One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

**Chapter 31 - Troubles**

Jiger and Ginny tumbled to the ground together, their faces just inches apart. Ginny's wide eyes locked onto his, and a deep, rosy flush spread across her cheeks. Her breath came in soft, uneven puffs, betraying the rapid beat of her heart. For a moment, neither of them moved, as if frozen in time.

Then, Jiger gave her waist a light pat. Only then did Ginny seem to snap out of her daze, slowly straightening her back.

Yet, even as she pulled away, Ginny made no effort to get off him. Instead, she remained seated atop him, her long legs crossed in a figure-eight shape, making their position look even more suggestive than before.

She lowered her head, her gaze never leaving his, and with an almost breathless whisper, she asked,

"Brother Jiger, just now... did you feel anything?"

Jiger blinked, then answered with his usual calm,

"Not bad. Soft."

Ginny's entire face turned crimson in an instant. With a squeak of embarrassment, she jumped up as if burned, hands flying to cover her face before she spun on her heel and bolted.

Jiger smile slightly as he watched her retreating figure, shaking his head in amusement. Of course, he understood Ginny's intentions. He wasn't an inexperienced kid—he had the soul of someone who had lived through two lifetimes. But now wasn't the right time for such things.

At the very least, he wanted to wait until after he graduated from the Marine Academy. By then, his physical age would only be eighteen. There was no need to rush.

In the days that followed, Ginny's attitude toward Jiger remained unchanged, but there was a noticeable shift in her actions. More often than not, she would "accidentally" bump into him, brush her fingers against his, or lean a little too close during training.

Jiger, however, was unshaken by these subtle provocations. Each time, he responded with an air of effortless composure, easily flipping the situation in his favor. For all her attempts, Ginny was still just a budding sprout compared to him, an old tree with deep roots. No matter how much she teased, she was always the one left flustered, her face burning with embarrassment before she ultimately ran off.

But their relationship wasn't all playful skirmishes. The majority of their time was spent in rigorous training.

Ginny, while not a monstrous talent like Jiger, possessed an advantage that many others lacked—her insatiable appetite. Despite consuming absurd amounts of food, she never gained an ounce of excess weight. And in the *One Piece* world, those with such a trait were rarely ordinary.

Her body's ability to process massive amounts of food meant that her physical endurance grew at an astonishing rate. Day after day, her stamina increased, her strength improved, and her techniques became sharper. With the structured training at the Marine Academy and Jiger's own guidance, it wasn't long before Ginny earned a title for herself.

She became the undisputed strongest among the female students.

Her cheerful and outgoing personality, combined with her growing strength, naturally attracted others to her. She soon found herself acting as an older sister figure, stepping in to help her fellow female students fend off persistent admirers and troublemakers.

Though she carried an air of leadership around others, she never failed to revert to her soft, affectionate demeanor whenever she was with Jiger. No matter how much she improved, she remained the same Ginny—always blushing under his teasing, always finding herself at the losing end of their little battles.

One particular afternoon, Ginny finished her laps around the training field, wiping sweat from her forehead before plopping down onto the ground with an exhausted sigh. Instead of stretching or cooling down, she simply sat there, absentmindedly tracing circles in the dirt with her finger.

Her expression was far from her usual energetic self.

A group of her closest friends approached, concern evident on their faces. Among them was Jessica, a short-haired blonde girl with sharp, heroic features. She crouched down beside Ginny and gave her a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Ginny, what's going on with you? You've been acting all mopey these days. That's not like you at all," she said, brows furrowed.

Ginny pursed her lips, exhaling softly before blowing a strand of pink hair away from her eyes. Her voice came out in a pout,

"I'm fine, Jessica. I just... When do you think Brother Jiger and the others will be back?"

At this, Jessica let out an exaggerated sigh and straightened her back, crossing her arms.

"You're unbelievable! He's only been gone a few days, and you're already acting like this? Where's your dignity, Ginny?"

The other girls giggled at her words, and one of them, a girl with wavy brown hair, joined in,

"Yeah, Ginny, Jiger and the others have Teacher Zephyr with them. There's no way they'll run into any trouble. You're worrying too much!"

"Speaking of which," another girl added, "Jiger really is something. He was chosen for a mission by Teacher Zephyr after being here for such a short time!"

"Right? If it weren't for Ginny, more than half the girls here would be trying to get close to him. Even I—"

The girl didn't get to finish her sentence before Ginny grabbed her cheeks and stretched them, her wide eyes staring her down.

"What was that? What did you just say?" Ginny asked, her voice dangerously sweet.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" the girl yelped, waving her hands frantically.

Jessica rolled her eyes and grabbed Ginny's ears from behind, tugging them lightly.

"Relax, we're not going to fight you over Jiger," she said with a teasing grin. "You don't have to act like a mother hen guarding her chicks."

Ginny turned around and clung to Jessica, burying her face against the blonde's stomach. Her voice came out muffled, laced with a mix of complaint and longing.

"Jessica~ But I've never been apart from Jiger since I met him... I miss him so much!"

Jessica stiffened as Ginny rubbed her face against her, a shiver running down her spine at the overly affectionate gesture. She placed her hands on Ginny's head, sighing as she patted her comfortingly.

"There, there. You'll see him soon enough," Jessica said, her voice softer now.

On the other side of the training grounds, a group of male students, including Momonga, were engaged in their usual practice routines. Their training was interspersed with casual conversation, their chatter a mix of excitement and anticipation.

"I wonder how Sakazuki and the others are doing," one of them mused, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I really want to go out to sea with them!"

"Hey, who wouldn't?" another student chimed in, adjusting his stance before throwing another punch. "The sea isn't exactly safe these days. If it weren't for the strength of those four, even with Teacher Zephyr's protection, we'd be taking a huge risk."

"Yeah, that's why we need to train harder. No point in dreaming about going out to sea if we don't have the strength to back it up."

The group nodded in agreement, their enthusiasm renewed as they resumed their training with even more focus.

Just as their conversation began to drift toward other topics, a tall and striking figure appeared at the entrance of the training ground, immediately drawing attention.

A young woman, radiating an air of quiet confidence, stepped onto the field with a measured, graceful stride. Her long black hair was tied back in a high ponytail, emphasizing the delicate yet sharp features of her face. Light makeup accentuated her already stunning beauty, and a beauty mark near the corner of her mouth only added to her charm.

She wore a peach-colored short-sleeved top that hugged her figure, paired with dark shorts that allowed the smooth expanse of her legs to show. But what truly caught the eye was the prominent spider tattoo etched onto her fair thigh, a symbol that gave her an air of mystery. A luxurious sword rested at her waist, its intricate hilt gleaming under the sunlight.

The moment she stepped forward, the atmosphere in the training ground shifted.

The male students immediately paused their training, their gazes fixated on the newcomer. Some exchanged quick glances, their admiration plain on their faces.

"Who is that?" one of them muttered, awestruck.

"She's stunning," another whispered, unable to take his eyes off her.

Meanwhile, the female students also took notice. While some regarded her with curiosity, others couldn't help but glance down at their own chests, a tinge of self-consciousness creeping over them as they compared themselves to the newcomer's curvaceous figure.

Jessica, ever observant, gave Ginny a playful nudge before tugging at her collar and pointing toward the entrance.

"Ginny, look at her. She's gorgeous. Is she new?"

Ginny barely spared the girl a glance before returning her gaze to the horizon, her mind elsewhere.

"I don't know," she said absentmindedly.

Jessica frowned. "What's with you? You haven't been interested in anything lately."

Ginny sighed, tapping her fingers against her thigh. "I just want Brother Jiger to come back soon. Nothing else really matters to me right now."

Jessica rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue.

Back at the entrance, the young woman let her gaze sweep across the training ground, as if searching for something—or someone.

Then, with effortless grace, she stepped further in, her movements fluid and poised. She made her way toward the male students, stopping right in front of Momonga and his group.

She flashed them a sweet, disarming smile, and for a moment, even the normally composed Momonga found himself momentarily dazed.

"Hello," she said, her voice soft yet clear, "is there a student named Jiger here?"

The moment she spoke that name, the hopeful expressions of the gathered students faltered. Some even let out small sighs of disappointment.

One of them finally spoke up. "Jiger and Sakazuki were taken out on a mission by Teacher Zephyr. May I ask who you are?"

The young woman blinked, momentarily surprised. She raised a delicate hand, partially covering her lips as if absorbing the information.

"My name is Gion," she said smoothly. "You just said Jiger is on a mission? But isn't he still a student?"

"Yes," the same student replied with a nod, "but he's incredibly strong. Teacher Zephyr believes he has the ability to handle real missions at sea."

"I see," Gion murmured, tapping her chin in thought. "No wonder Sister keeps mentioning him..."

She seemed to get lost in her thoughts, her gaze drifting off into the distance. Before she could ponder further, however, a soft but firm hand landed on her shoulder.

Turning her head, Gion found herself face-to-face with a girl whose beauty contrasted starkly with her own. Where Gion exuded elegance and maturity, this girl radiated an aura of warmth and unrestrained energy.

Ginny met her gaze with open suspicion, her pink bangs swaying slightly as she tilted her head.

"Hello, my name is Ginny," she said. "I just heard you were looking for Brother Jiger. What do you need to see him for?"

Her voice was polite, but there was an unmistakable edge to it, one that didn't go unnoticed by those nearby. The other students exchanged knowing glances.

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