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"Okay, don't worry, and stop looking at me like that," Ikki said, waving his hand. "I have this Demon Slayer Mark thing, but it won't mess with my lifespan. It didn't show up before because I didn't let it."
"That's a relief! I thought you were gonna die soon," Tashigi sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.
Nami, Vivi, and the others relaxed too.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier? You made us worry for nothing!" Nami complained, hitting Ikki's chest.
"But now that I think about it," she added, looking closer, "the mark actually makes you look better. Wait—doesn't it make other swordsmen get marks too? If we hang around you, will we end up with them?"
Nami's eyes widened in panic, though she didn't back away.
"Don't worry, my mark is special," Ikki assured her. "Anyone who gets a mark near me won't die young either. If you get one while you're around me, Nami, yours will work like mine. So don't sweat it."
"You're my first crew member. You think I'd risk your life for power?" Ikki flicked Nami's forehead as she yelped, then nodded to Nojiko and Vivi before turning to Tashigi and Smoker.
"Tashigi, Smoker, thanks for worrying about me. I'm fine."
Smoker nodded. "Not my business, but I see you're married now. And to the princess of Alabasta. How'd that happen so fast?"
As Smoker asked this, Tashigi's head shot up, her eyes fixed on Ikki.
"Well, it's a long story," Ikki replied, glancing at Vivi with a smile.
"Keep it short," Smoker pressed.
"You curious?"
"Let's just say I am," Smoker replied awkwardly. He couldn't exactly admit he was asking for Tashigi's sake.
"We can talk about that later," Ikki suggested. "I doubt you came just to ask about my love life. After all, you even brought a Marine Admiral candidate along."
Ikki nodded toward Vice Admiral Gion, who stood nearby.
"On one hand, we're investigating Baroque Works and Crocodile," she explained. "On the other, we want to know more about how you two defeated him. There's also the matter of Crocodile's goal. He used his position to hunt for an Ancient Weapon. Keep that quiet, okay? The Marines and World Government don't want that getting around."
Ikki nodded. If news about Pluton got out, Alabasta might face more threats like Baroque Works. For Vivi's sake, he'd keep his mouth shut about it.
"Interested in joining the Marines?" Gion asked.
"Join the Marines? No thanks," Ikki replied bluntly.
"That's a shame," Gion shook her head, though she didn't seem surprised. She was just checking a box on Sengoku's to-do list.
"I've heard you're a swordsman with a unique style," she continued, resting her hand on Konpira at her waist. "How about a match?"
Evaluating Ikki's fighting skills was another of her tasks. Hina had said he shouldn't have been able to beat Crocodile, so naturally, Gion was curious. Plus, as a swordsman herself, she had a thing for unique styles.
"So the Admiral candidate wants to fight me? Interesting," Ikki remarked, eyes gleaming. "But just fighting is boring. If I win, will you give me your Konpira?"
Ikki placed his hand on his sword, eyeing Gion's blade. In the One Piece world, there was no official classification for Konpira, but as a Marine Admiral candidate's weapon, it had to be at least a grade sword.
"You want my sword? Ikki really does have a thing for famous swords, like Smoker said," Gion noted. "But Konpira's been with me for years. I don't really want to bet it... unless..."
The corners of her mouth turned up as she looked at Ikki with interest. Ikki raised his eyebrows—she was clearly open to negotiation.
"Name your price," Ikki said. "What would make you bet Konpira?"
Now that he'd encountered this famous sword, it would be a shame not to try for it.
Tashigi opened her mouth, wanting to stop him, but couldn't bring herself to speak. In her view, no matter how strong Ikki was, he couldn't beat a Marine Admiral candidate. But as a Marine, she couldn't interfere with Gion's plans.
"How about this," Gion proposed. "I don't want your sword. If you beat me, I'll give you Konpira. But in return, you teach me your sword style. And if I win, you still teach me your sword style."
Gion smiled. She hadn't forgotten one of her main reasons for coming—to find out if Ikki's swordsmanship could really make people stronger quickly. If so, she wanted to learn it and maybe share it with other Marines.
As for giving up Konpira, she had no real intention of doing that. The sword had been with her for years, and she didn't want to part with it. Though Ikki was strong, as a Marine Admiral candidate, Gion didn't think he could beat her.
"So whether I win or lose, I gotta teach you my swordsmanship," Ikki shrugged, quickly seeing through her. Clearly, Vivi defeating Crocodile had made the Marines interested in his sword techniques.
'Even if you learn it, doesn't mean you can teach it to others,' Ikki thought with a slight smile.
"Alright, I want to see how I stack up against the best anyway," Ikki said. "I accept your terms. Win or lose, I'll show you my swordsmanship. But if you don't have the talent for it, that's on you."
A fight with Gion would be interesting. Beyond her technique, her sword realm alone intrigued Ikki. After all, beating a swordsman could let him get their sword realm. As a Marine Admiral candidate, her skills had to be top-notch.
"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to teach me," Gion replied with a smile, clearly expecting results.
"Let's do it in three hours," Ikki suggested. "I just finished training and need to recover and get used to my current strength."
Though he'd beaten Yoriichi Tsugikuni, it hadn't been easy. Plus, Ikki needed to get familiar with his new Mountain-Cutting Realm, Demon Slayer Mark, and Transparent World abilities. Even with Zangetsu's true power, he wanted to be ready when facing someone of Gion's caliber.
Ikki pulled Sandai Kitetsu from his waist and handed it, with its scabbard, to Vivi. Against Gion, he wouldn't use Two Sword Style. The Sun Breathing style, which worked best with the Demon Slayer Mark and his other powers, was his best bet.
"That works for me," Gion agreed. "Before our match, we have some questions for you, Princess Vivi, and your crew."
"Actually, I was heading to a hot spring," Ikki replied, pointing toward the gym door. "Can we do the questions later?"
Gion glanced where Ikki was pointing, thinking for a moment. Then she smiled and said, "If you don't mind, I could ask my questions while you're there."