhm."

The two sat quietly and waited for their food.

Blushing, Ain lowered her head shyly and suddenly said, "I ran into Sister Gion this morning. We chatted for a while."

"What did she say?"

"Sister Gion said we aren't that young anymore, and you're so popular that other girls are bound to have their eyes on you. She told me to urge you to get married soon, then have a child to tie down your heart."

Noki laughed. "She's been single since birth, but she sure knows a lot. She even knows about using children to hold a man's heart."

Ain asked cautiously, "Does Noki like children?"

"They're alright. Don't listen to her nonsense. She's never even had a boyfriend, yet she acts like some great romantic expert."

Ain's eyes filled with deep disappointment. "Noki doesn't want to marry me?"

"Uh, of course not. It's just too early for us to discuss that. We're both still young, at the age when we should be striving forward. I want to wait until I become an admiral... or at least have the strength of an admiral, enough to protect my family, before considering marriage."

"Noki, you're so awful~"

"How so?"

"Because that's exactly the same excuse you gave Sister Gion. She told me men always fool their girlfriends like that because they want to enjoy their carefree unmarried lives a little longer."

"..."

Noki fell silent for a long while. "I'm guessing she's read too many romance novels?"

"Mhm, mhm. Sister Gion even gave me two books and told me to study them carefully."

"Ain, do you believe me?"

"I trust you more than anyone."

"Then don't read the books she gave you. Throw them all away—better yet, burn them. Don't let that kind of thing contaminate your pure heart."

Ain blinked. "Wouldn't it be bad to burn something Sister Gion gave me?"

"It would be very good! Ain, while I'm away, you absolutely can't read any books she gives you."

"Oh, Noki, I'll agree to that. But you have to agree to one thing too."

"What is it?"

"You can't have ambiguous relationships with other women. At most, you can be friends. I mean ordinary friends."

"It's a deal!"

Seeing how effective it was, Ain secretly rejoiced.

Gion had taught her every one of those lines. Gion had long predicted that Noki would react this way.

Gion had told her that bluntly demanding Noki stay away from women would only make him think his girlfriend was jealous.

A more flexible approach would let Noki appreciate her kindness while accomplishing the goal as well.

Ain had always trusted Noki. Gion merely wanted to add another layer of insurance for her.

No matter how perfect Noki was, he was still a man.

As the saying went, "Men will be men." She had to be on guard!

After the two showered the Western restaurant with affection and spread a massive amount of lovey-dovey sweetness around, they headed contentedly to the shopping district.

"Noki loves sleeping most of all, so we have to buy the best bedding. Boss, I want these..."

"And you can't always wear your uniform. The East Blue has four proper seasons, so you need clothes for changing weather."

"Toothbrushes, toothpaste, your favorite snacks..."

Watching Ain shop wildly on his behalf, Noki said awkwardly, "There's no need to buy so much. I can buy it once I get to Loguetown."

"How could Loguetown's things be as good as the ones from Headquarters? Noki, let's go look over there..."

In the end, Noki and Ain returned home carrying huge bags and bundles.

With dusk approaching, Noki hurried to prepare dinner while Ain volunteered to help him.

Kizaru arrived early and went into the kitchen to watch Noki cook. "Combining a chef's knife work with swordsmanship—what terrifying talent~"

Noki smiled. "Nothing special."

"Little Ain, you're doing quite well too. You've arranged the ingredients in perfect order~

In my opinion, if the two of you weren't Marines and opened a restaurant instead, business would surely boom. You might even become rich tycoons~"

Noki's eyes lit up. "Admiral Borsalino, can Marines have side businesses? Like opening a restaurant or something?"

"There's no explicit prohibition, so I suppose it's allowed. Kid, are you thinking of getting a side job?"

"I'm only thinking about it for now. Maybe in the future. Navy pay is just too low. Even the bounties paid for arresting wanted criminals aren't much."

"If Sakazuki heard you say that, he'd definitely scold you. As a Marine, you actually care about money? Have you abandoned the Navy's honor already~"

"I'll have to trouble you to keep it secret for me, Admiral. By the way, I heard your salary seems to be the highest among the three admirals. Do you have any tricks for making money?"

"It's simple. As long as they don't pay me enough, I uphold a work-without-effort attitude. Over time, my salary naturally goes up~"

"So that's how it is. No wonder..."

So the saying that, with enough pay, he would kick an Emperor of the Sea into retirement wasn't entirely a joke.

That night,

Kizaru got the lavish dinner he had wished for and readily agreed to continue Noki's training the next day.

Over the following days, Noki lived a very fulfilling life. Every day, aside from practicing the development of his Devil Fruit abilities with Kizaru, he went home to cook.

In the blink of an eye, five or six days passed.

The transfer order from Headquarters finally arrived, ordering Noki to report to Loguetown as soon as possible.

Garp happened to be going home to visit his family and planned to give Noki a ride along the way.

Naturally, Noki agreed.

When Ain and the other officers learned Noki was leaving, they all rushed to the harbor to see him off.

"Noki, once you leave, we might not get to eat your cooking for an entire year."

"Yeah, yeah. Come back early once you've finished your training."

"We don't want you to go!"

"But with Noki's strength, can a place like the East Blue really serve as training?" Momonga raised a doubt.

Garp got annoyed and shouted, "What's wrong with the East Blue?! This old man came from the East Blue! Are you looking down on me?"

"Wouldn't dare..."

Ain secretly glanced at everyone. While no one was paying attention, she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lush red lips to Noki's.

"Noki, when you get to the East Blue, don't forget to use a Den Den Mushi to let me know you're safe. When I'm not around, make sure you eat all three meals every day. Don't skip breakfast just because you overslept, and also..." Ain listed a whole string of things, carefully reminding him of each one.

Noki found it amusing. "Why do I feel like a mother sending her son off?"

"Hmph, do you think I'm old?" Ain became a little upset when she heard that.

"I think my Ain is thoughtful and attentive. You'll definitely be a good mother in the future."

Thinking about having children with Noki in the future, Ain's pretty face reddened as though it might drip blood.

Garp strode over to them. "Kid, are you two lovebirds done saying goodbye? It's time for us to go."

"Ain, I'm leaving."

"Mhm. Be careful on the way..." Ain's gaze remained fixed on Noki's retreating back.

Noki turned around, hoisted his heavy luggage, and boarded Garp's dog-headed warship.

Garp's adjutant was named Bogard, a swordsman who liked wearing gray suits.

Known for his calm and steady nature, he served as Garp's indispensable right-hand man and offered him counsel.

Once Bogard saw that everyone was present, he ordered the Marines to weigh anchor and raise the sails.

Garp's warship did not pause for even a moment as it set sail from Marineford's harbor.

Ain did not leave until the warship had completely disappeared into the distance.

As a rear admiral from Headquarters, Noki had been assigned a private cabin aboard the warship.

After putting away his luggage, Noki went out to stroll around the deck.

The Marines occasionally glanced at him with curious eyes.

They seldom had opportunities to see Noki.

For some of them, this was even their first time seeing him. Sure enough, his beauty was as breathtaking as the rumors claimed.

If he wore women's clothes, his charm would surely surpass every woman at Headquarters!

Bogard was directing the crew on deck.

Noki stepped forward with a smile to greet him. "Rear Admiral Bogard, long time no see."

"Long time no see. The last time I saw you was probably when you sparred with Vice Admiral Garp."

Noki did not particularly want to recall being beaten up by Garp, so he changed the subject. "I've always heard that Rear Admiral Bogard's swordsmanship is exceptional, outstanding even among the vice admirals. I wonder whether I might have the chance to experience it for myself?"

A faint smile appeared on Bogard's cool face. "Of course. I've long heard of your reputation as the Navy's greatest genius. I've wanted to see just how formidable this genius really is."

"Can we fight on the warship?"

"The regulations don't allow it, but Vice Admiral Garp's ship has never been too concerned with rules. As long as we don't deliberately damage the facilities, it's fine."

"Alright!"

Bogard had the Marines clear out a space.

The two assumed their stances, ready to strike.

Standing nearby with a bag of Senbei in hand, Garp laughed loudly. "Noki, you really can't stay still, can you? Bogard isn't some ordinary adjutant. You're still not his match."

"You won't know until you try."

Noki pushed Golden Scale from its sheath at his waist with his thumb. Sunlight fell upon its blade, reflecting a dazzling golden gleam.

"A fine sword!"

Bogard drew his own blade as well.

Their expressions sharpened, and they attacked almost simultaneously. They shot forward at speeds the naked eye could barely follow, collided in midair, and unleashed a violent burst of air.

"So strong..."

The surrounding Marines were dumbfounded.

It was not as though they had never seen Bogard fight, but this was the first time they had seen him so serious.

When they encountered pirates in the past, Vice Admiral Garp would usually go in and knock them out with a couple of punches while Bogard stood by to cover him. Bogard rarely needed to act himself.

"Your blade style carries some of Momonga's sword intent, along with quite a bit of Gion's flavor. It's truly interesting."

"You're not bad yourself."

Seeing that neither could gain the upper hand, the two temporarily retreated.

Noki swung the gleaming Golden Scale in his hand, unleashing a golden slash.

Bogard answered with a green slash, and the two were evenly matched once more.

Then Bogard stopped probing and went all out, his speed suddenly doubling.

"What a fast blade!"

Noki spread out his Observation Haki, attempting to find the path of Bogard's movements.

Unfortunately, his opponent was too fast; at Noki's level, he found it difficult to catch him.

He could only rely on his muscles' instantaneous reactions to fend off Bogard's attacks.

In truth, Noki had ways to deal with this situation. He had practiced the Dark-Dark Fruit's abilities with Kizaru for many days, with remarkable results. He could have used the darkness's gravitational pull to disrupt his opponent's movements, then struck with a fatal blow when he least expected it!

But Noki admitted that his swordsmanship was inferior to Bogard's. Without learning, he would never improve. If it had been an especially important battle, he naturally would have used every means at his disposal.

It was only a sparring match. There was no need.

Besides, this had been a contest of pure swordsmanship. Winning with his abilities would not have been honorable.

Noki failed to find a flaw beneath his opponent's swift blade and, unsurprisingly, lost in the end.

Although Bogard had won, he gave Noki extremely high praise. "Rear Admiral Noki, you truly deserve to be called the Navy's greatest genius. If I had been your age, I probably wouldn't even have reached half your level."

Noki sheathed his sword and smiled. "During the journey from Marineford to the East Blue, can I spar with you often, Senior?"

"I'd be delighted. It's rare to encounter an opponent at your level."

Garp sat to the side, clapping loudly. "Hahaha! Looks like this voyage won't be so boring for this old man. There'll be quite a few good shows to watch."