Quitting Smoking for Hina

"You've gotten stronger again. Hina is surprised."

Hina calmly lit a cigarette and held it between her lips, her face maintaining its usual indifferent, proud expression.

Her hands rested on her slender waist, and her tailored purple suit outlined her stunning curves, especially the pair of full breasts tightly wrapped across her chest, round and perky like inverted jade bowls.

That figure was practically cheating...

Kane clicked his tongue in admiration, grinning as he shook his slightly numb palm.

"Your rate of improvement is even more outrageous, isn't it?"

The last time they met, Hina had not yet mastered Haki. Yet this time, she could use it directly. It was simply unbelievable.

Though the young Hina always wore a stern expression, she had more of a girlish temperament than she would ten years later. Perhaps because of Kane's influence, she was especially combative whenever she faced him, attacking the moment they met.

I should've gone easier on her when we sparred at Marine Headquarters...

As the thought crossed his mind, Kane raised a hand and plucked the cigarette from Hina's lips.

"Smoking is bad for your health. It'll turn you into an old lady decades early, too."

"Are you worried about Hina's health? Hina is surprised."

"Who'd worry about something as strange as that?"

Kane brought the filter to his nose and sniffed it. Beneath the scent of tobacco was the fragrance of peach toothpaste.

With a casual flick, he sent the cigarette tracing a graceful arc before it drifted lightly into the sea.

Hina tilted her head lazily as she watched. The corner of her lips, where Kane's fingers had touched, felt strange, but she did not want to wipe it in public. Instinctively, she stuck out her tongue and moistened it.

When she realized what she had done, even the tip of her tongue felt strange. She unconsciously pressed her lips together, swallowed, and now even her throat and chest began to tighten.

Just as Kane had said, her body was starting to feel strange!

To stop that strange sensation from spreading any further, Hina gave a light cough and said,

"Marine Headquarters approved your transfer application. Hina came to pick you up."

"Why are you talking like that? Is your throat uncomfortable? See? Smoking really is bad for your health." Kane naturally came to that conclusion.

You're the one who's bad for Hina's health!

Hina shot Kane a sidelong glare, cleared her throat, and continued,

"Hina will depart in one hour. Hina hopes that will be enough time for you to pack."

"More than enough." Kane turned to Robin and said, "Carina, pack our luggage. We're leaving in an hour."

Robin gave a quiet acknowledgment and quickly turned away. Other than Kane, she did not want to get close to any Marine.

After leaving the handover work to his sergeant, Kane began chatting with Hina.

"Where am I being transferred to?"

"Teacher Zephyr thinks highly of you. He's trying to secure the position of base commander at the G-5 Branch for you."

Kane looked surprised. "I'm only a lieutenant colonel. Shouldn't the lowest-ranking base commander of the G-5 Branch be a rear admiral?"

Hina said nothing, merely looking at Kane with a wistful expression.

"You're promoting me?" Kane suddenly understood, but an even greater doubt immediately surfaced.

"I don't have the achievements required for three consecutive promotions, so there are other conditions?"

"That's right."

Hina nodded, her expression somewhat complicated.

She remembered that when they had first met, Kane's only impression on her had been that he was exceptionally considerate toward women.

Coupled with his tall, handsome appearance and his free-spirited yet measured manner of speaking and acting, he was naturally more popular with women than the male gorillas at Marine Headquarters who only knew how to shout and show off their muscles.

Yet she had never expected that, after only a few training sessions at Marine Headquarters, Kane would completely overturn her impression of him.

Clever and composed.

Diligent and eager to learn.

Growing at an astonishing pace.

Possessing incredibly strong combat instincts.

As those virtues, which usually only revealed themselves with time, bloomed one after another in him, Hina felt that Kane, who had initially merely been somewhat pleasing to the eye, was becoming increasingly dazzling.

But he was only twenty years old!

He had only been in the Marines for four years!

What a freak...

Hina sighed inwardly, gathered her thoughts, and continued,

"Because of Teacher Zephyr's recommendation, Vice Admiral Tsuru has decided to let you participate in a secret operation.

"After the operation succeeds, you will receive an exceptional promotion to brigadier general at Marine Headquarters and become the base commander of the G-5 Branch."

"Teacher Zephyr actually thinks that highly of me." Kane looked moved, deeply regretting that Zephyr was a man.

After all, an elder's appreciation for a junior also counted as affection. He had copied Giant Tribe strength from a female Giant Marine who was about to retire.

"Just so you know." Hina warned him seriously,

"If you dare disappoint Teacher Zephyr, Hina will be very angry!"

Kane shrugged casually and stepped a little closer to Hina, who was staring at him with a serious expression.

"Do you know that you look pretty cute when you're angry?"

"Hina isn't joking!" Hina looked up at Kane angrily, though an indescribable tremor crept into her voice.

"I know, I know." Kane patted Hina's shoulder and shrugged with a smile. "I don't want you to be angry at all.

"By the way, can you tell me anything about this secret operation? Of course, if you don't know or can't disclose it, just pretend I never asked."

Hina felt Kane's scorching breath brush past her hair, and she tilted her head awkwardly.

"Unfortunately, Hina doesn't know the details of the operation. However..."

"However what?"

Kane raised a brow and leaned a little closer to Hina.

This time, his hot breath brushed past Hina's ear, making her heart skip a beat.

She did not like men standing too close to her, but if it was Kane...

Hina's eyelashes trembled. She remained where she was, rolled her eyes at Kane, and only then continued,

"However, this mission is highly classified. The location is in the North Blue, where we will rendezvous with Vice Admiral Tsuru."

"North Blue? We?" Kane looked at Hina in surprise. "You're going too?"

Hina remained serious, though her brows rose slightly in an almost imperceptible, smug curve.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru said that Hina needs to adapt to her Devil Fruit ability as soon as possible, and Hina's power will play a major role in the operation."

"You ate a Devil Fruit?"

Kane recalled Hina's future epithet, Black Cage, and could not help smiling knowingly.

Seeing his smile, Hina felt inexplicably annoyed. "What are you laughing at? Aren't you curious about Hina's Fruit ability?"

"Of course I am!" Kane put on just the right expression of curiosity. "What is your Fruit ability?"

A rare faint smile appeared on Hina's face. She said nothing, only raised her slender arm and lightly swung it toward Kane.

Kane stood still and watched quietly as Hina's arm smoothly passed through his body.

The sensation was peculiar, like a gentle breeze passing through him, except a hard, dark iron ring formed where it passed, firmly binding him in place.

Kane strained against it. The iron bars were incredibly hard, and for the moment, he could not break free.

Hina watched Kane struggle with satisfaction, but the warm sensation of her arm passing through his body flashed through her mind. Her arm felt strangely numb and uncomfortable.

Crack!

Hina's smile froze on her face. As the sound of metal shattering rang out, Kane's arm muscles bulged as he strained with all his might, and the iron bars around him shattered inch by inch!

"Y-You... how did you do that?" Hina's face filled with shock.

"I coated my arms with Armament Haki, then used a little strength to break free."

Kane shrugged as though it were only a trivial matter.

"A little... strength? Hina cannot understand!"

Hina's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

She had tested it back at Marine Headquarters. The iron bars were as hard as steel, and not one of Teacher Zephyr's trainees had been able to break free!

This guy...

Really was a freak!

Kane ground the fallen chunks of iron beneath his foot. They were so hard they hurt his sole, and his heart immediately burned with excitement as he looked at Hina with blazing eyes.

This ability...

Had immense potential for imprisonment and restraint!

An hour later, Kane stood by the rail of the warship as it gradually sailed away, watching the neatly lined-up Marines at the harbor. Then he suddenly grinned.

"You bastards! You're lucky. I'm heading to the New World to kick pirate ass!"

The moment his words fell, the Marines at the harbor all saluted and shouted themselves hoarse,

"Pervert Boss! May your martial fortune prosper!"

Afterward, the crowd erupted into a chaotic clamor.

"Idiot officer! Don't come back!"

"We'll definitely write to the vice admirals at Marine Headquarters and have them kick your ass!"

"Asshole! Thanks for looking after us all these years!"

Hina, standing nearby, blinked. She vaguely understood why Teacher Zephyr had insisted on recommending Kane for the position of base commander at the G-5 Branch.

She could not help looking forward to seeing what sparks Kane would create with those unruly people.

As her thoughts turned, Hina unconsciously took out a cigarette, only for Kane to snatch the pack from her hand.

"What are you doing? That's Hina's..." Confusion flashed through Hina's dark eyes.

"I told you smoking is bad for your health." Kane casually tossed the cigarettes into the sea. "And minors aren't allowed to smoke."

"Hina is already an adult..."

Hina had barely begun to protest when a lollipop was shoved into her mouth. In the instant she froze, the distinctive sweetness of peach had already spread across her tongue.

Peach...

This guy...

Hina pursed her lips around the lollipop. The sweet flavor spread from her tongue to the tip of her nose, then seeped into her chest with each breath, adding a hint of sweetness even to her heartbeat.

"Eat these instead from now on."

Kane stuffed a box of lollipops into Hina's pocket, patted her shoulder, and said,

"I bought plenty. Come ask me for more when you've finished them."

With that, Kane stretched lazily and left the rail, leaving Hina with his carefree, unrestrained back.

And on a glowing screen visible only to him, a line of small text flickered.

[Hina's affection has reached 37. The first ability copy can begin.]