B
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In the Dreamscape—
Zechs and Linlin had finished having sex a little while ago and were now lying curled up in each other's arms.
In that state, Linlin traced lazy circles across his bare chest while Zechs held a lit cigarette between his fingers, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
Ever since he had become stranded on that island, he hadn't been able to smoke or drink at all. The only time he could indulge in either was inside the Dreamscape.
Of course, it wasn't real. There were no actual cigarettes, no real alcohol... so no real nicotine or ethanol or something like that, but it still gave him the feeling of smoking and drinking. It was a bit like having sex with Linlin in the Dreamscape. It wasn't truly real either, yet it still felt satisfying even without the real thing.
And, somehow... that was nice.
'Although... I could still really use a proper pack of cigarettes... but whatever...' he thought as he exhaled another puff of smoke.
Relaxing a little, he glanced down at Linlin. She rested her head against his shoulder, her expression thoughtful as she absent-mindedly traced circles across his chest.
For a moment, he considered letting it go and simply enjoying the silence. But then he sighed. 'If I don't ask her... she'll just stay bothered by it...'
And he didn't want that.
With that in mind, he asked, "Alright, Linlin... what is it?"
The moment he spoke, her finger stopped moving across his chest. But instead of answering, Linlin asked, "What is what?"
"Come on... you know..." Zechs replied, gently stroking her back with his other hand. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing really..." Linlin said, shaking her head.
"Are you sure?" Zechs pressed. "Are you really sure you aren't thinking something you want to talk to me about... but you're hesitating because you don't know how to bring it up?"
Linlin frowned in surprise. "What makes you think I'm thinking about something I want to talk about, but I'm hesitant and unsure how to bring it up?"
"Sheesh... Linlin... come on..." Zechs said with a shrug. "It's written all over your face…"
"Is it really?" Linlin tilted her head, not believing him…
"Of course…" Zechs nodded, and by the way added, "Besides… This is what a lot of women do. They start drawing circles on a man's chest while thinking about something they want to ask, or discuss about… but they're a bit hesitant to say it..." He took another drag of his cigarette before adding, "Quite a lot of time, it's some silly question like, 'Would you still love me if I were a worm or a chair or a um… a fish?'"
"That's... oddly specific..." Linlin said, giving him a rather weird look. "Why would women ask something that silly?"
"It's a mystery about women I still haven't figured out..." Zechs said with a chuckle.
Of course, that was a lie. He knew perfectly well why women asked those kinds of ridiculous questions. Usually, they wanted reassurance. They wanted to ease their anxiety and convince themselves that the relationship was stable. Some asked to see whether their feelings would be taken seriously or brushed aside as just another stupid little question. Others wanted to know whether the affection they received depended on their looks, usefulness, status, or convenience.
"Hmm... is that so...?" Linlin murmured. Then her eyes lit up, and a playful smile spread across her face. "So... what about you?" she asked. "Would you still agree to marry me if I were a… worm?"
Zechs' lips twitched. "That wasn't what you were thinking about earlier at all, was it? Why not talk about that instead?"
"But now I'm curious..." Linlin said before asking, "Would you still love me?"
'Did I just shoot myself in the foot?' he thought. Even so, he answered honestly, in the most textbook way possible. "Not really..."
"No?" Linlin's eyes immediately turned dangerous. She had only asked to tease him... but that didn't mean she wanted to hear him say no.
"Wait... let me finish first..." Zechs said quickly, covering her mouth before she could say anything else.
Once she fell silent, he let go and continued. "Linlin... if you were a worm... I wouldn't be able to watch you walk down the aisle in a white wedding dress and see how beautiful you'd look..." he said, tracing her lips with his fingers. "I wouldn't be able to see that wonderful smile of yours... and I definitely wouldn't be able to kiss these beautiful lips at the end of our vows."
He looked into her eyes and smiled faintly. "And I wouldn't want that. I want to see you in that beautiful white dress, walking down the aisle with that beautiful smile... and I want to kiss these beautiful lips."
"So instead..." he said, "I'd keep you in a little golden box to ensure that you are safe... and then I'd search for a way to turn you back into a human. Into the beautiful woman named Charlotte Linlin that I see in front of me..."
"And then... after I turn you back into a human," he said with a soft chuckle, "I'd marry you."
Linlin blushed slightly before muttering, "Corny... but... I'll accept it..."
"Hmm… I am glad…" Zechs said, internally breathing a sigh of relief that he had dodged that bullet… then asked, "So… now that you have that answer… want to talk about what you were thinking earlier?"
Linlin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Why did you become a pirate…?"
They had already known each other for several months, and they regularly had sex in the Dreamscape. Earlier, Linlin had never cared much about his past and had never really been interested in it.
But recently, she had started wanting to know.
Not just because she wanted to learn more about him... but because she wanted to talk to him more.
"Why did I... become a pirate?" Zechs murmured, surprised by the question, though not entirely. Quite a few women had asked him something similar before.
It was one of those standard questions people asked when they wanted to know him better. Questions about his past, his adventures... the kind that came when a relationship started becoming something deeper.
'Is Linlin trying to find something more?' he wondered as he looked into her eyes. She genuinely seemed to want to understand him better, and he felt that perhaps his guess was right.
Of course, he wasn't entirely right.
Because Linlin wasn't only trying to know him better or spend more time talking with him, she was also trying to understand his motives... his ambitions, and the goals he is pursuing.
After all, if you didn't know what the other person wanted, how were you supposed to win them over or earn their loyalty?
That was what she was really thinking.
But Zechs didn't realise that.
What he saw instead was her sincere desire to know more about him, and eventually he relented, telling her bits and pieces of his past, his early life on that island, the awakening of his bloodline, the scandal he caused in that kingdom involving the queen and the princess... and finally, how he had no choice but to set sail and become a pirate.
Indeed, he didn't bother to hide it. It wasn't exactly a secret, nor was it anything he felt ashamed of. If anything, he was rather proud of the scandal he had caused.
And even though Linlin was a woman he was supposed to be marrying, and he figured he probably shouldn't be talking so openly about what a lustful bastard he was to his future wife... he still didn't bother hiding it.
After all... she should already have a pretty good idea… and probably wouldn't mind that, right? After all, she is also an extremely lustful woman.
By the time he finished his story, Linlin was staring at him with her mouth slightly open.
"Unbelievable... you caused that kind of scandal and then became a pirate..." she said, speechless to hear the reason as well as the scandal. "I mean... I already knew you were a womanizer... but seriously...? Both the queen and the princess? At the same time? Right in front of the king? On his bed? While he was helplessly tied up?"
"Ahem... well... a dozen palace maids were there too, waiting for their turn… but… I guess… now that I think about it, it's a little embarrassing..." Zechs said with a small grin.
Linlin immediately smacked him on the chest with the back of her hand. "I don't see you looking embarrassed or guilty at all...!!!"
"Well... what can I say?" Zechs shrugged. "I don't regret it. They were both completely smitten with me... and I was horny as hell back then. Besides... that was probably going to be the last time I ever saw them before I left my old life behind and set sail... so I figured I might as well leave behind a good memory."
It was exactly as Linlin had said. He didn't feel guilty at all. Why would he? That had been one hell of a night.
He still remembered it vividly, a dozen maids all naked and sweaty spread around the room, playing with themselves using something or the other tool in the bedroom, and moaning while the mature queen with her milfy body and the curvy princess, their similar hair spilling across the bed as their sweaty bodies tangled together on top of each other, their tits pressing against one another, their legs spread apart, and their pussi—Smack!
Linlin suddenly slapped him on the chest again and said unhappily, "You're imagining it again, aren't you?"
"What? No... okay... I was..." Zechs admitted with a sigh. "Sorry..."
"Humph!" Linlin snorted unhappily and asked in the same breath, "And considering what a womaniser you are... that girl you rescued... you've already... with her... had sex, right? You must be doing it with her all the time, right?"
After all, she knew his libido personally. She had also heard plenty from the women on Zechs' ship who had served him with their bodies before she met him. And on top of that, Linlin herself had seen Zechs kissing Pudding the day Kong attacked them.
There was no way she believed he wasn't already sleeping with that girl.
Zechs didn't deny it either. "Yeah, well..."
"Should've known..." Linlin pouted.
Here she had been desperately searching for him for more than a month... while he, on the other hand, had been fucking that girl on that island. No wonder he wasn't desperate to come out and reunite with her, he already had someone to fuck even there.
The thought made her angry.
And jealous.
Sensing her changing mood, Zechs immediately changed the subject. "Anyway… What about you? How did you become a pirate?"
"What... me? I... you want to know how I became a pirate?" she asked, caught off guard by the sudden question, and she even forgot about his infidelity.
'Nice…' he thought, and nodded casually, saying, "You asked me why I became a pirate... hey, it's only fair that I get to hear your story too, right?"
Even though he already knew the answer from canon... he obviously couldn't tell her that. More than that, he wanted to know whether Linlin would say anything about Carmel.
"I... well... actually..." she hesitated before swallowing nervously, unsure of what to say or how to say it.
Because if she talked about it... she would have to talk about Mother Carmel and the other orphans from Sheep's House.
And for some reason... she was afraid to.
So instead, she vaguely said that her parents had left her on Elbaph while going to work and promised they would come back... but for some reason, they never did. Maybe they had been caught in some kind of accident at sea and couldn't return.
'So... she still wants to believe her parents didn't abandon her?' he thought, feeling somewhat sorry for Linlin.
Or perhaps she already understood the truth... but simply refused to admit it, because the realization that her own parents had abandoned her ought to hurt.
Anyway, after being left on Elbaf, she spent some time there in an orphanage. She made several friends there, including the giant children like Hajrudin, Gerd, Stansen, Ripley, Ange, Mato, Lily… and also many other children from the orphanage.
They had a lot of fun together.
Then, after the Winter Solstice Festival, she left Elbaph.
As for why the orphanage moved away from Elbaf to another island... she didn't really know.
"Is that so?" murmured Zechs thoughtfully.
"Yes," Linlin nodded earnestly and said, "I still feel regretful about that… I had so many friends there…"
Then came the brief explanation about life on that new island, which is currently her home base, Totto Land. And it's also the island where she met Streusen.
At some point, the Marines came. They hurt her friends, so she fought them off. That led to a bounty being placed on her head... and that was how she became a pirate.
But throughout the entire time she talked about her childhood and the path that eventually led her into piracy... she never mentioned Carmel even once.
Nor did she mention the names of any of the other children from the orphanage.
After finishing, she waited for him to say something. Her eyes shifted away slightly, as if she were hoping he wouldn't ask about the orphanage.
Zechs, who knew the truth, didn't bring it up either. He understood perfectly well that it was a heavy subject she probably wasn't ready to touch.
He isn't even sure whether she fully understands what she has done.
And this wasn't the kind of thing they could talk about in a dream anyway... so it was better to leave it alone for now.
Instead, he simply nodded. "I see... so you really did become a pirate when you were only six years old, huh? And you've been one ever since..."
"Yeah..." Linlin replied, inwardly letting out a sigh of relief when he didn't press further about the orphanage.
An awkward silence followed. Both of them understood what had been left unsaid... and that silence felt more than a little uncomfortable.
"A-anyway..." Linlin said, quickly trying to change the subject. She brushed her hair behind her ear and asked, "So... um... you've been a pirate for many years now..."
"More than five years already... it'll be six soon," Zechs replied, nodding.
"Right... so... you've been a pirate for almost six years..." she said awkwardly. "Do you have, like... um... a purpose or something? A goal? Something you want to achieve? Or are you just... being a pirate for the sake of being a pirate...?" She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "What I mean is... do you have any ambition? Any dream or something like that that you want to achieve?"
"I... well... actually..." he hesitated.
Linlin narrowed her eyes. "So you do have an ambition... well... that's not exactly surprising." After all, he had Conqueror's Haki. It wouldn't make much sense for him to possess that without some kind of ambition.
"So what is it?" she asked. "Tell me."
"Uh... do I really have to say it...?" Zechs asked, looking embarrassed and unsure how to put it into words.
"Yes," she said with a nod. "Because I want to know."
"Why do you want to know?" he asked.
"Just because," she replied before pressing him again. "Now tell me..."
"Umm... well..." He tried to change the subject.
She smacked the back of her hand against his chest. "Tell me already."
Seeing how persistent she was, Zechs hesitated before mumbling in a low voice, "'S... t' b'c'm... a... h-hrrm... k-king..."
"What was that? I didn't catch a damn thing!" she said, narrowing her eyes further. "Speak louder and clearly."
"'S t' b'come... th'... h-hrrm... king..." he repeated.
"Oh, come on already... I still can't understand you," she said impatiently. "What are you so reluctant to say? Is it really that bad? Even if it is bad... how bad can it possibly be?"
"It... it's not bad... it's just..." he muttered.
"If it's not bad, then just say it," she insisted. "Loud and clear."
"Alright, fine!" he burst out. "My goal is to… ahem… become the Harem King! There... I said it. Happy?"
The moment the words left his mouth, his cheeks turned slightly red.
Unlike a certain Oppai Dragon, Zechs actually felt embarrassed admitting that to Linlin. Even though having a harem was hardly unusual in this world and, in some ways, he already had one, it still felt awkward as hell to openly say that his dream was to become the Harem King.
"The... Harem King?" Linlin murmured, speechless again. Then she looked at him somewhat coldly and said, "Shameless man!"
Although Zechs felt a little embarrassed, he still acted as if nothing was wrong and casually shrugged. "It is what it is... that's my dream." Then, without any embarrassment this time, he added, "It's related to my race as an Incubus. Since I'm basically a sex demon, pursuing women is... in a way... the very purpose of my existence. It's like a biological instinct."
He looked at her and continued matter-of-factly, "And I accept that instinct. I've built my goal around it, to gather a large harem of beautiful women from all over the world... and become the Harem King."
Hearing those embarrassing words spoken so openly, Linlin was left speechless for the third time.
Then she sighed. "It seems... I've really fallen for a perverted womaniser who isn't satisfied with just having me and wants a whole bunch of women..."
'Woman, I don't want to hear that from you. In the canon, you had more than forty husbands and kept popping kids like popcorn,' he thought to himself, pouting.
Almost immediately, she narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling you're thinking something rude about me?"
"Where? Why would I think anything bad about my Linlin?" he replied with a smile as he gently caressed her naked back.
"Really?" she asked, still sounding suspicious.
"Yeah... don't you trust me, Linlin?" he asked before adding in an exaggeratedly pitiful tone, "Ohh... it seems my future wife doesn't trust me at all... At this rate, how are we supposed to stay married for long? Distrust leads to arguments, arguments lead to fights, and then eventually divorce... Are we going to get divorced before we even get married? I won't have to pay alimony, right? I'm very poor, you know..."
"How the hell did this suddenly turn into divorce...? And... we aren't even married yet!" Her eye twitched as she thought that her man seemed to be a bit of a drama queen, ahem, king.
Anyway... putting that aside, Zechs stopped acting and asked tentatively, "So... what do you think?"
"Think what?" Linlin asked, tilting her head.
"You know... about my ambition to build a large harem?" he asked.
"It's a perverted dream. You're a womaniser... a lascivious man... that's what I think," she said.
"...And?" he pressed, wanting her to say more.
"And? You want to hear more of what I think?" she asked.
"Yes… No… I don't mean the 'womaniser' and 'pervert' part. I already know that," he said. "What I mean is... what do you actually think about it? What's your opinion?"
"Oh?" Linlin asked, sounding surprised. "So you actually care about my opinion on this?"
"After all... we're going to get married. And if my first wife has a problem with me building a large harem... then that's obviously going to be an issue," he explained.
"Hmm... is that so...?" she murmured. She thought about it for a moment before asking, "Well... I don't want you to have a harem. Is that opinion acceptable?"
"Nope. It isn't. I hope you change your mind," he replied.
That left her speechless. "So... you don't actually care about my opinion at all," she said, pouting. "You just want me to agree with you. Isn't that right?"
"Is that how I sounded...?" he asked, looking thoughtful before nodding. "Well... I guess that's basically it."
She rolled her eyes.
"So... let's try again," he said. "What's your opinion on this matter?"
She fell silent again. But this time, instead of answering, she asked a question of her own. "What do you think about me marrying men other than you?"
"I won't allow it," he replied immediately.
"You didn't even think about it!!" she snapped. "And I can just say your opinion is unacceptable too and hope that you change it."
"I'm sorry, but that opinion is carved in stone," he replied. "And once it's carved, it can't be changed." Then he added, "Besides, what's there to think about? I won't allow it. It's simple."
"Then isn't that unfair?" she pouted unhappily. "You want to have lots of women... but you don't want me to have lots of men..."
Of course, it wasn't as though she actually wanted a lot of men anymore. On the contrary, after spending so much time with Zechs, she could no longer even imagine herself with another man, even though she once dreamed of having many husbands.
Still... this felt unfair. Very unfair.
If she was expected to stay with only him... then shouldn't he stay with only her too?
If she had to practice monogamy... then he should too.
How was it fair for him to insist on polygamy while expecting her to remain faithful to only him?
Tossing aside the cigarette he had been smoking, he grabbed Linlin's face firmly with both hands and said in a deep, domineering voice, "Linlin... as a pirate, you don't want to share your treasure with anyone else, right?"
In the face of that dominating voice, she instinctively nodded, "Ri-right … I don't want to share…"
He smiled widely and nodded, "Just like that… My women are going to be my treasure... As a Pirate… how could I allow another man to take my treasure from me? Now that you've become my woman... you'll only ever be my woman. You are my possession, my treasure. So you can forget about having any other man..."
"Very domineering... I like that..." her breath hitched a little upon hearing his words, even if they were bastardly; however, she also couldn't stop herself from complaining, "But it's still a double standard..."
Even though she understood where he was coming from, she still felt dissatisfied. He insisted on sailing several boats at once and got to do exactly that... but she wasn't allowed the same?
Still, she wasn't truly offended that he didn't want her with another man. If anything, she liked it. Her man was possessive of her... how could that not make her happy?
And Linlin herself, for some reason, felt a trace of disgust rise in her heart at the thought of being with another man.
That definitely had nothing to do with the taste she had experienced earlier... and she doubted anyone else could compare to Zechs anyway.
But still... it was a double standard.
"This is life... sometimes... It's unfair to us... It happens with all of us," he said with a shameless nod, not even trying to deny the double standard.
"Geez, man... how can you say something so corny in a situation like this...?" she asked, embarrassed by his words.
"Ahem... it's because no matter what I do, I'll be forgiven. Why? Because I'm handsome...!!!" he declared, repeating the words of a certain pirate empress.
'Um... but coming from me, a guy, they probably sound cringey... yeah... mental note to myself, let's not say that again in the future...'
Linlin, meanwhile, simply stared at him, unsure how to respond.
Anyway—
"So... what do you think?" he asked.
"Hmm..." She fell silent and thought it over.
Either way, she knew he wasn't going to accept 'no' for an answer, so she couldn't exactly refuse him outright.
As for giving him a 'yes'... although the idea of sharing him with other women made her somewhat uncomfortable, it wasn't as though that wasn't already happening. So while she did feel a little unhappy about it, it wasn't unbearable.
Polygamy itself wasn't something frowned upon in this world. It was fairly common, so she didn't find it particularly strange either. Instead, she found herself wondering whether she could use her answer to gain something she wanted in return.
'Ahaa... I really can.'
With that thought in mind, she finally broke the silence. "Well... apart from marrying me… if you pledge your loyalty to me by joining my crew and becoming my right-hand man... then I'll reluctantly allow it. You can have your harem and chase your dream of becoming the Harem King or whatever it is you want..." she said before adding, "And I won't go after any other man either..."
But he shook his head. "I've already told you, Linlin... I won't become your subordinate."
"Why not? Our goals don't conflict at all. I want to become the Queen of the Seas, and you want to become this Harem King or whatever. Help me achieve my dream, and I'll help you achieve yours..." she said, convinced it was a perfect win-win situation. As far as she was concerned, he had no reason to refuse, especially when she was asking so nicely.
In truth, she wasn't the kind of person who talked this much, asked politely, or tried to reason with others. Normally, she simply took whatever she wanted by force.
It was only because she had truly taken a liking to Zechs, knew how strong he was, and felt genuinely grateful to him that she couldn't bring herself to act unreasonably toward him even though it left her feeling awkward and helpless... And despite all that, he kept refusing her.
"As the Harem King, it's impossible for me to become a subordinate to one of my own women," he replied simply.
She wanted to complain. "You're being unreasonable... You want to have your cake and eat it too..."
He didn't deny it. "That's right. That's exactly how I am. Even if I'm being unreasonable here, I won't bend." Then he added, "And since you said our goals don't conflict... how about you become my subordinate instead? I wouldn't mind that."
She immediately snorted and rejected the idea. "Not happening. I want to become the Queen of the Seas. How could I ever become that if I'm your subordinate?"
"There is a way..." he said casually. "If I become the King of the Seas, then as my wife, you can become the Queen of the Seas, right?"
"You want to become the King of the Seas?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. If that were true, then he would become her enemy.
He shook his head. "As I said, my primary goal is to become the Harem King... but to make my subordinate, and my first wife, the Queen of the Seas... I can reluctantly add it to my list of side quests."
"S-side quests?" She was left speechless by how casually Zechs said something so outrageous. Even she wouldn't dare say such a thing so lightly. Shaking her head, she held onto his chin, caressing him as if looking at him dominantly, and chided him, "My dear Zechs… I have been listening to you a lot… but aren't you starting to get way too far ahead of yourself? You should know your limits..."
"Fufu... my dear Linlin... the thing about limits is that they're meant to be broken. And for the sake of my goal of becoming the Harem King... I'm willing to break every limit..." he said, taking hold of the hand that had been caressing his chin and gently pulling it away. "So... how about you become my subordinate instead? For your sake, I'll reluctantly become the King of the Seas... and make you the Queen..."
She shook her head. "I don't want to. I don't want to become your subordinate... I want you to become mine instead."
"But like I said... I don't want to be your subordinate. I want the exact opposite," he replied.
"And I want the exact opposite of that," she shot back.
"It seems we're stuck..." he said. "Neither of us wants to become the other's subordinate... and both of us want the other person to submit instead."
"That does seem to be the case..." she agreed.
"So... how about we don't become each other's subordinates at all... and just continue with our own crews?" he suggested.
"No... that won't work. We have to settle this before we get married..." she said, shaking her head.
"Yeah... I guess you're right..." he nodded. Even Kong had hinted at this before.
It wasn't just a matter of their goals not conflicting. It was also a matter of who would be in charge between the two of them. Linlin wanted to be the dominant one, the one in control. On the other hand, Zechs wanted exactly the same thing.
"We really do need to resolve this before we marry..." he said, before adding, "But... I don't want us to fight over it... even though fighting would probably be the simplest way to settle it. Whoever is stronger would be the one in charge."
"No... let's not just fight. That's too boring..." she said. "Besides... strength alone isn't a good way to decide who should be in charge. Being strong is only one of the things that makes a good captain, right?"
"Right..." he nodded.
To be a good pirate captain, strength alone was never enough. As experienced pirates, both of them understood that very well.
"So... here's my idea..." she began. She had already thought this through quite carefully. She hadn't started this discussion without preparation. "How about we settle this the pirate way...?"
"The pirate way? You mean... with a Davy Back Fight?" he asked.
A Davy Back Fight was a traditional pirate contest held in honour of the mythical Davy Jones, used to challenge rival crews and claim members from them. Since Linlin wanted to solve this issue 'the pirate way,' that was the first thing that came to his mind.
She shook her head. "A Davy Back Fight is meant to steal crew members. Sure, you can even use it to take the opposing captain... but it isn't really a test of who would make the better pirate captain. This is between the two of us. We both want to be captain... so a normal Davy Back Fight isn't the right way to settle it."
She paused before continuing. "So I've thought of something else. Something similar to a Davy Back Fight... but not exactly the same."
"Not exactly it...? Then what do you have in mind...?" he asked, now genuinely interested.
"A pirate captain's capability—and the threat they represent—isn't measured by the captain's strength alone. It's also measured by the crew's total bounty, the strength of the crewmates, and the treasure the crew possesses. So... when we merge our two crews into one and decide who becomes the captain of the combined crew... we'll judge all four aspects.
"First, we'll compare the total bounty of each crew. Then we'll compare the strength and capabilities of the subordinates. After that comes the captain's own strength. Then we'll compare how much treasure each crew possesses. And after that... there will be a battle between you and me. What do you think?"
She had clearly put a great deal of thought into it. In her mind, this was the only proper way to decide who would lead the final merged crew.
"The bounties... the treasure... the strength and capability of the crew... and then the captain's strength... hmm..." he murmured.
It really was like a Davy Back Fight... just on an entirely different level.
"But that's only four categories, isn't it?" he asked. "What if each of us wins two? How do we decide the overall winner then?"
"For that... I've added one more category," she said.
Then, with a smile, she revealed it. "The fifth category will be a battle of sex..."
"Sex?" Zechs blinked.
"Yeah. Aside from beating the shit out of each other, we'd also have a battle of sex. It'd be the second round of that little competition we had back before you disappeared," she explained. 'This time... I'm going to crush him in that too...'
She was clearly still salty about her defeat in that and wanted to use this chance to teach Zechs his place even in bed, to prove that Charlotte Linlin would not only be his captain, but also the dominant one between them.
"Whoever wins the most rounds gets to be the captain of the merged crew," Linlin declared. "The loser will have to submit to the winner, even if they're pissed about it."
"Fufufu... interesting..." Zechs said. "But are you sure you'll be able to kneel before me if you lose?"
"There won't be any need for that, because I'm going to win," she snorted. Then, after a pause, she reluctantly added, "But... fine. If you somehow win in the rare chance… which is even rarer then Sun rising from the West... I'll bend the knee."
Then she looked at him and asked, "What about you? Will you be able to do the same?"
"Fufufufu... if you can beat me, then fair enough. I'll let you be the captain..." he said with a laugh. "Even though that isn't going to happen since I will win..."
With an agreement finally reached, the next issue was deciding how long they would measure all of this for.
"We also need to agree on a time limit... otherwise, there's no way to settle anything," he said.
"Hmm... yes... and it shouldn't be too long, but not too short either..." Linlin agreed.
The two discussed it for a while before finally settling on two years.
While two years might seem like a long time... it really wasn't.
Just travelling from one island to another could take weeks. When you looked at it that way, two years wasn't that much time at all.
Besides, gathering enough treasure and hunting down truly valuable treasure would easily take at least two years.
That was why they had settled on that amount of time.
"Everything will be measured over the next two years," Linlin declared.
"Two years, huh..." he said. "Man... I was actually looking forward to meeting you and marrying you after ending this training... but with this, I guess that'll have to wait another two years..."
"It can't be helped..." Linlin replied.
"Hmm..." he nodded.
Two years was a long time... but if that was what it took to get the result he wanted, then he was willing to wait.
"Oh... and what about your crewmates on my ship?" Linlin asked. Rob and the others had been staying aboard her ship for several months now. If they were really going through with this competition, then shouldn't they return to him?
Zechs thought about it for a moment before answering, "Talk to Rob and the others. If they still want to come back to me, then that's fine. But if they don't... then I hope you'll keep taking care of them."
After all, he had more or less abandoned them when he went off to rescue Pudding. Since then, they had remained with Linlin. Even if they had been worried about him, he didn't feel he had the right to demand that they return. If they wanted to come back, he would gladly accept them. But if they didn't... he wouldn't force them.
Linlin seemed to understand what he was thinking and nodded. "Fine... I'll talk to Rob about it."
"Hmm..." he replied.
With that, the two settled a few more details before Zechs ended the Dream Walk and vanished from Linlin's dream.
…
As soon as the dream ended, Linlin opened her eyes. "That competition... two years... hmm..." she murmured with a faint smile.
Even though the entire discussion with Zechs had taken place inside a dream, she still remembered it.
That seemed to be one of the effects of the Dream Walking skill. The more often someone experienced it, the more clearly they could remember what happened in their dreams afterward.
For the past few months, Linlin had been meeting Zechs in her dreams regularly, so by now she could remember most of it quite clearly.
Not perfectly... but clearly enough.
And now that Zechs had agreed to the competition, she felt much better. In fact, she was already looking forward to her victory.
"Mama... mama..." she laughed to herself. "Zechs... you're finally going to become part of my crew..."
…
The next day, Linlin finally decided to tell her crewmates about the bet she had made with Zechs.
"So... that's how things are. Neither Zechs nor I could decide who would become the captain after we marry... so we decided to settle it with this bet..." she said, finishing her explanation before looking over her crew to see whether anyone had any objections.
Of course, even if someone did object, she had no intention of listening. She was the captain. The decision was hers alone.
But rather than dissatisfaction, her crew seemed far more confused.
And not about the bet itself.
They were confused about Zechs.
One of the crewmates hesitantly asked, "Ane-san... that... Asmodeus Zechs... is he... alive?"
Another immediately followed, "Wait... wasn't he taken to Impel Down? Is he planning to break out or something? Nobody's ever done that before..."
The rest of the crew also turned to look at Linlin, waiting for an answer.
Up until now, they had all assumed that Zechs was either dead... or locked away in Impel Down.
None of them had expected Linlin to somehow make a bet with him.
"Zechs is definitely alive... and he isn't imprisoned in Impel Down. I don't know what those newspapers were talking about, but he was never arrested..." Linlin said before briefly explaining Zechs's situation to her crewmates.
Hearing that, they were stunned once again. "No wonder we didn't attack Rear Admiral Sengoku... Asmodeus Zechs was never captured at all. Then what the hell was Sengoku talking about?"
At the same time, the others began voicing similar thoughts.
Streusen, in particular, was stunned. No... more than stunned, he was completely frozen. 'I... I see... so that's why...'
He finally understood why Linlin had not fallen for the trap.
It was because that bastard Asmodeus Zechs was still alive...!!
'Damn it... I thought he was already dead... so how is he still alive?! Why?!' He was not only shocked, but filled with rage and hatred as well.
Just then, one of the confused crewmates asked another question.
"Ane-san... you said Asmodeus Zechs is stranded on an island, and there's no way for him to communicate through a Transponder Snail. Then how did the two of you speak? And how did you make that bet?"
Right.
Everyone had been wondering the same thing. Communicating over such a long distance without a Transponder Snail should have been impossible.
How had Zechs done it?
Linlin smiled and said, "I can speak to him through another method... one that doesn't rely on a Transponder Snail. So it doesn't matter where either of us is, or what situation we're in... we can still communicate."
She did not explain the method itself. It was too difficult to explain... and even harder to believe.
Since Linlin clearly did not want to reveal more, the others did not press the matter. They simply accepted it, assuming it must have something to do with her Soru Soru no Mi.
That aside... after explaining everything, Linlin looked over at Rob, who was standing quietly in the corner. "Rob... I also spoke to Zechs about you and the others from his crew. He said the decision is up to all of you. If you want to go back to him, you can... otherwise, you can stay here."
Rob pressed his lips together and let out a sigh. 'Captain... honestly...'
He could more or less understand Zechs's reasoning. Zechs probably felt guilty, which was why he had left the decision to them.
As Rob thought about it, he noticed Linlin's crewmates watching him. He also noticed Streusen staring at him.
The moment he looked at Streusen, Rob made up his mind. 'I have to stay here and protect Charlotte-san from that guy.'
He still didn't know why Streusen gave him such a bad feeling... but he decided to trust his instincts. "I'll stay here," Rob said. "And I apologise to Charlotte-san for the discomfort and trouble I'm causing."
Since Rob had made his choice, the rest of Zechs's crew gritted their teeth and agreed as well. "We'll stay too..."
In the end, both crews were going to merge with Zechs anyway. Since that was going to happen sooner or later, it didn't really matter which ship they stayed on for now.
Besides... they knew Rob would not choose to remain here without a reason, and they trusted him.
"Is that so?" Linlin asked, slightly surprised. "It's no trouble, but..." Her expression then turned serious. "Since you're staying here... from now on, you're going to help me win the bet too."
Rob and the others froze at that condition. It put them in an awkward position. Helping Linlin would make things difficult for their own captain.
But then Rob thought, 'Since Captain gave us this choice... he probably doesn't mind us helping Charlotte-san.'
With that in mind, he nodded and smiled. "Then... we'll do our best to help Charlotte-san win the bet."
"Mama… mama... I like the sound of that..." Linlin said with a satisfied nod.
Now that a decision had been reached, her mood immediately improved. "Then let's celebrate. After that... we'll leave this island and begin the process of me defeating Zechs."
Everyone cheered, "Oooohhh!!!"
Well... everyone except Streusen.
On the surface, he appeared to be cheering along with the others.
But inside... he was seething.
…
Sometime later...
Buru buru... buru buru... Kacha!
"Admiral Kong... it's me..." Streusen whispered into the Transponder Snail.
{Yes... Streusen. We've wrapped things up in South Blue, and I'm preparing the fleet to move against Charlotte Linlin,} Kong replied.
"Admiral... there's been a change of plans..." Streusen said.
{A change of plans? What do you mean?} Kong asked, stunned.
"Asmodeus Zechs... he's still alive..." Streusen said quietly.
{Huh? He's alive? Wait... didn't you say...?} Kong demanded.
"I know what I said... but it turns out we were mistaken. I was mistaken. Asmodeus Zechs is... still alive..."
{...I see.} Kong fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
If Asmodeus Zechs was still alive, then their earlier plan might no longer work. If Charlotte Linlin found herself in danger... he would probably appear again to save her.
{How about this... we capture Charlotte Linlin and use her as bait to lure Asmodeus Zechs out?} Kong suggested.
"It won't work..." Streusen shook his head. "Linlin seems to have some way of communicating with Asmodeus Zechs without using a Transponder Snail. I don't know what it is, she didn't explain much, but she does. So the bait method won't work."
{Then what do you propose?} Kong asked.
"The encirclement should be postponed for two years," Streusen said bluntly.
{Two years? Two years?! Have you lost your damn mind, Streusen? Why would you even consider that?} Kong snapped.
He had already dealt with enough over the past few months. He wanted the matter of Charlotte Linlin and Asmodeus Zechs finished now. And suddenly Streusen was telling him to delay the operation by two whole years?
Kong couldn't help but think the man had gone insane.
Streusen quickly explained. In two years, Linlin and Zechs would meet again to decide who would become the captain of their merged crew... and to hold their wedding.
"That's the perfect chance to ambush both of them at once..."
{Two years is still too long...} Kong said coldly. He had no intention of agreeing. He couldn't leave threats like Charlotte Linlin and Asmodeus Zechs unchecked for another two years.
"You can try to hunt them," Streusen replied calmly, "but I won't help."
{...I should have known better than to trust a pirate,} Kong said through gritted teeth.
Without Streusen's help in controlling the Homies that could create massive waves, catching Linlin at sea would be nearly impossible.
Furious, Kong warned him, {I still have your Vivre Card, Streusen. I can find you whenever I want.}
"If that's the case, then I'll simply leave Linlin's ship," Streusen said. "I don't think Admiral Kong wants that. Because if I leave... then your only chance of easily capturing Linlin would disappear."
{...} Kong felt an unfamiliar sense of helplessness.
After a moment, he finally asked, {Why are you so determined to capture both of them together two years from now? Why can't we capture them one at a time?}
"To make sure Asmodeus Zechs doesn't get to eat the pie he's been cooking all this time..." Streusen said.
{So that... Asmodeus Zechs doesn't get to eat the pie he was cooking?} Kong repeated, utterly confused.
"Admiral, the Marines can spend the next two years trying to hunt Charlotte Linlin. If you succeed, then fine. But I won't help during that time. I'll help Linlin instead," Streusen said. "However, if the Marines are willing to wait... then capturing both Linlin and Asmodeus Zechs at the same time becomes much easier. The final decision… it is up to the Marines. Choose wisely."
And with that, without even waiting for Kong's reply, he ended the call.
Kacha!
'Asmodeus Zechs... you stole the pie I'd spent twelve years cooking... so I'll make damn sure to take away yours too,' Streusen thought, his expression twisted with malice and ridicule.
Completely unaware of Streusen's malicious thoughts, Zechs was asleep in bed with Pudding curled up in his arms. He suddenly sneezed, then rubbed his nose sleepily.
.
.
A/N:
Now, some readers may find this bet between Zechs and Linlin annoying. They may wonder why the two cannot simply get married already and move on. But as I have already highlighted, both of them are people unwilling to submit to the other. Neither wants to surrender or compromise first, and that stubbornness is exactly why this bet exists... and why their reunion is being delayed.
There is also the matter of the story itself.
If Zechs and Linlin were to marry immediately, there would be very little left to build tension around, and the plot would become far less interesting. It would skip over too many opportunities for character interactions, conflicts, development, and expansion of the world and harem dynamic.
So instead, I chose to take this route.
Yes, the two will not be meeting again for quite some time.
This entire storyline is the Totto Land Saga, and it will contain several arcs leading toward a major incident within Totto Land itself. Naturally, during this journey, Zechs will continue gathering women into his harem while progressing through the conditions of this quest and bet.
Everything has already been planned out beforehand, and I hope readers will continue following the story with patience instead of getting too hung up on the delay.
With that aside, I hope readers will give the story lots of Power Stones. Give them to me, guys. Don't leave me starving for them.
Comments and Reviews are also necessary, especially Reviews. The story has far fewer reviews than I'd prefer.
And naturally, the greatest support comes from Pa-t-r-e-o-n.
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On my Pa-t-r-e-o-n, you can read up to 27 chapters in advance before public release, and I generally post 6 chapters a week, meaning you'll get one extra chapter per week compared to the regular schedule, which is 5 chapters a week.
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