New World, Kigan Island.
On the edge of a large rock, Sugar's small and smooth hand touched the leg of Sephiroth's pants. She activated the power of her Hobby-Hobby Fruit, a Paramecia type, wanting to turn the young man into a toy.
However…
"Little sister, why are you touching me? You can't do such a thing. You're too soft!"
With a feigned confused expression, Sephiroth looked down, placing his hand on the head of the little green-haired girl.
Sugar looked up, her eyes wide. She saw Sephiroth's entire body turn pitch black! A strong and dark Busoshoku Haki covered every inch of his skin, from head to toe, deflecting the power of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit.
As is known, Sugar's ability, just like Perona's, has an extraordinary bug-like effect. If she touches her target, the target will essentially be annihilated. However, the negative effects of Devil Fruits with unique powers can be neutralized by a much stronger Haki.
"You… want to turn me into a toy, right?" Sephiroth squatted down, placing his left hand on Sugar's shoulder. The smile on his face turned sinister, making the girl tremble with fear. "You know, a fist the size of a wok won't make you cry if it hits your face."
Gulp!
"I-I… I'm not…" Sugar swallowed. Her face was on the verge of tears. She wanted to retreat, but Sephiroth's hand on her shoulder made her unable to move.
Seeing the scene, Monet, who was standing not far from them, immediately knelt down. "Please! Don't hurt my sister!" she pleaded in a low voice.
"Haha! If I had fallen for your sister's trick and been turned into a toy just now, I don't think you two would be acting like this, would you?" Sephiroth sneered.
"…"
The two sisters fell silent, unable to answer. Sugar began to sob. "Brother, we're sorry! We give up. We will do whatever you want."
"I remember you were a cadre of the Donquixote Family, right? Why are you on this island?" Sephiroth stood up. He was no longer interested in teasing them, and immediately asked what was on his mind.
Their lives and deaths depended on the person in front of them. Sugar and Monet could only answer honestly, telling him how they went from being cadres of the Donquixote Family to members of the Beast Pirates.
"I see," Sephiroth muttered, looking at the two girls. He thought for a moment. "From now on, how about you two become my subordinates?"
The two sisters looked at each other, communicating with their eyes, then answered in unison. "Okay, Brother!"
After all, they were already used to working for other people. This was the third time, so they didn't mind. Sephiroth smiled with satisfaction and nodded.
The Hobby-Hobby Fruit's ability could turn people into slaves. To him, although it was useless, he didn't want this ability to wander around out of control. He didn't need Sugar to make toys for him. Instead of exploiting with a Devil Fruit, he preferred to exploit with "capital," which was more stable and long-lasting.
Sephiroth took his hand off Sugar's shoulder, then walked to the large hole he made. He took some Life Cards from Queen's pocket, looked for the ones with the names "Sugar" and "Monet," and kept them. The other cards, whose names he didn't know well, he put in his spare pocket.
After that, he returned to the two women, opening his Dimension-Space Door.
In a corner of the living room of a luxurious villa, stood an iron cage containing a bloody black bat. On a sofa made of white clouds, Black Maria, wearing a loose blue kimono, sat leaning back comfortably. She held a document, reading it unhurriedly.
The contents were the daily business affairs in Wano, reported by Sephiroth's subordinates. For routine decisions like this, Sephiroth was too lazy and left it completely to Black Maria. He was only responsible for controlling the general direction, while the details were left to his subordinates.
On the side of the sofa, Kozuki Hiyori sat on the floor, her soft hands massaging Black Maria's feet. Hiyori wondered why she had to keep serving Black Maria, even though she was already Sephiroth's "woman." Was Black Maria more favored just because she was better at serving?
A flash of inspiration!
'I have to learn to serve my lord better, so he will be completely immersed in my feminine gentleness!' Kozuki Hiyori thought beautifully, a small smile spreading on her lips.
Black Maria glanced at the green-haired girl, then returned her focus to the document. Hiyori, this shallow-minded woman, only thought about how to get her lord's attention. She didn't know that Sephiroth already knew her true identity as a Kozuki family member, and was only keeping her as a "chess piece" for the future.
Therefore, no matter how hard Hiyori tried to serve him, Sephiroth would always be vigilant. Unlike Black Maria. Although she was cunning, she was very self-aware, and always prioritized Sephiroth's interests above her own. She knew when to be spoiled and when to act foolish. When Sephiroth needed something, Black Maria would do it perfectly, and that's why she gained his trust.
'A woman who is only beautiful without ability, in the end, is just a vase… and a man will definitely get bored. Kozuki Hiyori doesn't even realize that. It's better for her to just be a servant,' Black Maria thought.
Swoosh!
A thin red line cut through the void, and a Dimension-Space Door opened silently. Sephiroth, Sugar, and Monet stepped out.
Seeing Sephiroth, Kozuki Hiyori immediately stood up, ran, and hugged him. Meanwhile, Black Maria got up from her sofa and bowed slightly.
"Welcome back, my lord."
"Hmm."
Sephiroth stroked Hiyori's soft hair, then nodded. After releasing the bloody bat inside the cage to the other side of the door, he sat down next to Black Maria.
Black Maria immediately poured black tea into a ceramic cup. "My lord, who are these two sisters?" she asked hesitantly.
"They are Sugar and Monet. My new subordinates. From now on, they live here. Employ them here for a while," Sephiroth replied.
Black Maria's eyes lit up, as if she understood something, and she agreed easily.
"Yamato? Where is she?" Sephiroth asked.
"She's still wearing a life buoy and learning to ride a Waver…"
"Huh?! Keep an eye on her, don't let her fall into the White Sea and drown." Sephiroth sighed, shaking his head. He gave a few more instructions to Black Maria, then went somewhere else.
After that, he told Sugar to return everyone she had turned into a toy. After everything was done, he left the villa and went to a special island, where he replenished his strength, before returning to Kigan Island.
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