Ben and BM held hands as they walked down the hall of the Miss Love Duck. BM stayed a step behind. Her fingers resting lightly on his. Ben thought her hand was soft. When he looked at her face. He was struck by how much she resembled Bellemere. The thought made him smile.
"You can walk beside me," Ben said.
"My lord, I like this," BM replied. There was a gentle smile spread across her face.
"Thank you, HQ, NT, PR all of you, for being with us," Ben said.
"It is our duty to serve you," BM answered.
"Why?" Ben asked quietly. He wondered why they were so devoted to him.
BM's smile deepened. "Because we want to," she said simply.
"Even HQ?" Ben pressed.
BM smiled. "You'll have to ask her yourself," she replied.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. A girl appeared. She was holding a hammer in one hand and wearing a sailor's coat. In her other hand, she carried a strange fruit.
"Here," she whispered as she quickly handed the fruit to Ben before darting away down the hall.
Ben stared at the fruit now resting in his palm. "Wait," he called after her, but she was already gone.
BM chuckled softly. "She's still shy," she remarked.
Ben raised the fruit slightly. "Thank you," he shouted after her.
(Sweetie, what fruit is this?)
[It is the Suke Suke no Mi.]
(Thank you, Sweetie.)
Sweetie giggled in response. Ben paused. He thought the System sounded familiar.
"Let's go and see everyone," Ben said. BM nodded, and together they walked down the corridor toward the Dining Room.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively. Kaya, HQ, Alvida, Mikita, Honey, Nojiko, Vivi, Marianne, Zala, Robin, Conis, Raki, Maya, Kalifa, Ashivra, and Perona were all gathered in the room. Some were sitting around the table while others were standing up.
Zala and HQ moved gracefully between the seats. They both were serving food. Kaya, Vivi, and Nojiko sat together. They were chatting as they ate. Vivi was focused on her plate, enjoying every bite.
"Careful, Vivi, you might gain weight from eating too much," Nojiko teased. She had a smile on her face.
"This is healthy," Vivi replied quickly. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Not really," Kaya said as she nibbled on her own food.
Robin sipped her tea. "The princess is gaining weight in the right areas," she remarked smoothly.
"Her butt is getting bigger," Mikita added with a mischievous grin.
"Hey!" Vivi exclaimed. She pouted her cheeks. She thought Ben had been playing with it.
"So is yours," Zala teased. She had a smirk on her face.
"My butt is fine," Mikita shot back. "Ben likes it," she added. She winked at Ben.
Perona tilted her head. She looked bewildered. "Is this a normal conversation?" she asked.
Ashivra chuckled. "It sounds funny to me," she replied.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses. "It's not a table conversation," she remarked.
At that moment, Ben entered with BM at his side. "Morning, everyone," he said warmly.
All heads turned toward him. "Good morning!" they replied in unison.
Marianne beamed. "Ben, there's a seat here," she said as she pointed eagerly to a chair.
"Oh, you saved me one," Ben replied with a smile as he walked over and sat down beside Conis and Marianne.
Conis smiled softly. The faint flame on her back flickered gently.
Ashivra leaned forward curiously. "I forgot to ask, Conis, are you a Lunarian as well?" she asked.
Conis shook her head. "No, I'm a Skypiean. The flame on my back comes from a Devil Fruit given to me by our Captain," Conis replied.
"Oh," Ashivra said as she nodded thoughtfully. "That's interesting," she added.
Zala raised an eyebrow. "Does that jog a memory?" she asked.
Ashivra shook . "No," she responded.
Raki looked at Ashivra and thought they were similar but not at the same time.
"It will eventually," Honey said reassuringly.
Ben looked around the room. He noticed someone missing. "Where's Dorothy?" he asked.
Alvida smiled. "My love, she's cleaning a few rooms. She said she wanted to finish that first," she said. Her eyes then shifted to the fruit in his hand. "What is that you're holding, my love?" she asked.
Ben lifted it slightly. "This is the Suke Suke no Mi," he replied.
The room fell silent. Their eyes were drawn to the strange fruit in Ben's hand.
Nojiko's jaw tightened. Her voice was sharp with anger. "That fruit was used against Nami," she remarked. Her hands clenched at the thought.
"But my lord saved my daughter. That is what matters," BM replied.
Vivi leaned forward. "Where did you find it?" she asked.
Ben held the fruit carefully. "The Klabautermann gave it to me," he responded.
HQ nodded knowingly. "She is always watching over the ship. Protecting it." HQ remarked.
"She should join us properly. She belongs here," Marianne said as she smiled gently.
"She's shy," Ben responded.
Mikita crossed her arms. "It's still crazy to think a ship has a spirit," she commented.
"It is said that when a crew truly loves their ship, the spirit will appear," Robin explained.
Alvida smiled. "There is love here. Enough to make her real," she stated.
Kaya looked at Ben. Her cheeks were flushed. "Too much love, sometimes," she said softly, her words carrying both affection and embarrassment.
Perona looked at the Devil Fruit. Her lips trembled, and suddenly tears welled in her eyes. Without a word, she rose from her seat and hurried toward the deck.
"Perona," Ben called after her.
Alvida touched his arm gently. "My love, go after her," she said.
Ben nodded and followed her.
"Should we go as well?" Conis asked as she tilted her head.
Alvida shook her head. "No. Let my love handle this. She needs him right now," Alvida replied. The room remained hushed.
Ben burst onto the deck. He looked around. He looked left and then right, searching frantically. "Perona," he called out.
At last, he saw her. She was leaning against the railing. Her back was to him.
Ben walked slowly towards her. "Perona," he said. She didn't answer.
He stepped closer. He reached out to touch her shoulder. "Perona," he said again, gently.
"I'm not crying," she whispered. There were tears falling freely down her cheeks.
Ben turned her toward him. His hands were firm on her shoulders. "I'm not crying," she repeated.
Ben pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I had to kill him," he stated.
Perona's eyes widened. The truth struck her like a blade. "You killed him!" she cried. She pounded her fists against his chest. "You killed him," she added.
Ben didn't resist. He held her tighter. He let her vent her grief and rage. "I had to," he said quietly. "Let it out. If I hadn't he would have killed Nami, Nojiko, or even me. It was either him or us," he firmly added.
Perona's sobs grew heavier. She knew his words were true, but the truth hurt all the same. "I know," she cried. "I know what he tried to do," she added.
"I was never going to let him. I will protect all of you. Including you," he stated.
Perona froze for a moment. She had never expected to hear such reassurance. She was crying, but in his arms.
Her sobs began to fade. "I thought I had already given my loyalty to you," she whispered. "And I have," she stated.
Ben nodded. "I know you have. But you were with Absalom for years. It doesn't vanish overnight," he said.
Perona shook her head. "I was close to him but not really. With Moria, it was different. He was like a father figure to me," she said. She thought back to when he had adapted her. Her eyes searched for him. "Is he alive?" she asked once again.
Ben held her. "He is. I promised I wouldn't kill him and I kept that promise," he said. He thought Vivi made the promise but it was all the same.
Perona's tears slowed. "And you kept your word," she responded.
Ben paused for a second. "But there's a chance the World Government might try to kill him. They won't forgive weakness," he said.
Perona's lips trembled again. She leaned against him. "Ben," she said.
Ben saw her face. He hated tears in her eyes. "I will not let them," Ben stated. "I will not let him die," Ben added. He thought Moria was potentially from Wano. He thought if he played his cards well he might get Moria on his side against Kaido. He did not have high hopes for it however it is better to keep opportunity.
Perona looked at him. A small smile crept on her lips. "Thank you," Perona said.
"No thank you," Ben responded. "For joining me," he said. He looked at her. "I want to give you this," he added as he raised the Suke Suke no Mi. "Take this second devil fruit," he said.
Perona looked at the Suke Suke no Mi. "But that would kill me," Perona said.
Alvida and the other girls appeared. Alvida held the Devil Fruit Mixer. "Not with this," she said as she held the tube shaped device. Its base was made of a smooth, matte-black material. There was a holographic display which had one red button. The blending jar itself was made from a clear, shatterproof material. There were traditional sharp blades.
"You can have two fruits with this," Vivi said.
"It does work," Mikita added.
"I have two fruits," Zala confirmed. "This is the Toge Toge No Mi," Zala said as she turned her fingers into long spikes. Then she made her finger normal. "And this is my second devil fruit, the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Carnotaurus," she added as she transformed into a carnotaurus.
"She has two fruits," Nojiko said as she looked at the carnotaurus.
"And it is perfectly safe," Kaya confirmed. She wondered why it was possible.
"And you want to give it to me?" Perona asked. "To someone new like me?" she questioned.
"Yes," Ben smiled. "For you," he said.
"The Captain is giving it to you," Robin remarked.
"You should accept it," Raki encouraged.
Perona looked around. She saw smiling faces and nodded. She dreamt of this. She thought of being with him and his crew. "Okay," she responded.
"There is a tradition that my love has to feed you," Alvida remarked.
"Yes, that is the only way it works," Zala agreed.
"What!" Perona shouted. She looked surprised. Her eyes went to Ben.
"I," Ben was about to say.
"It is the only way," Nojiko said as she nudged Kaya.
"Well it was safe last time like that," Kaya said. She thought that might not be the case.
"Fine, feed me," Perona remarked as she opened her mouth and looked at him.
Ben thought she looked adorable. He thought better not to risk it. He walked over and put the devil fruit inside the Devil Fruit Mixer. He put the lid on and pressed the red button. The devil fruit started to spin and be chopped into pieces until it was a liquid substance.
The girls all looked. Ben saw it stopped so he opened the lid. "Ready?" Ben asked.
"Yes," Perona responded and opened her mouth wider. Ben poured the liquid down her throat. She drank it all down and smiled.
The other girls looked slightly jealous. They wanted Ben to feed them.
"She is lucky," Ashivra remarked.
"You can ask my love to feed you," Alvida responded.
"Did it taste good?" Vivi asked.
"No it was horrible," Perona said as she stuck her tongue out. "Why did I agree to it," she questioned herself. She then looked at Ben and smiled. "I am glad I am not dead," she added.
"I am glad you are with me," Ben said as he hugged Perona.
Perona smiled back. "You are cute," she said.
"He is the Devil," Robin remarked.