As a distinguished Marine officer, Gion's biological clock had completely failed her today. When she finally opened her eyes, it was already noon.
The moment she woke, memories of last night came flooding back like a rising tide. That wild, reckless night made her cheeks burn. She couldn't understand what had gotten into her—how had she dared to be so bold, so uninhibited?
It had been her first time, yet she hadn't wanted to stop, moving as if she were a knight taming a raging beast, flaunting her dominance with every motion.
The space beside her was empty now, clearly long vacated. But from beyond the bedroom door came faint sounds—Ortoren's cheerful humming—so Gion felt no alarm.
As the haze of last night faded, pain set in. Her body ached as though it were coming apart, every muscle protesting in exhaustion. Yet this weakness wasn't the pain of injury—it was the fatigue that came from being utterly spent after a fierce struggle.
Even for someone like Gion, an elite Marine with exceptional strength and endurance, there was no standing up to a monster like Ortoren.
"Ugh..."
She pushed herself up from the bed, and even that small movement made her arms tremble with strain. Her throat was dry, her mouth parched—as if every drop of moisture in her body had been drained from her. All she wanted now was a sip of water.
As if he had sensed her stirring, the door opened, and Ortoren stepped in, carrying a cup of hot water.
"You're awake?" Ortoren asked, eyes gleaming with excitement.
In that instant, Gion sensed a deadly threat. In the span of a heartbeat, she summoned what little energy she had left to assess Ortoren's condition carefully.
No way. Something was definitely wrong!
Hadn't the girls in the Marines always joked, "There are only overworked oxen, never ruined fields"?
How could he still look so vigorous after last night's battle? She was half-dead from exhaustion, completely worn out, yet this guy was still full of energy!
Shouldn't he be the one lying down right now!?
And that sparkle in his eager eyes—Gion suddenly felt like Ortoren was about to devour her whole.
She hadn't understood that look before, but after last night, she knew exactly what it meant—an invitation for another round.
That bastard… he's still not satisfied!?
"Here, drink some water. Rehydrate a bit," Ortoren said, sitting down beside her and handing her a cup.
Gion didn't bother thinking too much. She took the cup and gulped down the water, trying to soothe her throat that was still raw from all the shouting last night.
But Ortoren wasn't idle either. As she drank, one of his hands slipped under the blanket and rested on her smooth, pale thigh, stroking up and down.
Gion could feel his breathing grow heavier. Alarmed, she quickly set the cup on the bedside table, rolled to the far side of the bed wrapped tightly in the quilt, and glared at him warily.
"What are you doing!?"
Ortoren blinked in confusion and scratched his head.
"I… wait, didn't you promise me last night? You said we'd continue after waking up today… I—"
Hearing that, flashes of memory surged through Gion's mind. Right… she might have said something like that. After her self-control snapped last night, she couldn't take it anymore. But Ortoren had still looked ready to keep going for another three hundred rounds, so she'd tried to stall him just to survive.
She never expected him to remember that so clearly!
"Aren't you tired? Don't you feel sore? Your legs aren't giving out?" Gion asked, swallowing nervously.
Ortoren burst out laughing and patted his solid waist muscles.
"I've trained hard for years, thinking this strength was meant for challenging the strongest on the seas and claiming the title of world's greatest. But last night, I realized what all that training was really for! You're worried about me, huh? Don't be. Last night was just a warm-up. Sure, I'm inexperienced in this area, but my learning ability's top-notch—Zephyr-sensei himself said I'm sharp. After last night's battle, I've evolved. I'm even stronger now. I bet I could go for ten days straight!"
Seeing his overflowing confidence and that fierce, tiger-like energy, Gion felt pure terror.
Ten days!?
One night alone had already pushed her to the brink of death. Ten days and nights? She'd be a corpse!
Especially with Ortoren's iron body—every time he pressed down, she thought she'd pass out!
Thinking back on it now, that feeling was thrilling, yes… but it was far too much to handle!
"I was just teasing you last night. I don't have any experience either. Right now, I'm sore all over and feel like half my life's gone. Please, have mercy on me..." Gion looked up at Ortoren with pleading eyes.
Ortoren wasn't the type to be inconsiderate. Hearing her words, his earlier desire softened into gentleness and concern.
"Of course, something like this has to be mutual," he said softly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to force anything. Are you hungry? I made lunch... uh, it's been a while since I last cooked, so my skills might be rusty. Just bear with it."
After his father grew old, Ortoren had taken on household duties. So even though he never did such things within the Marines, it wasn't that he couldn't.
Hearing that, Gion finally let out a breath of relief. His tenderness made her smile.
"I wouldn't complain. Now get out, I need to get dressed!"
"It's not like I haven't seen it before," Ortoren muttered.
"I'm afraid this beautiful woman is just too irresistible. If you lose control again, that'd be trouble!" Gion said proudly.
Ortoren chuckled, tapped her lightly on the head, and left the room humming.
Once the door closed, Gion exhaled again. Yet her eyes softened with a hint of pity. That guy had walked in with such anticipation and excitement, but she simply couldn't handle that kind of affection. As expected, I'm still too weak.
Then again, even if she doubled her strength, could she really go at it with Ortoren for ten straight days? She'd die before that happened!
Thinking back to what he'd said earlier—how he also lacked experience—she realized it was impressive. Ortoren was quite popular in the Marines, especially among the young women in G-5 who often flirted with him.
But looking back now, it seemed Ortoren had always kept his composure, never getting involved with anyone.
Judging from his words earlier, even his wife, Rouge, probably hadn't...
"No way!" Gion suddenly snapped.
Damn it, I'm an elite Vice Admiral of the Navy! My strength is second to none. In a few years, I could even be considered for Admiral!
Even with that, I could barely get out of bed. And Rouge, that delicate, fragile woman—how could she possibly handle Ortoren?! Impossible!
Just thinking about Rouge made Gion's expression turn complicated. Ever since Rouge arrived at G-5, Gion had never liked that fox of a woman. Every time they met, their words were laced with thorns.
But after last night's "battle," Gion's feelings had shifted slightly... With Ortoren's body, it was impossible for her alone to satisfy him. No matter how much stronger she got, it wouldn't be enough. Even eating a Mythical Zoan wouldn't change that—there's no way such power could grow that fast!
Still, it was their first time, so fine. But now that a relationship had formed, she couldn't keep denying Ortoren's... needs every time. That would be too cruel.
Maybe... she really needed outside help!?
Such thoughts only made sense in this world's era. That was the kind of influence the times had on people like her.
While Gion was lost in those chaotic thoughts, Ortoren's voice came from outside.
"You done yet? The food's getting cold~"
The sound snapped her back to herself. She brushed off the tangled thoughts, struggled up from the bed despite her weakness, and started getting dressed.
"Coming!"
Hmph, no way she'd let that fox Rouge take advantage. Besides, with her strength, Ortoren could probably take her down with just a few swings of his weapon. Totally useless. If she were to bring in outside help, it had to be someone strong—someone who could actually handle it.
Thinking that, Gion suddenly found herself understanding why Charlotte Linlin changed husbands so often.
She had no choice. They probably broke down after a few rounds, right!?
And once they broke, how could they make children!?