"Hmm? You don't like these Mythical Zoan types?"
Carl waved his hand casually, and the Devil Fruits floating above vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
There wasn't the slightest change in Kalifa's expression. She calmly said,
"Carl-sama, these fruits are far too precious for someone like me. Besides, I really enjoy the skin-softening effects of the Bubble-Bubble Fruit..."
Carl paused for a moment in surprise, then chuckled and shook his head.
"There's no such thing as wasting a Devil Fruit. But since you like the Bubble-Bubble Fruit that much, then we won't change it."
As he spoke, Carl ran his hand gently down Kalifa's back. The silky-smooth texture reminded him of the effects of the Slip-Slip Fruit.
In terms of beauty enhancement, the Slip-Slip Fruit was even more powerful than the Bubble-Bubble Fruit. Even someone like Alvida, once built like a "tank," had transformed into a top-tier beauty after obtaining it.
If the effects of the Slip-Slip Fruit were ever publicly known, it would drive ninety-nine percent of women absolutely wild.
However, due to changes in the world line in this life, pirates like Alvida never got the chance to make a name for themselves. Still, now that the thought had occurred to him, Carl decided to have the CP agents keep an eye out. If they found her, they were to bring her in immediately—he would extract the Slip-Slip Fruit and gift it to his woman.
Kalifa noticed Carl had gone silent for a while and thought he might be upset. She quickly spoke up,
"Carl-sama, I promise I'll train hard under Lady Lucia-sama!"
Carl snapped out of his thoughts and waved dismissively.
"Alright, alright, don't stress over something like that. I've already told you—this isn't a one-person job."
He shifted positions and pulled Kalifa into his arms.
"Last night was exhausting too. Let's rest for a bit."
"Mmm..."
The tenderness Carl unintentionally revealed made Kalifa, whose body and soul had already been completely conquered, sink deeper into infatuation. She clung to him, and before long, drowsiness swept over her, carrying her off into sleep.
...
The next day, when Kalifa opened her eyes, the bed beside her was empty. Still groggy a moment ago, she was now fully awake. She struggled to move her tingling limbs and got out of bed with effort. After getting dressed, she stepped out of the bedroom and went downstairs to the main hall.
Only Robin and Pudding were there, sitting together on the couch, engrossed in a book. They didn't notice Kalifa's approach.
Not until she came close and greeted them.
"Good mor—er, good afternoon, Robin-san, Pudding-san. I'm really sorry for sleeping in."
"Ahhh!"
Pudding jumped in fright, while Robin closed the book with a snap. Kalifa happened to catch a glimpse of the title in Robin's hands.
The Overbearing Young Lord Fell in Love with Me
By: Nico Robin
"...."
Kalifa pretended not to notice the title, keeping a polite smile on her face.
Pudding clutched her chest, which was still heaving with surprise, and grumbled,
"Kalifa, how do you even walk in heels without making a sound? You scared the life out of me!"
Kalifa offered a slightly awkward explanation.
"I'm truly sorry, Pudding-san. It's a habit I picked up during my time in CP9..."
Pudding waved it off.
"No worries, no worries. I guess I was just too absorbed in the book."
Robin cleared her throat.
"Kalifa, there's no need for honorifics like '-san' here. You went through your second 'ceremony' last night—you're one of us now. Just call us by our names."
As she spoke, Robin subtly tucked away the corner of the book poking out from behind her and changed the topic.
"So? How was last night? Seeing how late you slept, it must've been quite... satisfying?"
Pudding instantly turned and stared at Kalifa with a teasing glint. Kalifa's face grew redder and redder. She had always seen Robin as composed and serious—why was she asking something so forward?
She replied in a small voice,
"It was... satisfying, but Carl-sama definitely didn't..."
Robin wasn't the least bit surprised. She simply nodded.
"That's normal. Carl-sama is considered the strongest man in the world, after all."
Pudding chimed in,
"And I mean strongest in every way~"
Robin gave Pudding a side glance.
"Pudding, as far as I know, you haven't experienced that firsthand, have you?"
Pudding stuck out her tongue, blinking all three of her eyes, and raised her chin.
"Can't I do my own intel gathering in advance? Don't forget, I've got sister Galette!"
The word "sister" made Kalifa's ears perk up, and she couldn't help but ask,
"Pudding, do you mean the Butter Queen of the Sweet Island Chain? She's with Carl-sama too...?"
Pudding crossed her arms proudly and nodded.
"That's right! So Galette will definitely join us here soon too!"
Robin folded her arms and said flatly,
"And what does your sister being here have to do with you?"
"Everything! Once Galette's here, I'll be just like Sugar—someone with a powerful sister backing her up!"
"...I've never thought Monet ever really backed Sugar in anything."
"Aiya, whatever! Having an older sister around is always good! Like getting closer to Carl-sama, hehe..."
Pudding let out a dreamy sigh, her face taking on a crazed fangirl expression. Robin rubbed her forehead helplessly. Ever since they'd started reading books together, Pudding seemed to have awakened some... peculiar tastes, constantly fantasizing about recreating scenes from those novels with Carl.
The worst part? Robin herself was entirely to blame. Several of those books had been penned by her own hand.
Ignoring Pudding, Robin glanced up and saw Kalifa standing there in a thoughtful daze, muttering something under her breath.
"...Sisters, huh..."
Robin asked,
"Kalifa, what's on your mind?"
Kalifa came back to herself and shook her head.
"It's nothing... I just remembered my younger sister. It's been so long since we last spoke..."
"You have a sister? Hmm... well, considering your past line of work, it makes sense you didn't keep in touch with your family. Have you told them that you're here now?"
"No, not yet. I'll go tell them now."
"Go ahead!"
Kalifa nodded firmly, turned around, and click-clacked her way back to her room in high heels.
Once inside, she immediately picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed. The first thing she said was,
"Father, it's Kalifa. Please help me get in touch with Alpha..."
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+110 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg