Chapter 39: The War Between Women

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Gion stepped out from behind Zephyr, her hands resting behind her back, a warm smile on her face as she addressed the students below.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Gion. A few days ago, I had some… disagreements with a couple of my classmates. I hope you won't take it to heart. I look forward to your guidance in the future~"

The students exchanged glances. The female students remained silent, and Jessica even eyed Gion with a hint of hostility.

The male students weren't particularly enthusiastic either. Momonga and a few others instinctively glanced at Carl, making the atmosphere a little awkward.

Zephyr sighed internally. To be honest, he wouldn't have allowed Gion to enter Marine School if Tsuru hadn't personally requested it.

He knew his students well. Among the female students, Ginny was undoubtedly the "favorite" of the group. But when it came to the male students, Carl was their undisputed leader.

Despite being the youngest among them, Carl's strength—aside from Akainu and Borsalino—was far beyond the rest. His composure and skill made it impossible for the other students to question him.

And Gion? She had managed to offend both **Ginny and Carl** at the same time.

Zephyr honestly wasn't sure how she planned to survive here.

Yet, as he looked at her, Gion seemed completely unfazed. Either she didn't notice the cold reception… or she simply didn't care.

Her gaze remained fixed on **Carl**, who stood in the front row. Her large, captivating eyes gleamed with intrigue.

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### A Brewing Conflict

Jessica elbowed Ginny and whispered,

"Ginny, she **keeps** staring at Carl. I don't know… I feel like she has ulterior motives for coming here."

Ginny furrowed her brows slightly. She had noticed it too. But Gion had already apologized, and as far as Ginny was concerned, the matter was settled.

She wasn't the type to hold grudges, nor did she want to encourage anyone to isolate Gion over **one** fight. That was beneath her.

So, despite feeling a little uncomfortable, she said,

"She's our classmate now. It would be rude not to welcome her properly."

With that, **Ginny began clapping**.

Her applause was initially solitary, but soon, the other girls followed suit.

Carl, noticing Ginny clapping enthusiastically, chuckled and joined in as well—though only symbolically.

His influence, however, far surpassed Ginny's. The scattered applause suddenly grew much louder. **Hina**, in particular, clapped with great enthusiasm.

Gion tilted her head slightly, her smile deepening.

Zephyr let out a relieved sigh. After giving Gion a few brief words of advice, he quickly moved on to **official training**.

As the students dispersed, Carl, Akainu, and a few others remained behind, discussing their training progress over the past few days.

Meanwhile, Gion stood alone.

She wasn't receiving the **star-studded** treatment she had enjoyed at the branch. There were no eager admirers vying for her attention.

But she didn't seem to mind. Kicking a small stone by her feet, she slowly made her way in Carl's direction.

However, before she could take more than a few steps—

**Ginny stepped in front of her.**

With a polite yet firm smile, she said,

"Gion-san, where are you going? The girls are over there. You just arrived, so I'll introduce you to everyone."

Without waiting for a response, she took Gion's hand and **pulled her away from Carl's direction**.

Gion didn't resist. Instead, a playful expression flickered across her face.

She chuckled.

"Ginny, slow down a bit. It's not easy to walk in heels."

Ginny blinked. "Oh! Sorry… but didn't you fight in heels? Wouldn't that make movement harder?"

"Haha~ I think girls should wear heels. It makes them more feminine. And let me tell you—**it's very effective on men.**"

Ginny's ears twitched. She **stopped walking**.

She looked down at **Gion's elegant black heels**, which accentuated the smooth, pale skin of her feet.

Then she glanced at her own—**plain white training shoes**.

Frowning slightly, she asked, "…What do you mean by 'effective'?"

Gion's lips curled into a teasing smile. Leaning in close to Ginny's ear, she whispered,

"Obviously, it **hurts more** when you kick someone. What were **you** thinking, Ginny~?"

Ginny's **entire face turned bright red**.

Embarrassment? Ticklishness? A mix of both?

She quickly **buried her face in her chest**, looking like a flustered ostrich.

Gion gazed down at Ginny's pink-tinged head, her smile filled with amusement.

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### Jessica Enters the Fray

Not far away, Jessica witnessed the exchange.

Seeing Ginny's reaction, she immediately **assumed the worst**.

**Gion was bullying her!**

Fuming, Jessica **stormed over**, placed herself between Ginny and Gion, and glared fiercely.

"Hey! What did you just say to Ginny?! Let me remind you—Carl is right over there! He hates seeing Ginny being bullied!"

Gion casually glanced toward Carl.

He was currently absorbed in training, **swinging a blade made of light**, completely **oblivious** to the brewing drama.

After watching Carl for a moment, Gion slowly turned back, resting her hand on her hip.

"You misunderstand. Ginny and I were just having a friendly chat. If you don't believe me, why don't you ask her?"

Jessica crossed her arms, unconvinced.

"Hmph! It **better** be just that! If you **dare** to bully Ginny, even if she stays quiet about it, **I'll tell Carl and let him deal with you!**"

Gion raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what exactly is **your** relationship with Carl? Childhood sweethearts?"

Jessica **froze**.

Her face turned red. "W-What? Me and Carl?! What kind of—?! We're just **ordinary classmates!**"

Gion smirked. "Really? Because the way you talk about him makes it **sound** like you two are very… close~"

Jessica **stiffened**.

She immediately turned to glance at Ginny, **worried** about her reaction.

Ginny, however, didn't seem affected at all.

Jessica **exhaled in relief**—only to immediately feel a fresh wave of irritation.

She turned back and **grabbed Gion by the collar**, yanking her forward.

The movement **pulled down Gion's shirt slightly**, revealing a **generous amount of fair skin**.

Luckily, no male students were nearby… otherwise, there would have been **a lot of nosebleeds.**

Jessica **locked eyes** with Gion, her tone ice-cold.

"Listen up. Stop **running your mouth.** No matter what, Carl and I are much closer than you. I'm just looking out for Ginny. **That's all.**"