"And I'm going too!"
"Gion Vice Admiral, please take me too."
"This matter must be explained by Rifan, otherwise, I will fight him."
The female sailors, named by Hina and imitated by Nojiko, said excitedly.
Seeing such an angry crowd, Hina couldn't help but worry about the relationship between Rifan, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and others.
But Tsuru is calm at this moment.
"Is that guy, Rifan, trying to provoke us on purpose?"
"And let us get involved in his troubles?"
Tsuru thought to herself.
Unconsciously, Tsuru began to contemplate the benefits and troubles that might arise after someone found Rifan.
Soon, Tsuru concluded that if there were a conflict between the Black Pearl Pirates and her people regarding this matter, it would escalate into a major incident.
The benefits gained would be almost negligible compared to the troubles caused.
After all, when it came down to it, Rifan hadn't really done anything to these Marines.
And in this matter, if it reached the Five Elders, they would undoubtedly side with Rifan.
They might even find it amusing that Rifan was so entangled with beauty that will lead to danger for the girls.
Of course, they would pay more attention to the fact that Nojiko could impersonate someone else.
But looking at the angry expressions of her subordinates, Tsuru couldn't think of a reason to stop them.
After all, even she was quite distressed by what Rifan had done.
"Hey, you guys seem to be discussing something dangerous."
"If you intend to confront Captain Rifan, then don't blame me for intervening."
Nami transformed into a thunderbolt and suddenly confronted everyone on the path the primary election participants were going to pass by.
Following Nami, Robin, Carina, and others rushed over.
"Nami, leave this matter to me."
"I'll handle the communication with these people," Robin said with a smile.
Robin had been using her fruit ability to observe the conversation between Tsuru and the others, so she knew what Tsuru and the others wanted to discuss with Rifan.
She understood that Rifan didn't intend to divulge his affairs to Nami, Carina, Vivi, and others at the moment, so she couldn't let Tsuru and the others discuss this matter in front of them.
"No, leave it to me. I am now Captain Rifan's secretary. Leave the conversation to me, Robin."
Kalifa's glasses glinted, and she spoke calmly.
Like Robin, she knew what was happening in front of her. She also understood that helping the boss keep secrets was one of the secretary's duties.
"You truly are an excellent secretary, Kalifa~"
"But considering that Tsuru, Gion, and the others are acting together, let me help you," Robin raised an eyebrow and said.
Tsuru looked at the intercepted group in front of her and couldn't help but frown. The female soldiers, who had been imitated by Nojiko, opened their mouths angrily. They intended to reprimand Nami and the others for Rifan and Nojiko. Just as Robin was about to use her ability to silence the girls, a familiar male voice broke into everyone's ears.
"Robin, Kalifa, everyone, leave this matter to me. I've come to speak with Vice Admiral Tsuru and the others myself."
After the voice fell, everyone raised their heads and looked towards the sky. They saw Rifan descending from the sky with Nojiko in his arms.
"Rifan!"
The female Marines looked at Rifan and Nojiko, their faces immediately turning red from anger.
"Hehe, it seems you have a lot to say to me. In that case, I'll give you a chance. Come on."
Rifan nodded to Nami and the others first, then led Nojiko into the distance. The female soldiers, looking at him, immediately followed Rifan's pace, their agitation evident.
After Kalifa, Robin, and others saw Rifan personally address Vice Admiral Tsuru, Gion, and other female marines, they began to focus on the enhancements they had obtained. Without the Marines watching from the sidelines, they felt more comfortable experimenting with their new powers.
…
"Come on, what do you guys want to talk to me about?" After Rifan led the crowd to an open space, he said with a smile on his face.
"Rifan, you know what we want to talk to you about," Gion said, stepping forward with an extremely 'kind' smile on her face.
"If you don't tell me, how would I know?" Rifan shrugged and smiled.
"Don't be coy, Rifan! You know what we want to discuss is Nojiko impersonating us and being close to you."
Gion said, turning to look at Nojiko. She never imagined that this honest and kind looking woman in front of her would have such a good time with Rifan. When Nojiko saw Gion looking at her, she immediately responded with a big smile. While this made Gion anxious, it also further upset all the female Marine soldiers.
But Gion understood that since Rifan had already recorded their body data, they had no way to stop her. From now on, if Nojiko wanted to change into their appearance to please Rifan, there was nothing they could do about it.
At this time, the only thing Gion could think of was to see if she could use this incident to gain a better understanding of Rifan and the Black Pearl Pirates. However, those female soldiers were obviously different from her.
When the unhappiness in their hearts reached its peak, everyone began to scold Rifan to his face again. Some girls even rolled up their sleeves, appearing ready to confront Rifan physically.
"Want to fight?" Rifan asked, a smile on his face. "It's okay, fighting or something is the best way to vent your anger. Since you're angry, let me play with you here."
"Rifan, are you trying to provoke us?" Tsuru, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. She didn't want to see Rifan attacking her subordinates, knowing that even she couldn't defeat him.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm just going to let Nojiko have a go," Rifan clarified. "If you can't even defeat Nojiko, there's no need to fight me. Of course, Tsuru Vice Admiral shouldn't participate. After all, Nojiko didn't become like you and do things like that with me."
Upon hearing Rifan's words, both Tsuru and Gion couldn't help but look at Nojiko in surprise. Although Nojiko had once relied on "Hakoku" to cause some damage to the island where Golden Lion fell, which earned her a reward of 80 million Berries from the Marines, Tsuru and Gion believed that Nojiko did not have the strength to defeat the female sailors who followed Tsuru.
Hakoku was a force that took time to recharge, and the female soldiers she led would not give Nojiko an opportunity to use it. Tsuru and Gion were sceptical about Nojiko's combat abilities.
"Rifan, are you suggesting that I can also challenge Nojiko?" Gion raised her eyebrows and inquired.
"Miss Gion is quite belligerent, but if you don't mind a little sparring while being anaesthetised, I have no objections," Rifan replied indifferently.
Nojiko's current strength had significantly improved after receiving numerous enhancements, making her strength comparable to a Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral. Though the soldiers accompanying Tsuru were powerful, Rifan believed they couldn't defeat the current Nojiko. As for Gion herself, exerting the strength of a Naval Headquarters Rear Admiral was already her limit.
Rifan wasn't worried about Gion defeating Nojiko. In fact, he saw this as an opportunity for Nojiko to gain more experience in fighting against the Marines and to become familiar with her newly mastered exoskeleton and advanced Armament Haki. Moreover, if Nojiko was ever in real danger, Rifan could intervene.
When Gion heard Rifan's words, she took a deep look at him, and then turned her attention to Nojiko. When she saw Nojiko's confident smile, a sharp gleam flickered in Gion's eyes.
"Could it be that Marine has underestimated this woman?" Gion thought. "Does she possess extraordinary strength? Or did she gain significant power under Rifan's tutelage during the journey from Alabasta to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
With these thoughts in mind, Gion turned to Tsuru and nodded. Tsuru understood Gion's unspoken message - to observe and gather more information about the Black Pearl Pirates through this confrontation. She nodded back, her expression solemn.
"Go, and remember to be cautious," Tsuru advised.
Like Gion, she could only hope to learn more about the Black Pearl Pirates from Rifan, but she felt helpless in this situation. After delivering her message, she took a few steps back and focused her attention on Rifan.
Seeing this, Rifan smiled, raised his hand, and patted Nojiko on the shoulder. "Have fun, as long as you don't seriously injure or kill them, I can save them."
Nojiko nodded, her smile unwavering, and she approached Gion. "Then, Miss Nojiko, please enlighten me."
Gion accepted a standard long knife handed to her by a female soldier, her expression serious, and made the first move towards Nojiko. Although the other female soldiers didn't step forward, they remained ready for combat. While they didn't intend to harm Nojiko, they did plan to teach her a lesson.
Nojiko activated her intermediate-level Observation Haki, keenly monitoring the movements of the crowd. A sly grin crossed her lips as she effortlessly caught Gion's sharp sword mid-air with her bare hand, thanks to her enhanced strength.
"What!?" Gion exclaimed, her expression showing disbelief. "You didn't use Armament Haki, and the blade didn't even scratch you!?"
"Miss Gion, appearances can be deceiving," Nojiko replied meaningfully. "Captain Rifan has a particular fondness for when I become someone like you, Miss Gion you know~"
With a sly smile, Nojiko transformed into Gion, causing the smile on Gion's face to freeze. Especially after Nojiko used her enhanced strength to yank the sharp blade, pulling Gion closer and whispering in her ear about her previous 'fun' with Rifan.
Gion's face darkened even further.