Feeling the new power surging within her, Kuri spread a pair of massive, membrane-covered dark purple bat wings from beneath her hands with a "whoosh."
She tried flapping her wings, her body lifting lightly off the ground, and she flew back in the direction she had come from.
Although her newly awakened Observation Haki was still immature, combined with the dark vision and ultrasonic perception brought by the Vampire Fruit, it allowed her to clearly identify directions in this complex tunnel, moving several times faster than when she arrived.
She retraced her steps along the passage violently broken open by Charlotte Linlin, and soon saw the faint light cast from the church above, as well as the tall figure standing at the edge of the hole.
"otousan!"
With a hint of grievance, nine parts excitement, and a little desire for "revenge," Kuri rushed out of the tunnel like a shadow, flapped her wings, and pounced directly toward Charlotte Linlin.
The moment she drew near, she opened her small mouth, revealing four sharp and cute little canine teeth, making a move to bite Charlotte Linlin's giant finger.
"You jerk dad! How dare you throw me down there! How dare you make fun of me!"
She called it biting, but she didn't actually use any force; it was more of a coquettish venting.
Moreover, with her current strength, even if she used force, she wouldn't be able to bite through Charlotte Linlin's skin, which had been strengthened by the "Godly Body" to be comparable to divine weapons.
Charlotte Linlin looked down at the little one hanging on her finger, gnawing like a little sloth.
The faint sensation from her fingertip didn't make her angry; instead, she let out a low, pleasant laugh.
"Hahaha~ As expected of my child. After some tempering, you not only successfully obtained the fruit but even awakened your Observation Haki?"
She reached out her other hand and gently tapped Kuri's forehead with her fingertip.
"Alright, alright, stop biting. It's a bit itchy, like a kitten scratching."
Kuri's mouthful of sharp little teeth biting Charlotte Linlin's finger was less of an attack and more like brushing her skin with a fine little brush; it really only felt itchy.
"Jerk otousan!" Angered by Charlotte Linlin's laughter and the "kitten" comment, Kuri puffed out her cheeks and decided to give her unscrupulous dad a "lesson."
She mustered all her strength and took another bite!
Crack!
A faint, tooth-aching crunching sound.
Kuri: "..."
She froze, slowly opened her mouth, and looked down at her palm—a tiny baby tooth with a trace of blood was lying there quietly.
Charlotte Linlin: "Hahaha—!!!" She laughed even louder.
Kuri looked up, her eyes instantly turning red. She looked piteously at her fallen tooth, then looked at the laughing Charlotte Linlin with grievance and disbelief.
"Waa... my tooth..."
Seeing the little one looking like she was really about to cry, Charlotte Linlin barely suppressed her laughter and "comforted" her with a playful tone:
"Don't worry, Kuri. You're just at the age to lose your teeth. New ones will grow in soon, and they might even be sharper than before."
"Really?" Kuri sniffled and asked with a sob.
"Of course it's true. When has Daddy ever lied to—"
Charlotte Linlin's words came to an abrupt halt. The smile on her face vanished instantly, her gaze becoming as sharp as a blade as she suddenly turned toward the broken stained-glass window on the side of the church.
"What's wrong, otousan?" Kuri also sensed the change in atmosphere, forgetting the sadness of her tooth and asking nervously.
Charlotte Linlin didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached out and gently lifted Kuri onto her shoulder, her voice carrying a hint of coldness as she spoke to the shadows:
"Come out. Peeping from the shadows isn't a good habit."
"Heh..."
A soft chuckle came, carrying the elegant tone of an ancient noble. From the shadows, a tall, thin figure slowly emerged.
He wore a magnificent dark red cloak and held a slender umbrella decorated with bat sculptures. His face was handsome but had a sickly paleness, with a charming and composed smile at the corner of his mouth. He exuded an aura like that of a legendary European vampire noble.
"As expected of the one who can stir up the New World and give the Marines such a headache, 'Heavenly Tribulation' Charlotte Linlin. This perception is truly admirable."
The newcomer bowed slightly, performing an impeccable gentleman's salute.
Charlotte Linlin's pupils constricted, and she uttered the other's name with a solemn expression: "'Red the Aloof,' Patrick Redfield. Why are you here!"
Was it the choice of the Devil Fruit that attracted him here? His bat-themed elements were perfectly in sync with the fruit Kuri had just eaten.
Charlotte Linlin thought about this man who had previously been active in the Grand Line.
Redfield stood up straight, gazing at Charlotte Linlin with his red eyes that seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts, and smiled:
"Beautiful lady, I am here only because I had a premonition that something interesting would happen. Meeting you proves my premonition was correct."
Charlotte Linlin frowned, her nodachi already quietly held in her hand: "What do you mean?"
"It's simple," Redfield slowly drew a slender blade hidden within the umbrella, the blade gleaming coldly.
"Having just arrived in the New World, I wanted to see a truly strong person. Fortunately, it's quiet enough here, with no outsiders to disturb us."
He spoke of a challenge, but in his heart, he was even more curious.
His innate Observation Haki, which grew stronger with age and could read the hearts of others, had actually failed on the woman before him!
He couldn't hear any of Charlotte Linlin's inner thoughts, as if he were facing a bottomless sea of silence.
Was it because the opponent was too strong and blocked his perception? Or was there some other reason?
This "unknown" strongly attracted him, a solitary existence who had become isolated because he saw through human nature.
He wanted to understand, to explore what was different about this woman.
And in the world of pirates, combat was undoubtedly the most direct way to explore another's essence.
Charlotte Linlin threw Kuri directly into the sky: "Stay far away. This island won't be safe after this."
"Okay, otousan!"
Still in her bat form, Kuri flapped her wings and flew away from the place at extreme speed.
She wasn't worried at all that Charlotte Linlin would be in danger. In her heart, this otousan she had recognized was completely omnipotent, aside from liking to play with her whenever he felt like it.
Taking the nodachi from her waist, the light purple divine equipment covered Charlotte Linlin's mature body. Charlotte Linlin said in a very displeased tone:
"I hate you troublesome guys who like to fight at the drop of a hat!"
As she spoke, a massive sword beam wrapped in pink-purple electrical arcs whistled toward Redfield like a crescent moon tearing through the air!
Her Observation Haki clearly told her of Redfield's intense battle intent; this was an unavoidable fight.
Although she didn't understand why this guy had such strong battle intent toward her, she just didn't like fighting—it didn't mean she feared it!
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