3,071 Words
After our disastrously one-sided board game session with Viola and Monet, Leo and I slipped out of the Dressrosa Royal Palace through a high window. Running with the warm afternoon breeze at our backs, we headed toward the sprawling Flower Field located in the eastern countryside of Dressrosa, intent on returning to the Tontatta Kingdom.
We needed to come here because hidden beneath the soil was a secret, sprawling underground passage that directly connected the mainland of Dressrosa to the isolated island of Green Bit.
"Yeah. Still, the Flower Field... whenever I look at it, this place has an absolutely stunning view!" I sighed, taking in a deep breath of the sweet, pollen-rich air.
Flowers, flowers, and more flowers as far as the eye could see!
To a human, a sunflower was a tall, beautiful plant. To a twenty-centimeter Tontatta dwarf, it was a towering golden tree with massive, radiant leaves that blotted out the sun, casting a cool, dappled shade over the earth below. It was no exaggeration to say that this vast, unending sea of yellow is the most beautiful place in all of Dressrosa.
To tell the truth, this massive sunflower field didn't just grow like this naturally. It was a piece of land secretly cultivated, pruned, and managed by us Tontatta dwarves.
The Tontatta are inherently blessed with an incredible, almost magical affinity for growing plants. Naturally, having lived among them for years, I'm no exception.
"...You're always slacking off, yet you act like you own the place at times like this, resu," Leo grumbled from beside me, shooting me a glare as we dashed through the thick stalks.
"Shut up, Leo! I'm the one who grew those exceptionally vibrant sunflowers over there, aren't I? Look, that patch over there too! I watered those with my own sweat and tears!"
In the direction I pointed, nestled safely amidst a dense patch of towering golden flowers, stood a single, small wooden cabin.
It was a cute, rustic little house that seemed completely out of place in this vast, uninhabited flower field... or rather, in a way, it fit perfectly, like something out of a fairy tale.
"...Let's drop by while we're at it!" I grinned, sharply altering my trajectory.
"Eh? W-Wait! Line—!"
Leo reached out to grab the back of my collar and stop me, but he was too slow! Those short little arms would never reach me when I was highly motivated!
I scurried over the roots and dirt to the cabin, bounded up the wooden steps, and barged right through the slightly ajar front door without knocking.
"Yo! The great Line has arrived to grace you with his presence!"
"Ah, it's Line!" a cheerful, high-pitched voice called out.
Inside the cozy, sunlit house, a young girl with soft pink hair was sitting on a woven rug, happily playing with a little wooden toy car—one I had whittled and assembled for her a while back.
Her name is Rebecca. She's an energetic, sweet 6-year-old girl who, for certain complicated political reasons, lives in hiding from the world here with her parents.
"Oh, Line. Did you come to play again?"
Standing in the rustic kitchen behind Rebecca, wiping her hands on an apron, was a woman. A voluptuous, absolute knockout of a beauty with long pink hair tied into a thick braided ponytail. Her name is Scarlet.
She's Rebecca's mother, and at twenty-five, she's ten years my senior physically.
Believe it or not, she actually happens to be my 'first crush' in this second life of mine. ...Though, when I bravely confessed to her years ago, I got spectacularly, albeit gently, rejected!
"Hehe, well, we were just passing through the area after a heist. More importantly, Scarlet..."
"Hmm?" She tilted her head, giving me a warm, motherly smile.
"Did your breasts get a little bigger again?" I asked.
"Eh?" Scarlet blinked.
"Your growth period should be well over by now, so isn't that mathematically strange~? For the sake of science, I'm gonna have to touch them directly and verify this anomaly myself... G-Gweh!!?"
As I slowly approached Scarlet, making lecherous grasping motions with my tiny hands, a massive shadow fell over me. The next instant, a sharp, crushing punch suddenly exploded against the top of my skull, driving me face-first into the wooden floorboards.
"Oooowww!! What the hell!? Kyros, it's you! What was that for!?" I yelled, rubbing the steaming bump forming on my head.
"That's what I should be saying, you little pervert! Don't get any closer to another man's wife, Line!"
"What did you say, bastard? You're one to talk with that shaggy, messy hair on the back of your head! You look like a stray dog!"
"You're the one with a frizzy head of hair!"
"What was that!?"
"You heard me!"
"Grrrrr~!" we both growled. I jumped up, and we pressed our foreheads together—well, his shin against my entire body, given the size difference.
This intimidating, shaggy-haired man glaring daggers at me is Kyros. Umm, thirty-four years old... was he? What an absolute lolicon.
He's the world's most perverted, idiotic, shaggy-haired, stupid former gladiator who stole Scarlet away from the royal family, married her, and even had a child with her.
The fact that he's ridiculously tall and built like a brick wall just rubs me the wrong way, too. I wish he'd shrink. Idiot.
"Alright, alright, you two. Don't fight every time you see each other," Scarlet giggled softly, stepping between us to defuse the tension.
"That's right, resu! Just like Lady Scarlet said, you two need to get along, resu!" Leo finally caught up, panting as he stood in the doorway. He marched over and pointed an accusing finger at me. "...More importantly, Line! Didn't we all agree that we would just quietly watch over the three of them from a distance, resu!? Why are you barging in on your own, resu!"
"Hmph!"
Leo, fuming with righteous anger, approached me to deliver a lecture.
I quickly turned my head away, crossing my arms. I still hadn't fully accepted the fact that they were living out here in exile.
"It's fine, Leo. Line is just worried about us. Right?" Scarlet said, kneeling down to look at me at eye level.
"...The only ones I'm worried about are you and Rebecca. I couldn't care less about what happens to this shaggy-haired meathead," I muttered, looking away to hide my embarrassment.
"Jeez, you really aren't honest, are you?" Scarlet smiled warmly, poking my cheek.
The true identity of my first crush, Scarlet, is actually the First Princess of this country.
In other words, she's Viola's biological older sister. Their hair colors are completely different, but I can definitely sense their undeniable genetic connection around the chest area... oops, I got off track again.
Anyway, the reason Scarlet and her family left the opulent Royal Palace to live modestly in this isolated Flower Field is that Scarlet boldly renounced her title as princess to elope with this shaggy-haired commoner.
...Well, I say "elope," but her father, the king, and everyone else in the know have effectively acknowledged their marriage behind closed doors. Grrr...
So basically, what this all means is...
She threw away her elegant, luxurious life in the Royal Palace, gave up her wealth and status, and they chose to live purely for love in this quiet place.
I'm so freaking jealous, dammit~! To have a love that strong!
"Ehehe, Line! Let's play together!"
As I was repeatedly, petulantly kicking Kyros's shin, Rebecca approached, pushing her toy car along the floorboards until it bumped against my tiny foot.
Hmm, she's a good kid. She's way too young to be a romantic interest, obviously, but I dote on her like a beloved niece. Kids really are great. I want a family of my own too someday.
"Rebecca~," I said, turning around and putting my hands on my hips. "You're such a good girl. Listen, when you grow up in the future and become a gorgeous woman with a killer body like your mom, will you marry me~?"
"Hey...! Why are you boldly hitting on my daughter right in front of her parents...!?" Kyros roared, his face turning red as he reached for the hilt of his sword.
Shut up, you shaggy-haired man. It's just a little joke to lighten the mood. I'm not hitting on her seriously.
He's just jealous because Rebecca's first word was 'Line' instead of 'Father.' Pfft.
"Eh?" Rebecca tilted her head, her large, innocent eyes blinking at me. "But Mother said that humans can't marry dwarves, you know~?"
"..."
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the room.
With an expression of pure, unadulterated innocence and a bright, missing-tooth smile, Rebecca casually dropped a truth bomb that completely shattered my heart into a million pieces.
"..."
"Line?" she asked, oblivious to the critical damage she had just inflicted.
"Ah, w-well, yeah." I forced my mouth into a wobbly grin. "Hehe, well... you're exactly right! You got me there, kiddo! Haha! A romantic relationship between a massive human and a tiny dwarf is impossible, isn't it!"
"Yeah, because our sizes are way too different!" she giggled, holding her hands far apart to demonstrate the gap.
"Right! Hehehehe!"
I gave Rebecca a high-five while laughing dryly, the sound hollow even to my own ears. Even though my high-five partner was a 6-year-old child, my hand still wouldn't reach hers unless she went out of her way to lean all the way down for me.
"..."
When I briefly glanced to the side... Scarlet, Kyros, and Leo... were all staring at me in dead silence. Their expressions were a painful mix of awkwardness, sympathy, and profound pity.
...What's with those faces? Stop it... Don't look at me like that.
—————
After playing a few more strained games with Rebecca, Leo and I said our goodbyes, slipped out of the cabin, and descended into the hidden passage in the Flower Field to return to the Tontatta Kingdom on Green Bit.
While we were moving through the dark, damp earth of the tunnel, the only sound was the echoing patter of our footsteps. Leo, who was usually chattering a mile a minute, remained completely silent.
"..."
He's being overly considerate. He noticed the mood. Crap... I didn't mean to create such an awkward, depressing atmosphere.
Feeling incredibly uncomfortable and having nothing to do with my hands, I pulled the heavy drawstring pouch slung over my back to the front and hugged it tightly against my chest for comfort.
Inside were the silk panties and other spoils I had stolen from Viola, Monet, and the various beautiful women in town today.
What am I doing... seriously...
I am a dwarf.
A tiny, pint-sized race physically incapable of having romantic relationships with humans.
I've been burying that profound, aching loneliness through the pathetic, degenerate act of stealing their underwear. Acting like a hyperactive pervert so no one notices how isolated I feel.
"A country where I can legally steal underwear," my ass. Am I an idiot...?
I remembered when I was playing board games with Viola and Monet earlier.
Having my cheek affectionately poked, having them go out of their way to crouch all the way down just to give me a high-five...
No matter how you look at it, those two didn't treat me like a man either.
If anything, I was treated like a cute, talking stuffed animal. A fun little mascot to break up the monotony of their royal duties. Nothing has changed since my past life. I died because I was too short to be loved, and I was reborn even shorter.
"..."
If only... if only my body were much bigger...
If only I was taller, with broad shoulders and a human face...
Would they have actually looked at me as a man then? Would I have been able to experience a normal romance...?
"...Uuh... sniff..."
I wiped furiously at the hot tears suddenly prickling the corners of my eyes.
"..." Leo kept his eyes focused straight ahead, pretending not to hear me.
—————
Leo and I finally emerged from the underground passage, stepping out into the lush, bioluminescent flora of the Tontatta Kingdom.
Waiting for us right at the tunnel exit, tapping her tiny foot impatiently, was our other childhood friend, Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Kingdom. She wore a fluffy, overly frilly dress and had thick blonde curls bouncing around her face.
"Jeez! You're both late, resu!" she shouted, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks.
"Geh," we both muttered simultaneously.
"What do you mean 'geh'!? What do you mean, resu!?"
Our Tontatta Princess is famous throughout the kingdom for being v~ery kind and possessing a miraculous healing ability.
However, according to Leo, who bore the brunt of her daily demands, she was an obnoxious, selfish, mean, capricious, and quick-tempered princess.
Well, anyone with functioning eyes can see she's just a classic, textbook tsundere...
Mansherry has a massive, undeniable crush on Leo.
That's why she acts so selfishly and demanding only towards him. She just wants his constant attention... that's all there is to it.
However, Leo is so incredibly dense and focused on his "duties" that he hasn't noticed her romantic feelings at all. What a kid. It's actually hilarious to watch from the sidelines.
...By the way, Mansherry is also pretty harsh on me. This definitely isn't because she secretly likes me too or anything... I'm just collateral damage. I'm being treated carelessly because I get in the way of her Leo-time.
It's a classic anime childhood friend trope. One gets crushed on, and the other gets treated carelessly. I'm definitely the latter.
Well, I only see Mansherry as a childhood friend and a rowdy buddy anyway, so I don't really mind the dynamic.
However, there is one glaring problem with their little routine. And that is...
"Leo! What is the meaning of making me, the Princess, wait out here in the damp air, resu!?"
"Eh!? W-What do you mean wait...? We never agreed to meet up in the first place, did we, resu?" Leo stammered, genuinely confused.
"If I say I was waiting, then it means we agreed to meet up in spirit! That's why you have to prioritize me above everyone else, Leo, resu!"
"There it is, resu! The Princess's legendary selfishness! Demanding to be prioritized above everyone else is beyond selfish, resu!"
Snap! A visible vein popped on Mansherry's forehead. "Leo, you idiot~!"
"Wha!? The one who calls someone an idiot is the real idiot, resu~!"
Being forced to watch their oblivious flirting right in front of me while I'm currently suffering an existential crisis... is the most annoying thing ever!
Good grief... To be fiercely loved by the beautiful princess of a nation and not even realize it. Leo really is an idiot.
But well, even though he might not realize it yet, Leo definitely doesn't hate Mansherry. He'll risk his life for her without a second thought. That's why he's always by her side despite his constant complaining.
It's highly unlikely that their relationship will stay exactly like this for another ten years. They'll grow up.
They'll grow up. I'm sure they'll become a real couple in the near future.
...When that happens, I'll be the only single one left in our Tontatta childhood friend group. I'm totally gonna be the third wheel. Forever alone.
"..."
Mansherry suddenly paused her arguing, noticing my silence. "? Hey, Leo. What's wrong with Line? He seems a bit down..."
"E-Erm... that's... well, resu..." Leo panicked, glancing at me nervously, unsure if he should mention the incident at the cabin.
"Hm? Hehe!" I quickly plastered on a fake, boastful grin. "I'm not feeling down at all. I'm just a little tired from swiping all sorts of heavy stuff from the humans! Being a master thief is exhausting work!"
"So that's what it was, resu. Good work out there, resu," Mansherry nodded, completely buying the excuse.
They'll believe any lie instantly. At times like this, I truly feel glad to have the deeply trusting Tontatta as my comrades. I don't want them worrying about my stupid human baggage.
"What on earth did you take from the humans today, Leo, resu?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"U-Umm... I got a silver watch, a jacket, a book, and some really pretty pebbles, resu," Leo said, proudly showing his loot.
"As expected of Leo~♡ They are lovely! Then I'll be taking these pretty pebbles for my collection~♡"
"There it is! The Princess's selfishness again!!" Leo squawked.
"What's yours is mine~♡ And what's mine is mine~♡"
Who does our princess think she is, a certain cartoon bully from a Sunday morning anime?
"By the way, what did you get, Line, resu?" she asked, turning her sharp gaze to my bulging pouch.
"Panties, bras, and fishnets."
"Toaaah!!"
I got punched.
Right in the face with a surprisingly heavy royal fist. I was sent flying backwards into the dirt. She really is a bully.
"These are entirely confiscated!" Mansherry declared, standing over me with her hands on her hips. "I'll have Bian and her flying squad return them to their rightful owners immediately, resu!"
"N-No way! My reason for living... my only solace..." I groaned from the dirt.
"Find a different, less disgusting reason for living, Line!"
Mansherry mercilessly snatched my drawstring pouch full of hard-earned underwear. Dammit. My entire day's work, gone in an instant.
With a huffy, triumphant expression, Mansherry turned around and started rummaging through the rest of Leo's stash.
"By the way, what exactly is this heavy book you brought back, Leo, resu?" she asked, struggling to lift the thick, leather-bound tome.
"I didn't look at the title, so I don't know what it is, resu. I just grabbed it because it looked important," Leo shrugged.
"You stole it without even knowing what it was!?" I sighed, sitting up and rubbing my bruised cheek. "What if it was someone's private diary or a boring household account book? Mansherry, what's the title of that book?"
"Umm, let's see, resu." Mansherry dusted off the thick cover, squinting at the faded golden lettering. "The title of this book is... the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia..."
"!!"
My heart practically stopped in my chest.
To think that my coincidental encounter with that stolen, dusty book would drastically, permanently change the entire course of my life...
At that time, sitting in the dirt of the underground kingdom, I couldn't have even begun to imagine the power it held.