Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"The patterns on your mark are surprisingly extensive."
Ikki looked at Belo Betty in surprise. Sweat covered her forehead as the newly awakened Demon Slayer Mark spread across her body.
Although Belo Betty was wrapped in a bath towel, Ikki's mastery of the Transparent World, Observation Haki, and Demon Slayer Marks allowed him to clearly sense the scope of the pattern covering her body.
"Lord Ikki, is there something unusual about my mark?" Belo Betty forced her eyes open despite the discomfort coursing through her body. "There seem to be a lot of lines in the pattern. Does that mean my mark is stronger than other people's?"
"Not necessarily." Ikki shook his head. "The strength of a Demon Slayer Mark isn't directly related to how much of the body it covers. My own mark, for example, doesn't spread very far, but the increase in strength it provides is still tremendous."
He helped Belo Betty move against the wall so she could lean back and rest.
"That said, your mark is indeed powerful—comparable to Gion's."
"Gion?" A faint smile appeared on Belo Betty's face. "Vice Admiral Gion?"
The Revolutionary Army had already obtained intelligence regarding Gion.
They knew that after learning under Ikki, she had become strong enough to contend with Dracule Mihawk.
Now that Belo Betty had witnessed Gion's strength firsthand, she naturally understood the significance of Ikki's words.
Knowing that her own Demon Slayer Mark possessed potential comparable to Gion's made her genuinely pleased.
After briefly experiencing the surge of power brought by the mark's awakening, the light in her eyes grew even brighter as she looked at Ikki.
'This kind of power...'
'If it weren't for the life-shortening side effects of ordinary Demon Slayer Marks, it would be truly terrifying.'
'If only Lord Ikki could become a member of the Revolutionary Army.'
'If he engraved Partner Seals on Revolutionary Army soldiers and helped them awaken their Innate Demon Slayer Marks, the Revolutionary Army's strength would grow at an astonishing rate.'
'As expected, we still need to find a way to improve Lord Ikki's impression of the Revolutionary Army. It would be even better if we could persuade him to join us.'
At that moment, Belo Betty sincerely hoped that Dragon and the others could gather more famous swords for Ikki.
Unfortunately, she had no idea what Ikki was actually thinking.
At this point, he was already prepared for the possibility that Sabo—and perhaps even the Revolutionary Army as a whole—might come to resent him because of the events at Marineford.
Under those circumstances, there was no reason for him to invest heavily in cultivating people who might one day become his enemies.
Belo Betty alone wasn't a concern.
No matter how talented she was, her life force couldn't increase rapidly without the nutritional support provided by Ikki's system.
Without sufficient life force, even an awakened mark couldn't be sustained for long.
Furthermore, without the powerful Zanpakutō and Noble Phantasm-class weapons that he had provided to his own companions, Belo Betty posed little threat to him or his crew.
If even Jack the Drought could be defeated by Perona, Shyarly, and Robin working together, then Belo Betty would fare no better.
Even so, Ikki preferred not to become enemies with the Revolutionary Army.
Setting everything else aside, their intelligence network and sphere of influence were exceptional.
Who knew? Perhaps someday they might provide him with even more famous swords.
"Lord Ikki, what do we do next?" Belo Betty asked, placing both hands behind her head as she smiled at him.
"Didn't I already tell you?" Ikki replied. "You just need to stay near me."
He gestured toward the hot spring around them.
"In this pool, the healing properties of the water continuously offset the strain caused by keeping my Innate Demon Slayer Mark active."
"That means I can maintain it indefinitely while I'm here."
"The only thing left now is to see whether you can transform your mark into an Innate Demon Slayer Mark before we arrive at Marine Headquarters."
"I see." Belo Betty nodded thoughtfully before smiling. "In that case, since staying close to you helps me awaken my Innate Demon Slayer Mark, does that mean the closer I am to you, the faster the process will be?"
"Theoretically, yes." Ikki nodded. "If you don't mind, you could lean against my shoulder. Direct physical contact should increase the effect."
"I see." The smile on Belo Betty's face widened. "So the larger the area of contact, the better?"
"I don't think it works quite like that." Ikki shrugged. "As long as there's contact over an area about the size of a palm, the effect should already be maximized."
"Oh, don't be so sure, Lord Ikki." Belo Betty chuckled. "Why don't we test it?"
Ikki raised an eyebrow.
"Test it? How exactly do you want to do that?"
Without answering immediately, Belo Betty slowly submerged herself in the water until only her head remained above the surface.
Beneath the water, her hands loosened the bath towel.
Freed from her grasp, it drifted upward and floated on the surface.
Ikki's eyebrow twitched as he noticed the floating towel.
The next moment, Belo Betty wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently turned him around until his back faced hers.
Then she rose from the water and leaned her bare back against his.
"Lord Ikki," she said with a playful smile as she picked up the floating towel and held it in front of herself, "the contact area should be much larger now, shouldn't it?"
"Well, if we're talking about maximizing contact," Ikki replied with a laugh, crossing his arms, "you could always switch positions and come over to my side."
"Oh my." Belo Betty blinked. "Are you interested in me, Lord Ikki?"
"Miss Belo Betty is very beautiful," Ikki admitted casually. "You happen to fit my tastes quite well."
"I see." Her smile deepened. "Does that mean I'll become your woman today?"
Ikki chuckled.
"If you genuinely meant that, I might consider it. Unfortunately, my Observation Haki tells me that you're simply open-minded, not promiscuous, so let's forget it."
"Is that so?" Belo Betty sighed dramatically. "What a pity. If you were a little more assertive, Lord Ikki, I might actually consider it."
"I think I'll pass on that." Ikki laughed. "Besides, it's probably better if I keep a certain distance from the Revolutionary Army."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward the doorway not far away.
"How long are you planning to hide there, Ginrummy?" he called out. "If you have something to say, come in and say it."
The moment his words fell, Ginrummy stepped awkwardly into view.
Dressed in a maid outfit, she looked simultaneously embarrassed and nervous.
"Lord Ikki..."
She looked at Ikki, then at Belo Betty, clearly uncertain whether she should enter.
Originally, she had intended to ask Ikki for a Partner Seal as well.
After all, Robin had already told her how much stronger the seal and Ikki's training methods could make a person.
But after witnessing the somewhat intimate atmosphere between Ikki and Belo Betty, she had hesitated.
The last thing she wanted was to interrupt him and earn his displeasure.
If that happened, she would probably regret it for the rest of her life.
"Stop standing there and come in."
Ikki waved her over.
After being called out twice, Ginrummy finally gathered her courage.
Taking a deep breath, she hurried over with quick, nervous steps.
The sight made Ikki raise an eyebrow.
When he had first met Ginrummy, she had been wild and uninhibited.
Now she looked like a completely different person.
"Lord Ikki..."
The moment she reached him, Ginrummy dropped to her knees and performed a full dogeza.
Ikki stared at her.
"Ginrummy, who taught you that?"
"Reporting to Lord Ikki, I learned it from the people of Wano Country."
"I see."
Ikki rubbed his forehead.
"To be honest, the contrast between your fierce face and that maid outfit is oddly charming."
"Still, your original style suited you better. Wear the maid outfit once in a while if you want, but you don't need to dress like this all the time."
"But Lord Ikki," Ginrummy said carefully, "didn't you tell me to work as a maid before?"
"I told you to work like a maid, not become one twenty-four hours a day." Ikki immediately understood. "Let me guess. Robin gave you that outfit?"
Ginrummy lowered her head.
"Yes, Lord Ikki."
Seeing her nod, Ikki revealed an expression that clearly said, I knew it.
"Forget it." He waved his hand. "We can discuss that later."
Crossing his arms, he leaned back against Belo Betty and looked at Ginrummy with amusement.
"You've been lurking outside and eavesdropping for quite a while now. What is it you wanted to ask?"
Behind him, Belo Betty felt the weight against her back and her eyes flickered with amusement.
She deliberately shifted slightly closer.
Noticing the movement, Ikki glanced back at her.
Belo Betty merely responded with a smile.
Meanwhile, Ginrummy pressed her hands against the floor and looked directly into Ikki's eyes.
Her entire body was trembling.
"Lord Ikki..." she said hesitantly. "Can I... can I become one of your people as well?"
She swallowed hard before continuing.
"If possible, I want to become a true member of the Explorer's crew."
"And... I want a Partner Seal too, just like Miss Belo Betty."