Training grounds. The dusk-lit field.
Golden sand danced beneath the fading rays of twilight.
"Are you really sure about this, Gion...? You're not exactly in the best condition right now."
Darren looked at her with a trace of helplessness in his voice.
He didn't even need to rely on his bio-magnetic sensing; the exhaustion was written all over Gion's face.
But Gion remained unmoved, replying coldly:
"You're not at full strength either, are you?"
Darren shook his head.
"If you want to challenge me, I'm always up for it. But there's no need to do it right now."
"No. It has to be now."
She glanced toward the blood-red evening sky, the sun dipping beneath the horizon. Gritting her teeth, she muttered:
"It might sound unreasonable, but you know my temper, don't you?"
Great. Looks like those two sarcastic remarks are going to haunt me forever.
He'd never realized she could hold a grudge .
"...Fine. If you insist—"
He hadn't even finished his sentence when Gion suddenly drew her blade. Her figure shot forward like a gust of wind, blade flashing as she struck.
Her weapon—a renowned sword at least on the level of the Twenty-One Great Grade blades, Konpira—burst with blinding light. The blade glinted like lightning, flashing forward.
The air screamed with sharp vibrations. The strength behind her slash was already quite formidable!
Darren's eyes lit up.
So this was the future Admiral-candidate—Gion. Even Zephyr himself had praised her swordsmanship and talent.
In an instant, Darren expanded his magnetic field. With no warning, he shifted his body sideways.
Her slash brushed past the ends of his hair and buried itself deep into the ground.
The blade tore through the earth, carving a trench several dozen meters long across the field, sending clouds of golden dust surging upward.
Seeing the sheer destructive force of that strike, Darren's eyelid twitched.
Yup. She's really pissed...
Her first strike missed—but Gion didn't hesitate. She changed stance fluidly.
Her wrist twisted, and pitch-black Armament Haki flowed swiftly onto Konpira. She dragged the blade sideways toward Darren's waist.
Her swordsmanship really is sharp.
That thought passed through Darren's mind as blue arcs of electricity danced across his fingertips.
A silent magnetic field rippled outward. Gion's expression shifted ever so slightly as she felt an unseen force latch onto her blade, slowing it mid-swing.
Darren casually stepped back, dodging without effort.
"Why aren't you fighting back!? Do you look down on me!?"
Gion bit her lip and charged again, swinging fiercely.
Blade after blade poured down like a storm. Like spilled ink, her strikes flooded toward Darren, cloaking him in a storm of steel.
Darren sighed inwardly.
He calmly parried every blow, his mind steady.
He'd never trained in swordsmanship systematically—but he didn't need to. He'd stood before Roger himself and witnessed Divine Departure with his own eyes.
More than that, he'd fought Bullet, Queen, Kaido—battle-tested against legends.
Compared to when he left the North Blue, both his strength and perspective had ascended to terrifying heights.
To his eyes, Gion's moves—though fierce and relentless—were filled with raw emotion, lacking in adaptability and control.
Like a child flailing in anger, she wasn't trying to win—she was venting.
She was recklessly burning the last of her stamina, unleashing newly acquired Haki without restraint.
Like a flood bursting its banks, throwing out all her emotions in a wave.
With that realization, Darren's expression softened.
He gave up dodging. Instead, he coated his hands in Armament Haki and began blocking her strikes head-on—like a human target.
The sounds of metal clashing rang out again and again, sparks lighting up Gion's eyes—now lined faintly with red.
As time wore on, Gion's movements grew noticeably sluggish. Her overuse of Haki was taking a toll, her stamina clearly nearing its end.
Her breathing grew ragged. Her complexion turned pale.
At that moment, Darren suddenly raised his hand.
A sharp crack echoed through the air.
His darkened fingers seized Konpira mid-strike, sparks flying from the force of the impact.
The training ground fell still.
Gion stared at her sword—gripped tightly in Darren's hand. She tried to yank it free—but it didn't budge.
"Feeling any better now?"
Those words struck something in her. Her face stiffened.
The fire in her eyes flickered. Fatigue surged up her spine. The ever-cold glint in her gaze now shimmered red, her knees visibly trembling.
Darren released the blade, his gaze softening.
"Go rest. Get some sleep."
He looked up at the sky.
By now, the sun had fully set. Night was beginning to fall. Only the faintest streak of twilight clung stubbornly to the distant horizon.
From the direction of the residential quarters, thin trails of cooking smoke were rising into the air.
Noticing his gaze, Gion bit her lip.
"No. We haven't finished this fight."
She gripped her sword tightly and forced her weary body to stand.
Darren blinked, frowning.
"You've reached your limit..."
"—I said it's not over!! You're not allowed to leave!!"
Gion shouted, eyes red.
She lunged forward, sword in hand.
But the moment she stepped, her strength gave out.
Darren lunged to catch her.
She crashed hard into his chest. Her neatly tied hair came undone, black locks cascading like a waterfall.
"Let... let go of me!"
A faint blush crossed her cheeks—quickly masked.
She struggled in his arms, trying to break free.
"You can't even stand properly..."
Darren gave a helpless chuckle.
"I'll take you back first, then head home... don't worry, I won't take advantage."
Gion's lips were pale, but she still shook her head.
Darren frowned slightly.
But then something caught his attention.
From the moment Gion had appeared—she'd been watching the sky.
And her swordplay—unlike before, it didn't aim for swift victory. Instead, it felt like... stalling. Like she was trying to wear him down.
An absurd thought surfaced in Darren's mind.
Was Gion deliberately trying to exhaust me... to stop me from going home?
More precisely—not letting him go home to... do anything "bad"?
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Still, he cautiously asked:
"Gion, can I be honest with you about something..."
"The truth is—I haven't done anything like that with Toki."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Darren froze.
The Gion in his arms... had suddenly stopped struggling.