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"Let's assume there really is a soldier's uniform here that would fit you perfectly. But do you really have to wait until your clothes actually burn?" Ikki raised an eyebrow, a little embarrassed, addressing Kujaku in front of him.
"Huh? Ikki, are you saying you want me to take it off right now?" Kujaku's mouth curled at the corners as she looked him up and down.
Some inexplicable feeling had her genuinely looking forward to seeing just how interested in her Ikki really was. At the very least, his reaction proved she still had plenty of charm.
"I never said that. Don't go slandering me," Ikki said, shaking his head. "What I mean is, go find a Marine uniform and change into it first, then come back and I'll test you. That way, even if your clothes end up burned, you'll still have your original ones to change back into, won't you?"
He wasn't joking. If Kujaku really went back wearing a Marine uniform, Hina, who'd traveled with them before, would absolutely notice something was off. Hina wouldn't say a word about it, since she couldn't care less whether anything was going on between Ikki and Kujaku. But if word of this ever reached Gion or Tsuru, the situation would look very different.
Gion didn't seem to mind him keeping multiple women around, but she and Kujaku were like elder and younger sister to each other, and if rumors ever spread that something was going on between him and Kujaku, there was no telling what Gion would think. Ikki genuinely hoped Gion would rise to Fleet Admiral one day, since it would make his own future plans that much easier, so he was careful to stay on her good side.
Then there was Tsuru to think about, too. Ikki couldn't imagine what she'd do if she found out her granddaughter might be carrying on with him. He wasn't exactly afraid of Tsuru, but he was still standing inside Marine Headquarters, and some things were worth being careful about.
Kujaku took a step back and studied him carefully. "If you hadn't actually reacted to me a moment ago, based on what you just said, I'd have assumed you weren't interested in my charm anymore."
"How could that be? I really do like women like you, with your curves and your queenly presence," Ikki said with a smile.
"So, are you going to pursue me?" Kujaku asked, curious.
"No!" Ikki crossed his arms, decisive.
"What?! That was way too fast!" Kujaku complained.
"Please, I may like your type, but that doesn't mean I intend to chase after you. Besides, I'd rather be the one pursued than do the pursuing myself, and I already have plenty of curvy friends around me, so there's no rush on my end. More importantly, if you keep this up, I really am going to leave. I don't think you'd want to race me," Ikki said, shaking his head.
"Alright, alright, I'll do as you say." Kujaku waved a hand and turned to go find a uniform that would suit her.
She knew her strength was no match for Ikki's, and her speed even less so. Ikki's speed when wielding Thunder Breathing swordsmanship was already something of a legend among the Marines, and if he really decided to run, no amount of scrambling on her part would let her catch up.
Better, then, to simply do as he asked. At the very least, they still needed to find out whether she was also suited to Flame Breathing before there was anything else to discuss.
"So, what do you think of me now?" Kujaku, now dressed in the standard uniform of a Marine recruit, tipped her cap playfully in front of Ikki and smiled.
Looking at her, Ikki found himself thinking, for no clear reason, of Nami back on his own crew.
'Could it be because Nami wore a Marine uniform too, back in the original story?'
Ikki shook the thought off and gave Kujaku a thumbs up.
"A beauty is a beauty. You'd look stunning even in the plainest recruit uniform there is," Ikki said.
"Really? Then which do you think looks better, me now or me before?" Kujaku asked, clearly intrigued, walking closer to him.
"Of course the clothes you picked out yourself beat some ordinary recruit's uniform. Setting everything else aside, recruit uniforms aren't skirts to begin with. If you're not showing a little leg, it barely counts as civilized," Ikki said, shaking his head.
Kujaku had always been young and lovely, and her old outfit had shown off her long, snow white legs, which seemed to carry a faint glow whenever the sunlight caught them. In this uniform, though, all that remained visible was her pretty face and the figure only faintly hinted at beneath the slightly snug fabric. For sheer attractiveness, the recruit uniform cost her a fair few points compared to before.
"I never expected you to say that. In that case, how about I suggest to Grandma Tsuru that all future female Marines wear skirts?" Kujaku asked with a smile.
"Let's just forget about that. I'd rather not bother Tsuru with something like this," Ikki said, making an X with his arms.
He wasn't kidding. Marines weren't schoolgirls; they were headed for the front lines. Even though Ikki quite liked the idea of female Marines in skirts, he didn't think it was something that could realistically happen.
"Really? I was sure you'd agree right away. Or, how about I just take it upon myself to make your idea a reality, starting now?" Kujaku said.
"You? And how exactly are you going to manage that?" Ikki asked, curious.
"It's simple. All I need to do is change into a new Marine uniform with a skirt, right?"
At that, Kujaku raised a hand and ran it over her own trousers with a faint hiss. In an instant, the trousers shortened into shorts, and the long stretch of snow white leg that had just been hidden was on display again.
"How about it? Doesn't this grab your attention a little more now?" Kujaku deliberately lifted one leg and winked at him.
"It's certainly more eye-catching, but I do have one question. That doesn't look like a skirt. It looks like shorts," Ikki complained.
"Don't take it so seriously, Ikki. I'm no tailor, this is the best I can manage," Kujaku said.
"But don't you have that Devil Fruit ability that lets you shape and control inanimate things? Can't you just train these shorts of yours into a proper skirt?"
Kujaku's expression went strangely blank.
"Huh? What's with that look?" Ikki asked, curious.
"Ikki, you really are a genius." Kujaku stepped forward and grabbed his hand, shaking it with something close to excitement.
A question mark all but appeared over Ikki's head.
"I never imagined my ability could be used like that. Maybe I really can turn pants into a skirt with it. And not just that, maybe I can make my clothes shift however I like, whenever I like," Kujaku said.