A gentle sea breeze drifted across the azure water. The Marine vessel drew slowly alongside the pirate ship. Soldiers swarmed aboard, securing the scene, detaining the unconscious pirates, and cataloging the plunder.
"Kuro, you handle the rest."
With that, Sephiroth scooped up the unconscious Baccarat from the deck, slung her over his right shoulder, and leaped back to the Marine ship. He headed straight for the commander's cabin.
As the highest-ranking officer aboard, no one questioned him, no matter how unusual his actions seemed.
In the ship's corridor, Sephiroth pushed open a cabin door. He carried Baccarat into the commander's office, then opened a side door within it.
This was his private quarters. Sparsely furnished: a wide white bed, a desk, a wardrobe, a wine rack.
He tossed Baccarat onto the bed. The jolt roused her from unconsciousness.
Her eyes fluttered open. She took in the unfamiliar cabin, then the silver-haired young man standing beside the bed.
"Heh. Didn't expect you to wake up so fast. Saves me some trouble. Be proactive. Hurry up and take it off."
Sephiroth gave a low chuckle as he began unbuttoning his blue floral shirt.
He looked every bit the predator.
"You... what are you doing?"
Baccarat's eyes went wide. A flicker of panic crossed her face, and she instinctively shrank back toward the headboard.
Gone was the assertive, flippant woman from their first meeting. In her place was someone timid, vulnerable.
Her Luck Fruit had failed against him. In raw strength, a single glare had knocked her out.
Powerless, she was afraid. Stripped of her Devil Fruit and her bravado, she was just a woman.
The panic was natural.
"Heh. Weren't you the one who suggested we sit down, have a drink, get to know each other better? Let's skip the pointless chatter. Let's get straight to it."
Without realizing it, Baccarat had pressed herself into the corner, with nowhere left to retreat.
Helpless, she curled up, hugging her knees. Her voice wavered. "You!... You!... Is this how a Marine acts?"
"Exactly how a Marine acts. Heh."
Sephiroth tossed his fully unbuttoned shirt aside, revealing a well-built torso, defined with abs and a sharp V-line.
The bastard had a good figure. And such a handsome face. If he were her first... it might not be so bad.
The absurd thought flashed through her mind.
But...
She shook her head, forcing the notion away.
How could she think something like that!
She saw Sephiroth slowly climb onto the bed and panicked. Her voice trembled. "Don't come closer! I'll scream! The whole ship will hear! You wouldn't want a scandal spreading among your men, would you?"
"Heh. Go ahead. Scream. Scream until you're hoarse. It won't help."
Sephiroth smirked sinisterly and slowly extended his right hand toward Baccarat, gently stroking her smooth cheek. He could feel her body trembling slightly, her heart pounding with panic and fear.
Seeing that if he kept teasing her, Baccarat might actually start crying, Sephiroth decided his revenge was complete. He finally withdrew his hand from her cheek.
He offered a final comment.
"Hmm. I hadn't noticed. Your skin is quite smooth."
As he spoke, Sephiroth slid out of bed. He grabbed the chair by the desk, sat down, and fixed the shaken, red-haired woman in light armor with a playful gaze.
"..."
It was only now that Baccarat realized she might have been… tricked.
After a moment to steady herself, she finally asked, cautious, "What do you want?"
Sephiroth feigned surprise. His tone was light, teasing. "Huh? You were the one who suggested we sit, have a drink, and… deepen our relationship. I was about to use my own method to do just that, but you didn't seem willing. So I suppose we'll have to use your method."
"..."
Baccarat bit her lip. Anger and annoyance simmered in her chest, sharp enough to ache. If she were stronger, she'd have lunged at him and slapped that smug face twice over.
"Oh, right. I forgot your drink."
Sephiroth stood and glanced at the bedroom's wine rack. He selected a bottle of sherry, pulled the cork, and took two glasses. He placed them on the desk and poured a half-measure into each.
"I wouldn't say I liked this wine before. Nor would I say I disliked it. But I've been drinking a lot of it lately. I've found it's actually quite good."
Baccarat looked at the glass he offered. She thought for a moment. Resistance was futile now; defiance was pointless. She reached out, took the glass, and sipped.
"Actually, I laced this bottle with a powerful aphrodisiac."
Spit!
Baccarat immediately spat the wine back into the glass.
Sephiroth, who had anticipated this, was already up and sidestepping, neatly avoiding the spray.
"Alright. That was a joke."
Baccarat: "..."