East Blue.
Windmill Village, Partys Bar.
Sephiroth and Machino sat on chairs in front of the bar, leaning against each other.
"I want to build a new house behind your bar.
When it's finished, will you move in and live with me...?"
Sephiroth gently wrapped his right arm around Machino's slender waist, whispering in her ear.
"Okay! I want a big bathroom, preferably with a pool inside. Then, I can take a bath with you. And then there's the flower garden..."
Machino's face was radiant with a sunny smile as she envisioned the layout of their new house.
"Mhm! Everything will be arranged according to your wishes..."
Sephiroth nodded gently, readily agreeing to the requests of the woman in his arms.
Suddenly!
Machino's cheerful words came to an abrupt halt. Under his slightly puzzled gaze, she extended her fair and slender right hand, placed her palm inside the inner pocket of the black suit jacket he was wearing, and slowly pulled out a red hair.
Sephiroth: (´д`)
Machino: (눈_눈)
The originally warm and sweet atmosphere between the two instantly turned cold.
Upon seeing the red hair, Sephiroth immediately thought of the woman who had helped him get up and dressed before he came here... Baccarat!
Five days ago, while he was on vacation, he accidentally met Baccarat. Because he couldn't control himself for a moment, he turned her into his private secretary assistant to help him sort out and summarize the daily affairs of the Umbrella Corporation.
In short, if there was something to do, he would let the secretary do it. If there was nothing to do... cough!
Baccarat was also very satisfied with this position, so she was very proactive and diligent when attending to him...
After all, this position was very special. Although she was not a high-level executive of the Company, she held some of the power of a high-level executive. Even the middle management of the Company, such as the person in charge on Saint Poplar Island, had to be respectful after seeing her and actively apologize for the conflicts that had occurred between them before.
Was this red hair an unintentional oversight by Baccarat, or did it contain some other subtle intention?...Sephiroth pondered, deciding that he would need to check the next time he used "Blood Recollection" technique on Baccarat.
If it was an unintentional oversight, then so be it. But if she truly had a hidden agenda, then he was prepared to severely discipline her, making her understand that this was not something she could handle on her own!
At this moment, Sephiroth perceived through Observation Haki that the emotions of the woman in his arms had undergone drastic changes, with anger, sadness, disappointment, and other emotions constantly emerging.
However...
Machino feigned an air of nonchalance, casually tossing away the hair in her hand. She said with a smile:
"You're really careless...
You didn't even notice that your clothes had something dirty stuck to them."
"Huh!?...Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Sephiroth was startled, then laughed awkwardly, scratching his head without explanation.
He knew Machino had definitely guessed the truth, but she chose not to expose it, preferring to pretend she didn't know...
As if remembering something, Machino broke free from his embrace, left the chair, walked to the bar, and took out a large basket from below, placing it on the counter. She said to Sephiroth:
"Oh, right! These are clothes I had someone make for Luffy and the others. They just arrived today...
The weather is about to turn cold. Could you please help me deliver them now?"
"Mhm! Okay..."
Sephiroth nodded, then asked, "Aren't you going to see Luffy and the others?"
"Not today. I still have things to do at the bar."
"Alright!"
Sephiroth nodded, drank the sherry on the bar in one gulp, picked up the basket, and walked toward the bar entrance.
"Sephiroth!"
Just as the young man reached out to push open the bar's louvered doors, Machino suddenly called out to him.
Sephiroth turned his head back, a hint of confusion in his expression, and looked at Machino, who was still standing inside the bar. A gentle, warm smile bloomed on her face, and she said in a soft voice:
"When you've had enough fun, remember to come back!"
Hearing this, Sephiroth was silent for two seconds before nodding seriously and saying, "I understand, I definitely will!"
After saying that, he walked out of the bar with mixed feelings, stepping onto the dirt road of Windmill Village and heading towards Mount Colubo.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, I shouldn't have provoked Machino, this kind and good woman. But since I have already provoked her, I must bear the responsibility! Sephiroth reflected silently in his heart while opening his personal space with the butcher knife.
As he placed the basket of clothes inside, he also casually took out a cigar from a box of expensive cigars, lit it, put it in his mouth, took a deep puff, and exhaled a thick white mist.
Sephiroth recalled his recent actions and realized that his already limited integrity seemed to be completely gone now...
Ever since he fought Kaido to a draw and realized that he had become one of the top powerhouses in this world, his suppressed desires, ambitions, arrogance... and other personality flaws gradually surfaced, and he developed a habit of acting with arrogance and self-righteousness.
Especially when it came to women, he also became increasingly casual!
Although Sephiroth felt that there was nothing wrong with being true to his desires and pursuing girls.
But...
Becoming a slave to one's desires was not a good thing.
Perhaps, those lawless Celestial Dragons became objects of universal hatred precisely because they were too loyal to their desires...!?
It doesn't matter that I've become the person I once hated the most...
However, I still don't want to be hated by the girls I love!
From now on, I should be more careful about this kind of thing!
I can't be too reckless... Sephiroth silently made a decision.
After completely leaving Windmill Village, Sephiroth immediately spread his black wings behind him. He flapped them forcefully twice, and his body shot directly into the air, soaring towards a towering tree on Mount Colubo in the distance.