After eliminating the scum of the Marines, Chiga returned to Cocoyasi Village, ready to bid farewell. His arrival this time was quite sudden—almost like an unauthorized absence—so he couldn't stay in the East Blue for long.
At the farewell, Nami's eyes were red from crying, and Nojiko also hung her head, sobbing softly.
Helpless, Chiga promised Nami that she could join the Marines after she turned 18. Only then did Nami feel a little better.
As for Nojiko, Chiga found this quiet girl even more troublesome. She was much more mature than Nami, and the more mature someone was, the harder it was to comfort them.
Sighing, Chiga walked over to Nojiko and picked her up, just like he did during their last farewell—making Nami pout again.
It had to be said that people in the world of One Piece grew up fast. In just one year, Nojiko had already reached 1.6 meters in height, though she was still not tall standing next to Chiga, who was over two meters tall.
Nojiko cried in Chiga's arms for a while until her tears soaked his clothes. Only then did she raise her head and smile shyly, a little embarrassed.
Chiga reached out and gently hooked Nojiko's nose, saying softly, "Alright, don't cry anymore. If you want to join the Marines too, you can enlist when you turn 18."
Nojiko pointed to herself in surprise, a little hesitant. "Eh, me? Can I? I'm so weak…"
Chiga waved his hand, interrupting her. "You're not weak. Weren't you brave when facing Arlong? And don't worry—you have me."
"Mm!" Nojiko responded clearly, finally smiling.
After comforting the two girls, Chiga gently put Nojiko down. He turned to the villagers, led by Belle-mère, who had come to see him off, and waved with a smile. "Well then, goodbye everyone!"
With that, Chiga's figure disappeared from their sight.
Looking at the spot where Chiga vanished, both Nami and Nojiko secretly made up their minds: they would definitely join the Marines when they grew up, so there would be no more partings.
---
Area 66, Sabaody Archipelago – Marine Base Office.
Swish! Chiga's figure suddenly appeared in the office, startling Kalifa, who had just entered to deliver documents. The papers scattered all over the floor.
Kalifa shot Chiga an annoyed glance, then bent down to pick up the documents, inadvertently displaying a charming curve.
Chiga felt a little embarrassed. At the time he had received the Flying God Thunder signal, Kalifa had been sitting on his lap feeding him tangerines. When he disappeared like that, she probably fell flat on her back.
Thinking of this, Chiga raised his hand and activated a low-powered Bansho Ten'in. All the documents on the floor were pulled onto his desk and, under Chiga's precise control, stacked neatly.
Seeing the files already on the desk, Kalifa stood up, adjusted her black skirt, and gracefully walked behind Chiga, naturally beginning to massage his shoulders.
Chiga gently squeezed Kalifa's hand, signaling her not to bother. He turned and looked at his dutiful secretary, feeling a tinge of guilt. His sudden disappearance probably left Kalifa to handle everything—she must've had a tough time.
"It must've been hard these past few days. Aren't you going to ask me where I went?"
Kalifa tilted her head. "It doesn't matter what you did… as long as you're back safely."
Ever since she received the message from Stussy that she had been "assigned" to Chiga by the Five Elders, Kalifa had come to terms with it.
Although she'd technically been treated as a bargaining chip, she didn't resent it—because if she belonged to Chiga, then it wasn't such a bad deal.
Her words moved Chiga. Deeply.
He pulled Kalifa into his embrace, slowly lowering his head. Kalifa, sensing what he was about to do, naturally closed her eyes, anticipating the moment.
Suddenly—Bang!
The door was roughly pushed open, and two men in black suits and sunglasses walked in, carrying a box.
They walked up to Chiga's desk and dropped the box with a thud. One of them said arrogantly, "You must be Uchiha Chiga. This is the Devil Fruit bestowed upon you by the Five Elders—the Zoan, Mythical Beast-type, Human-Human Fruit: Ashura Form."
Then, one of the blond agents glanced at Kalifa in Chiga's arms and grinned lewdly, making her feel deeply uncomfortable.
The other man, who had a buzz cut, was more straightforward. After delivering the fruit, he called to his companion and turned to leave.
Throughout the exchange, Chiga had remained silent—expressionless—his eyes like those of a predator sizing up prey.
Just as they turned to exit, Chiga finally spoke. "Good dogs. Have you been crawling for so long that you forgot your place?"
"What did you say!?"
The blond agent spun around in fury, ready to retaliate. In his eyes, Chiga was just some Marine the higher-ups were hyping up. How dare he speak to him like that?
But before he could act, a large palm filled his view.
Boom! The blond man was slammed into the wall by Chiga's hand. The buzz-cut agent froze—he hadn't even processed what happened. Chiga's speed was simply too fast.
Marine soldiers, alerted by the noise, rushed in and pointed their rifles at the agents. To them, Chiga—who had fought Silvers Rayleigh—was already a living legend.
Being stationed under him made them proud. After all, only a superior that strong could command such loyalty—and offer such overwhelming security.
Without acknowledging the crowd, Chiga slowly retracted his hand. The blond agent slumped in the wall, stripped of his arrogance.
His face, especially around the nose, was completely caved in. His sunglasses had shattered, and the shards had embedded into his eyes. Even if he survived, he'd be blind.
Seeing this, the buzz-cut agent trembled violently.
Chiga, whom he now saw as a devil, slowly turned his head toward him.
Under Chiga's cold gaze, the man immediately stopped shaking. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground—kneeling in terror.
---
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