Then, Hawkeye got on his small boat and said, "I remember your name, Kuina. I'll be waiting for your challenge in the New World."
A dangerous aura emanated from Aokiji's eyes, and a chill spread throughout Marineford: "You hit an excellent Marine here in Marineford, and you think you can just leave?"
Hawkeye's steps halted. After thinking for a moment, he took off the cross pendant from his neck and threw it to Hera: "This is my sincerity. Can I leave now?"
Aokiji still wanted to make a move, but Hera stopped him.
Hera shook her head and said, "This was just a sparring match. Besides, Hawkeye is still a Shichibukai, there's no need to keep him here."
Only then did Aokiji retract his imposing aura. Even the 'Lazy Justice' felt some anger after someone hit a Marine in Marineford.
Hawkeye said, "I will wait for your challenge on the throne of the strongest, Kuina. I acknowledge you."
He then boarded his small sailboat, the 'Coffin Boat,' and left Marineford.
Under the continuous healing of the Water Bottle Bullet, Kuina quickly woke up. The first thing she saw was the cross pendant Hera had put on her, and she caressed the small knife Hawkeye had left behind.
Hera looked at Kuina with concern and said, "You fainted from exhaustion, but Hawkeye acknowledged you. He said he would wait for your challenge on the throne of the strongest."
Kuina nodded. With a thought, her hospital gown transformed into a Marine uniform. She curiously felt her body and asked Hera, "At the end of the battle, I felt a new power emerge in my body. What is this?"
Hera proudly said, "This is the same ability as mine! How about it? First, eat something to replenish your stamina. You have many more changes to come."
Hera took Kuina to the mess hall. Having absorbed the Ten Fragrance spirit crystal, she now felt terribly hungry. In the Marine mess hall, under the astonished gazes of others, two mountains of stacked food were rapidly diminishing.
A panic broke out in the mess hall's kitchen. The head chef was frantically calling the storeroom, asking, "Do we have any more food in the storeroom? Send it over quickly! Vice Admiral Hera and Colonel Kuina are almost finished eating again!"
The storeroom staff also looked helpless: "The grain here is almost gone too. This month's food is almost all eaten up."
The head chef roared into the transponder snail, "Didn't we say Vice Admiral Hera would be staying at Marineford for a while? How could the supplies run out so quickly?"
The logistics staff also looked helpless: "We originally prepared enough, but Miss Kuina's appetite suddenly increased so much. The storeroom didn't prepare for that in advance."
Hera heard the commotion and said to Kuina with a mischievous smile, "Hear that? You've eaten the Marines into poverty."
Kuina, who had just absorbed the spirit crystal and gone through a major battle, had no time to respond to Hera. She desperately needed to replenish her nutrients from food.
Hera walked towards the kitchen. Fresh ingredients emerged from the City of Devouring Time – Sea Kings caught by the argo during its voyage. She said to the kitchen staff, "Sorry to trouble you, please prepare these as well."
Hera sat beside Kuina, watching her devour the food. Before long, Ain, Nami, Perona, and Reiju, having heard about Kuina and Hawkeye's battle, rushed over.
Seeing Kuina restored to health, everyone felt relieved.
Nami was surprised to see Kuina eating so much and asked, "Why is Kuina's appetite so big?"
Hera explained, "She has awakened a new power and needs a lot of food to replenish her nutrients."
Just then, Kuina felt her body gradually regaining strength, and some black substances were being expelled from her pores.
Upon seeing this, Hera quickly took out 'Saikū,' slashed a sword backward, and opened a door directly to her bathroom at home.
Then, Hera led Kuina inside, leaving a message: "Wait here, I'll be back soon," before closing the rift.
Nami and the others were about to go in, but the rift closed, so they could only wait for Hera in the mess hall.
After Hera took Kuina to the bathroom, she turned on the water. Black mud continuously seeped from Kuina's body.
Hera asked, "This should be the spirit crystal transforming your body. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Kuina felt sticky all over and pushed Hera out: "You go out quickly, I want to take a bath, I feel so uncomfortable with this stickiness."
Hera was still a bit reluctant: "What's wrong with me watching? It's not like I haven't seen you before."
Kuina blushed: "Idiot, get out quickly!" She pushed Hera out the door.
Although it wasn't her first time bathing with Hera, she was covered in black mud and looked so dishevelled. Kuina didn't want Hera to see her like this.
She immediately locked the door and warned Hera, "You're not allowed to peek with your Observation Haki."
Hera immediately retracted her Observation Haki and repeatedly said, "Okay, I won't peek." Then she mumbled softly, "Wasn't I just worried something might go wrong?"
When Kuina came out again, her body had returned to its original state. With a flash of light, a new Marine uniform appeared on Kuina's body.
While bathing, Kuina also checked her back. There wasn't a single scar left where Hawkeye had struck her. It was then that Kuina felt much lighter all over.
When Hera saw Kuina had finished washing, she cut through space again and brought her back to the mess hall.
Ain and the others, who had been waiting for a long time, crowded around Kuina and Hera when they returned.
Perona rubbed her eyes when she saw Kuina reappear; there was an expression of disbelief in her eyes. Kuina's previously somewhat tanned skin had turned snow-white.
Even her skin had improved greatly, looking as if she, like Hera, glowed white even in the dark.
Perona incredulously touched Kuina's arm, then Hera's. Both their skins felt smooth and delicate to the touch.
Perona asked Kuina in shock, "What's going on? Could Hawkeye's sword actually improve your skin?"
The others also noticed Kuina's changes and eagerly reached out to feel for themselves.
Kuina, unaccustomed to the attention, pulled Hera in front of her, blocking her companions' outstretched arms, and said in a flustered voice, "I don't know, I think I absorbed something Hera threw out, and then I became like this."
Hera put her hands on her hips and proudly said, "To be precise, Kuina is now the same type of person as me."
Then, Hera explained, "What I gave Kuina was a spirit crystal. For some reason, my spirit power got mixed into Kuina's body. Now, combined with the spirit crystal, she has new abilities."
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