[~1200 Words]
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A sharp cry broke through the chaos.
"Ah—!"
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.
And there, standing beneath the great stone idol, was a man whose very presence distorted the air around him.
James had appeared as if descending from the heavens themselves—lightning dancing faintly in his eyes, shimmering like stars reflected in deep water.
In his arms was the shrine maiden Maya, trembling helplessly.
Around them, the three sacred jewels floated in slow, mesmerizing circles, glowing like fragments of a dream.
A hush fell over the plaza.
Is that… a god?
The question echoed silently in every heart—but none dared to voice it, fearing that speaking it aloud might profane the divine.
Maya's delicate body shivered uncontrollably. Her wide, confused eyes darted around, unable to comprehend how she had been lifted from the middle of her prayer to the arms of someone she instinctively felt was far beyond mortal understanding.
James glanced down at her, then lifted his gaze to the crowd below—cold, calm, and utterly commanding.
Every villager who met his eyes felt their breath seize. Their knees weakened. The weight of unseen pressure pressed against their bones.
They quickly lowered their heads, unable to withstand even a heartbeat of his full attention.
Among them, Izaya, the oldest shrine maiden and spiritual elder of the town, gathered her courage. Trembling, she lifted her voice.
"Y–You… who are you…?"
James's lips curved faintly.
"Oh? You kneel before my idol day and night… yet now that the true God stands before you, you fail to recognize me?"
His voice rolled like thunder—distant one moment, overwhelming the next.
The believers exchanged shocked glances but dared not speak.
James continued leisurely:
"That is only natural. Mortals rarely glimpse the divine. Perhaps this moment will be the one and only time you behold my true form."
Izaya swallowed hard, but something weighed heavily on her mind. She pressed her forehead to the ground and forced herself to ask:
"G–God-sama… forgive our impudence. We merely… wish to understand… Why does your true face differ from that of the idol we worship?"
James smiled faintly.
"None of you have ever seen me. How could you define my appearance so easily?"
His tone was effortless, almost amused.
"The idol you carved is likely based on how I appeared centuries ago. Today, you need only remember this face."
Understanding flickered through Izaya's eyes.
The storm, the sand barrier, the divine aura—how could any mortal question that this was the work of a god?
The pressure around them… the unnatural weather… the priestess vanishing from one spot and appearing in another…
This was no human.
Izaya's heart steadied. She bowed deeply and declared:
"We humble believers greet the Divine God!"
A wave of reverence swept the people as one voice rose to the heavens—
"Greetings, Divine God!!!"
Even Maya, trembling in his arms, whispered breathlessly near his ear, "G–Greetings… God-sama…"
James's smile deepened. Good. They have accepted it.
His glance flicked toward Vivi, impressed. Her quickly growing mastery over her Sand Fruit had been the key to creating this scene.
As expected of a descendant of the Nefertari line. The one destined to awaken Pluton…
James raised his voice, letting electricity thread through every syllable.
"I came because I heard your devout prayers echo through the night."
His tone softened, teasing slightly.
"Especially the plea of this lovely girl. A devotion so strong, it shone like a beacon guiding me here."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Is she the shrine maiden you offered to me?"
Before anyone could respond, he looked down at Maya and said:
"I heard your desire to dedicate yourself to the God. I acknowledge your devotion. From today onward, I grant you the honor of becoming one of my Divine Concubines."
Maya froze.
She wanted… to dedicate herself?
When did she…?
But looking at the fervent believers below, and feeling the divine aura radiating from James, her heart filled with a frantic mixture of awe and surrender.
A true god couldn't lie.
A true god wouldn't harm her.
A true god choosing her—must be destiny.
Her confusion gave way to conviction.
"Yes…!" she said breathlessly. "Yes, God-sama… I accept your grace!"
Her eyes shimmered with worship, devotion—and something far more intimate.
James's smile turned subtly indulgent.
Tonight, I'll enjoy hearing this shrine maiden's prayer song in private…
With a wave of his hand—
The dark clouds ripped apart like dissolving ink.
The sandstorm sank quietly into the earth, vanishing without a trace.
Sunlight poured onto the land as if heaven had thrown open its gates.
"A miracle…" someone whispered in awe.
The villagers fell to their knees again, their belief cemented beyond question.
James stepped forward, his footsteps echoing like thunderclaps in their souls.
"Because your village has produced a truly devout maiden," he proclaimed, "I have decided: Asuka Island will be brought into my Divine Kingdom. You shall live under my protection and follow my divine will."
Izaya's eyes widened—then glowed with exhilaration.
"To… to bring us to the Divine Kingdom… This is a blessing beyond dreams!"
She bowed deeply toward him.
The villagers followed, shouting until their voices shook the sky:
"Devotion! Devotion! Live to uphold the God's grace!"
Their fervor rivaled even the citizens of Skypiea.
James nodded once, then turned.
"Go. Prepare the people."
With Maya still in his arms, and the three jewels hovering behind him, he stepped into the air—where the flying carpet appeared, carrying Nami, Robin, and Vivi.
Nami snatched the jewels instantly, hugging them with sparkling eyes.
"These are the real jewels? Oooh~ warm and shiny! I love them already!"
James nearly dropped Maya from laughing. After his grand divine act, Nami's obsessive greed was jarring—but entertaining.
He shifted his hold around Maya's waist, pulling her closer.
James looked at the curiosity in Maya's eyes and introduced, "They, like you, are all my Divine Concubines."
"So, your name is Maya?"
She gasped softly. He knows my name… without me speaking…
"As expected of a God," she thought, cheeks turning pink.
"Yes! God-sama!"
"Good. Then tell me—where is the holy sword, Shichiseiken, that I left on this island?"
"I know where it is!" she answered quickly.
"Show me the way, my sweet shrine maiden~."
Maya's breath caught. She timidly pointed toward the distant mountain.
Without wind, without effort, the flying carpet moved—gliding swiftly toward the location.
Maya clung to him unconsciously as they soared through the sky, her earlier fear melting into a dazed sense of safety.
(Note to Reader)
Maya: A deeply devout shrine maiden whose world revolves around prayer and faith. Her unwavering belief makes her submission to James natural, inevitable, and complete.
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