The betting pool had been chaotic, with Kalifa emerging as the clear victor among both groups. Her instincts had served her well, and now she sat smugly counting her winnings.
Koala and Kujaku had fared decently enough. It wasn't the jackpot, but at least they'd walk away with something in their pockets.
Violet, however, stared glumly at the table. She'd bet wrong. Twice. There would be no new dresses or jewelry this month—not on her Marine salary.
But even Violet's misfortune paled in comparison to Alpha's devastation. The newly marine and ex government agent had gambled her entire month's salary on the wrong woman. As a mere recruit working the night shift, that salary was all she had to live on.
Her face drained of color as the reality sank in. No clothes. No food. Nothing.
Turning to her sister Kalifa with the most pitiful expression she could muster, Alpha's eyes welled up with tears.
"Sister, please... I need food," she whimpered, her large eyes glistening.
"Hmph." Kalifa pushed her glasses up with one finger, the light reflecting off them menacingly. "Don't look at me like that. Go to the cafeteria and figure it out yourself."
Kalifa hadn't forgotten the prank her troublesome sister had pulled. She gathered her winnings with a satisfied smirk, not forgetting to help the thoroughly intoxicated Vice Admiral Gion to her feet before departing.
With her sister proving useless, Alpha desperately turned her pleading gaze toward the others. Robin, Koala, and Violet caught her look and immediately stood up in unison, helping Kujaku and Hancock to their feet before escaping to their respective quarters.
Only Yamato remained, carelessly lounging in her chair with a broad grin.
"It's fine!" Yamato declared, patting Alpha on the shoulder with enough force to nearly knock her over. "Keep your share. And if that's not enough, swing by the Marine Academy anytime! I'll treat you to something delicious."
Alpha burst into tears. Her own sister had abandoned her, yet her supposed rival was the one showing her kindness.
In the end, not only was Alpha's food secured for the next month, but Yamato also helped her stumble back to her quarters as the night concluded.
As for the mess left behind in the restaurant—well, that would be a problem for whoever woke up first the next day.
Time flew by swiftly, and before anyone knew it, afternoon had arrived the following day.
Vice Admiral Luffy, who had worked diligently until dawn, was reluctantly roused from his slumber by the persistent ringing of a Den Den Mushi.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Princess Mansherry poked her head out from beneath the covers and yawned widely.
"Ha~ honey, good morning," she mumbled drowsily.
Luffy took a quick shower and was about to get dressed when he glanced out the window. The sun was already setting on the horizon. He walked back to the bed and gently pinched Mansherry's cheek.
"Please, my princess, look outside. It's already afternoon," he chuckled
"Eh?!"
Startled, Mansherry turned to look out the window. Sure enough, judging from the position of the sun, it was already around three o'clock.
"Ah, it's so late!" she exclaimed, suddenly panicking. "I need to get to the hospital immediately!"
She attempted to throw off the covers, but as soon as she lifted a corner of the quilt, a chill swept over her skin. That wasn't all—a dull ache pulsed through her lower body.
Only then did she fully remember what had transpired between her and Luffy the previous night—or more accurately, early that morning. Realizing she wasn't wearing anything beneath the covers, her face flushed crimson. She quickly wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, retreating deeper into the bed until only her head remained visible.
"No, no! You go out first," she stammered. "I'll change after you leave."
Looking at Mansherry bundled up like a Tontatta dumpling, Luffy couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.
"What are you hiding? I've seen everything there is to see already," he said
"Besides, I've already called in leave for you. You can rest at home or go out with Koala if you'd like. No need to worry about the hospital today."
"Eh, really?"
Mansherry tilted her head in confusion. Believing his words, she naively lifted the quilt to examine the source of her discomfort.
"Ah! It's all swollen! It hurts!" she cried out, immediately activating her Heal-Heal Fruit powers to begin healing herself.
In truth, they had been so caught up in their passionate night that she'd forgotten to treat herself afterward. Seeing her so unabashed, starting her self-treatment right in front of him, Luffy couldn't restrain himself any longer. With a swift motion, he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.
"Wait! I'm not finished healing yet!" she protested.
"We can wash and heal at the same time," Luffy replied with a grin that sent small sparks across his teeth. "It won't waste much time anyway."
And so, after spending well over an hour in the bathroom—far longer than either had intended—Luffy hurriedly dressed in his Vice Admiral uniform and made his way to his office on the fourth floor.
Pushing the door open with more force than necessary, causing the wood to slightly char where his fingers had touched it, Luffy asked directly:
"What's going on? Where is this visitor I've heard about?"
Inside his office, Kalifa and Kujaku were diligently processing paperwork, the organized stack a testament to their efficiency.
On the nearby sofa sat Hina, Boa Hancock, and Gion, all three arranged in a neat row with identical expressions of agony on their faces.
This wasn't because they had drunk too much the previous night. With their physiques, the alcohol would have metabolized long ago.
No, the truth was that Hina and Gion, upon waking at noon and still smarting from their defeat, had been unable to accept Hancock's victory. With the Snake Princess taunting them with her usual haughty remarks, the three women had simply decided to settle things with three additional rounds of drinking competition—this time with the finest red wine available in Marine Headquarters.
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