In the bathroom...
The sound of running water filled the air.
Uchiha Hikari sat under the shower, catching a glimpse of her side through the tile's reflection.
From this angle, she could clearly see Esdeath's tall, fair figure, half-hidden in the steamy mist, her skin glowing like polished jade—unforgettable at a glance.
"Hm? All set?" Esdeath noticed her gaze and turned her head.
The movement revealed her front, accentuating her curves even more.
"Come on, sit down. I'll scrub your back first, then you can do mine."
"...Alright."
Hikari obediently sat on the stool, facing away from Esdeath, her movements almost too compliant.
It wasn't like they hadn't bathed together before, but those times were just that—bathing. They'd soaked in the same pool, like in a modern bathhouse, each minding their own business.
But now...
Helping each other scrub backs felt far more intimate, a first for Hikari.
Especially when...
As Esdeath leaned down, Hikari felt a warm touch on her shoulders and back, making her flinch instinctively, her spine arching like a drawn bow.
"Phew..."
Esdeath placed her towel-free hand on Hikari's shoulder, exhaling softly near her ear, tickling her. "Relax, Lady Hikari. This isn't a battlefield... Though, you being this nervous is kinda rare. Compared to your usual self, you're almost... cuter."
"...Cute? What am I, a kid?" Hikari muttered, carefully easing her body to relax.
Her goal was to avoid too much physical contact.
But Esdeath seemed to lean forward on purpose, the soft sensation making Hikari's newly relaxed body tense up again, her heartbeat picking up a few extra beats.
Then...
Esdeath's voice came from close by. "Looks like they're not that big, huh? Almost like a boy's."
"?"
Hikari glanced back, following Esdeath's gaze to her own chest, her mouth twitching slightly. "If they're too big, they'd just get in the way of moving... But on someone else, I guess it's fine."
Bigger ones could look nice. Like Esdeath's.
She paused.
Then, almost as if possessed, Hikari blurted out, "If I were a boy, would you like that better, Esdeath?"
"Hm?"
Esdeath blinked, caught off guard, then smiled. "Maybe. But... for me right now, a girl works just fine too."
"?!"
Hikari's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to face Esdeath.
Their gazes locked.
The room fell silent, the sound of running water seeming to stop. In the small, enclosed space, their breathing and heartbeats grew louder, a delicate, almost romantic atmosphere brewing, as if the air had taken on a soft cherry-blossom hue.
After a long moment...
Hikari snapped out of it, coughing awkwardly. "Uh... the water's getting cold. My turn to scrub your back."
"...Sure."
Esdeath nodded, her gaze lingering on Hikari's face for a few seconds before handing over the towel. "Thanks, Lady Hikari."
...
Hikari and Esdeath's bath took a bit longer than planned.
When they finally dried off and stepped out, Akame and Leone took their turn, finishing in about ten minutes each.
Then came Eri's turn. She bathed alone but got so caught up playing with her rubber duck under the shower—trying to create a puddle to float it in—that Hikari had to barge in after forty minutes to drag her out. Without intervention, Eri probably would've kept at it for another hour.
Once everyone had cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes...
Hikari and the others left the gravity training room and returned to the deck to catch some fresh air.
By then, Kikyo and Yotsuya had set up tables and chairs on the deck, laying out juices, snacks, and desserts for everyone to enjoy.
Not all the food came from Bulma.
Some of it was brought by Yotsuya and the others from their respective worlds, so even Hikari hadn't tried everything. It was quite the eye-opener.
Meanwhile...
The Blue Planet sailed steadily toward a distant point in the vast sea.
...
"Report, Lord Jack! There's an unfamiliar ship ahead, flying a flag we've never seen. It must belong to another pirate crew!"
On the open sea...
Aboard a massive wooden sailing ship...
The burly man called "Jack" lifted his eyelids, glancing at the crewmember delivering the report.
He was imposing, standing over eight meters tall—a giant even among the Beasts Pirates, where the average height was three meters. His muscular frame, paired with the lifelike ivory tusks adorning his shoulders, made him look like a colossal mammoth, intimidating at first glance.
At that moment...
Jack frowned.
"We're already near Wano. How could there be an unknown pirate crew here...? Did you see who's on that ship?"
"...There are quite a few people on their deck, seems like they're having an open-air meal. Most of them are women and kids."
The crewmember's tone was puzzled.
It was rare to spot other ships in these waters, but it happened occasionally. Those who made it this far into the Grand Line were usually well-known pirate crews or, at the very least, promising newcomers—like when Moonlight Moria challenged Yonko Kaido years ago.
A ship crewed mostly by women was unheard of.
"Lord Jack, should we steer clear of them?"
"That ship feels... off. Lord Kaido ordered us to return to Wano as soon as possible. It's probably best to avoid trouble..."
The crewmember asked cautiously.
"Steer clear?"
Jack snorted, then roared, "Who do you think I am? Pull the ship closer!"