Later, in the office.
Gion sat on the sofa, legs crossed. She stared at him without blinking, sizing him up.
"Body, ninety-five points. Face, ninety-eight. Height, ninety-nine."
She stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked her lips.
"So then, Lieutenant Commander White Ghost… I'm sure you understand why we're here."
Jin also let his eyes drag over her—especially there.
His body wasn't that of a kid anymore. Muscles filled out, hormones awake. And this woman was frankly… dangerous.
Tokikake watched from the side, sulking.
Damn bastard… so his looks are only three points behind mine…
Why is Gion staring at him like that?!
Jin lit a cigarette, then, after a second thought, pulled out another and held it out to Tokikake.
Tokikake sniffed.
"Trying to buy me off?"
"You really underestimate the great Tokikake."
Jin exhaled smoke.
"This is top-tier East Blue cigarillo stock. Only royal nobles get access to it."
Tokikake froze.
"What?!"
He snatched it, lit it in one smooth movement, and slipped the rest of the pack straight into his pocket.
Jin didn't comment.
He leaned back.
"Yeah, I know why you're here."
"But I've still got a small problem in the East Blue I need to clean up."
He looked at Gion and Tokikake.
"You mind waiting until I'm done?"
Tokikake waved a hand, already puffing away.
"Don't mind, don't mind…"
"Lieutenant Commander White Ghost."
Kanira's voice cut in sharply.
He'd been standing to the side, listening. Smelling the mood turning against him, he panicked.
"Please answer seriously. These two are here from HQ to investigate you. Don't be so casual."
"Oh?"
Jin took a drag and let his gaze slide over.
"What exactly do you want me to 'answer,' Lieutenant Commander Kanira?"
Damn you, Kanira thought, rage bubbling up. Still so arrogant when you're about to go down…
"Answer what?" he snapped aloud. "Answer for—taking bribes!"
Tokikake and Gion didn't say anything, just watched.
Jin spread his hands.
"When did I ever take a bribe?"
Kanira slapped the desk.
"Stop playing dumb!"
"You set rules for the Bartolo Family. They have to give you thirty percent of their monthly income!"
"That's not just bribery, that's extortion!"
"Do you deny it?!"
Jin's eyes filled with amusement and contempt.
"Got witnesses? Got evidence?"
"Bring it out."
"You—"
Kanira's fury spiked.
"Fine!"
"I'll bring the Bartolo Family here to confront you myself!"
He stormed toward the door.
"Do as you like, Kanira the Clown," Jin said lazily.
Tokikake snorted softly at the nickname.
"Stop calling me that!" Kanira shouted, veins bulging. "Don't forget you're under investigation!"
"Pff."
Gion finally couldn't hold it in and laughed.
Click, click, Jin thought. That smile really is something.
A short while later, three people were ushered into the office—Granny Tom, Bartolomeo, and Dezaya.
Kanira slammed his palm on the desk dramatically.
"You three!"
"Tell the truth!"
"Did White Ghost steal your Devil Fruit and force you to pay him protection money?!"
Granny Tom's back was slick with sweat.
Her Observation Haki wasn't what it used to be, but she could still feel it—those two sitting to the side, their auras were terrifying.
These were not people she could afford to provoke.
"No," she said immediately. "That never happened."
Kanira froze.
"What?"
"You—old hag!"
"You refuse a toast, so you'll drink the forfeit, is that it? You'd better cooperate and—"
"There really isn't any such thing, Marine-san." Granny Tom shook her head with a convincingly fearful expression.
"We've never had any contact with that lieutenant commander."
Everyone else in the room rolled their eyes.
If things were really that clean, why were they all here?
But what everyone knew, and what could be put on the record, were two different things.
Kanira jabbed a finger at Bartolomeo.
"You! Brat!"
"You say it!"
"If you don't, I'll send troops to haul in your entire family!"
Bartolomeo clenched his fists. He wanted to shout the truth.
But he remembered what Granny had told him. And he saw that bastard White Ghost sitting there, calm and confident.
In the end, he lowered his head.
"We… we don't know anything."
"Nothing like that ever happened."
Color drained from Kanira's face.
"You… you filthy liars…"
"You're all conspiring to commit perjury! You'll pay for this, all of you!"
"Alright, that's enough. Off you go."
Jin waved a hand at the three.
"Just remember what I said."
"Stay away from the really dirty business, and I'll keep one eye closed."
"Yes. Yes, sir. We understand."
"We'll obey the laws."
The three bowed and left quickly.
Kanira pointed at him, voice breaking.
"Y-you see?!"
"You all saw it!"
"He didn't even bother to hide it!"
"He admitted everything right in front of us!"
"Vice Admiral Gion! Vice Admiral Tokikake!"
"You must arrest him immediately!"
"Someone like that doesn't deserve to be a Marine!"
You're done, you're done, you're DONE, Kanira screamed in his heart. You dug your own grave, White Ghost!
Jin ignored him and looked at Gion and Tokikake.
"Anyway, you two can take a break today."
"Tomorrow I head out to deal with a… small problem."
"If you want to tag along, feel free."
"Once that's handled, I'll go back to HQ with you."
They both nodded without hesitation.
Kanira's stomach dropped.
"Y-you… what…?"
"Alright then, little clown," Jin said, turning to him with a smile.
"Your act is over."
He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a thick stack of files.
"Vice Admiral Gion, Vice Admiral Tokikake."
"These are all reports and witness statements gathered during Kanira's tenure."
"Abuse of authority, breaking regulations, framing colleagues…"
"And a whole lot more."
Kanira's legs went weak.
"This… this isn't funny…"
"H-how…?"
"How can you do this? Aren't you here for him? How can you—how can you do this?!"
Gion took the files, but her eyes never left Jin. She didn't even look at Kanira.
"Got it, White," she said with a sweet smile. "We'll handle it."
Tokikake puffed smoke in Kanira's direction, glaring at Jin with naked jealousy.
"Damn guy… even my smokes got stolen indirectly because of him…"
Kanira panicked.
"You can't do this!"
"You can't!"
"You're supposed to be dealing with him! You can't—!"
Jin blew out a smoke ring.
"Remember what I told you before, Kanira?"
"In this world, as long as you have strength, some things can be glossed over."
He flicked ash into the tray.
"And besides…"
"Who told you they were here to deal with me?"
"Then… w-w-why are they here?" Kanira stammered.
Jin grinned.
"They're here…"
"To deal with you."
He pointed the cigarette at him like a gun.
"For slandering your comrades, throwing your weight around, and generally being a pain in the ass."
"Wh… what…?"
Jin nodded.
"Yep."
"To clean you up."
Kanira's knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor.
"N-no way…"
"No way…"
Gion snapped the file shut.
"Take him away."
"I've seen enough clowns for one day."
Tokikake nodded to the guards at the door.
They clamped hands over Kanira's mouth and dragged him out as he let out muffled sobs.
"Mmff—mmff!!"
Gion stretched with a lazy yawn.
Her coat shifted, curves moving in all the right ways.
"Interested, Lieutenant Commander White Ghost?" she asked, running her tongue along her lower lip and giving him a sultry look.
Jin's gaze inevitably dipped.
He met her eyes again and smirked.
"Heh."
"Between being a eunuch and being a scoundrel…"
"I'll take 'scoundrel.'"
Tokikake spat his cigarette out in outrage.
"You bastard!"
"I challenge you! I refuse to accept this!"
Jin laughed.
"Come on, let's go drink. Tonight's on me. Think of it as a welcome party."
The next day, a Marine warship cut across the East Blue.
"Oi, White Ghost," Tokikake called, sprawled on a lazy chair on deck. "Where are we going again?"
Gion lay on the chair beside him, head turning slightly to listen.
"To a place called Cocoyasi Village," Jin said.
He leaned on the rail, eyes narrowed at the horizon.
"I got word a group of fish-men entered the East Blue and headed there."
"fish-men?" both Vice Admirals said at once.
Jin's smile vanished.
"Yeah."
"A pack of trash."
"We're going to take them out."
"Otherwise they really ruin the view around here."
Gion tilted her head.
"You have a grudge against fish-men?"
"No."
"Then why look like you want to kill someone?"
Jin flicked his cigarette into the sea.
"When we get there…"
"You'll understand."
"Tch. I hate people who only tell half the story," Tokikake grumbled.
He flopped back into his chair, clearly still exhausted from last night.
Didn't help that East Blue girls had turned out wilder than he'd expected.
"Heh. By the way, where'd you two disappear to last night?" Gion asked casually.
She rolled onto her side, chin propped on her hand, eyes twinkling.
Jin rolled onto his side to face her.
"Tokikake said his back was sore from the long voyage…"
"So I took him to get a massage."
"Oh? Just a massage?"
Gion's big, pretty eyes stared straight into his.
Jin kept his face perfectly serious.
"Yep."
"Just a massage."
Tokikake's whole body shuddered.
"Ah—yes, yes. Weather's great today!"
A nearby sailor squinted at the grey sky.
"…Is his eyesight bad? It's gloomy as hell."
Tokikake abruptly stood.
"I'm going to… uh… check the aft deck. See if any pirates are tailing us."
The sailors gave him even stranger looks.
In their heads: What pirate has the guts to chase a Marine HQ warship?
Gion watched him go and sighed.
"Is my charm insufficient?"
"He still has to run around looking for… outside massages?"
Her watery eyes slid back to Jin as she slowly licked her lips.
Jin gave her a once-over.
"Can't deny it."
"You're very attractive."
"Then why go looking elsewhere?" she asked.
Those eyes, that pose, that voice.
It was too much.
Jin flopped flat on his back and stared at the sky like a saint ignoring temptation.
"Pff."
Gion giggled.
Jin sighed.
"I know my limits, Vice Admiral Gion."
"With my current strength, I don't dare to dream too much."
"If someone came to take you away one day…"
"And I couldn't beat them…"
He shrugged.
"That'd be a pain."
"So the safest option…"
"Is to stay away from trouble."
Gion covered her mouth, eyes dancing.
"What an interesting answer, White."
She jiggled a little closer, her perfume subtle and clean.
The sailors quietly migrated to the far side of the deck.
Jin inhaled.
Her scent was soft, not overpowering. Just enough.
He felt the blood rush.
He turned his head and met her gaze.
"You're playing with fire, woman."
"Am I?" she murmured, leaning closer.
"Then what do you want to do about it, Lieutenant Commander White Ghost?"
Jin shot to his feet.
Can't afford it. Won't buy it.
Gion laughed outright.
"What a fun little brat."
A while later, her expression cooled again, the seduction gone as if it had never been there.
"Just like the intel said," she murmured under her breath.
"Knows when to advance and when to retreat."
"Calm."
Tokikake wandered back over.
"Well?"
"What do you think of him?"
Gion stretched again.
"What else?"
"Interesting."
Tokikake squinted at the sea.
"Heh. Brat's not dumb, at least."
"Doesn't dare make a move on you. If he did, a genius like me would never let him go."
Gion kicked him.
"Get lost, Tokikake."
"There is nothing between us."
"Stop spouting nonsense."
Off to the side, Jin quietly exhaled and patted his chest.
"As expected."
"The prettier the woman, the more dangerous she is."
"Good thing I kept my head."
He watched Gion out of the corner of his eye.
What's going on at HQ that they're willing to use someone like me?
Doesn't make sense…
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