"…." Pudding sat silently, staring out the side window at the rolling waves.
"Here, Pudding-chan… have some hot chocolate," Zechs said, placing a cup on the table in front of her.
"T-thank you…" she stammered. She accepted the cup and held it with both hands, but didn't drink. It wasn't that she didn't want to; it was simply that she was too shocked to do anything but sit there in silence.
Zechs took a sip from his own cup before asking, "Is it really that hard to accept?"
"How could it not be?" Pudding burst out. "I-I've traveled fifty years into the past… a-and the handsome man I thought had kidnapped me suddenly turns out to be my stepfather! But he did kidnap me, not just from my home, but even from my time! And yet you're not threatening Mama or me… and I'm not even restrained at all!"
"Do you want to be restrained, Pudding-chan?" Zechs asked casually, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his pocket.
However, they were far from ordinary cuffs; rather than plain iron or metal, they were decorated with pink fur on the inside and pink leather on the outside. Quite clearly, they were not meant to restrain prisoners, but were designed for some censored activities on the bed.
[Host, you shouldn't be showing things like that to an innocent young girl. Are you planning to corrupt her?] Miss System commented, noticing what her host was doing.
'What else if not that? How do you think I'll get to eat Oyakodon if I don't corrupt her?' Zechs didn't hide his intention at all. And even added, 'Besides, she doesn't seem that innocent. Look, she's even blushing while staring at the cuffs. She clearly knows what they're for.'
Miss System fell silent, because he wasn't entirely wrong.
Pudding did seem to understand their purpose, 'Those are… from the books…!!!'
She was an avid reader and had gone through a wide range of material. Many of the things she read included illustrations, and she had seen that type of handcuffs depicted before. Because of that, she recognized their purpose immediately, as several vivid scenes and descriptions flashed through her mind.
And looking at those handcuffs in Zechs' hand, all the while being aware of their purpose, for some reason, she didn't feel disgusted. Instead, she felt embarrassed. Her eyes kept drifting back to the cuffs, her cheeks growing warmer as her expression became increasingly flustered.
'I-Is he going to use those on me?' the thought appeared in her mind as she thought of the various scenarios in which the heroines in those books were restrained.
The next instant, she jolted at her own imagination. 'Ahh… what am I thinking?!' Startled by herself, she abruptly stood up and slammed both hands onto the table.
"That's not what I meant!" she protested, her face red as she huffed. "What I'm saying is that this is all too absurd! I was just making chocolate a moment ago, you know? I wasn't prepared for something like this…"
Zechs had already explained many things to her. She didn't want to believe any of it, but for some reason, whenever the words came from his mouth, she found herself being persuaded to believe them.
It's just that even though she found herself unable to reject his explanation and had reluctantly accepted that she had somehow traveled fifty years into the past and was now sitting in front of her supposed stepfather, it was still far too much for her to truly process.
"I mean… time travel? Who would even think something like that is possible?" Pudding said as she sat back down on the chair. After a brief pause, she added, "And you know who I am… Someone from fifty years in the past knows me. That's even more unbelievable. I almost feel like this is some kind of prank."
"But it isn't a prank, pudding-chan," Zechs replied calmly, slipping the cuffs back into his pocket.
"Which only makes this even more absurd…" Pudding muttered. Then she looked at him again and asked, "Hey… step-father-kun, how do you even know who I am?" A moment later, another question followed. "And if you know about me, then you must know about my other siblings, too, right? So… whose father are you?"
As she spoke, she secretly studied his appearance. 'White hair… and that handsome face… Could he be Smoothie-nee-sama's father? No… that doesn't make sense. She's from the Long-Leg Tribe. He clearly isn't…' She kept thinking, trying to match his features to one of her half-siblings she knew, but no matter how much she considered it, she couldn't figure out which of her siblings he could possibly be connected to.
"I'm not anyone's father," Zechs replied calmly. "None of your half-siblings are actually my children."
That answer only left Pudding more confused. Before she could press further, he continued. "As for how I know you, someone from fifty years in the future… You could say I'm similar to you."
Pudding's eyes widened. "Similar to me? You mean… you're not from this time either?"
"I suppose you could put it that way," Zechs nodded. In truth, his situation was even more complicated, as he wasn't from this world altogether, but there was no need for her to know that.
"Wait… if you're not from this timeline, and you are also not any of my half-siblings' father, then how come you said that you are my step-father?" She looked at him with a frown.
"I have been in this era for more than a decade. About five years ago, I set out to sea and became a pirate… and have been sailing since…" he explained a bit about himself, and then added, "Two days ago… I happened to meet Linlin. We managed to hit it off. We're engaged now." Then he smiled slightly. "And we are going to get married soon. So, technically speaking, I am not yet your step-father… but, I'll soon be…"
Pudding stared at him, disbelief written across her face. "You're going to marry Mama?" she asked, then hesitated before adding, "Do you even know what she does to her husbands?"
"Ahem… I know," nodded Zechs and revealed it while scratching his cheek, "She either gets them killed or thrown away, doesn't she?"
"You know about that… and you still plan to marry her?" Pudding looked at him as if he had lost his mind. To her, this so-called stepfather was practically walking into his own grave.
'Well… Mama must have manipulated him… or threatened him somehow,' she thought, recalling the many methods her mother had used to force marriages, whether for her herself or for her children.
"Don't worry about that," Zechs said, shaking his head. "I have her under control."
"Her? Under your control? I don't believe that," Pudding denied immediately.
She knew her mother well. Linlin was a monster, dangerous, wilful, and utterly domineering. In fact, much of what Pudding had learned about manipulation, acting, and so on came from her. There was no way that woman would ever submit to someone else's control.
"Actually… it's probably you who's under her control," she said, then added, "It must be because of your race. That's the only reason Mama would want to marry you. Well… that, and the fact that you're ridiculously handsome."
"Oh? Pudding-chan, you think I'm very handsome? Does that mean you've taken a liking to me, too?" Zechs teased her.
"W-who said that?" Pudding snapped, baring shark teeth, and with a bit of blush on her cheeks. Then she quickly added, "And why are you focusing on that part instead of the more important things I said? Mama is probably only marrying you because of your race…! Once she gets what she wants… y-you'll be—"
Before she could complete her words, Zechs interrupted her, "Actually… Linlin right now isn't the same person she'll become fifty years later."
Zechs didn't deny that Linlin's intention to marry him was partly connected to his race. However, that was clearly not the only reason. His strength and his striking appearance were also factors.
Even so, the Linlin of the present was very different from the Linlin that Pudding knew.
"She is different?" Pudding wanted to argue, but the words didn't come. He was right; this was decades earlier. Naturally, her mother wouldn't yet be the terrifying figure she remembered.
'I wonder what Mama is like at this age…' she thought, a hint of curiosity stirring within her.
She had only ever heard about her mother from this era through her older siblings and had seen a few pictures. Beyond that, she knew almost nothing. Because of that, she found herself genuinely curious.
"Anyway, putting that aside," Zechs continued, "we were supposed to be talking about you."
"Is there a way for me to return to my time?" she asked immediately.
Zechs shook his head without hesitation. "No."
Although there is a way to send her forward in time, that wouldn't truly be what Pudding would want because the future she'd be sent to wouldn't be her future.
It didn't take a genius to understand that Pudding isn't from this timeline, but from a different parallel timeline where he doesn't exist at all and never met Linlin… which would result in Linlin doing things as she did in the canon.
Zechs had no way of sending her to her original timeline. The most he can manage is to send her into the future, but as said previously, it wouldn't be the solution.
Besides, even if there had been a way, he had no intention of offering it.
Why would he pass away the ball already in his court? Shouldn't he be focusing on scoring a goal?
Pudding didn't know whether he was telling the truth or not, but hearing that he can't send her back really made her look at him with annoyance, and she couldn't help but complain, "So you brought me here without my permission… took me away from my home, my timeline… and now there's no way for me to go back?"
"Well, that's about right," Zechs nodded nonchalantly.
"How can you be so casual about this? You kidnapped me… your supposed Step-daughter… don't you feel even a little guilty?" she asked with a frown.
"Not really," Zechs replied calmly. "I'm a pirate. Why would I feel guilty about kidnapping you… even if you will soon be my step-daughter?"
His expression made it clear what he was thinking. 'Are you seriously asking such a question?'
Pudding was left speechless. When she thought about it, his words did make a certain kind of sense. For a pirate, something like this was just another Tuesday.
Her own family did this sort of thing on a regular basis, so she didn't care too much about it or question the morality or ethics…
Still, there was one thing she couldn't understand.
"But… why did you do it? Why bring me fifty years into the past?" she asked.
The question genuinely eluded her. She tried to think it through, searching for a reason that made sense, but nothing felt convincing.
Dragging her into the past was strange, far too strange. It clearly wasn't an act of revenge against the Big Mom Pirates. Nor did it seem directed at Linlin herself. In fact, Zechs appeared eager to marry her. There didn't seem to be any hostility behind his actions.
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't figure out his motive.
After a moment, one possibility crossed her mind. 'Could it be because of my special ability? But… I haven't even awakened it yet, and I don't even know if I can…'
Besides, Pudding felt that her special ability probably wasn't the real reason. After all, there should be other members of her race in the world, and he could have simply searched for one of them. Compared to bringing her fifty years into the past, that would have been a much easier option, wouldn't it?
Confused and at a loss, she looked at Zechs, waiting for an answer. But Zechs said nothing. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that he didn't know what to say.
One of his goals is to eat his favorite food, which is Oyakodon, but obviously, he couldn't mention that to her to her face. His other objective was to make use of her Memo Memo Devil Fruit ability, but he wasn't sure if he should reveal that either.
After all, he didn't trust Pudding yet.
"What? Are you just going to stay silent?" Pudding asked, lightly tapping the table in impatience.
"Ahem, sorry. I got a little distracted," Zechs said, clearing his throat.
Pudding blinked, caught off guard. "Distracted? By what?" She noticed his gaze resting on her and suddenly became self-conscious. 'He's… definitely looking at my forehead… so… is that really it?' she wondered.
That had to be the reason.
And she was right.
"By your eye," Zechs said. "The one you've been hiding behind your bangs."
She had already guessed what he meant, so the words didn't truly surprise her, but hearing him say it out loud still made her tremble. Her fists tightened at her sides.
Noting her reaction, Zechs thought internally, 'Let's start by winning her heart and making her fall in love with me.'
Aloud, he said calmly, "I've heard you carry the blood of the Three-Eyed Tribe. It seems that's true."
Pudding lowered her gaze, her voice tight. "That's right… I have the blood of the Three-Eyed Tribe. So what?"
"It's just that I've never met anyone from the three-eyed tribe before," Zechs said gently. "Would you let me see it? Your third eye."
"Why do you want to see it? Is that why you brought me here… fifty years into the past? Just to look at my third eye?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Zechs shook his head. "No. That's not the reason."
"Then why do you want to see it?" Pudding asked, her expression hardening with anger.
Her third eye was her most sensitive point. By bringing it up and asking to see it, Zechs had stepped directly onto dangerous ground.
'If I don't want to ruin this opportunity, I need to be completely clear with her,' he thought.
With that thought, he rose from his chair and walked toward her.
Pudding immediately tensed. She stood up and took a step back, watching him warily. "W-what are you doing? S-stay away…!" she said, her voice unsteady.
"Shhh…" Zechs murmured softly and placed a hand beneath her chin, and lifted her face.
Looking steadily into her two eyes, he spoke in a calm, even tone, "I only want to see it out of curiosity. Will you let me?"
She felt a little uncomfortable and wanted to refuse.
She wanted to say no—to tell him she wasn't some exhibit in a zoo to satisfy his curiosity, that she didn't have to show her third eye to anyone.
But under his steady gaze, and hearing the quiet way he asked, her resistance wavered, and she felt persuaded to let him satisfy his curiosity.
"Al… alright, see it for yourself," she agreed softly.
"Very well," nodded Zechs. He raised his other hand and gently lifted her bangs aside, revealing the third eye on her forehead, only to find it shut closed. "Don't keep it closed. Open it, would you?"
Pudding trembled at the request.
She only ever opened her third eye when she was alone, never in front of others. The fear of being noticed, of seeing disgust on their faces, had always stopped her.
But this time, she hesitated only briefly before giving a small nod. "O… okay."
Slowly, hesitantly, she opened it, exposing the pupil of the eye which Zechs looked at with interest.
Nervousness tightened her chest. Her heart pounded with fear, and her lips quivered slightly.
She waited.
She waited for his expression to become disgusted… for him to call her strange, monstrous, or frightening, for the reaction she had come to expect whenever anyone truly saw her third eye.
But he said nothing and showed no expression either.
He simply kept looking at her, his expression thoughtful as he studied her face.
The silence stretched longer than she expected. It made her uneasy, even impatient, until she finally couldn't bear it anymore, and asked, "Well? Don't you have anything to say?"
"Hm… I was just wondering," Zechs said slowly. "Does that third eye let you use the optical zoom or something?"
"Optical Zoom…? What does that even mean?" Pudding blinked, confused by the term she had never heard before.
"Ah, I see… you don't know," Zechs said.
"Optical zoom means being able to see distant things as if they're right in front of you, like your eyes can magnify what you're looking at without you moving."
After explaining, he asked, "Can you do something like that?"
"N-no," she replied, shaking her head.
"I see. Then… does your third eye have any other special abilities?" Zechs continued. "Oh, right—I've also heard that members of the Three-Eyed Tribe can use the 'Voice of All Things.' Can you use that?"
"I… I'm only a hybrid," Pudding said hesitantly. "I haven't awakened that ability. A-and… I probably never will. Hybrids like me usually can't use it."
"I see," Zechs nodded. He already knew that, but he asked anyway to keep the conversation going and really appear interested in her third eye.
"Then does your third eye give you any other advantages?" he asked. "For example… sharper perception or something like that?"
"I… I can see fast-moving things more easily," Pudding answered quietly.
"Hm… is that so?" Zechs nodded.
He already knew this too and recalled that, in the canon, Pudding had been able to track Vinsmoke Sanji's movements with her eyes, even when he was moving at high speed. No one else present had been able to follow him, including Oven, who was far stronger than Pudding.
"So you already have a sharp perception even without awakening its true power. I suppose the three eyes aren't such a bad thing after all," Zechs said as he withdrew his hand.
The comment left Pudding momentarily stunned. "Wait… is that all you're going to say?" she asked quickly.
"What do you mean?" Zechs asked, puzzled. "Was I supposed to say something else?"
"Yes!" she blurted out the words she had always heard people say to her when they saw her third eye. "Aren't you supposed to say it's creepy? That I'm a freak? That I look hideous… that I'm a monster…" With each word, her voice grew weaker. And her eyes began to glisten, tears gathering as if they might fall at any moment.
Hearing that, Zechs smiled inwardly. 'Fufu… It's time to say those legendary words and win her heart.'
Outwardly, however, he simply shrugged and said calmly, "You're calling your third eye creepy and hideous? Do you even know what those words really mean? You don't look like a freak at all. If anything… You look rather cute to me."
[Host… you're evil…] Miss System remarked for what felt like the nth time.
'What are you talking about, Miss System?' Zechs protested in his heart. 'I'm clearly doing something good here, and you're still calling me evil. How am I evil when I'm helping Pudding-chan? Besides… I am not lying… She really looks cute.'
[It's your intentions, Host. Your intentions are clearly not pure,] Miss System replied flatly. She knew him too well.
'My intentions are pure,' Zechs insisted without hesitation, not at all accepting that he was doing something bad. 'I'm the hero here, saving the heroine from her trauma.'
[Hmph!] Miss System snorted and decided not to argue any further with her shameless host.
Meanwhile, Pudding was frozen and completely caught off guard, "C-cute…?!"
She hadn't expected to hear that, not for a moment.
What she had expected was for him to look at her with disgust, as if she were a freak and a monster. But clearly… he didn't seem to look at her like that at all.
The shock hit her so hard that her eyes quickly filled with tears, her vision blurring and snot leaked out of her nose, "Uuu…" she whimpered.
"Hey… don't start crying on me," Zechs said, wiping the tears from her cheeks and forehead.
But the tears kept falling. "Wooo…"
"Pudding-chan, didn't I tell you to stop crying?" Zechs said gently, trying once again to calm her. "You know tears and a runny nose don't suit a beautiful face."
She shook her head, her voice trembling. "No… what are you even saying? I'm a freak. I know I'm a monster, so how dare you call someone as hideous as me beautiful? Are you just trying to pity me? Damn it…"
No one had ever called her beautiful or cute after seeing her third eye.
This was the first time anyone had said something like that, and she didn't believe him at all.
She thought Zechs was simply pitying her. After all, she had long internalized the belief that her third eye was hideous, that it made her strange, even monstrous.
Zechs felt a trace of helplessness. Dealing with someone who was crying was always troublesome, not to mention, Pudding didn't seem to want to believe his words…
'Well… there's one way to stop her from crying,' he thought, and without much hesitation, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
Chu…
The kiss had its intended effect.
Her crying stopped instantly. All three of her eyes widened in shock, disbelief flooding her teary expression.
'W-what is he doing?!' she thought, but was unable to say them out loud since her lips were interlocked with his.
She had never expected him to kiss her so suddenly.
She felt so stupid and dumbfounded that she didn't even react when Zechs wrapped his hands around her waist, sat her down on the table, and continued to kiss her.
Chu… chu…
'Aaaah… W-what's happening?' The thought flashed through her mind as warmth spread through her body and her thoughts grew hazy.
'N-no… he is kissing me without even asking for my permission…' She thought about resisting and pushing him away… but found herself unable to resist at all and even began to respond a little.
Chu… slrrpp…
When he guided the kiss deeper, invading his tongue into her mouth and sucking on her sweet saliva, she instinctively followed his lead with awkward, inexperienced movements, her mind growing softer and more unfocused with each passing moment.
Several minutes passed as the two remained locked in a close embrace, their bodies pressed together while the kiss continued. Only when Pudding began to run out of breath did Zechs finally pull back, giving her a moment to breathe.
"Haaah… haah…"
Gasping for air, she stared at him. Her face was flushed, her eyes moist, and her expression carried a mix of shock, fear, and anger.
"You… you… you… H-how dare—"
"It looks like you've caught your breath," Zechs said with a smirk.
Before she could finish her protest, he leaned in and kissed her again.
Chu.
Her eyes widened once more, but just as before, her thoughts blurred instantly as his saliva muddied her mind. Her resistance faded, and she found herself once again responding instinctively as the kiss as their tongues began to wrestle against each other just like the last time…
Chu… slrrrppp…
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Drop Power Stones.
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