Grand Line.
Black Pearl, Rifan's private consultation room.
"Rifan, what on earth is going on?!"
Ayane emerged from the bathroom, clad in a bath towel, and stood there, dumbfounded, as she saw Rifan and 'Ayane' in an intimate embrace.
"Are you done with your bath, Miss Ayane?"
Using the Clone-Clone Fruit ability to assume Ayane's appearance, Nojiko peeled her red lips away from Rifan's and looked back with a hint of regret.
"It seems the time is still too short."
Nojiko shook her head, disappointed.
With that, Nojiko rose from Rifan's lap.
"This tone... Are you Nojiko?!"
"As expected of Miss Ayane, she recognized me immediately~"
"So, what's the deal with you?!"
"As you can see, now I can use your body data."
Nojiko smiled, patted her face with her left hand, and, in the next moment, reverted to her original appearance.
"Transformation Technique? No, is this your Devil Fruit ability, Nojiko?"
"That's right. With a touch of my right hand, I'll turn into your form, and touch with my left hand, and I'll be back to my original form."
"So, you recorded my appearance just to kiss Rifan?"
"Not only that, but if there's enough time, I'd like to use your appearance for more intimate moments with Captain Rifan~"
"..."
"Nojiko, you've changed, you've become like Nico Robin."
After a moment of silence, Ayane said to Nojiko helplessly.
After speaking, Ayane turned and gave Rifan a stern look.
"Ultimately, it's because there are people like you that she became like that."
"Don't worry, Ayane, I'll let Nojiko get closer to me in your form because you are beautiful enough."
"So, should I thank you for thinking highly of me?"
"Hehe, you're welcome! Who are you to say what I can and can't do?"
"I didn't thank you! Damn you, you can go out now."
"No problem, Nojiko, I'll leave you to help our Miss Ayane improve her figure."
Rifan looked at Nojiko and said, then he pointed to the prepared container nearby.
He left the consultation room to make space for Nojiko to apply the special ointment to Ayane.
"Let's begin, Miss Ayane."
Nojiko approached a corner of the hospital bed with the ointment and looked at Ayane with a smile.
"Nojiko, were you serious before? You really want to become me and be intimate with Rifan?"
Ayane sighed and lay down on the hospital bed, removing her bath towel.
"Miss Ayane doesn't want me to do this?"
Nojiko began applying the ointment to her hands and began the process the same way Rifan had applied it to her.
In an instant, Ayane felt an electric shock-like sensation from her chest.
"If I won't allow you to be like me, will you do it?"
"Of course not."
"So, it's pointless for me to stop you, is it?"
"Indeed! As for your question, I answer in the affirmative."
"Sigh, now I think Rifan made you eat the Clone-Clone Fruit for this kind of thing."
"I don't deny it! But the Clone-Clone Fruit is not as simple as you imagine, Miss Ayane."
Nojiko smiled at Ayane, and once again used the Clone-Clone Fruit to become her.
"Could it be that the Clone-Clone Fruit has other special features?"
Ayane looked at Nojiko's face curiously and asked.
"Do you want to know, Miss Ayane?"
"It's natural!"
"As expected, Miss Ayane is very curious about things and individuals related to Captain Rifan. After all, he is incredibly powerful and mysterious."
"So, what's your answer, Nojiko?"
"Hehe, if Miss Ayane is willing to ask Captain Rifan to give you a massage, maybe he will allow me to reveal the secret of the Clone-Clone Fruit."
When Ayane heard this, she fell into silence.
Outside the door, Rifan, using Observation Haki to monitor the situation in the consultation room, "heard" what Nojiko said to Ayane.
He silently gave Nojiko a thumbs up in his heart.
The fact that the Clone-Clone Fruit can imitate other abilities is one of the Black Pearl Pirates' secrets. However, Ayane is an individual, not an organization like the Marines or the World Government.
When the time comes to focus on warfare, the characteristics of the Clone-Clone Fruit may be revealed.
Therefore, if Ayane agrees to Nojiko's proposal, Rifan is also willing to share a little secret with her.
After a long silence, Ayane let out a long sigh.
"Sigh. It seems I'm always at a disadvantage here. Then let's consider it the price paid for my curiosity."
"Nojiko, let Rifan replace you."
Once upon a time, Ayane had the idea of using her own body to repay Rifan and had even taken action. However, Rifan had refused to be intimate with someone who didn't truly desire it.
Compared to an intimate action, Rifan's massage was much more acceptable. After contemplating it, Ayane became less resistant.
Of course, this was also because the person in question was Rifan, who had helped her significantly. If it were someone else, Ayane would have already taken forceful measures.
Nojiko smiled and nodded in agreement.
But before she could open the door, Rifan had already unlocked it and entered the room.
"Miss Ayane, please relax and leave the rest to me."
Rifan rolled up his sleeves and walked towards Ayane with a smile on his face.
Looking at Rifan's face and Rifan's clawed hands, Ayane suddenly felt a little regretful.
And as Rifan's hands fell, a shiver far stronger than that brought by Nojiko spread from Ayane's chest to her whole body.
"Wait, wait Rifan, first, satisfy my curiosity first!"
Ayane tremblingly said intermittently.
"No problem, Miss Ayane."
"Not only can I tell you the ultimate ability of Clone-Clone Fruit."
"I can also tell you something about the identity of Buggy, the captain you're following."
"I have to say, Ms. Ayane, you have chosen a great captain."
Rifan laughed.
"Huh? Does Buggy have any special identity?"
Ayane knows that Rifan has a very wide range of intelligence capabilities, and Buggy is related to her development in the dungeon space.
So, it's only natural that she'd be curious about who Buggy is.
"Buggy certainly has something special, and it's very special.
"Ayane, you may want to choose an extraordinary captain as a springboard for you to improve yourself in the dungeon world."
"But, you have chosen a rather remarkable guy."
"Speaking of which, this is information that is not even given in the copy space."
"It took me a lot of effort to get this information."
"Miss Ayane, after I tell you, you have to thank me very much.
As Rifan said that, he applied more force to his hands making Ayane moan.
"You greedy man, what more do you want?"
"Or have you changed?"
"Even if a woman isn't sincere to you, you'll be hungry and throw yourself to her?
Ayane asked, frowning.
"That's not true, I just hope that you will agree to what I need in the future."
"Like providing me with your fresh milk~"
Rifan said with a light smile.
Ayane: "..."
…
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Devil's Triangle Sea Area.
"Damn Rifan, you actually hinder me!"
"Don't give me a chance, otherwise I will definitely kill you!"
"And you, find them quickly! If you can't find those two women, I will throw you overboard!"
"In this dark place, if there is no me, you can think about your end!"
Makoto Itou, the reincarnation of the Green Pheasant Country, punched the edge of the ship and said viciously.
When the crew on his pirate ship heard this, they couldn't help shaking their bodies, and hurriedly speeded up the work at hand.
They are afraid it will provoke Itou's dissatisfaction.
Makoto Itou is different from Rifan.
Rifan treats his crew with a gentle attitude.
As for Makoto Itou, he only pretended to be gentle when he first invited his crew.
When the crew actually joined, he would turn pervert, become extremely irritable, and rule the pirates with fear.
Because of his strength, no one dared to resist him.
"Hmph, what bad luck! Where did those two women go?"
"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be lost in this place!"
"Marie Rose, Honoka, wait for me, after I find you, I will definitely ravage you two until I'm satisfied!"
After Makoto Itou saw that the crew started to work hard, he finally felt better.
But even so, he was already bored with the Devil's Triangle sea area where there's only fog in his view.
At this moment, a very strange voice sounded beside him.
"Excuse me, have you encountered any troubles?"
"who?!"
The unfamiliar voice made Makoto Itou violent immediately, and instinctively used the chain fruit to condense two chains in his hand.
But just when he raised his head to attack in the direction of the sound, his eyes suddenly widened to the maximum!
"Skeleton?!"
Itou shouted with his mouth wide open.
"Yes, as you can see, I am indeed a skeleton."
"By the way, my name is Brook, what's your name, ma'am?"
The skeleton who called himself Brook gave a gentleman's salute to the woman next to Itou, and asked with a smile on his face.
It's just that Brook's smile looks like a devil's crooning to others.
"Ah! Help, ghost!"
The woman who was kidnapped by Itou to satisfy his desire screamed and fainted on the deck.
"Ghost? That's rude."
"I'm a skeleton at best."
Brook looked at the woman who fainted from fright, and scratched his afro hair in embarrassment.
"Ghost? Impossible!"
"There can be no ghosts in this world."
"You must be a devil fruit user!"
"The proof is that you have a shadow...huh?!"
Itou came to his senses and immediately shouted at Brook.
However, when he looked down at the soles of Brook's feet, he saw that under the reflection of the fire, there was no shadow under Brook's feet at all.