Within the forests of the isolated island, a melody echoed through the trees as Zechs sang a famous song from his previous life.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight~
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight…"
'What song is this?' Pudding wondered as she followed a few steps behind him.
She had never heard anything like it before. Yet, strangely enough… she liked it.
So she quietly listened while trailing after him, leaning heavily on the walking stick in her hand. At this point, she needed it just to move. Without it, there was no fucking way she could walk.
Ahem… actually, even with the stick, she was still struggling. Her steps were uneven and stiff, and every few moments she would suddenly wince and let out small hisses due to the pain in her core, butt, and legs.
"Ouch…"
After hearing her cry out every few moments, Zechs finally stopped singing and looked back at her, "What's wrong, Pudding-chan… are you tired?"
Pudding gave him a helpless look and shook her head, "No… it just hurts…"
"Hurt? How could you be hurting? Did you injure yourself?" he asked, looking a little concerned.
His 'concern' and deliberately clueless act only made her more irritated.
She knew perfectly well that he was fully aware of how much pain she was in, and exactly where it came from. After all, he was the one who had given her that pain during last night's 'exercise.'
And yet he was standing there pretending not to know, asking if she was in pain and whether she had somehow hurt herself.
Pouting, she glared at him and complained, "Isn't this all your fault? You were such a beast last night… woo… just remembering it makes me feel scared. I get chills all over my body…"
Her ass still ached from how brutally he had pounded it. Even now, it felt slightly stretched open and gaping, making her nervously wonder if he had permanently loosened it or something…
Fortunately, she had not eaten anything solid in days. Otherwise, she was genuinely worried that she might have an accident…
Hearing her complain, Zechs only smiled. "Fufu…"
He rubbed the underside of his nose proudly.
Far from feeling guilty about her current state, he felt the same pride he had yesterday. In fact, he was very, very pleased, taking her complaint entirely as a compliment, "Thank you, Pudding-chan…"
Seeing him take her complaint as a compliment and not feel even a little guilty, Pudding could not help grinding her teeth in irritation.
Though that only reminded her that even her jaw ached.
Actually… what part of her body did not hurt right now?
Still, there was not much she could do about it. She let out a small sigh and rolled her eyes. "Sigh…" Then she shook her head and continued walking, "Let's go… standing around like this hurts even more…"
Watching her struggle to walk, and seeing how painfully slow they were moving, Zechs gave up on letting her walk and simply scooped her into his arms.
"Ahh… wait… Zechs-sama… I-I want to—" Pudding immediately protested.
"Shh… don't complain," Zechs said with a sly grin. "If you do, I'll pin you against that tree and start exercising again."
The moment she heard that, Pudding felt a chill run straight through her ass and immediately fell silent, no longer daring to struggle.
She was genuinely afraid he would do exactly what he said.
Although… if she were being honest, she did not really mind the idea of him doing something like that again. But her body hurt far too much right now. There was no way she could survive any more 'exercise.' She honestly felt like she might get fucked to death.
And since she very much did not want to be fucked to death, she gave in to his threat and obediently allowed him to carry her.
Besides… compared to painfully limping along like that using a walking stick, was it not much nicer to be carried like a princess in the arms of the man she loved?
"O-okay…" she muttered with a slight blush.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his muscular chest.
Satisfied by Pudding's obedience, Zechs carried her toward the lake while resuming his song.
He sang through the chorus before moving on to the next verse.
"Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight~
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight…"
Pudding's attention was drawn back to the song.
She liked listening to it.
For some reason, it made her feel cheerful and excited. It sounded like the kind of song someone would sing while exploring a forest… or going on some jungle safari adventure.
And considering that they were currently making their way through the forest, it fit the situation perfectly.
So she quietly rested in his arms and listened as he continued walking through the forest.
Only after the song ended did she finally speak, "You really are an amazing singer, Zechs-sama…"
Of course, this was not the first time she had heard him sing. After living with him on this island for the past month, she had listened to many of his songs.
And she could not help admitting that he was genuinely very good at singing. He also seemed to know countless songs she had never heard before in her entire life.
"Fufu…" he chuckled lightly, once again accepting the praise as they continued to walk…
After a while, Pudding recalled their purpose of going towards the lake, and couldn't help but question him, "Is it really true, Zechs-sama? Are you really going to summon him to this era?"
Earlier, after she woke up and finished bathing, Zechs told her that he intended to summon one of her brothers into this era, just like he had summoned her here a month ago.
The revelation shocked her.
She had not expected to hear something like that out of the blue, and she was genuinely eager to see how he would do it. Summoning someone from a different era into the past… this way… she'd also be able to see how he had summoned her.
If it had been the power of some Devil Fruit, she might have understood it and might not have been that much interested. But Zechs clearly was not a Devil Fruit user. And yet he could still bring people from the distant future into the past.
It was fucking unbelievable.
He called it 'magic,' and because of that, she wanted to see him perform this so-called magic with her own eyes.
Zechs casually nodded. "Yup… I'm about to summon Charlotte Katakuri here, into this era… just like I summoned you."
That was right.
The 'that man' Zechs often referred to while looking at the dark silhouette on the Gold Tier Summoning Card he had received as a reward the first time he fucked Linlin, was none other than Charlotte Katakuri.
And after delaying it for a month… today, he was finally going to summon him into this era.
Hearing his confirmation, Pudding fell silent for a moment before asking softly, "But… are you really sure you want to summon Katakuri Onii-sama?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Zechs replied, tilting his head. "Could it be that you don't want to see your Katakuri Onii-sama?"
"It… It's not that…" she said, shaking her head.
Well… maybe a small part of her did not want to see any of her siblings. But another part of her was genuinely eager to see them after having not seen any of them for more than a month apart. She missed them.
Still, she could not help worrying.
"Katakuri Onii-sama isn't like me… he is different," she warned him. "I'm weak… I couldn't fight back against you… and… and you managed to convince me to stay in this era… But Katakuri Onii-sama… he won't be like that." She paused before continuing, "Not only is he very, very strong… he also cares too much about the rest of us. There's no way he would accept abandoning everyone in the future and staying here. He would never agree to that. He won't give in. He'll be furious at you for bringing him to this era and demand that you send him back immediately. And… and if you refuse…" She hesitated before continuing in a smaller voice. "He might even try to kill you, hoping that somehow he can return to the future by killing you… the summoner… So… so I think you shouldn't summon him…"
She truly was worried.
And honestly, everything she said was true.
Unlike her, weak, insecure, and foolish enough to fall for Zechs until she had given up on ever seeing her family again, Katakuri was completely different.
He was not insecure. He was perfect. Strong-willed. Incredibly powerful.
She was genuinely afraid that the moment Zechs told him he could not return to the future, and expected him to submit, Katakuri would immediately try to kill him.
Hearing her words, Zechs looked at her with amusement. "Pudding-chan… are you worried about me?"
Pudding immediately blushed and puffed out her cheeks like a tsundere. "Who's worried about you…?! Humph! I-I just… don't want you to die… that's all…"
"Fufu… embarrassed Pudding-chan is cute too…" he chuckled before leaning down and kissing her.
"H-Hey, wait… I… I'm being serious he—"
She never got to finish as her lips were sealed, and her tongue was entangled by him.
Chu… chur… slrrp…
By the time he finally pulled away a long minute later, Pudding's entire face was bright red, and her breathing had turned ragged.
Zechs looked at her with clear adoration and satisfaction. He was very… very happy with how worried she was for him despite denying it outwardly.
"Wuu… Zechs-sama… I'm being serious…" Pudding said pitifully.
Here she was, genuinely worried about him, and all Zechs wanted to do was tease her and kiss her. Wasn't he worried at all?
Although… with his strength, maybe there really was no need.
Still, Pudding wasn't a top-tier fighter. She didn't understand the full extent of Zechs' power. To her, Katakuri Onii-sama was definitely stronger.
After all, Katakuri could see the future, and he had never lost a battle in his life. There was even a legend that he had never once lain on his back.
If a man like that got angry and decided he wanted to kill Zechs… then wouldn't that be incredibly dangerous? He doesn't want her Zechs-sama to be killed by her Katakuri Onii-sama.
"Fufu… don't worry, Pudding-chan. I know Katakuri even better than you do. I know how strong he is… and I know his values and his bottom lines. But there's still no need to worry. Since I've decided to bring him here, naturally, I already have a way to keep him here… and keep him obedient without any conflict. So relax… nothing will happen," he assured her.
"There's a way? What way?" Pudding asked curiously.
Zechs hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should tell her.
But after thinking about it for a while, he decided there was no reason to hide it from her.
'After all, she's going to become my head maid. In the future, there will be many, many things she'll be responsible for… so there's no need to keep this little thing from her. Besides… I can also test her reaction to this method… since I may need her help with it someday…'
With that thought in mind, he finally spoke. "Through mind control."
"M-Mind control?" Pudding froze, her eyes widening in shock.
Zechs nodded. "Yup… mind control. I'll control Katakuri's mind and alter his thoughts so that not only will he agree to stay in this era… he'll also become loyal and subservient to me…"
Pudding fell silent after hearing his answer, unsure what to think.
Then, after a moment, a doubt surfaced in her mind. "Did you… Use that on me, too?" she asked nervously. "Did you mind control me, too?"
Zechs blinked, clearly not expecting that question. Then he chuckled and looked at her. "And what if I did?" he asked teasingly. "Would you be against it?"
"I…" She fell silent again.
Was she against it?
Instinctively… yes.
Even if it was Zechs controlling her, the idea still made her uncomfortable. And it wasn't because of something like free will or morality…
It was because she wanted to believe that the feelings she had for him were real.
She wanted to believe that the emotions she had developed, the reasons she had given herself to stay in this era and stay by his side… those were truly her own thoughts.
Not something artificial. Not something planted into her mind by him using some technique called Kotoamatsukami.
She wanted to believe that she had chosen to stay with him because she wanted to… not because he had made her.
But… how could she know? How could she know whether these feelings were truly hers or just thoughts he had forced into her mind?
As if he could see every fear and doubt in her eyes, Zechs smiled and gently kissed her lips again.
This time, Pudding was too distracted to complain. She simply looked at him, waiting for an answer.
And Zechs gave her one. "Don't worry, Pudding-chan… I never used my mind control ability on you."
The answer made her eyes light up.
But just to be sure, she narrowed her eyes and asked again, "Really? Are you telling the truth? You really didn't use your mind control ability on me?"
"Mmhmm… It's true…" he nodded. Then he leaned closer and, with a faint smile, whispered into her ear, "To conquer and control a woman… I don't need something like mind control. My charm alone is enough to make any woman addicted to me. Wouldn't you agree?"
"S-Shameless… pervert…" Pudding shot back, blushing furiously.
But she couldn't deny it.
Putting aside the fact that he had already won her heart by calling her beautiful despite her creepy third eye… There was still one undeniable truth.
He really did have an addictive charm.
Even if he had never won her heart, she felt that she still might have become addicted to him eventually. Thinking that, perhaps he really had been telling the truth. Perhaps he had never controlled her mind at all.
And… even if he had… even if he was lying to her right now… Pudding, who was already hopelessly in love with him and addicted to him, chose to believe that he was telling her the truth.
Since that was the case, she stopped doubting him and returned to the matter of summoning Katakuri… and the mind control method Zechs intended to use on him to control him.
Unlike most people, Pudding wasn't particularly disgusted by the idea of mind control.
After all, she was already used to manipulating other people's memories. Compared to that, mind control didn't feel especially tasteless or repulsive to her. Hell, it was pretty close to what she already did herself.
But… The fact that Zechs planned to use it on Katakuri… And the fact that she would be helping him scheme against her own older brother…
That made her feel conflicted.
Now, she wouldn't say she was especially close to Katakuri.
How could she be?
The last time she remembered him, he had been nearly three times her age. He felt less like an older brother and more like someone from her parents' generation.
On top of that, Katakuri was always busy. He spent most of his time managing the crew, handling problems, and taking care of everything. He had never really had much time for her… who is much… much younger than him.
With her own insecurities and isolation, Pudding had never been particularly close to any of her siblings… let alone Katakuri.
And it wasn't as though Katakuri had ever protected her from the bullying and mistreatment she endured when everyone called her a freak because of her creepy third eye…
But despite all that… He was still her half-brother.
And even if they were not particularly close, they weren't enemies. So, scheming against a brother who had never hurt her still left a bitter feeling in her chest.
But she also had no intention of opposing Zechs, the man she loved… and the man she had already acknowledged as her master. Just like Katakuri never interferes in her bullying, she was also not going to interfere in her Goshujin-sama's scheme.
Still, acknowledging that Katakuri was her half-brother, Pudding softly pleaded, "Zechs-sama… please… don't mistreat Katakuri Onii-sama…"
"Fufu… Pudding-chan… you really are kind, aren't you?" Zechs said as he gently caressed her cheek.
"I…" She hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "I don't think I'm kind…"
Kind? She definitely did not see herself as a kind person.
"Hmm… is that so?" he murmured. He did not care whether she acknowledged it or not. To him, she was kind. At least, compared to him, she might be kinder.
"Regardless… you don't need to worry," he assured her. "Katakuri is someone I admire as well… so I won't mistreat him."
He was not lying.
Back in his previous life, Katakuri had been one of his favourite characters. As an only child who had never had an older brother, Zechs had often wished he had an elder brother like Katakuri, someone who would do anything to protect his younger siblings.
How could he not admire a man like that?
Hearing his answer, Pudding finally relaxed. "Alright…" she said softly. "If you won't mistreat him… then I'll do whatever you need me to do…"
As long as Zechs would not hurt Katakuri, she had no problem helping him… even if that meant helping him mind control her own half-brother.
"Well then… let's hurry and summon him."
Now that they had reached an agreement, Zechs did not want to waste any more time. He quickly headed toward the lake, and as they walked, he explained what he needed her to do.
After hearing his plan, Pudding hesitated. Not because she was unwilling to do it… But because she knew how difficult it would be against someone like Katakuri. "Zechs-sama… Katakuri Onii-sama can see the future. If that's the case… I'm not sure my threads would be able to reach him in time…" she said uneasily.
"Don't worry about that either…" Zechs replied with a smile. "He won't be using Observation Haki."
"How could that be?" Pudding asked in disbelief.
As far as she knew, Katakuri was always using his future sight. She could not imagine a situation where he would not.
So how was Zechs planning to stop that?
'Does it have something to do with the summoning?' she wondered. 'Would Katakuri Onii-sama be unable to use Observation Haki right after being summoned…?'
But Zechs gave her no answer.
He simply continued toward the lake while Pudding could only keep thinking about it.
…
Soon, the two of them reached the lakeside. Zechs set her down and let her stand on her own feet.
"Ouch…" Pudding hissed softly as a sharp ache throbbed through her core.
Still, she did not complain. She simply stood there silently, leaning on her walking stick while preparing to activate her Devil Fruit power.
Meanwhile, Zechs began the summoning. 'Miss System, commence the summoning process…'
Immediately, Miss System's voice rang out:
[Ding! Character Summoning Card (Gold-tier) is being used…
Character Name: Charlotte Katakuri is the 2nd son and 3rd child of the Charlotte Family and the elder triplet brother of Daifuku and Oven. He is also one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates and serves as Totto Land's Minister of Flour, governing over Komugi Island.
Character Relevancy: Gold
At what stage of his life would you like to summon Charlotte Katakuri?]
Now that was a question that needed to be considered.
At what point in his life should Zechs summon Katakuri?
In canon, Katakuri was forty-eight when he fought Luffy and was 'defeated'. That should have been his prime.
But honestly… that 'prime' was a little disappointing.
After all, even at forty-eight, Katakuri still could not use Advanced Conqueror's Haki techniques like Conqueror's Coating.
To be honest, Zechs found that hard to accept.
Charlotte Katakuri grew up around monsters. His mother, Charlotte Linlin, could use it. Throughout his life, he should have seen legendary figures like Rocks, Newgate, Garp, Shiki, Kaido, Shanks… and maybe even Harald and Loki… use Conqueror's Coating countless times.
As a Conqueror's Haki user himself, Katakuri should have been able to sense it.
Ordinary people could not feel the difference, but Conqueror's Haki users could. Zechs knew that from personal experience. When someone coated their body or attacked with Conqueror's Haki, another Conqueror's Haki user could instinctively sense it.
So Katakuri should have known what it was and that Conqueror's Haki can be coated.
And yet… he never mastered it.
Luffy mastered Conqueror's Coating at the mere age of 19… Roronoa Zoro could also use it at the mere age of 21… even the likes of Yamato can expertly use it at the age of 28… but Katakuri couldn't use it at the age of 48.
Wasn't that very disappointing?
He had Conqueror's Haki, but never learned how to coat his attacks with it. What a waste.
And it wasn't just that. Katakuri probably never even mastered Advanced Armament Haki to its highest level, either, techniques like Internal Destruction.
Still, facts were facts.
Even at forty-eight, he had not reached that level.
'After I summon him… I need to make sure he masters Advanced Conqueror's Haki… and Advanced Armament too…' Zechs thought.
He himself still needed to improve in those areas. So the two of them could train together.
But at forty-eight… even if Katakuri eventually mastered those techniques, wouldn't it already be too late? By then, he would already be past the years when people usually improved the fastest.
Although… in this world, forty-eight was not really old.
A person's prime could easily last into their sixties before their body truly started declining. So being forty-eight was not actually that much of a problem.
Ideally, Zechs would summon him in his thirties. By then, Katakuri would hopefully have already mastered Future Sight.
But…
'Then he wouldn't know Pudding…'
And Zechs wanted Katakuri to know who Pudding was.
Katakuri's strongest motivation had always been his desire to protect his younger siblings. Pudding would be the starting point, and later that instinct would naturally extend to the others as well, Smoothie, Galette, as well as the other women of Zechs' harem.
'Although that problem could be solved with Pudding's Memo Memo no Mi… the memory modification isn't perfect. Someone on Katakuri's level might notice that something is amiss… and start becoming suspicious. Even if Kotoamatsukami can't be broken that way… It's still better not to take the risk…'
'So… it really has to be forty-eight… hmm… well, I guess that's fine…'
If Katakuri were summoned at forty-eight, he would probably still remain in his prime for another twenty years or so before he started slowing down.
Although that'd be a bit of a waste… but…
'If I find Pure Gold… that would solve the problem of physical ageing and he'd be able to remain in his prime for a long while…' he thought.
And, more importantly, forty-eight-year-old Katakuri matched the image Zechs remembered from canon the best.
So, regardless of anything, Zechs still decided to summon Katakuri at his age of 48…
Holding the Gold Class Character Summoning Card in his hand, Zechs ordered, 'Miss System… set the summoning age to forty-eight.'
[Character Summoning commencing… Character Summoning in progress…]
At once, Pudding witnessed an almost magical scene.
The card in Zechs' hand began to glow with a golden light. Then it slipped from his fingers and floated into the air.
A moment later, it started to expand.
The small card stretched larger and larger, its shape twisting and changing until it became the outline of an astonishingly tall human figure.
'Is Katakuri Onii-sama really coming…?' Pudding thought, her heart beating rapidly in anticipation as she stared at the glowing silhouette.
Even through the golden light, she could already recognize the familiar shape. The broad shoulders, the towering height, the scarf-like collar around his neck…
It looked exactly like Katakuri.
Then, little by little, the golden glow began to fade.
And to Pudding's shock and disbelief, the figure beneath the fading light finally became clear…
It was just that… the state he was in was absolutely not what she had expected.
Her eyes widened so much they nearly popped out of her head. "T-This… this is Katakuri Onii-sama?! H-He's lying on his back?!!!!!"
Indeed, as the traces of golden light started vanishing, Pudding saw that her supposedly perfect older brother, the man said to have never once lain on his back in his entire life, was currently sprawled flat on his back.
His legs were crossed. His head rested against a giant doughnut. And his enormous pelican-eel-like mouth had stretched absurdly wide as he greedily devoured another massive bite from a large doughnut that was even bigger than Pudding's own body.
Munch… munch… crunch…
Katakuri was so completely immersed in his blissful doughnut-eating session that he did not even notice the world around him had changed. He simply kept taking one huge bite after another from the doughnut in his hand.
He was even singing to them, expressing his love for doughnuts in an almost intimate tone.
"Doughnuts… oh, doughnuts… my beloved doughnuts… ahh… doughnuts…"
The sight was so absurd that it was nearly comical, yet it was also bizarre that Pudding couldn't help but froze completely.
She stared blankly, unable to process what she was seeing.
This… this was not at all how she had imagined her perfect half-brother to be.
While Pudding stood there in a daze, Katakuri reached out for the cup of hot tea he always drank with his doughnuts.
But his hand found nothing.
"Huh?" Confused, he opened his eyes and looked around.
There was no tea. No room. No Komugi Island.
"Wh-What?!"
Before he could react, the last traces of golden light vanished from his body, and he dropped straight into the lake below.
Plop… splash…
The moment he fell into the water, the curse of the sea took effect. Katakuri immediately felt strength drain from his body.
"Damn it… what the hell is going on? How did I suddenly fall into water?!"
Even weakened, he was still the perfect Katakuri. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to move with what little strength he had left, struggling to rise while trying to understand the situation.
Just moments ago, he had been lying comfortably in his home on Komugi Island, enjoying his merienda and taking a short break from his duties.
So how the hell had he suddenly ended up in the middle of a lake?
'A Devil Fruit ability? Did someone attack him while he was distracted?'
The entire situation was so absurd and bizarre that even Katakuri, supposedly perfect in every way, lost his composure for a moment.
He even forgot to use Future Sight.
"Pudding-chan… now's the time…" Zechs whispered into Pudding's ear.
"Huh? Y-Yes Goshujin-sama…" Pudding immediately snapped out of her daze and activated her Devil Fruit.
Thin threads shot from her fingertips and wrapped around Katakuri before he could react.
"This is—?!" But before he could understand what was happening, Pudding used the true effect of the attack.
'Memory Film: Flashback!'
In an instant, several unpleasant memories surged through Katakuri's mind. The sudden flood of memories made him falter, leaving him completely distracted and dazed.
"Zechs-sama… now!" Pudding said urgently the moment she saw his expression go blank.
"I know." Zechs immediately shot out his tail. It stretched and coiled around Katakuri's body, binding him tightly while he was still weakened by the water and stunned by the unpleasant memories.
Then, before Katakuri could recover, Zechs appeared directly in front of him.
Their eyes met as Zechs activated the ultimate Genjutsu he had received as a reward for completing the quest, 'Kotoamatsukami…!!!'
"Uh… this…?!" was all Katakuri managed to mutter before something inside his mind shifted.
"It's done…" Zechs murmured, the corners of his lips curling upward.
Although it's a pity that he won't be able to use Kotoamatsukami for the next 10 years… but… this use was worth it since he has just obtained a subordinate on the level of a first Yonko Commander.
And in the future… Katakuri would probably become even stronger. Perhaps he would eventually reach YC+… or maybe even the level of a Yonko himself.
'He should have the potential to become a Yonko, right?'
…
Some time later, the 2.1-metre-tall Asmodeus Zechs and the 5.09-metre-tall Charlotte Katakuri, dressed in his usual clothes, sat beside the campfire while Pudding roasted meat nearby.
As she cooked, she kept sneaking nervous glances toward the two men as they casually talked amicably, discussing something.
"Unexpectedly… it really worked…" she muttered to herself. "Katakuri Onii-sama… really isn't trying to kill Zechs-sama… he's actually become loyal to him…"
She looked at Zechs with a complicated expression. "Is his mind control ability really that powerful…?"
For Pudding, it was still hard to believe… but at the same time, it was also a relief, 'At least a fight didn't break out…'
She had fully expected Zechs and Katakuri to clash.
In her mind, Zechs would have had to fight him first, weaken him, and only then use his mind-control ability.
But instead, everything had been resolved so easily.
The whole thing had gone so smoothly that Pudding almost did not know what to think and felt at a loss. For a moment, she even wondered if some part of her had wanted to see a fight.
'No… that's not it… this is better…' she told herself, quickly shaking her head.
After calming herself down, Pudding picked up her walking stick and limped toward the two men.
When she reached them, she coughed lightly to get their attention. "Zechs-sama… Katakuri Onii-sama… lunch is ready…"
She set the food down in front of them. "Here you go…"
It was grilled meat.
The only problem was… she had only served enough for Zechs and Katakuri.
Katakuri raised an eyebrow. "What about you, Pudding? Aren't you going to eat?"
"Ahem… well…" Pudding blushed and quickly turned her face away, not knowing how to answer.
After all… she was not planning to eat meat. Her 'meal' was going to be yogurt that she'd eat later. But there was obviously no way she could tell Katakuri that.
Zechs chuckled. "Fufu…" Then he pulled Pudding onto his lap.
"Katakuri Onii-sama is right there… w-what are you doing?" she whispered in flustered protest.
When they were alone, she didn't mind whatever he did to her… but being this intimate in front of her older brother made her feel unbearably embarrassed and reluctant.
Zechs simply patted her head. "Don't worry…"
Then, without letting her leave his lap, he looked at Katakuri and said, "Pudding-chan can have lunch later. It's not meat… but yogurt. She likes yogurt."
"Zechs-sama!!!" Pudding huffed, her face instantly turning even redder. She was terrified that Katakuri would understand what he meant.
But Katakuri only looked confused. Tilting his head slightly, he repeated, "Yogurt?" Then he looked at his little sister curiously. "Pudding… do you like yogurt?"
He was thinking of actual yogurt.
"N-No…" she hurriedly tried to deny it, but Zechs cut her off.
"Yes. It's her favourite… isn't that right, Pudding-chan?"
"You… you…" Pudding stammered, growing even more ashamed.
"Oh…" Katakuri still failed to catch the hidden meaning and simply shrugged. "I never knew Pudding's favourite food was yogurt."
"I-It's… Onii-sama, I…" Pudding tried to explain, but the words refused to come out. How the hell was she supposed to explain this?
"It's fine," Katakuri said calmly. "What is there to be embarrassed about? Everyone has something they like to eat. If you like yogurt, then that's fine."
Puff—
White smoke practically burst from Pudding's bright red face.
Unable to say another word, she buried her face in Zechs' chest.
Zechs was having a hard time holding back his laughter. He only managed to stop when Pudding angrily bit him. "Ow— okay, okay… stop biting. I won't tease you anymore," he said, patting her head.
She finally relented and stopped biting him, but she still refused to lift her head. Instead, she kept her face buried in his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
She was far too embarrassed to let her half-brother see her like this. It was better to hide in her master's chest and stay there.
Katakuri noticed how intimate Zechs and Pudding had become, but he said nothing. As long as Zechs did not mistreat her, and Pudding herself was willing, he had no intention of interfering.
"Fufu…" Zechs chuckled softly as he caressed her back. Then he resumed eating and looked at Katakuri.
"So… let's get back to what we were talking about. Advanced Observation Haki… and future sight…"
"Hmm…" Katakuri nodded while chewing a piece of meat before he began to speak.
Unlike before, he no longer bothered hiding his face. He ate and spoke openly, unconcerned about being judged. That issue had already been dealt with.
"So… about future sight… it's actually…"
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Of course, if the readers wish, they can certainly read up to 26 advanced Chapters on p-a-t-r-e-o-n: Knockturn_Alley