It was a sunny, pleasant day. On Tsuru's warship,
Kaito was lying on the deck, using Gion's thighs as a pillow while sipping fruit juice she held up for him—utterly relaxed.
The female Marines standing guard nearby didn't even glance over. From their initial shock to now, they'd long grown used to the sight.
Gion gently patted the half-asleep Kaito and asked,
"Hey, got any plans for this trip to Sabaody?"
Kaito stretched and replied lazily,
"Not really. I'll probably just hang around for a year. This time, I'm mainly there to build up some credentials with the World Government."
"The World Government? How'd you end up on their radar?"
"According to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, they want to evaluate me. That place happens to be a favorite haunt of the Celestial Dragons, so they sent me there for a bit of station duty."
"The Celestial Dragons… Kaito, you do understand what that name implies, right?"
"Yeah, it implies a bunch of trash. Honestly, I've heard so much about them that my ears are growing calluses. Don't worry—if they don't mess with me, I won't bother with them."
Seeing that, Gion didn't press further. She just hoped Kaito knew what he was doing.
...
Since Marine Headquarters was close to the Sabaody Archipelago, the warship reached its destination quickly. As soon as they disembarked, Kaito was greeted by rows of Marines lined up in advance. Leading them was the highest-ranking officer stationed here—Rear Admiral Ambust.
Of course, Ambust wasn't here just to welcome Kaito. After all, Kaito only held the rank of Captain for now.
Whoosh—Gion appeared behind Kaito. Ambust immediately stepped forward with the other Marines to greet her.
Kaito shook his head with a smile, thinking to himself that he still lacked the rank to get this kind of treatment. Not that he minded. Gion simply waved to Ambust, indicating that she had delivered her charge and was heading back. She turned to Kaito and smiled gently.
"This is as far as I can take you. I'll be going now."
Kaito nodded with a grin.
"Thanks for everything, Gion."
Gion feigned irritation.
"Why so formal between us?"
Then she pinched Kaito's cheek. Clearly, she was trying to give him some prestige—to make things smoother for him here.
Ambust watched their interaction closely, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He thought to himself: This Uchiha Kaito is no ordinary person. And so young... I'd better tread carefully.
After a few parting words, Gion left. She didn't linger—partly because their relationship had changed from what it used to be, and partly because her own jurisdiction wasn't far from here, so she could visit any time.
Once she was gone, Ambust hurried to Kaito's side. Not daring to put on any airs, he spoke warmly,
"You must be Captain Uchiha Kaito, sent from Headquarters. I'm Rear Admiral Ambust, the commanding officer here. If you need anything, you can come to me."
Kaito replied with a smile,
"I don't have much to ask. I'll be under your command for the time being. I look forward to working with you."
Kaito's attitude put Ambust at ease. It seemed this Uchiha Kaito was approachable after all. No doubt about it—having powerful backing really opened doors. Even though Ambust outranked him, he didn't dare show the slightest disrespect.
After a bit of polite small talk, Ambust led Kaito to Area 66 of the Sabaody Archipelago, where the Marines were stationed.
He brought Kaito to an office and opened the door—only to be stunned. Inside were two women already seated, and he had no idea who either of them were.
One of them had short, curly blonde hair and wore a long orange dress. She sat with her hands folded, smiling gracefully.
The other looked younger, with long blonde hair, a colder expression, glasses, and a fitted black business suit paired with a short skirt. She wore fishnet stockings and black heels.
"Who are you two? What are you doing here?"
Ambust had no time to admire their looks. He immediately assumed a defensive stance and stared them down warily.
Kaito, on the other hand, remained calm. Just based on their appearances, he already had a good guess. The woman with the white hat was Stussy from CP0, and the other was none other than Kalifa—future member of CP9.
Stussy, seeing Ambust on high alert, stood up and handed over an ID. She then covered her mouth with a light laugh and said,
"Ara ara, Rear Admiral Ambust, there's no need to be so tense. We're not here with ill intent. Let me introduce ourselves—we're from the World Government. I'm Stussy, and this is Kalifa."
World Government?
Ambust glanced down at the ID and his pupils shrank. Yet another person far beyond his station.
Just who is this Uchiha Kaito, that such heavy-hitters are showing up like it's nothing?
Regardless, they were all far beyond what a Rear Admiral like him could afford to offend. He could only grit his teeth and endure. After a moment to compose himself, Ambust respectfully returned the ID and said,
"My apologies, Ms. Stussy. I didn't realize. May I ask what instructions bring you here personally?"
Stussy returned to her seat, elegantly crossed her legs, picked up a steaming cup of tea, and lightly blew on it before taking a small sip.
Watching this, Modis muttered to Kaito in his mind,
[Master, this old lady really knows how to put on airs. I'm itching to claw her face off.]
Kaito mentally soothed her.
[Let it go. This woman's not to be underestimated—and she's probably here for me. Let's hear her out first.]
After taking a sip, Stussy set the cup down. Without even glancing at Ambust, she turned her gaze toward Kaito behind him. Still smiling, she spoke:
"I came here to meet our rising Marine star—Captain Uchiha Kaito."
So it really is about him... Alright, you big shots play your games—just don't drag me into it.
Seeing it wasn't about him, Ambust tactfully excused himself and quietly closed the door behind him.
Once Ambust was gone, Kaito spoke up:
"So, Ms. Stussy—what business do you have with me?"
Stussy smiled and shook her head, then pointed to Kalifa beside her.
"While I was curious to meet the Marine's rising star, I'm not the main player here today. I was just tasked with delivering her to you. This is Kalifa. She'll be your secretary during your time here on Sabaody."
Kalifa, hearing her introduction, immediately stood and walked up to Kaito. She bowed at a full ninety degrees, and from Kaito's angle, he had a perfect view of a deep cleavage.
"Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you, Captain Kaito."
Kaito didn't respond right away. Instead, he looked to Stussy.
Stussy understood this was a bit abrupt. After all, Kaito was only a captain—it was a bit much to assign him a personal secretary. But she had already prepared her explanation.
"Appointing Kalifa as your secretary is an internal government decision. She'll handle your daily affairs—your meals, your living arrangements, and your duties. Since you've just come out of the training camp, you don't have much experience yet. And Sabaody is... a very special place. Think of it as the government lending you a helping hand."
Heh. That sounds nice on the surface, but let's be real—they're here to monitor me, right? To see if I'm fit to be their loyal dog?
Still, understanding that didn't mean he had any reason to refuse. Not yet.
With that in mind, Kaito reached out to help the still-bowing Kalifa to her feet, extending a hand to her. Kalifa looked at him with slight confusion. Kaito gave a warm smile and said,
"Then I'll be in your care, Secretary Kalifa."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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