What kind of ability was this?
Drake had already been thoroughly shocked earlier. He had never seen this witch's Devil Fruit power before in the world of One Piece. His previous strike had undeniably connected.
So why?
"That's... a phoenix..." Drake murmured, staring at the colossal, fiery red avian entity slowly ascending from the empty space before him.
This was a fundamentally different existence from Marco's Mythical Zoan Phoenix form. Did an ability like this truly exist in this world?
"You crazy woman! I'm going to beat you to a pulp today!" Drake was in no mood to admire the majestic avian towering over him.
His aura exploded violently as a crushing, chaotic torrent of Conqueror's Haki flooded out from his physical vessel. The air currents scrambled, and his sheer presence dominated the entire clearing.
"Conqueror's Haki!" A solemn expression gradually surfaced on Mitian's face.
But it quickly gave way to a look of detached calm; it was hardly a secret by now that Drake possessed Conqueror's Haki. Besides, possessing the qualities of a king didn't automatically make someone a ruler.
BOOM!
Mitian unleashed her own presence, and the two massive forces of Conqueror's Haki clashed fiercely in mid-air. Bolts of dark red lightning rippled violently across the atmosphere, instantly sweeping the sky completely clear of the few lingering, ash-gray storm clouds.
Drake's eyes blazed with intense focus as a massive concentration of energy gathered in his fist. Yet, just as he prepared to launch his counterattack, Mitian suddenly shed her avian form, reverting to her human shape.
She stared at him, a radiant smile playing on her lips. "You... know everything now?"
As she spoke, a trace of genuine bashfulness flickered across her exquisite features, a sudden blush staining her otherwise unreadable, beautiful face.
Drake was left completely dumbfounded.
"You witch! What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Staring at her current demeanor, Drake felt a sudden wave of internal conflict, entirely torn between unleashing his strike or standing down.
"What do you think, husband?" Mitian flashed a charming, sultry smile, bridging the distance to stand right against his chest. She exhaled softly, sending a delicate plume of warm breath against his ear.
Drake's entire body went rigid.
How the hell is any man supposed to resist this?!
Had this enchantress realized she couldn't beat him in a straight fight, prompting her to resort to seduction?
The realization sent a jolt through Drake's mind. No, no! Maintain focus! He was entirely dedicated to the righteous path; he hadn't even helped Luffy become the Pirate King yet, so how could he let his mind wander toward romantic entanglements? Especially with a woman who clearly harbored malicious motives. If he let his guard down around a temptress like her, he'd likely be stripped down to his bare bones.
Yet, his nose twitched involuntarily, catching a delicate, sweet fragrance wafting through the air that slowly lulled his cognitive defenses.
"So sweet..."
"Is it really that sweet?"
"Yeah, absolutely..." Nodding along, Drake's expression suddenly froze as cold sweat began to pour down his back.
Shit!What's happening? Could it be a charm technique?
His mind raced to rationalize it. Yes, it had to be. It was definitely some form of dark witchcraft deployed by this demoness. Otherwise, how could his focus shatter after a mere two sentences?
Yeah, that's it! It has to be!
[Heh! She isn't utilizing any charm techniques whatsoever! The host is truly opening my eyes today. Are you genuinely incapable of diagnosing your own biological impulses?]
Drake: "..."
You useless piece of garbage, if you don't have anything helpful to say, keep your mouth shut. When he desperately required assistance during a crisis, it didn't utter a single syllable. But the moment an opportunity to mock him arose, it was always at the front of the line. Truly infuriating!
The mere thought made him grit his teeth to the point of fracturing. He understood perfectly well whether he was under the influence of a charm technique; he didn't need a commentary track.
"Since it's so sweet... would you like a taste?" The corners of Mitian's lips curled into a precise, calculated arc.
"Of course—" Drake gritted his teeth, preparing to launch a physical strike, when a pair of soft, delicate lips driven directly against his own cut him off entirely.
"Mph..." Drake's eyes snapped wide to the size of saucers.
What the hell?!What kind of narrative script is this? Why isn't she following standard combat protocol?
My first kiss... is gone...
While Drake stood entirely paralyzed from the psychological shock, he felt the tip of her nimble tongue gently attempting to pry past his teeth...
"Mph... cough!"
Drake violently shoved Mitian back, taking massive, frantic gulps of air as he tried to steady his racing pulse.
Was I just... forcefully kissed?
Even though the sensation was still fresh on his lips, Drake found the reality almost impossible to process. This didn't make any tactical sense! Why had a complete stranger materialized out of nowhere, systematically beaten him to a pulp, and then proceeded to forcefully plant a kiss on him? And to top it off, she was a Marine!
"Oh, so it was your first kiss," Mitian teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Bullst!" Drake exploded instantly, pointing an angry finger at her face. "I've been a legendary player in the arena of romance for decades! What kind of woman haven't I encountered? The number of women I've kissed ranges in the thousands, if not—"
As his voice trailed off, Drake felt his words losing their structural confidence. Across both his past and present lives, he had never actually held a girl's hand...
But as a man, how could he possibly concede that reality aloud? Where would his dignity go?
"Hehehe..." Mitian covered her mouth, letting out a soft, melodious giggle. She casually selected a smooth rock, crossing her elegant legs as she propped her chin in her hand, content to simply look at him. "Please, do continue."
Drake: "!!!"
Contempt! Absolute, unadulterated contempt!
"Hmph!" Drake let out a cold snort, twisting his head to the side. At this stage, silence was golden. Any further explanations would only make him look more pathetic.
Simultaneously, the lingering sweetness remaining on his lips brought a wave of involuntary satisfaction to his mind, making even the stinging pain throbbing across his swollen cheeks feel significantly less agonizing.
[Shameless! I never realized you were such a thoroughly shameless creature.]
The system's deadpan, exasperated voice echoed within his mind. Drake completely dismissed it.
After a long, tense silence, Drake locked his gaze back onto Mitian, asking with absolute gravity, "What exactly is your ultimate objective here? Is it the Land of Wano? Or... is it Luffy?!"
He understood that under the current global parameters, the Navy shouldn't possess any surplus military assets to deploy into an isolated territory like Wano. The Levely had likely just concluded, meaning the Warlord system was on the verge of being dismantled. The Marines should be completely occupied with capturing the former Warlords.
Mitian offered no verbal answer. She slowly raised a slender hand, pointing her index finger straight at his chest.
"Me?" Drake raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Mitian nodded with a radiant smile.
"Why are you tracking me down? Has the Navy finally determined that I need to be permanently liquidated?" Drake mused, before immediately shaking his head. "No, that's incorrect!"
Though Mitian's previous assault had been brutally intense, she had explicitly avoided inflicting any fatal trauma. Clearly, she was preserving his life for a specific strategic purpose.
"What on earth are you blathering about?" Mitian's beautiful eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated bewilderment as she stared at him. "You... honestly have no idea who I am?"
"Should I?" Drake countered.
"Then why didn't you strike back earlier?" Mitian asked, a look of profound surprise crossing her face.
She had been entirely under the impression that Drake had recognized her identity, which was why he had submissively endured her disciplinary thrashing without offering a single counter. The theory had even brought a faint wave of secret joy to her heart, making her think he possessed a tender, protective nature. If she hadn't believed that, there was no way she would have let her impulses drive her to actively initiate a...
Recalling her sudden boldness moments ago, Mitian tightly clenched her fists inside her sleeves.
"I..." Drake was left entirely tongue-tied by her counter-query.
He was equally baffled as to why his immense power had completely dissolved during their initial exchange. Had his capabilities functioned normally, he wouldn't have been reduced to this textbook pig's head. He had initially deduced that it was a byproduct of her specialized ability, but judging by her tone, that hypothesis was incorrect.
"Who exactly are you?"
"You're my husband, so who do you think I am?"
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