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Grand Line · The Next Day
A transport ship flying a Slime flag cut steadily through a calm sea.
Not far behind it, a pirate ship was sinking.
"Hmph! Those pathetic pirates actually thought they could rob us! They have no idea who they're dealing with!"
Aihara Enju had just returned to the deck after sending the pirate ship to the bottom, and she planted both hands on her hips with immense satisfaction.
"It was one nobody pirate crew. Try not to look so proud of yourself."
"If you ever run into a Warlord or one of the Four Emperors, I'd suggest you to hide and run."
Kaito offered this advice from a beach chair without opening his eyes.
"Hmph! Warlords of the Sea? Four Emperors? They'd all be trash compared to Tokiwadai Middle School!"
"Enju-chan... that's not a nice thing to say. You should listen to Kaito-nii!"
Ririka looked over at Enju with genuine concern.
"Ahh, Ririka, I was only joking! If I ever run into someone I can't beat, I'll just call for backup!"
At that, Kaito slowly sat up from his beach chair and looked around at the assembled girls.
"Right. The one rule you all need to remember: if you meet someone you can't beat, run immediately."
"You don't have to be the fastest. You just have to be faster than the last person. Understood?"
"Yes!!!"
"Good. Now I'm going to find your Rimuru-nee chan."
He headed below deck. The moment he was gone, Enju turned to Veldora with a puzzled look.
"Actually, why isn't Rimuru-nee chan up yet? Even Milim-nee chan is awake! Is she sick?"
Veldora set down his manga. He looked at Enju with an expression that was caught somewhere between awkward and deeply uncomfortable.
'This girl is apparently a loyal Eromanga Sensei fan and still can't read the room.'
"Uh... she's fine! Enju, you're still young. You'll understand when you're older."
"So suspicious!"
Enju stared at him with an expression that said she knew perfectly well he was hiding something.
Midori Fuse, who had already worked out exactly what was going on, quietly tugged Enju by the sleeve.
"Enju-chan, let's go fishing. Come on."
"Alright! Let's go! I'm catching the biggest one today!"
Veldora watched the white-haired girl lead Enju away and let out a very long breath of relief. He picked up his manga again.
Kaito stepped into the cabin and found Rimuru still sound asleep, thoroughly buried under the covers. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth before he could stop it.
"Rimuru. Time to get up. The sun's already past your head."
He gave her a gentle nudge. Rimuru stirred, opened her eyes, and then the moment she registered who was standing there, she shot upright and yanked the blanket to her chin.
"Ah— Kai-chan?! Why are you in here?!"
A vein twitched at Kaito's temple.
'You were the one who showed up at my room last night with a pillow. Do you really need to act this shocked right now?'
"My esteemed Rimuru-sama, would you like to take a moment to recall last night?"
Rimuru did recall last night. The more she recalled, the redder her face got, until she looked ready to generate actual steam.
"That... even if I was the one who came over... it's not like you suffered for it, and I'm the one still sore! So get out! I need to get dressed!"
Kaito's eyes lit up. He stayed exactly where he was on the edge of the bed with an expression that made clear he wasn't going anywhere.
"Mmmm! Out! Now!"
He was chased out wearing a look of genuine regret.
"What's there to be so shy about? It's not as though I didn't see everything last night. Really."
Alone at last, Rimuru hugged the blanket and let the events of last night wash over her. She felt shy and warm at the same time.
Shy, because it was Veldora who had egged her on yesterday, and she had gone running over on pure impulse.
Warm, because just as Raphael had predicted, Kai-chan hadn't turned her away.
'Hmph! Now I finally have a reason to stop all those women from hovering around Kai-chan.'
"Report, Kaito-sama! The training ship is approaching Nanohana Port in Alabasta!"
Kaito looked up from the game of Gobang he was playing with Milim on the deck and nodded at the squad leader.
"Have the students' training routes been confirmed?"
The squad leader, well acquainted with the academy's arrangements, answered without hesitation.
"Yes, sir! The Chairwoman has drawn up a full itinerary based on intelligence from the Covert Operations Unit."
"This ship carries two hundred and thirty students, with fifty Security Force members assigned to ensure their safety throughout."
"The planned route departs from Nanohana Port, crosses the desert by camel to the famous city of Rainbase, then continues to Alabasta's capital, Alubarna."
"From there, we intend to contact the royal family and request permission for the students to visit the royal palace, which is said to be four thousand years old."
"That is the full training route, Kaito-sama. Your thoughts?"
It was worth noting that this squad leader was speaking only for their ship. Over a hundred training vessels had departed for this session, each heading to a different destination — some to the Four Seas, others to notable countries along the Grand Line. There was even one ship bound for the New World, with the Academy Guard's overall commander on board to handle protection personally.
"The plan is solid. Carry it out as arranged. The children's safety comes first, understood?"
Kaito's tone was level, but his expression left no room for ambiguity.
"Yes, sir! Leave it to us, Kaito-sama!"
The soldier placed his right fist over his chest, then turned to go and see to the disembarkation.
Down at Nanohana Port, the security detail on duty had by now spotted the incoming vessel. None of them had ever laid eyes on a ship made entirely of steel.
If the flag hadn't clearly marked it as something other than a pirate ship, someone would have already sounded the alarm.
"Hey, that ship is enormous! Raff, should we report to the captain?"
"No need. No pirate flag, no cannons visible. Probably just an unusual merchant vessel."
"Fair enough."
The anchor went down with a heavy clank. Kaito and the others led the way off the gangplank, and behind them came a steady stream of children, none much taller than 1.4 meters, pouring out in their uniforms.
"What a beautiful woman. I've never seen anyone like that."
A passerby at the port stared openly as Rimuru stepped off the ship.
"And look at all those little girls! All in matching uniforms, too. Must be children from noble families, the whole lot of them."
In the thick of the crowd, a blue figure paused and took one long, measured look in their direction.
Then, without a word, vanished into the flow of people.