"Kuma, do you know that beauty over there?"
Borsalino scratched his head and pointed at Ivankov, but Kuma did not respond. He simply teleported directly to Ivankov, and the two hugged each other tightly.
After they separated, Ivankov patted Kuma's broad chest, looked up at him, and said, "Kuma, you've changed a lot since before!"
"Um, Ivankov-chan, it seems you're the one who has changed the most..."
Ivankov put his hands on his hips and laughed. Just as he was about to use his ability to transform back to his original form, Borsalino came over. He looked at Ivankov curiously and asked Kuma,
"Kuma, can you introduce me to this lady? Who is she to you?"
Before Kuma could speak, Ivankov grabbed Borsalino's hand, winked at him, and said enthusiastically,
"Hello, my name is Emporio Ivankov, a friend of Kuma. Nice to meet you, Vice Admiral Borsalino~"
Borsalino hurriedly introduced himself, then asked, "Miss Ivankov, how did you come to Marineford?"
When Ivankov heard Borsalino call her "Miss," a strange look appeared on Kuma's face, but he said nothing. Ivankov laughed and pointed at Carl's warship, saying,
"Brother Carl sent me here! He, Kuma, Ginny, and I have been friends since childhood!"
Borsalino immediately warmed up to Ivankov after hearing this, as he had been close with Carl for years. Carl's friends naturally became his friends as well. The subordinates around them, hearing this, looked at Ivankov with interest, eager to speak to her.
At that moment, many eyes in Marineford were drawn to the charismatic Ivankov. The Navy Headquarters now had a prominent circle, centered on the seven Navy supernovas, with elite students like Momonga from the Naval Academy on the periphery. This circle represented the future pillars of the Navy, with Carl as its core—the youngest Admiral in Navy history.
Ivankov and Borsalino continued chatting cheerfully. Ivankov admired Borsalino's unique temperament, her gaze frequently lingering on his tall frame, which led many to believe she had developed a crush on him.
When Carl returned, he saw Ivankov chatting happily with Borsalino and paused in surprise. The surrounding marines, seeing Carl, immediately stood at attention, saluting, and shouting, "Admiral Black Dragon!"
Borsalino waved lazily at Carl. "Hey! Carl, long time no see!"
Carl approached with a smile. "Long time no see, Borsalino. I don't need to introduce my friend to you, I see."
"Haha, Miss Ivankov is quite charming!" Borsalino grinned.
Carl exchanged a glance with Kuma, then coughed lightly. "Well then, we'll have to have a good time tonight."
Borsalino put a hand on Carl's shoulder. "I've been waiting for you to say that!"
"Great. I'll take Ivankov to meet Ginny first. See you later this evening."
"Okay!"
Later, Carl took Ivankov and Kuma to meet Ginny. As they left, Ivankov smiled playfully at Borsalino, saying,
"See you tonight, Vice Admiral Borsalino~" Borsalino struck what he thought was a handsome pose, causing Ivankov to laugh like a clock.
When Ginny saw Ivankov and realized who she was, her mouth formed an "O" in shock. She grabbed Carl's arm and pointed at Ivankov, stuttering,
"Y-you're really Ivankov?!"
Puffing out her chest with pride, Ivankov showed off her figure and then used her ability to revert to her true appearance. She explained her Horm-Horm Fruit powers to Ginny, who fell silent for a moment before exclaiming,
"That Devil Fruit really suits you, Ivankov!"
Pleased, Ivankov wiggled her needle-like fingers. "Yes! It and I are the perfect pair! Ginny, do you want to experience its magic?"
Fear crept into Ginny's eyes as she shook her head vigorously, hiding behind Carl. "No, no, Ivankov, please find someone else!"
With a sigh of disappointment, Ivankov turned her gaze toward Carl and Kuma. Kuma quickly retreated behind Carl, who, being the eldest brother, cleverly deflected the responsibility.
"Why not try it on Borsalino? He's very curious and will definitely love it. Just don't tell him what your power does."
Ivankov's eyes lit up. "Great idea! Vice Admiral Borsalino will love it!"
While Ivankov's excitement grew, Carl maintained an awkward smile. Meanwhile, somewhere in his office, Borsalino, sipping tea, sneezed and felt a strange chill down his spine.
That evening, Carl booked a private room in the most luxurious restaurant at Marineford. All the Navy supernovas except Akainu and Gion gathered, with Ivankov in her female form. Lucia and Ginny sat on either side of Carl, while Kuma and Ivankov sat next to Borsalino, with Ivankov practically sharing his chair. The group ate, chatted, and enjoyed a lively atmosphere.
During dinner, Carl asked Borsalino, "What brings you back today?"
"Ah! I received orders to protect Vegapunk, the world's top scientist."
Borsalino replied between bites of food.
"It's not just protection though—Vegapunk is developing a war machine, and he thinks my ability is perfect for its weapon systems. They want to transfer me to assist with his research."
Carl quickly realized Borsalino must be talking about the Pacifista project. He hadn't expected it to move forward so soon.
"Isn't this basically using you as a test subject? Aren't you against it?"
Borsalino blinked lazily and said, "I don't mind. I just have to fire off a few lasers. Besides, who would dare try to assassinate Vegapunk? This job's much easier than managing a base. I'm quite satisfied!"
"Well, that's true." Carl admitted, recognizing Borsalino's contentment with his new assignment.
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+95 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg