Chapter 276: Vinsmoke Reiju
"No, no, no, what are you talking about?" Eric shook his head vigorously.
"When we first met, I noticed that you spent more time observing Reiju than you did looking at Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and me combined."
Eric responded irritably, "Obviously! I'm not gay. Why would I look at men instead of women?"
"And—" Judge said meaningfully, "The Vinsmoke family, my three sons have no compassion, and I'm not trusted either. There's only one daughter who possesses feelings. You can have her as your woman to rule the entire North Sea."
"Thus, we can both get what we want."
'The Vinsmoke family can revive the Germa Empire to rule the North Sea. I can gain their technology and even get an extra beautiful wife. This is quite a deal…' Eric wanted to respond like that, but the woman behind him was staring at him with a piercing gaze.
As the queen of the Land of Shadows who can foresee the future—Scáthach , of course, followed Eric into the underground facility to inform him of any future developments.
But at that moment, Eric truly wished Scáthach wasn't present.
Her intelligent Akame emitted a red glow, brighter than before. Her usually expressionless face had the corners of her mouth curled into a slight smile. "Another one."
"…" Eric 's back instantly became drenched in sweat.
"Master, you must be mistaken."
"No, I can see it very clearly~" Scáthach , understanding what Eric meant, did not comply with his wishes and repeated the truth once again.
Kurumi smiled wickedly, teasing, "Ara, how wonderful, Eric -." Her smile was a little terrifying!
Scáthach emphasized again, "Germa 66 is a force worth allying with, although Vinsmoke Judge's actions cannot be considered something a normal father would do."
"Is that so, Master?" Eric 's facial muscles twitched. "Could you take your boots off my feet?"
"Is that so?" Scáthach blinked, "Sorry, I didn't notice."
"Then why is your foot so heavy again?!" Eric moaned. "Your boots are made of purple steel!"
"Hmph!" Scáthach stomped heavily, finally sparing Eric .
Even the proud Scáthach was feeling a bit jealous, and Eric didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky.
"So, shall we form an alliance?" Judge watched everything, including the looks that Esdeath, Kurumi, and Akame gave Eric . However, he didn't care about how many beauties or wives Eric had.
Like Charlotte Linlin , no matter how many husbands someone has, as long as they have enough power, no one would dare to speak ill of Big Mom's actions.
"Mm, don't worry, I won't tell anyone about our alliance." Eric extended his hand to grasp the much larger palm of Judge's. "You're still a king of an allied nation, and I'm just an ordinary pirate on the seas."
"'Ordinary' pirate, huh…" Judge chuckled.
At that moment, Da Vinci, who had finished her tour, walked over.
"I've taken a look around, and I'm very interested in 'replicating' and 'modifying' life. Would you like to discuss it?"
"Of course." Judge, who had learned much from her previous thoughts, said, "Come with me." The two of them went to Judge's lab to chat privately.
Eric casually glanced at Scáthach , who nodded, signaling that he could relax.
'Every time we ask Da Vinci to do combat training, she always pretends to be sick. I'm not sure how much combat power her mechanical arm can actually bring out…'
Eric and the others were then brought to a small banquet hall for reception. The magnificent decoration, exquisite furniture, and abundant food filled the entire dining table. Even Kuina, who had lived a frugal life in the village, was stunned.
"Stay true to your sword heart; these delicacies won't make you stronger…"
"Then could you put down your plate and stop talking?" Kuina glared at Eric .
"But they can fill your stomach and lift your spirits," Eric continued, taking a bite of the roasted meat in his hand.
"!" Kuina's pretty little teeth made a cracking sound as she chewed.
"Eat more, grow faster, mmm…" Akame, with her mouth full of meat, said indistinctly, "Only when Kuina grows up can she become stronger."
"Mm!" Kuina chewed the food heavily, imagining it was Eric .
◇
Unexpectedly, the Dawn Pirates stayed in the Germa Kingdom for several days.
The reason was that Da Vinci and Judge, both science nerds, found common ground in their research on weapons and biological sciences.
Da Vinci commented, "Although he looks like a brute, his scientific knowledge is not lacking. He's a true scientist!"
Judge praised, "Her ideas are boundless; she's truly a genius among geniuses. I seem to see the shadow of Vegapunk in her!"
The two of them spent almost every day and night in Judge's lab, discussing various topics. If it weren't for Kurumi's clones constantly watching Da Vinci, Judge would have wondered what was going on between Da Vinci and Judge…
In one of the guest rooms in the Germa Kingdom, Eric stood by the large floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the distant scenery.
The door behind him was gently pushed open, and Reiju, wearing a white princess dress, elegantly stood before Eric and greeted him, "Hello, respected Darren Eric -sama."
Her fair and delicate collarbone was exposed before Eric 's eyes, and the fluffy yet light dress circled around her thighs. Her long legs, wrapped in white stockings, stretched out from the hem of the skirt, making one want to bite them.
She had already learned from her father that she was to marry Eric and become one of his wives. Unable to defy her father's orders, Reiju had no choice but to accept, being treated as a beautiful vase to be given to the "Emperor of the Sea," Eric .
'At least it's better than becoming a female assassin with her hands stained with innocent blood…' Reiju thought bitterly. "But, becoming a pirate's wife isn't very honorable either. My father…"
Even if she would one day become the queen ruling the entire North Sea, she could not change her fate. She carried the legacy of reviving the Germa Empire, and her body now belonged to this man in front of her…
Reiju's movements were graceful and dignified, and even though she hadn't matured yet, anyone who saw her would immediately think, "Ah, she must be a noble lady, perhaps even a princess."
However, no matter how beautiful her makeup was or how elegant her clothes were, they could not conceal the sorrow in her heart. Even though her expression was perfect, the smile on her face was a tragic one.
Eric , who understood her, knew exactly how sad she was here.
This time, Eric wanted to save this kind-hearted young lady.
"I will no longer let you cry inside, Princess Reiju."
"Eh?"
(END CHAPTER)
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