The Greatest Disgrace in Marine History-Chapter 236 - 138: No Relation, Or Maybe There Is

The night was beguiling.

Moonlight filtered through the glass window in scattered flecks, casting soft glows upon the pink bunny plush near the bed.

Gion had been lying on the bed for half an hour before the blush on her cheeks finally began to fade.

Propping up her exhausted body, she sat up and took off her Marine coat.

After a whole day of intense training and the duel with Darren, sweat clung to her skin, leaving a sticky, unpleasant feeling.

She was someone who valued cleanliness—falling asleep without a shower was simply unacceptable.

As this thought passed, she blushed again—recalling how Darren had carried her home, and the way he'd looked at her toes while removing her shoes.

"He... he didn't smell my sweat, right?"

Her mind was a storm of scattered thoughts as she dragged her tired body toward the bathroom and turned on the hot water.

Suddenly—

Knock knock knock—

The abrupt knocking startled her.

Was he back!?

She panicked, her usual toughness vanishing without a trace. Like a startled rabbit, she dove back into her blanket.

"Ahem... Gion, it's me."

A familiar voice called from outside.

It was Tsuru.

Not... that scoundrel?

Relief flooded her—but oddly, a faint trace of disappointment crept in too.

Remembering how she'd just reacted, her face flushed again.

"I'm here, Tsuru-neesan."

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and called back.

Tsuru stepped in.

Seeing Gion sitting at the edge of the bed, her limbs dotted with bruises, a flicker of pain passed through Tsuru's eyes.

She shook her head softly.

"I came to check on you."

Gion blinked. "I'm fine, Tsuru-neesan."

"You... always say that."

Tsuru gave her a half-amused, half-resigned look and sat down beside her.

"Earlier this evening, I ran into Tokikake."

"That boy had bruises all over his face, his torso wrapped in bandages and casts. The moment he saw me, he dropped to his knees and started bawling, wailing about injustice..."

She massaged her temples.

"Did you take your frustration out on him again?"

Gion pressed her lips together. "He wasn't hurt at first... It's just—during training, he tried to grope my butt, so I lost it."

Tsuru: ...

"...Good. He deserved it."

After a pause, Tsuru asked thoughtfully:

"Then why did you go looking for trouble with Darren?"

Gion stiffened.

"How did you know...?"

"You, standing outside Admiral Sengoku's office with a drawn sword, scared half the base."

Gion's cheeks turned crimson. She said nothing.

Tsuru frowned and, after a moment, asked suddenly:

"Gion... be honest with me. Do you like Darren?"

"—Of course I don't!!"

Gion flared up before the question was even finished.

"He's lewd! He's messy! He's arrogant, insufferable—"

Tsuru just looked at her calmly.

"...He's the greatest disgrace in Marine history. I—I could never like..."

Her voice trailed off beneath Tsuru's gaze.

The elder woman sighed silently.

With her experience, it was all too easy to see what Gion hadn't admitted yet.

"Then that's good."

Tsuru patted her shoulder.

"No big deal. I just wanted to check on you. You seem alright, so I'm relieved."

She rose slowly.

"Rest early, Gion. Don't be so reckless next time."

"Also..."

She pointed at the dusty boot prints on the floor with a teasing smile:

"Next time that boy comes over, make him take off his shoes."

Gion turned beet red.

She opened her mouth, but Tsuru waved her off.

"It's fine. You're growing up—I understand."

"That Darren brat may be a scoundrel in many ways, but he has his good points too."

"At your age, it's only natural to be drawn to bad boys."

"If you really like him, don't hold back. You'll need to work for it."

"I've met the girl he brought back from the New World—she may look gentle, but she's stronger and more composed than you."

"...Yes, yes. I know you don't like him. I'm just saying."

She smiled, dodging Gion's flustered glare.

"Rest well."

......

In the bathroom, steam rose.

Gion curled up in the tub, hugging her knees, chest pressed into a dramatic curve.

Her head sank into the bubbles, her fair face glowing red.

Blub... blub...

Like a fish blowing bubbles, she stared vacantly into the water.

Though she denied it aloud, Tsuru's words kept echoing in her heart.

Could it be... she did like that bastard?

No. Impossible.

He was a pervert!

Still... she couldn't forget how his fingers had subtly shifted when holding her...

And the way he looked at her feet—he'd hidden it well, but in hindsight, there was something lustful there.

"Gion, are you stupid? You cannot like someone like that..."

She dunked her head under the water, overwhelmed.

When did this start? fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Was it when he singlehandedly took down Germa 66?

Or when he defended her from the Celestial Dragons?

No... it was when she saw that father and daughter alive again.

"I took the money. So I deliver."

His calm, confident, ruthless voice echoed in her mind.

—He'd protected the people she couldn't save.

That was when she realized how naive she'd been.

She'd misjudged him.

From that moment on, even if she pretended otherwise, she began to observe him.

She stood behind him during training.

Watched him push himself to the limit. And even when exhausted, she found strength to follow.

Memories of their time in the North Blue, their debates, arguments—all resurfaced.

And she realized...

He had always accommodated her.

Silently. Gently.

Her heart became tangled.

Curiosity turned to remorse, then admiration.

She even pulled files using Sengoku and Tsuru's clearance.

She saw it all:

Blood. Struggle. Wounds. War. Fire.

From the very bottom, he'd clawed his way up.

The glory of the "King of the North Blue" hid mountains of pain.

Political schemes, power struggles, death battles, financial control...

He protected the North Blue in his own way, upheld his own justice.

And what shocked her most:

As a Marine who rose from nothing, he should've been cautious.

But he wasn't.

Even against the Celestial Dragons—he didn't hesitate to kill.

No evidence. Just instinct.

She believed it. Darren wouldn't flinch—not even before the world's rulers.

Back at Marineford, she began to see things differently.

All her suitors, those 'noble' young elites—compared to Darren?

Worthless.

Once you've seen the sun, candles no longer impress.

When a woman feels curiosity, pity, and awe... affection soon follows.

So when he was injured in the New World, she worried deeply.

Seeing Toki in his house, she felt jealous—and ashamed.

But thinking of Darren's wounds, she bought the freshest fruit and brought it over anyway.

Still—

"How could he say that about me!?"

Gion sat up, gasping.

She leaned back against the tub wall, staring at the misty ceiling.

A long silence.

"...Is my temper really that bad?"

Covering her face, she whispered.

Then her gaze sharpened.

"It's fine. I was here first."

———

Darren had always considered himself a free spirit. Even back in the North Blue—or after moving to HQ—he rarely went home early. That cold, empty 'house' never called to him.

He wasn't attached to any home. Few friends he could trust. Years of solitude.

But now—

He saw a lamp lit in the family quarters at midnight. A gentle figure sitting under the oil light, quietly waiting.

Even someone as guarded as him couldn't help but be moved.

A home. A light. A woman. A table of cooled food.

Perhaps... this was the meaning of "home."

A warmth filled his heart as he stepped inside.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

"You should've eaten. You must be hungry."

Toki, clad in a pink, flowing kimono, opened her eyes and smiled as she approached.

Taking his Marine coat, she hung it up with natural grace.

"It's alright. I'm not hungry."

"And I wanted to wait for you."

Darren turned to change shoes. "I'll come back earlier from now on."

"Did you send her home safely?"

His hand froze.

Toki smiled. "You smell like her—roses. I remembered it from this morning."

His lips twitched.

He was still scrambling for an excuse when her soft voice came from behind:

"I thought it would be 'no big deal'... but turns out, it does matter."

"Toki..."

"Darren."

He turned.

His pupils shrank. Mind went blank.

Boom!

A fiery explosion lit up his brain.

He saw a sight he would never forget.

Toki's kimono slipped away, revealing skin like white jade, her figure slender and graceful.

She unpinned her hair and stood there, face flushed, but her eyes calm and resolute.

Softly, bravely, she spoke:

"...Be my husband."

---

To be continued...