**Chapter 36 - Ginny Is so Beautiful**
Jiger stood still for a moment after hearing Gion's reasoning, then let out a quiet sigh. It seemed ridiculous now, but in the end, this whole mess had started because of Gion's nature.
Thinking about it, the Gion he had recognized—though a troublemaker—was undeniably talented. Among her peers, not even the boys could match her skill, let alone the girls. So naturally, the only opponent who could truly challenge her was him.
Gion had a strong, competitive nature, the type to get restless when things became too comfortable. It was inevitable that after hearing rumors about a group of students *not weaker than her* appearing at headquarters, she would feel the urge to test herself against them.
And when she finally arrived, the first person she met was Jiger—who had just returned from a mission and was the strongest among his peers.
That was where everything went wrong.
Her confidence, the pride she carried in her skills, had been shattered the moment their battle began.
Tsuru, rubbing her temples to ease the headache forming, sighed before softening her tone.
"Then what exactly happened between you and Ginny? It was supposed to be a simple match. How did it escalate to this level?"
Gion hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Well... I might have irritated her with what I said earlier. She has a strong temper, and she actually grabbed my sword with her bare hand…"
She paused slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line before she continued.
"I was careless and got hit by her. So I fought back harder. If Jiger hadn't arrived in time, then…"
"Then it would have turned into a much bigger problem!"
Tsuru pinched Gion's lips together lightly, half in reprimand, half in amusement.
Despite her relaxed tone, a flicker of unease passed through her mind. If Ginny had suffered serious injuries, both Garp and Sengoku the Buddha would have reacted just as violently as Jiger had. The whole situation could have spiraled into something much worse.
Meanwhile, Jiger had already been forced back by Tsuru's Haki, his feet sliding across the ground as he was sent retreating toward Ginny.
Though his movements remained controlled, his body wavered slightly from the impact.
Ginny, watching from a short distance away, rushed forward the moment she noticed.
She caught him by the arm, her expression filled with concern.
"Brother Jiger, are you alright?" she asked anxiously. "That's enough. I just hurt my hand a little, it's nothing serious."
Jiger looked down at her, noticing how cool her small hands felt against his skin.
He reached up and patted her hand gently.
"I'm fine, don't worry," he reassured her.
Only after calming Ginny did he shift his gaze back to Tsuru, standing in the distance.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"I still underestimated her," he muttered.
The level of control she had over her Haki was something he hadn't seen up close before. To wield it so effortlessly, so casually—it was a clear sign of just how deep her experience ran.
"To be able to cultivate Haki to that extent… It's no wonder she was in the same class as Sengoku the Buddha and the others."
Over the past several months, Jiger had gone through intense training and real combat experience at sea. His mastery over Haki had improved significantly, and the level of power he could wield was already higher than most of his peers.
But this—this was something different.
This was the first time he had truly experienced the overwhelming power of someone who had refined their Haki to near perfection.
And Tsuru hadn't even used her full strength.
She was a Marine who had fought alongside Garp and Sengoku against the Rocks Pirates, a veteran of countless battles. Among the female Marines, she was undoubtedly the strongest of her generation.
More importantly, Tsuru was still in her prime.
She wasn't the aged, wrinkled woman that would one day appear in anime. Right now, she was at the peak of her strength.
Jiger narrowed his eyes slightly.
"She's definitely close to Admiral level," he thought.
It was entirely reasonable for Jiger to suffer a loss against Tsuru. He was still far from reaching the peak of his strength. After all, he had only just turned sixteen.
"Mm?"
Lost in thought, Jiger suddenly felt a warm sensation on his hand. A soft breath, gentle and rhythmic. He lowered his gaze and saw Ginny holding onto his hand—the same hand he had used against Tsuru earlier. She was pouting slightly as she carefully blew air on it, her expression full of concern.
Jiger frowned slightly, puzzled.
"Ginny, what are you doing?"
Ginny didn't stop blowing, her cheeks puffing out slightly with each breath as she answered,
"Brother Jiger, your hand is a little red. Vice Admiral Tsuru's Haki must have shaken it badly. I'm blowing on it to help relax it!"
Jiger scoffed, amused.
"Idiot, I'm not that fragile. Your hand is much redder than mine."
Ginny giggled and raised her own hand to show him, as if she was proud of the injury. The small wound had already scabbed over, evidence of her quick healing.
Watching her, a soft smile lingering on her lips, Jiger felt most of his earlier anger fade away. He sighed, reaching out to pinch her cheek lightly.
"Don't be reckless when I'm not around," he said, his tone firm but gentle. "Wait for me to come back before making any rash decisions. Understand?"
Ginny blinked up at him, then tilted her head with a playful grin.
"Ah? Then, wouldn't it be perfect if Brother Jiger was always by my side?"
"..."
Jiger rubbed his temple, feeling the beginnings of another headache. He was about to say something—something rational, something to set her straight—but then Ginny looked up at him with those wide, glistening eyes.
And just like that, whatever lecture he had prepared got stuck in his throat.
If she had been any other girl, he would have laughed at how absurdly romantic she was. He had once thought people like her didn't even exist.
But here she was.
And somehow, she had fallen in love with *him.*
Jiger had to admit—it was terrifying.
At least, he had no way of resisting her.
With a sigh, he ran his fingers through her soft pink hair, the strands slipping easily between his fingertips. He didn't know what else to say, so he simply murmured,
"Alright."
Ginny beamed and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. A bright and radiant smile lit up her face, full of warmth.
Meanwhile, not far away, Tsuru led Gion over like a parent about to scold their child.
She quietly observed the interaction between Jiger and Ginny for a while. If Gion hadn't been fidgeting impatiently and scratching at her palm, Tsuru might have waited until the two finished their conversation before stepping in.
She cast a sharp look at Gion, who quickly looked away with an awkward cough. Then, turning back to Jiger, Tsuru spoke.
"Jiger, I've already understood the situation. It was Gion who provoked her, and her actions were a bit excessive. I apologize to both you and Ginny on her behalf."
As she finished speaking, Tsuru did something unexpected.
She lowered her head in a small bow.
Given her rank and status, such a gesture was rare—almost unheard of.
Tsuru was well known for her level-headed nature. If she hadn't been such a reasonable person, Garp and Sengoku, those two muscle-headed brutes, wouldn't respect her as much as they did.
Seeing Tsuru bow, Gion immediately felt guilty. She followed suit, lowering her head in apology.
Ginny, caught completely off guard, panicked and waved her hands frantically.
"It's okay, it's okay! I was too serious about the fight, so I'm also at fault!"
Watching the scene unfold, Jiger sighed. He had nothing more to say to Gion, so he simply looked at Tsuru and said,
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, I was out of line earlier. You don't need to apologize. This had nothing to do with you."
Tsuru waved a hand dismissively, about to reply, when suddenly—
A sharp *pop* echoed through the air.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads toward the sky.
A figure was speeding toward them, stepping rapidly across the air using Geppo. The man's powerful legs kicked off the air with each step, sending shockwaves through the sky.
Behind him, a faint golden glow flickered, lazily trailing along.
Zephyr's deep voice rang out as he descended.
"Jiger! Knock it off, kid! If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have let you return early—" He suddenly scowled and turned his head. "Borsalino! Why are you dawdling behind?!"
Hearing Zephyr's shout, everyone turned their attention to Jiger.
Ginny blinked and tugged at his sleeve.
"Speaking of which, Brother Jiger, how *did* you come back?"
Jiger shrugged, pointing toward Zephyr.
"Same way as him. The warship was too slow, so I ran back on Geppo first."
Silence.
A few of the students nearby nearly choked.
He *ran back* to headquarters? Over the open sea?
Somewhere in the distance, Borsalino yawned, his golden light shimmering faintly as he continued his leisurely approach.
As if the situation wasn't already absurd enough.
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