The starlight shining in from outside gradually disappeared as the door closed, casting shadows across Daren's blank face until it was completely dark.
With a soft bang, the door gently shut.
Daren even heard, in despair, the sound of Zephyr locking the door.
"…"
The office returned to its dim and quiet state.
The candle flickered atop the desk, illuminating Gion's cold and stunning face. Her delicate red lips and long eyelashes under the shifting light created a unique, mysterious beauty.
But her eyes gleamed with a dangerously cold smile.
Daren suddenly had a very bad feeling. He shrank back uneasily, his throat dry and tight.
"I can tell, Vice Admiral Daren, that someone as important as you is indeed very busy..."
Gion crossed her arms, highlighting her full and exaggerated curves, her smile sharp and cold.
"Ahem, Gion... actually, this is all a misunderstanding."
Daren had no mind to appreciate the scene. His hair stood on end as he stammered out an excuse:
"It's all Tokikake's fault!"
He latched onto the scapegoat like a lifeline, and his tone turned suddenly firm.
"That bastard Tokikake said he was treating me to a late-night snack! That's how we ran into Yamakaji and the others... everyone just ended up drinking together..."
However, faced with Daren's desperate excuse, Gion's cold smile only deepened.
"Can't even come up with a better lie?"
"How could Tokikake possibly treat anyone?"
Daren: "…"
He froze.
Opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
And finally found himself speechless!
That damned Tokikake... He really was stingy!
Seeing Daren's failure to respond, Gion bit her lower lip. Her voice suddenly softened with a touch of grievance.
"So, you've been back for two days..."
Hearing that, Daren's heart twinged. He sighed.
"I really wanted to come find you, Gion... But you know how busy work has been."
"I've barely had a break all day. I'm a special instructor for the new training camp, and I haven't even had time to eat..."
He pulled out the most universal excuse known to men.
Gion fell silent.
"How's Toki-neesan's health?"
She suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Mm, pretty good—" Daren blurted out reflexively, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew something was wrong. Sure enough, Gion's eyes filled again with a chilling murderous intent.
Crap... She's gotten craftier since I last saw her!
Before he could react, Gion took a sudden step forward and straddled him.
"Hiss!!"
Feeling the sharp pain pressing against his already battered backside, Daren gasped, his eyes rolling back, the corners of his mouth twitching madly.
"Wait... Gion..."
He gritted his teeth in pain.
"No!" Gion snapped.
Her eyes brimmed with mist, reddened with stubborn pride and determination.
Watching helplessly as she started tearing at his uniform in frustration, Daren was drenched in cold sweat.
His butt was seriously injured—he could barely walk. If something actually happened here...
"Gion, calm down, this is Zephyr-sensei's office..."
Gion paused for a moment, a flush of shame rising to her cheeks, but almost immediately, her stubborn, proud gaze returned.
"I don't care!"
...
"I wonder what Daren did to get on Gion's bad side..."
Walking out of the teaching building, a relieved smile appeared on Zephyr's face as he smugly lit a cigar.
He knew Gion's personality all too well. She was proud and temperamental.
But having watched her grow up, he couldn't bring himself to hit or scold her—he could only let her be.
"Whatever, as long as it doesn't involve me."
Zephyr thought about it for a while, but when he couldn't figure it out, he simply shook his head and pushed the thought aside.
Just as he stepped out of the building, a miserable howl echoed from the office behind him.
Zephyr: ...
The corner of his eye twitched, and he instinctively quickened his pace.
"Poor kid, Daren..."
...
And so, Daren began a painful yet strangely fulfilling period at Marineford.
Day turned into night, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During that month, aside from occasionally using a Den Den Mushi to communicate with Momonga about the developments of the North Blue fleet, he spent most of his time either instructing the fourth batch of students at the military academy or running back and forth between Toki and Gion.
Combined with the side effects of training Magellan—like constant diarrhea—he was practically holding onto walls just to make it home every day.
...
"I wonder how Magellan's doing..."
Zephyr arrived at a secluded section of the academy grounds. The area had been cordoned off with isolation tape, with a "Toxic" sign placed every twenty meters.
"Zephyr-sensei, this is the protective equipment sent over from the Marine Science Unit."
A Marine second lieutenant respectfully handed over a brand-new set of gear.
"Mm, you can head back."
Zephyr accepted it with a nod.
The second lieutenant didn't dare linger. He shot a wary glance at the cordoned-off zone, where the once-lush greenery had withered, then turned and left without hesitation.
After suiting up in the protective gear and gas mask, Zephyr pulled open the barrier and slowly stepped inside.
Though his strength meant the airborne toxins weren't lethal to him, he had no desire to experience another round of diarrhea.
Plus, with his asthma, his doctors had strongly advised him to avoid exposure to toxic gases.
Moving carefully forward, Zephyr noticed that the closer he got to Magellan's quarters, the denser and darker the purple haze in the air became.
"Looks like the Doku Doku no Mi's development has progressed a lot. That brat Daren really is capable..."
A pleased smile tugged at Zephyr's lips.
Aside from Daren's shameless greed, lust, and other bad habits, Zephyr couldn't find any real faults in him.
Good-looking, monstrously talented, smart, and knowing when to advance and retreat... If you ignored the fact he was considered a "disgrace to the Marines," he was practically the perfect student.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Zephyr quickly crossed through the thickening purple mist and arrived at a small courtyard.
He pushed open the door, made his way across the yard, and lightly knocked on the door to the inner room.
There was no response.
Zephyr frowned and pushed the door open.
The moment he did, his eyes widened in shock and his mouth hung open, as if he had just witnessed something unbelievable.
The room had clearly been remodeled with numerous ventilation systems installed.
But now, all the vents were shut tight. As the door opened, a suffocating wave of thick, dark purple poisonous gas poured out, engulfing Zephyr entirely.
And that wasn't even the most shocking thing.
What stunned him most were the two people inside.
On the left, Magellan stood with bloodshot eyes and veins bulging under his skin, straining as if forcing something out... The poisonous gas that filled the room was continuously pouring from his body.
And on the other side...
Daren sat there, mouth and nostrils wide open, his belly bulging grotesquely, inhaling Magellan's poisonous gas like a human vacuum cleaner!
Zephyr instinctively staggered back two steps.
"Zephyr-sensei?"
Daren finally noticed him, waving cheerfully while still greedily sucking in the gas.
"Hurry up and close the door... or all the gas will escape!"
Zephyr: ???
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake