"Okay, that's enough playing, Nojiko. You too, Hina." Rifan said, gently pushing Nojiko away.
"This isn't the real 'Gion.' It's Nojiko who came with us earlier. Nojiko, return to your original appearance."
Rifan shook his head, signalling Nojiko to change back.
Hina was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"Hey, what are you doing? I finally waited until now, and you actually took the initiative to push this woman away?"
Rifan just finished speaking when Bonney, who had been sitting cross-legged on a stool, immediately bounced up, looking displeased as she yelled at Rifan.
"Bonney, if you really want to see a big show so badly. Why don't you play the heroine yourself?" Rifan said with a smirk.
"Hump, if you want me to accompany you, at least help me achieve my goal first."
"Also, Nojiko did it for you, so why do you still push away this woman, Hina? Obviously, she is already ready to give herself to you, so why?"
Bonney waved her hand, showing her discontent.
On the other hand, Hina's beautiful eyes widened, and she glanced between Rifan, Bonney, and 'Gion' with a mixture of doubts and shock. She couldn't comprehend the situation.
'Gion' then shook her head in a helpless manner, raised her left hand, and patted her face.
"You...you are Nojiko?!" Hina exclaimed in disbelief.
At that moment, her heart was greatly shaken. She had accepted the idea of Gion becoming Rifan's woman so she didn't mind adding herself in, even seeing it as a way to move forward. But now, she was told that 'Gion' was actually Nojiko in disguise. Hina felt a momentary paralysis!
"Captain Rifan, why did you stop Hina?" Nojiko asked with a hint of doubt. "You obviously wanted this too, right? Just now, Miss Hina was sincere and took the initiative."
Rifan responded, "Even if she was sincere before, I realised that sincerity based on theory isn't enough. If something like that really happened, it might lead to awkwardness and unhappiness afterward. So, I hope to make my intentions clearer."
Rifan shook his head and gently pushed Hina away, then embraced Nojiko, placing her on his lap. "Sure enough, still the same Captain Rifan. In that case, let me replace Miss Hina."
Nojiko smiled, raised her hand, and patted Hina's face as she stood there in a daze. The next moment, Nojiko transformed into Hina's appearance and kissed Rifan on the mouth.
The real Hina finally came to her senses, her excitement and surprise overwhelming her. She stood up from the sofa in disbelief.
"You, me, Nojiko, Gion?!" Hina stammered, unable to find the right words to express her astonishment.
Beside them, Bonney shook her head in disappointment. "Tch, it's boring. You Marines are really clumsy. It's clear that you wanted to be with Rifan so badly, but you kept holding back. As Nojiko said, Rifan will soon become a Shichibukai, and then you'll have little to no time to be together. You'll see Rifan, Robin, and even Nojiko kissing 24 hours a day. Nojiko might even transform into your appearance. Let's see if you can bear it any longer."
Suddenly, Bonney seemed to have an idea. She approached Rifan and Nojiko. "Hey, Nojiko, didn't you imitate the young Tsuru and the female soldiers behind her earlier? Why don't you turn into them? It's going to be very interesting."
Hearing this, Nojiko playfully pushed her own face with her fingers and then smiled as she raised her left hand to transform.
"Wait! That old woman, Tsuru, is not good, I'm afraid I'll have nightmares! If you're going to transform, it's better to turn into those young female soldiers following behind Tsuru."
Rifan quickly said.
"Hehe, it seems even if Vice Admiral Tsuru can be changed into a younger version. Captain Rifan still dislikes her. It seems that the first impression is really important. Fortunately, when I first met Captain Rifan, I was well-dressed~"
Nojiko smiled, raised her hand, and transformed into a tall, enchanting young female soldier with blond, shoulder-length hair.
…
Watching the two enjoying themselves until the end, Hina was at a loss.
And looking at Nojiko who leaned on Rifan's arms and squinting her eyes as if she was asleep.
She just felt that the throbbing in her heart couldn't be stopped.
In her mind, she kept asking herself whether such persistence really made sense.
When talking with Tsuru on the warship before, the expression of Tsuru and what Nojiko and Bonney said, kept reappearing in her mind.
'Could it be that Hina's insistence is really meaningless?'
'Is it normal to follow her instinct?'
Hina lowered her head, her fingers pinched on the sofa because of tangled marks.
Hina was overwhelmed by the sight before her. She felt her heart pounding uncontrollably. The thoughts and doubts she had been grappling with earlier flooded her mind. She couldn't help but question the meaning of her persistence.
Then Rifan's voice broke through her thoughts, "Hina, you seem to be struggling. In that case, you might as well leave first. I'll come to you later."
Although Rifan still wanted to play with Hina, even if they couldn't take the last step, her current expression left him disinterested.
On the side, when Nojiko heard Rifan's words, she opened her eyes, and tried to stand up from the sofa.
Seeing this, Hina threw herself down in front of Rifan unconsciously.
"Hina?" Rifan raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Hina's actions. Hina pursed her lips, lowered her head, and kissed Rifan's face. "At least, before Nojiko uses Hina's appearance, let Hina do the last thing by herself."
Hina's words were quiet, but they conveyed her feelings as she moved closer to Rifan.
Beside them, Nojiko couldn't help but smile, and Bonney shared her amusement. "Tsk, this scene can finally be watched in its entirety," Bonney commented, crossing her arms and sitting down on her stool with interest.
"Rifan…take me."
…
After a while of watching the drama unfold, Bonney felt her clothes uncomfortable so she decided she led the exhausted Hina to the bathroom in the tavern.
In the hall, only Rifan and Nojiko remained.
"Captain Rifan, with my abilities exposed like this, it could be problematic with the Marines. And the fact that I use Gion and Tsuru's appearances, Hina might inform Gion and the others," Nojiko expressed her concerns while tracing circles on Rifan's lower abdomen with her fingers.
Having demonstrated the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit in front of Hina, Nojiko believed that Hina might divulge this secret to Gion, Tsuru, and others. So she found the prospect of their reactions quite amusing.
"Nojiko, it seems Robin led you astray," Rifan said, caressing Nojiko's light blue hair and sighing. "That smile of yours is exactly like the black-bellied smile she occasionally reveals."
Nojiko grinned, "Hehe! I may be a bit mischievous, but it's also beneficial for you, Captain Rifan."
"That's true! If you weren't a bit mischievous, I wouldn't be able to enjoy data from other women."
«N» "So, are you prepared to face Tsuru and the others, knowing about my abilities and how I use their appearances?" Nojiko asked.
«N» "Anyway, Gion and the other Marines have already concluded that I possess the Clone-Clone Fruit's power. So it doesn't matter if my ability is exposed. As for their anger when they discover that you've been communicating with me using their data, well, they won't be able to do much to me."
«N» "But this does make it more challenging for me to record the appearances of other female Marines with the Clone-Clone Fruit in the future."
«R» "That's a valid concern. But if you become strong enough and skillfully use the Clone-Clone Fruit to infiltrate the Marines, you can still record the appearances of those female Marines you haven't catalogued yet."
«N» "As expected of Captain Rifan, you've thought this through. Speaking of which, aren't you concerned about Gion and the others being angry?"
"Hehe, there might be some elements of concern in that regard," Rifan admitted. "But, let's focus on your growth, Nojiko. I hope that as you become stronger, you'll be able to easily acquire data from those beautiful female Marines~"
Rifan said as he extended his right hand, into Nojiko's lower abdomen.
Soon, Nojiko felt a familiar, tingling sensation where the tattoo was located.
[Rifan, you use the 'Intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Scroll' and 'Advanced Armament Haki Awakening Scroll' to strengthen 'Nurse' Nojiko!]
[Rifan, you use 18,000 points to strengthen 'Nurse' Nojiko's physique!]
[Nojiko's strengthening has been completed, and her personal attributes have been updated; please check them.]
[Pirates: Black Pearl Pirates (Level 3)]
[Name: Nojiko]
[Age: 20 years old]
[Crew number: 04]
[Position: Nurse (Expert)]
[Physical: 31,833]
[Physical level: A level]
[Devil Fruit: Clone-Clone Fruit Awakening]
[Martial Arts Skill: Traditional Medicine Boxing]
[Other skills: Hakoku]
[Special Abilities: Advanced Armament Haki, Intermediate Observation Haki]
[Props: Shigure]
[Loyalty: 100 (Life and death go hand in hand)]
[Bounty: 80 million Berry]
[Rifan, your personal talent "Strengthen the crew, equal return" has been activated!]
[It has been detected that you already have intermediate Observation Haki, so the enhancement from the intermediate Observation Haki Awakening Scroll has been converted into swordsmanship - 'Foxfire Style'!]
[It has been detected that you already have Advanced Armament Haki, so the enhancement from 'Advanced Armament Haki Awakening Scroll' has been converted into 'Swordsmanship - Oden Two Swords Style'!]
[Enhancement has been completed, and your personal attributes have been updated; please check them.]
As the notifications from the copy space rang out, Rifan felt his body grow stronger rapidly. Moreover, he had gained a deeper understanding of swordsmanship.
While he could use "Divine Departure" to attack, his understanding of swordsmanship had been limited. Cutting through steel was a challenge, requiring brute force.
Now, with the entire series of swordsmanship, "Fox Fire Style '' and "Oden Two-Sword Style," imprinted in Rifan's heart, he felt he could cut through steel with ease. His understanding of the "Way of the Sword'' had deepened significantly.
After feeling the newfound power coursing through his body for a moment, Rifan took a deep breath and opened his personal attribute panel.
[Pirates: Black Pearl Pirates (Level 3)]
[Name: Rifan]
[Age: 25 years old]
[Position: Captain]
[Talent: Strengthen the crew, equal returns]
[Points: 0 points]
[Physical: 103,601 points]
[Physical level: SS level]
[Devil Fruit: Dark Fruit]
[Martial Arts Skills: Marine Six Styles, Six Kings Spear, Traditional Medicine Boxing, New Human Boxing, Fishman Karate, Fishman Jujitsu, Eight Punch Fist, Dragon Claw Fist, Hero Spear]
[Kendo Skills: Divine Departure, Fox Fire Style, Oden Two Swords Style]
[Other Skills: Hakoku]
"My Physical points have finally broken through the 100,000 mark," Rifan thought. "It's a pity that the physical level was not directly upgraded to the SSS level."
"That's right," he remembered. "To upgrade to SS, you need to boost your physique from 50,000 to 80,000. It took a total of 30,000 physical points to upgrade from S rank to SS rank. SO it's definitely impossible to reach SSS level by just adding 20,000 more physical points. I wonder how many points it takes to upgrade from SS to SSS."
He continued to reflect, "Speaking of which, the rewards this time included an entire series of sword skills, and I got two sets. 'Fox Fire,' the sword technique that can easily cut through flames, is quite impressive."
Rifan knew the potential of the 'Fox Fire Style' as it allowed him to utilise Kaido's "hot breath" that condensed powerful flame energy, even though Kinemon, the original owner of the Fox Fire Style, was not as powerful as Kaido.
However, he had mixed feelings about Oden's two-sword style.
"Oden's two-sword style always feels a bit complicated," he mused.
After recalling the "Fox Fire Style," Rifan glanced at the additional Oden Two Sword Style on his personal attribute panel and sighed inwardly.
"While the 'Oden two-sword style' is undoubtedly powerful in single-round swordsmanship, my impression of Kozuki Oden, its owner, is quite complex."
"Forget it,"
"After all, it's a sword style that even an Emperor level pirate would respect. I'll give it a try later."
He continued, "Speaking of which, if I use the Oden Two Sword Style in front of Whitebeard during the Summit War, the world's strongest man and his old crew members should be quite surprised. Even that guy Shanks should have mixed feelings. And as for Kaido, if he sees me using the Oden two sword style through the broadcast, I wonder if he'll come knocking on my door~"
Rifan reached out to touch Nojiko's body, lost in thought, when suddenly, a loud reminder from the copy space echoed in his mind.
[Notice!]
[Rifan achieved the achievement 'The first reincarnator who raised his physical points to 100,000 points,' special rewards for all members of the pirate group that Rifan belongs to—'Germa 66 exoskeleton'!]