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"Isn't this just common sense? Otherwise, why do you think my companions got stronger so quickly?"
Ikki shrugged and went on. "But you wouldn't want me using those methods on you, would you, Hina? You should know I only use this method on my own crew. As for outsiders, I really don't have that kind of experience."
To help his crew grow stronger quickly, Ikki relied on a rare life potion he'd won through a lottery. The stuff was precious, and there weren't yet enough crew members aboard the Explorer to spare any for outsiders.
Besides, there was no telling whether someone outside his own crew might eventually turn into an enemy after taking it. To stay safe, the most Ikki would offer anyone else was sword training.
"Of course I know that." Hina nodded.
She and Ikki were old acquaintances, so she was well aware of his habits by now. Outsiders wanted Ikki to use on them the same methods he'd used on Nami, Nojiko, and the rest of his crew, but the odds of that happening were slim.
Even if Hina wanted to try Ikki's special methods herself, she'd never get the chance. Getting that kind of opportunity would probably require a relationship like the one between Gion and Ikki.
'Gion and Ikki must be having an affair by now,' she thought. 'Come to think of it, developing something with Ikki myself wouldn't be a bad idea. He's a pirate, sure, but he's far stronger than any of his peers in the Marines. What a shame he's already involved with Gion.'
Thinking this, Hina looked at Ikki with a hint of regret.
"What's that look for? Is there something on my face?" Ikki raised an eyebrow, curious.
"It's nothing," Hina said, shaking her head. "I wasn't asking you to use whatever method makes your crew stronger on Kujaku. I meant physical growth. Ikki, you must have some way to make a girl's body develop quickly, don't you?"
With that, she turned her gaze to Nami and Nojiko. It was the two of them, in particular, who had drawn the most attention.
Hina had seen them both before, and when they'd first met, Nami and Nojiko already had good figures, though nowhere near as striking as they were now. These days the two of them had exactly the proportions every girl dreamed of, the kind that suited their frames perfectly.
Even Hina couldn't help feeling a little envious sometimes. Still, knowing Ikki's personality, it seemed unlikely he'd ever use whatever method that was on her.
Just then Kujaku wandered over, giving Hina the chance to mention the idea to Ikki out loud.
"Really? There's actually a method for that?" Sure enough, Kujaku's curiosity was piqued, and she turned to Ikki with interest.
Before Ikki could answer, Nojiko's voice cut in first. "That's right, Captain Ikki does have a method. If you two are interested in improving your figures, I could put in a word with him on your behalf." Nojiko covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"Really?!" Hina and Kujaku blurted out at once, looking at Nojiko. They were women who loved beauty, after all, so naturally the idea caught their interest.
If there'd been no way at all to improve their figures, that would be one thing, but now that there seemed to be an actual method, the two of them found themselves drawn right in.
"Hey, Nojiko, what exactly are you telling them?" Ikki pulled her aside and murmured in her ear.
"Hehe, Captain Ikki, don't you want to take advantage of them?" Nojiko asked, laughing loudly instead of lowering her voice to match his.
Ikki went quiet at that. Hina and Kujaku were both undeniably beautiful, and he'd certainly be willing to take advantage of them given the chance.
But they were at a sensitive moment now, with the Marineford War about to break out, and trying anything of the sort felt wildly inappropriate.
Nojiko, however, took his silence as tacit agreement. Smiling, she walked over to Kujaku and Hina and rested a hand on each of their shoulders. Neither of them objected, only watching her with curiosity, waiting for an answer.
"Honestly, the method's simple. Just take baths often in Captain Ikki's special space." Nojiko laughed loudly.
Whether a bathroom in a pocket dimension could really produce that kind of effect was beside the point. As long as Hina and Kujaku were willing to go there, they'd inevitably run into Ikki often, and he'd be free to look them over from whatever angle he pleased.
Still, Nojiko genuinely believed the water in that bathroom carried some ability to improve a person's physical attributes, a conclusion she'd drawn from her own long experience using it.
It was nowhere near as effective as the life potions Ikki gave his crew, but it still beat whatever papayas and the like people could find on the market.
"Bathroom?" Kujaku frowned, confused.
"Hehe, you can ask Hina about the bathroom. She's experienced it herself, after all," Nojiko said, laughing loudly.
Hearing that, Kujaku turned to look at Hina.
"Hina, what's your take on this?" Kujaku asked, curious.
"There really are ten enchanted bathrooms in Ikki's special space. After a training session, soaking in one can relieve physical fatigue fast. But I'd never really thought about it improving my figure before."
As she spoke, Hina glanced down at herself, as though comparing whether she'd grown at all. Neither of them said anything for a moment.
"No use looking, Hina. You've barely spent any time in there, so you wouldn't see any change in your numbers," Nojiko said, shaking her head.
"I see." Hina fell quiet at that.
"Don't just go silent on us. Sure, your time in there's been short, but you should feel something at least. Is what Nojiko's saying actually true?" Kujaku grabbed Hina's hand, curious.
"I can't say for certain, but given that it does speed up physical recovery, I suppose it might really have the effect Nojiko described," Hina said.