Hours later, Hina's personal room, she walked back and forth in the room, looking towards the door from time to time. She was waiting for Rifan, who had not arrived yet.
At this moment, she had already changed into the preppy girls' uniform she had brought from the dressing room of the consultation room earlier.
Her grim, sexy face, matched with the youthful and beautiful college-style uniform, added a touch of lovely flavor. The snow-white thighs exposed under the extremely high skirt revealed Hina's original sexiness.
She was such a superb beauty. In order to wait for Rifan, a man who was clearly with another woman, she even chose not to lock the door and waited wholeheartedly for Rifan's arrival.
But, although the door was not locked, she was not worried about the sudden intrusion of men other than Rifan. After all, in the huge Black Pearl. Only Rifan, the captain, had access to the women's bedroom and his various exclusive private rooms.
Their women's bedrooms and various private equipment rooms were built on the first floor. The other men's bedrooms and equipment rooms were built on another floor.
"Why isn't Rifan here yet? Hurry up!"
A few more minutes passed, and Rifan still didn't come. Hina pursed her lips and looked towards the door. Perhaps, because of the thought of being able to have Rifan alone, at this moment, Hina yearned for Rifan's arrival more than any other time.
On this, she actually felt something wrong in her heart. Just as Gion had worried, her emotional connection seemed to have been affected by the physical connection. The relationship in her heart, originally based on the physical aspect, had gradually evolved into a real affection for Rifan.
However, even though she had noticed her changing feelings for Rifan, before leaving the Black Pearl, she had subconsciously tried not to dwell on the position between herself and Rifan.
Suddenly, with a creak, Hina's door was pushed open.
"Rifan!"
Hina looked in surprise and saw Rifan. The complex emotions brought up by Gion's words disappeared after seeing Rifan. Now, the only thing left in Hina's heart was her deep affection for Rifan!
But, upon seeing Rifan entering her room and leaning on the door frame, a hint of doubt crossed Hina's face.
"Rifan, what's wrong with you?"
"Why do you look so tired?" Hina walked quickly to Rifan's side, pulled his hand into the room, and closed and locked the door.
"It's nothing; it's just my first time experiencing the power of squeezing devil fruit and it made me a little overwhelmed." Rifan thought of the scene where Nojiko used the squeeze's powers earlier and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He had never thought that being 'squeezed' could be so exhausting. It brought him ultimate pleasure but also drained him of a significant amount of energy!
Furthermore, after Nojiko had transformed into Smoothie's body, it seemed that her basic abilities had become much stronger. Her skills, patience, and even her body's capabilities had improved significantly. The combination of her enhanced abilities and the Squeeze's powers made her combat prowess skyrocket. Rifan had a tough time defeating the current Nojiko. In fact, he had consumed almost double the stamina he used to deal with her. And Rifan realized that if Nojiko herself were to use the Squeeze fruit, she would be even more formidable.
Rifan took out a stamina-restoring pill from his medical bag and swallowed it.
"Rifan, are you really okay?" Hina looked at Rifan's slightly tired face lying on the bed, concerned.
"No problem; this fatigue is nothing compared to a real battle."
"Hina, you understand that in a real battle, one's life is in danger at any moment, and there's always a risk of injury and pain. But fighting with Nojiko is different; it's more about pleasure than danger. You must understand what I mean." Rifan smiled and pulled Hina into his arms.
Hina, unlike Nojiko, didn't have the same physical capabilities. Even in his current state, Rifan was confident he could handle Hina, but Gion's words had affected her.
She was concerned that Rifan might one day go against the interests of the Marines and the World Government, jeopardizing his Shichibukai position and their relationship.
"It's nice to be able to hold you like this," she said, leaning her head against Rifan's arms. After a moment, she blushed and added playfully, "Rifan, it's nice to be able to hold you like this."
Hearing this, Rifan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "This woman might have actually fallen for me."
He had initially believed that their relationship was purely transactional, with each of them taking what they wanted. However, seeing Hina's expressions and hearing her words, Rifan began to suspect there might be something more to her feelings.
"Rifan, after you become Shichibukai, will you always stay as a Shichibukai?" Hina suddenly asked.
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden, Hina?"
"Because, if you remain Shichibukai, Hina will have a reason to be by your side all the time."
"Do you want to be by my side all the time?"
Hina responded with a resolute nod. "Yes, I do."
Rifan couldn't help but tighten his grip on Hina, realizing that she really had fallen for him. Their complex relationship had taken an unexpected turn, and Rifan couldn't help but ponder the implications.
Just as Rifan was contemplating how to respond to Hina's question, he heard a series of incredibly steady breaths coming from Hina in his arms. He looked down and saw that she had closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Seems like she's worked herself too hard," Rifan thought, shaking his head. He got up and gently covered Hina with a sheet. Her falling asleep at this moment was in line with his own wishes, as he was uncertain about how to answer her question. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he stepped down from his Shichibukai position.
"Sleep well, Hina. At least for now, the Marines and the Black Pearl Pirates can coexist peacefully. As for the future... even if the Marines and the Black Pearl Pirates become opposing factions, just know that won't harm you."
Rifan lowered his head and lightly kissed Hina's forehead, then turned to look towards the door. An air door appeared where there was previously empty space, and Kalifa, dressed in a suit and uniform, stood beside it.
"Kalifa, what's the matter?" Rifan inquired.
Kalifa replied, "There are certain matters that need to be reported to you, Boss. Gion wants to use a den-den mushi to send timed contact to Naval Headquarters, as was previously agreed. However, earlier, we encountered Smoothie from Big Mom's Pirates and Hancock from the Kuja Pirates. Both Mikita and Robin displayed extremely strong combat abilities in front of Gion and Hina. So I felt it was necessary to contact you before Gion reported this matter to the Naval Headquarters."
Rifan acknowledged Kalifa's information and said, "It's your responsibility to allow Gion to communicate with Naval Headquarters. However, there must be members of the Black Pearl Pirates present to monitor her during the conversation to prevent any actions that could harm us."
Kalifa then picked up clothes from a hanger and approached Rifan, using her Bubble Fruit powers to assist him in cleaning up any sweat stains. She helped him put on his clothes, ensuring that they were in perfect order.
"After all, it's in line with our previous agreement," Rifan explained.
"I understand. I'll monitor Gion and talk to Naval Headquarters from now on." After Kalifa put the coat on Rifan, she took a step back and said to him.
"That's not necessary, it just so happens that I have to find Gion to fulfill our previous agreement."
"So you can leave it to me to spy on her talking to Naval Headquarters."
Rifan shook his head and said, then he stepped through the air door that Kalifa opened to the cabin aisle.
Kalifa naturally followed closely behind Rifan.
"Boss, that Marine Hina, what are you going to do with her?"
"She seems to like you, Boss very much now."
"Based on your character, Boss, for a woman who likes you and has a certain relationship with you, you should take her with you right?
On the way.
Kalifa asked Rifan while leading the way for him.
"Kalifa, you really understand me."
"After all, I'm your secretary, and it's my job to observe the situation around you."
"You are indeed an excellent secretary."
"Thank you Boss for the compliment, so should I treat Miss Hina as an important potential crew member?"
Rifan replied, "It might be challenging to have Hina as a crew member. While she has developed feelings for me, her strong attachment to her Marine identity cannot be ignored. Her past actions and affiliations also suggest that, given the right opportunity, she could return to the Marines. I doubt we can easily change her course."
Kalifa understood Rifan's perspective and agreed, "You're right, boss. She's quite weak when it comes to her inner conflicts. If we don't take her under our wing, it's possible that her life could be in danger due to her Marine responsibilities. For example, in the upcoming war between Naval Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates, her abilities might place her at risk. And there's a certain possibility that she will fall there."
Kalifa paused for a moment and calmly presented her analysis to Rifan.