Kujaku

After leaving Monet's cabin, a satisfied Kane had barely returned to the deck when a petite figure came flying at him like an arrow loosed from a bow!

Kane jumped in surprise. Taking a closer look, he saw that it was Kujaku, whom he had not seen since their trip to Minion Island.

Kujaku charged toward him with her eyes shining, her face full of eager excitement. One hand remained hidden behind her back as she ran, as though she were concealing something.

Kane had excellent eyesight and spotted the swaying tip of a whip. He immediately understood and turned to run.

When they had parted last time, Kujaku had said she would whip him. She was putting that promise into action!

"Dammit, Kane! Don't run!"

"Only an idiot wouldn't run!"

"Don't run! I have a gift for you!"

"Take it out and let me see it first!"

"Look!"

As she spoke, Kujaku pulled out two Log Poses, but the hand gripping her whip remained behind her back, secretly gathering strength.

"I took out the gift, so stop right there! No more running!"

"Like hell I'd believe you!"

Kane kept his distance from Kujaku. He did not have any strange fetishes; getting whipped was impossible. Absolutely impossible in this lifetime.

Kujaku chased after Kane in a furious rage, no longer bothering to keep up the act. She drew her whip and lashed it toward him, but could not touch so much as a hair on his head.

As Kane dodged, he thought of something and quietly opened the light screen.

[Kujaku's favorability has reached 70. The second ability copy may now begin.]

[The first copy has not yet been used. Please choose any two of the following abilities to copy:]

[1. Whip Mastery (Proficient)]

[2. Six Powers (Skilled)]

[3. Observation Haki (Beginner)]

[4. Armament Haki (Beginner)]

[5. Cooking (A Style of Her Own)]

[6...]

After a glance, Kane saw that there was still no Devil Fruit ability. The look he gave Kujaku immediately turned strange.

No wonder some people said it was not people who chose Devil Fruits, but Devil Fruits that chose the inheritors of their will.

With peculiar and perverted tastes like Kujaku's, if the Whip-Whip Fruit did not choose her, who would it choose?

Whoosh!

The sound of tearing air rang out. Kujaku's whip suddenly went taut, its tip crossing the distance like a spear as it stabbed straight toward Kane's back.

Without even looking, Kane reached back and caught the whip's tip in his hand. Then he gave it a sharp tug, intending to throw Kujaku off balance.

But the faint force coming through the whip made him freeze. The next moment, Kujaku followed the force of his pull and threw herself at him, her face wearing the blissful grin of someone whose scheme had succeeded.

Kane saw it clearly. If he dodged, Kujaku would definitely hit the deck hard—but she was still clutching the Log Poses for Red Port and Impel Down!

If those things broke, they would lose even more time. Left with no choice, Kane could only remain where he was and protect his vital areas, lest Kujaku touch somewhere she should not when she latched onto him.

"Got you!"

Kujaku cheered as she pounced onto Kane. Using both hands and feet, she locked herself onto his back, buried her face in his Justice coat, and took a deep breath. A satisfied, dazed grin spread across her face.

"Hehe, Kane smells like desserts~"

"You smell like a pervert."

"Mean Kane~"

Though she said he was mean, Kujaku only locked herself around him more tightly.

Kane was utterly speechless. He snatched the Log Poses from Kujaku's hand and handed them to the approaching Hina.

"You're more familiar with the Grand Line than I am. Set course for Red Port."

Hina accepted the Log Poses and glanced at Kujaku hanging from Kane. The lollipop in her mouth cracked with a muffled crunch as she turned and left with an unhappy expression.

A moment later, the warship changed course. The sea breeze filled the sails like drums, while the sound of breaking waves came from the bow.

Kane beckoned to the timidly standing Baby 5. Baby 5 immediately ran over with a beaming smile, allowing Kane to lift her onto his shoulders.

Kujaku curiously watched Baby 5. She did not know her, but the bright smile on Baby 5's face as she sat on Kane's shoulders made Kujaku a little envious.

Suddenly, Kujaku felt that Kane's shoulders seemed like a nice place too, and she became eager to try them for herself.

Just as she was plotting how to steal that treasured seat from Baby 5, she suddenly met Kane's gaze from above.

Then Kane suddenly asked in a low voice, almost as if talking to himself:

"Gion had barely left before you showed up. I'd say you came on purpose to avoid her."

"I did not..."

Kujaku reflexively retorted, but then realized it was Kane speaking. She pouted and turned her head away, though her cheek remained pressed tightly against Kane's back.

"I don't want to see her..."

"She only smacked your butt with a bamboo sword a few times. Was that really worth holding onto all this time?"

"I am holding onto it!"

Kujaku craned her neck and shouted:

"Not only am I holding onto it now, I'll keep holding onto it in the future too!

"Once I'm stronger than her, I'll whip her back! Ten times, a hundred times as hard! Hmph!"

Kane could not help laughing as he recalled how Kujaku and Gion had become enemies.

Kujaku, who had grown up at Tsuru's side, had displayed exceptional talent from a young age. Naturally, she joined the Marines and entered the recruit training camp.

At the time, Gion was an instructor. In her eyes, there was no difference between the descendants of vice admirals and fishermen's sons—only recruits who could take a beating and recruits who could take even more of one.

As for how she distinguished them, it was simple: talent.

As a remarkably gifted recruit, Kujaku was quickly noticed by Gion, followed by training so intense it could only be described as terrifying.

Kujaku, who had never suffered setbacks growing up, had never experienced anything like that. She broke down on the third day. Kane, who was in the same batch and could not stand Gion's methods, stepped forward to stop her.

As a result, the bamboo sword that should have landed on Kujaku instead landed on Kane—with its intensity tripled.

From that day on, Gion divided recruits into three categories.

Recruits who could take a beating, recruits who could take even more of one, and...

Kane.

Because of that, in the training that followed, Kane took over half of the beatings handed out while Gion served as instructor.

There was even one time when Kane had not participated in training at all. He had merely gone to Marine Headquarters on business, only for Gion, who happened to be serving as an instructor, to summon him to the training camp and beat him viciously under the excuse of demonstrating something for the recruits.

Even now, whenever Kane recalled that miserable time, certain parts of his body still seemed to ache with phantom pain.

Although Kujaku had avoided several strikes from the bamboo sword thanks to Kane's protection, Gion had not let her off entirely.

Kane even suspected that Kujaku's strange and perverted preferences had been beaten into her by Gion.

Time passed amid Kane's memories. After an unknown period, Monet timidly came onto the deck, carrying a tray of small desserts.

After nervously looking around, she spotted Kane on the deck.

Just as she was about to approach him, she saw two people clinging to him. She froze, and the smile on her face immediately stiffened.

She knew the one sitting on his shoulders. It was Baby 5.

But she had never seen the one wrapped around him, though she recognized the Marine cap on the girl's head.

Who was she?

Why was she so intimate with Mr. Vergo?

Should I still go over there?

Countless thoughts raced through Monet's mind. After a brief struggle, she still walked toward Kane.

She believed that if she wanted to play the part of an admirer well, this was precisely when she should not retreat.

The sound of footsteps drew the attention of Kane and the other two. They all turned to look and saw Monet shyly approach Kane in tiny steps, lower her head, and hold out the tray in her hands.

"Mr. Kane, I made these desserts myself. I would like you to try them."

Kane looked at Monet holding the desserts, at the blush on her face, and at the way she occasionally sneaked glances at him. Understanding dawned on him.

But before he could respond, Kujaku, who loved desserts, cheered first.

"Wow! Desserts! Kane, feed me!"

"Don't you have hands?"

"No!"

Kujaku shook her head as if it were only natural, tightening her arms around Kane a little more.

Kane suddenly felt as though he had been coiled around by a python, so tightly that even a trace of air was squeezed from his lungs.

With no other choice, he picked up two desserts and fed one each to Baby 5 and Kujaku.

"Kane is the best!"

"I want more!"

Kane rolled his eyes at Kujaku before picking up one more dessert under Monet's slightly awkward but expectant gaze. He took a small bite.

"It tastes good. Thank you."

Monet immediately felt relieved. An inexplicable fullness swelled in her chest, making her heart feel as though it had been soaked in warm honey water as it happily beat.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked nervously:

"Mr. Kane, do you really think it's good? You're not just comforting me, are you?"

Kane gave Monet a gentle smile and nodded.

"I'm not lying to you. It really is delicious. You should have more confidence."

"Th-thank you, Mr. Kane."

Monet was so excited that her voice trembled slightly.

She had never heard such heartwarming words from Kane before. Even if they were lies Mr. Vergo had made up for the sake of his disguise, she wanted to remember them forever.

[Monet's favorability has reached 32. The first ability copy may now begin.]