[~1300 Words]
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With Sugar now securely captured, the biggest immediate threat had vanished.
It was finally time for a proper, head-on confrontation.
"Big Brother~ Please let me go~ I'm still just a child~"
Sugar's eyes welled up with tears as she put on her most pitiful act. Her tiny, delicate body trembled, radiating a weak and helpless aura that made her look especially pitiful.
She knew deep down that crying probably wouldn't work, but… what if? What if James let his guard down for even a second and loosened his grip? It was worth a try—she had nothing to lose.
*A child? Hah.* "Hitting" a not-so-innocent little brat like her was exactly what she deserved.
"No way~" James replied with a playful smile. "You're my precious treasure now."
"If I didn't have a crucial 'key' like you, how else would I pry open your sister Monet's heart?"
He knew Monet had only claimed she didn't care about Sugar. It was a deliberate lie meant to weaken his resolve and make him think she wouldn't break easily if Sugar was threatened.
But James wasn't fooled. If Monet were truly forced to choose between dying for Doflamingo or saving her sister, her choice might not be so simple.
The same went for Sugar. The two sisters had relied on each other since childhood. Their bond ran deeper than blood—they were practically telepathic.
Even after being taken in by Doflamingo, the person who occupied the largest place in each of their hearts was still the other.
"Monet!? You captured my sister? When did this happen?!" Sugar's eyes widened in disbelief.
In her mind, Monet had only left Dressrosa for a simple, safe mission. "You must be lying to me!"
Sugar's importance to Doflamingo was far greater than she realized. That was exactly why he had sent Monet away on a mission—separating the sisters was a calculated move.
If both Doflamingo and Monet gave Sugar orders at the same time, the one who spent every day with her, the one connected by blood, would naturally hold far more sway.
No matter how confident Doflamingo was in his brainwashing, he wouldn't risk anything that could undermine Sugar's loyalty. Long-term separation was meant to reduce her dependence on Monet and strengthen her sense of belonging to the Donquixote Family.
That way, if anything ever happened to Monet, Sugar wouldn't fall into despair. After all, she would still have her "family" in the Donquixote crew.
"Just yesterday," James answered casually. "Don't worry, I haven't done anything to your sister… yet. Want to see her?"
He chuckled, then pulled out a small Den Den Mushi photo with a click. It showed Monet unconscious and completely at his mercy in a deeply humiliating pose.
"Here, take a look. Is this your sister Monet?"
In the One Piece world, photographs couldn't be faked or edited.
The moment Sugar saw the image, fury exploded in her eyes. Her small face flushed bright red as she whipped her head around and glared at James with pure hatred. Even with Sea Prism Stone cuffs draining her strength, she struggled fiercely against her bonds.
"You… You let my sister go! Whatever you want, come at me instead!"
"Hmm? Just you?" James looked her up and down with mock disdain, then pursed his lips and muttered, "Undernourished, underdeveloped, and that face is way too chubby from eating grapes every single day."
"In short, you don't exactly seem like you could replace Monet, huh~"
"T-That's because of the Devil Fruit! I didn't want to…" Sugar fell right into his trap and retorted without thinking.
"Your sister, though—she's something else," James continued teasing. "Her figure is so graceful, it's like she has magnets attached to her. Even I can't help but stare and linger~"
"You! You're infuriating!" Sugar was so angry she could barely breathe, her small chest heaving.
After a moment of fuming silence, she lifted her head again, eyes glistening with fresh tears, and pleaded pitifully:
"Please~ Please~ Let my sister go… I'll do anything you want~"
"Oh my? Finally learned to fix your attitude?" James shook his head, almost amused. He felt like he was toying with an actual child.
"We'll see how you perform from now on. If you can truly sacrifice 'everything' for your sister, then I might not be unwilling to let her go… and give her a 'perfect' ending~"
*Let her go? Of course not.* A "perfect" ending clearly meant making Monet one of his treasured possessions.
"Really?" Sugar's small eyes sparkled with desperate hope. At this point, she could only cling to his words.
"I'll be obedient… Just don't hurt my sister…"
She had already made up her mind. She had no right to demand Monet's freedom right now. All she could do was try her hardest to keep James from touching her sister.
She would rescue Monet and stop James from succeeding—even if it meant sacrificing herself.
Even if… she was willing to pay any price.
Some people with troubled consciences, watching this scene, would already be eager to condemn James as wicked.
But wise, benevolent, noble, kind, and intelligent individuals like James…
…were probably already looking forward to what Sugar would look like after losing her Hobi Hobi no Mi. Would she finally become the twenty-year-old adult woman she truly was?
Or would they need to wait…?
Of course, waiting wasn't necessary. After all, there was still the Ripe-Ripe Fruit.
Violet, meanwhile, stood awkwardly to the side like an outsider, her face covered in black lines.
*How did Sugar and Baby-5 give in so easily?*
She didn't realize that James hadn't even needed to launch a real offensive against her. She had overthought everything and conquered herself long before he made a move.
If they set aside identities and positions, she was actually the one who had "given away her head" the fastest.
"Violet, you hold Sugar~"
James's command snapped Violet out of her thoughts. She subconsciously flashed a bright, beautiful smile that stirred something in him.
"Alright~"
James nodded, then lifted Sugar by the back of her collar and handed her over to Violet like a little kitten.
Sugar's tiny feet dangled and kicked wildly in the air. Because of the Sea Prism Stone, she had no strength, making the sight look incredibly cute and helpless.
James couldn't help noticing that she was only wearing simple slippers with a red strap. Her delicate little feet, pale and lovely like white jade, were fully exposed and wiggling adorably.
Of course, James was by no means someone with strange fetishes.
He had simply lifted her by the collar—her wiggling feet just happened to catch his eye for a moment…
A gentle pulling force interrupted his brief distraction.
*Hmm? Who's trying to take Sugar from me?*
He looked up. Oh… it was just Violet. Then it was fine~
Violet took Sugar and held the tiny girl securely in her arms.
Standing together with James and Baby-5, the four of them looked almost like a warm, harmonious little family—with their very own personal maid.
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