Chapter 159 The Players Decide to Snatch the Bride (1.0...)
Violet shuddered again upon hearing Katakuri's voice.
Damn it, it's even more terrifying. So far, all the developments have been too much like scenes from classic horror stories.
Although Violet didn't believe any ghost could defeat Katakuri and silently replace him, the existence of Rosinante and Rocks proved that ghosts existed in this world.
"Don't be afraid, Violet," she encouraged herself. "At worst, I can just switch back to my [twin sister] character and let Rosinante and the ghost go head-to-head!"
Taking a deep breath, Violet walked into the dark villa under the "gaze" of the two brightly colored kings and queens.
Violet glanced around warily. The hall of the room was magnificent, but it lacked a sense of human warmth. Clearly, this was just a temporary stop for Katakuri.
As Violet had expected, the room was pitch black. The floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, which should have been bright, were blocked by thick curtains. The only light source in the room was a window facing the door. Behind the window was a garden that looked like an exquisite silhouette in the night, and a bright, silvery crescent moon.
Katakuri sat in the high-backed chair by the window, as if carrying the crescent moon on his back. His tall, thin, dark shadow stretched all the way to the villa's entrance, covering Violet's feet before slowly swaying and lifting up.
"...Katakuri?"
Because of the backlighting, Violet couldn't see Katakuri's expression at all, but she felt that her friend's aura had suddenly become very frightening.
"Hmm." The other person responded with a deep nasal sound, shifting their crossed legs under Violet's gaze. "So late... what brings you here?"
An awkward feeling crept over Violet a beat later as she remembered Katakuri's other identity—the groom-to-be, who was to be engaged in two days and married in three.
Ah, this...
Although she understood that the engagement between Stussy and Katakuri was purely an exchange of interests, and that the two of them probably had no feelings for each other and hadn't even spoken a word, Violet still couldn't help but feel a strange sense of guilt considering the other's identity and the late hour.
"Did you come here just to stare at me blankly?"
She didn't remain silent for long, and she had already gotten rid of the Homies patrolling the garden beforehand, deliberately left the door open and the lights on, and sat in the living room late at night pretending to be deep in thought...
Katakuri was clearly waiting for her too!
Violet: "Katakuri, don't you want to get married?"
Katakuri: "And Stussy?"
Vera: "...Oh right, you don't want to marry Stusky, do you?" The choice of marriage partner is indeed worth emphasizing, since Katakuri might not have any objection to marriage, but rather to the marriage partner.
Even through the thick darkness of the night, Violet could still keenly sense the undeniable gaze that Katakuri was casting upon her.
Just as Violet was about to scratch her face in embarrassment, Katakuri finally said, "This is Mom's order."
“A mother’s orders are absolute, and we, as her children, cannot disobey them.”
This isn't a matter of whether they can resist in terms of strength. Charlotte Linlin believes in the loyalty that comes with bloodlines, so important positions in the Big Mom Pirates are held by her children, and the Whole Cake Island archipelago is mainly ruled by Charlotte and her siblings.
However, if Katakuri were to rebel against his mother with his own power, it would undoubtedly shake Linlin's inherent belief that "children can be trusted," which would be absolutely terrible news for her other brothers and sisters!
Katakuri, who deeply loves his family, would not do such a thing. His family is Katakuri's weakness, making him consider the impact on them no matter what he does.
Therefore, even if Katakuri had the ability to resist Linlin, he wouldn't do so, especially since with his current strength, it would be impossible for him to resist his powerful mother.
Katakuri stared at Vera.
Why is he looking at me like that? Did Katakuri expect her to stand up and steal Stussy's bride back then?
Wait, a bride kidnapping?
Hmm, a bride kidnapping...
The little light bulb on Violet's head suddenly lit up.
She had been thinking about how to cause trouble in the world in a reasonable way. After all, they had invited her to afternoon tea so warmly, and Violet felt embarrassed to cause trouble for her own purposes.
This unexpected wedding is a good choice. The bride kidnapping is exciting and dramatic enough. Lingling will definitely step in to stop her. And Violet thinks that Morgans, who will be attending the wedding, will not miss this big news that the sea dwellers will love.
Moreover, ever since Violet accidentally triggered a game bug and bound Katakuri to her mount, she has never had the opportunity to formally incorporate him into R'lyeh because of his identity and his formidable mother.
Perhaps this is an opportunity. Even if Katakuri cannot directly switch sides, Violet's long-held desire to bring him to R'lyeh as a guest can finally be realized.
As she recalled the past few years, when the two of them could only meet secretly by patrolling and transporting goods, Violet couldn't help but shed tears in her heart.
Prying open the corner of the wall was truly the most tiring thing she had ever done.
However, judging from Katakuri's resistance to this marriage, his aversion to something that goes against his nature is even deeper than she imagined.
Well... the main reason she insisted on being bound to Katakuri was that Katakuri was too reclusive. If it weren't for the automatic follow effect that came with the mount binding, Violet even suspected that Katakuri could completely avoid R'lyeh's movements so that she wouldn't be able to find a single hair on Charlotte's head.
There was no way she could have rushed into Whole Cake Island and rescued Katakuri!
Without frequent contact, frank communication, and the personal charm revealed in her actions, how could Vera possibly win over Katakuri, such a powerful figure?
While it's true that there's no corner that can't be pried open, only hoes that aren't wielded with enough effort, that's only true if you can actually make contact with the corner itself.
But now that Katakuri is even willing to entrust her with this kind of thing, does this mean that there has been a further breakthrough in the relationship between her and Katakuri?
With that in mind, Violet decided to respect Katakuri's wishes and break the bond with him once she returned!
This is something Katakuri always emphasizes whenever he meets her; it's something he's always hoped for.
"Don't worry, if you don't want this wedding to go ahead, I'll take care of it."
Violet gave Katakuri a positive answer, telling him that she would help.
"Would you prefer me to handle the wedding arrangements, or would you like this to be resolved before the engagement?"
Katakuri's chest heaved violently, as if he was suppressing some intense emotion.
"You're going to kill Stusky?"
This is the most effective and permanent solution Katakuri could think of.
Killing a game NPC posed no moral burden for Violet, especially since Stussy wasn't a good person to begin with.
What made Vera hesitate was Katakuri's sister, Smoothie.
After all, according to Lingling's arrangement, the engagement and wedding dates of the two were the same, and it would be somewhat unlucky if the protagonist of one of the weddings suddenly died on the spot.
Unaware of the person she was worried about, Violet thought to herself that Smoothie, one of the other three Sweethearts, was already preparing to personally bring bad luck to her fiancé on their wedding night.
"I can take you away directly. You don't need to cooperate with me then. Just pretend that you were forcibly taken by me." This way, Linling won't doubt Katakuri's loyalty, and it won't affect the other Charlottes.
In short, the blame lies entirely with Violet!
It's worth taking the blame for Katakuri, such a powerful ally who also fits her aesthetic!
Pretending to have been forcibly taken away by Violet...
Katakuri pursed his lips, which were hidden under his scarf, and his expression was a little strange.
This arrangement is reasonable, resolving all his concerns, both spoken and unspoken, but it still feels strange, though I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with it.
Katakuri finally nodded and confirmed the time: "Then let's do it after Mom finishes eating the wedding cake."
That way, even if Mom gets angry, the chances of her having a food craving after eating the engagement and wedding cakes are greatly reduced.
Vera nodded: "It's your decision."
"In order to clear your name as much as possible, don't act any different from before these next few days, and try not to show any resistance to this wedding..."
"I know," Katakuri quickly interrupted Violet's instructions, burying his face slightly in his scarf before speaking in a muffled voice.
She thought she heard a deep breath? Does Katakuri hate Stuart that much?
I haven't heard of any conflict between the two of them before.
Vera reassured him, "Don't worry, if you don't want to see her, I'll find a way to stop you."
The librarian is highly skilled and always finds a way to keep Stusi occupied.
Vera smiled at Katakuri: "By the way, did Cracker give you that dessert recipe?"
"Um."
Katakuri nodded, giving Violet an affirmative answer, without saying anything more about the matter.
...Although judging from Cracker's expression after he spoke, Katakuri suspected that if he didn't ask for it, his younger brother would keep the recipe for himself.
That won't do.
It's wrong to steal from your brothers and sisters just because you like it. As pirates, they can plunder anything they want from the outside world, but within the family, unity and friendship are always the first principle.
Katakuri lowered his eyes. This was an internal matter of the Charlotte family and there was no need for Violet to know. However, as the older brother, it was one of his responsibilities to correct his younger brother's tendency to go astray.
"That's good." Violet asked expectantly, "Did you like the recipe?"
Although she can create all sorts of amazing dishes, Violet herself is not as good at studying recipes as Charlotte and her dessert-loving friends.
She worried that what she had bought at a high price might be an overhyped fake, and if that were the case, Violet would be so angry that she would rush back to Sabaody Archipelago and beat up Doflamingo, the boss.
That's about eliminating unscrupulous bosses and ridding the people of a scourge!
Recalling the interesting combinations of ingredients and the wonderful flavors he could imagine, Katakuri smiled contentedly.
"I really like it, thank you."
"That's good." Violet glanced at the moon behind Katakuri. "It's getting late, I'll be going now."
"Vell".
As Violet turned to leave, Katakuri suddenly called out to her: "Stusi and Vegabank are connected."
As for the World Government standing behind Stussy, this is something many people suspect but can't find any evidence of, and Katakuri believes that Velvet doesn't need his reminder.
“Begabank…”
Is he the person Doflamingo mentioned who spearheaded the creation of the Pacifistas?
This was important information that she hadn't been able to grasp before.
If Stussy and Vegabank do indeed have a private relationship, then killing the other party is not an option; otherwise, this lead will be lost.
Not only can't she kill Stussy, but when Velvet "takes" Katakuri away, Velvet also has to be careful to protect Stussy from being accidentally hit by the enraged Linlin.
As for Stussy's combat abilities, it seems that not many people have seen her fight.
Or... why not just take Stussy with her? Anyway, the wedding is doomed to fail without Katakuri, so she might as well pack up the bride and groom and take them with her.
Well, it's somewhat justifiable to steal the groom-to-be, but to steal the bride and groom together, Violet always felt that Morgans' reputation at sea would become very strange after she reported this.
Forget it, who cares? Even if he's weird, is it weird that he has the title of "[Dog Training Master]"?
Haha, I don't think so... right?
After saying goodbye to Katakuri and returning to her room, Violet immediately took out the [Cowbell] from her backpack to break the bond with Katakuri.
Looking at the [Cowbell], which had returned to its blank state and now indicated that she could select a mount to bind again, Violet's expression still held a hint of emotion.
But at least one thing on my mind has been put to rest.
While pondering how to get close to Bergabank from Stusi, Violet pulled the cake-embroidered blanket over herself by lying down.
good evening.
The next day, Violet took out a ruby from her collection, crafted it into a [Life Amulet], packed it in an exquisite gift box, and then went to find Stussy, following the route she had learned from Homies.
"Please come in."
When Violet entered, Stussy was elegantly flipping through a thick catalog, selecting dresses and decorations for her upcoming engagement and wedding.
Upon seeing Violet, Stuart naturally invited her to sit down and asked the tea set in the room, Homie, to pour Violet a cup of hot black tea.
"Thank you." Violet handed the gift to the other person. "This is a gift to wish you a happy marriage."
"Hehe, you're the first person to give me a gift. How thoughtful of you, darling."
Stussy revealed the shy expression that a woman about to get married should have. Her face, which could already be described as a great beauty, was further enhanced by the blush on her cheeks. Even Vera, who considered herself a very straight woman, couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when she saw her.
Stussy opened the gift box in front of Violet, and when he saw the exquisite necklace and the large, pure ruby set in it, even Stussy, who was used to seeing beautiful jewelry, could not take his eyes off it for a moment.
"This is too valuable..."
A gem of this size and purity is a rare gem among rare gems, not to mention its color, which is as red as flowing blood. It even made Stussy feel an uncontrollable and intense hunger just by looking at it.
Stussy looked at the ruby and even felt a sense of resentment towards the craftsmanship of the necklace.
I don't know which jeweler Violet commissioned to make this necklace. It's not that the workmanship is bad, but it's too plain and doesn't do justice to the quality of that ruby.
If it were Stussy, she would ask the maker to use colored gemstones and agate as accents, so that the ruby would reflect colorful luster as she moved, like the lament of blood swallowing all the colors of the world and about to disappear.
“It’s not about how valuable it is.” Violet smiled and gestured for Stusi to try on the necklace quickly. “As long as you like it.”
Stussy took off her original pearl necklace, took the ruby necklace out of the gift box and put it around her neck, then stared blankly at her reflection in the dressing mirror.
It was really beautiful; she couldn't resist the blood-red color.
Stussy sighed, "I'm so surprised and delighted to receive such a gift before our wedding night. Consider it a favor I owe you, darling. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know."
Vera looked at the pendant on Stusi's fair neck with a satisfied smile.
Okay, I'll remember.
Would you wear it to your wedding?
"I had already chosen the jewelry I would wear for my wedding." But this ruby necklace was so beautiful and eye-catching that if she were to wear it, all the other jewelry would have to take a backseat to it.
This means that the dresses that were originally chosen will have to be reviewed again.
"You've really given me a tough problem."
Although Stussy said that, it was easy to tell from the upturned corners of her mouth that she was in a very good mood.
"I'm already looking forward to my wedding day."
Stussy certainly wasn't expecting Katakuri as a marriage partner; in Stussy's eyes, Katakuri was still just a little kid with no manliness.
Stussy looked forward to wearing the ruby necklace and other carefully selected accessories, to looking beautiful and elegant in her wedding dress, and to the power of the world that she would be able to access after that day.
Violet, standing behind Stussy, echoed her sentiments while looking at her beautiful blonde hair.
"I'm really looking forward to that day."
——
[You have consumed 4 Nightmare Fuel, 4 Living Wood, 8 Gold Nuggets, and 3 Amethysts]
[You have created a teleport focus]
[Teleport Focus]
[Description: A device that stabilizes magical transmission power. Once activated, using the teleportation staff will accurately transport the target item to the teleportation focal point.]
Woohoo—
The low-frequency sound, accompanied by the tremors of the ground, was amplified by the purple gemstone placed at the apex of a triangle made of living wood and gold, emitting a mysterious and enigmatic light.
The purple gems rose continuously under the influence of the leaking magical power. When they reached the chest level of Vera, a bright white beam of light shot into the room, and then a familiar figure stepped out from it.
Luo adjusted his black and white polka-dot hat, his eyes under the brim quickly scanning the room to check for any potential risks.
In the years that Violet grew rapidly in height, Luo also completed his growth from a teenager to a young adult.
They both grew taller rapidly, and along with Violet, they endured the unbearable growing pains.
Originally a skinny little guy, Luo arrived in R'lyeh. His round face, which was then fed countless meatballs by the great island lord, disappeared as he grew up and his physical strength was severely depleted. In its place were a smooth, high nose bridge, deep eyebrows and eyes, and a well-defined jawline.
Coupled with the small mustache that had appeared out of nowhere and been carefully trimmed into a beautiful shape, Luo, who had been silent and profound since childhood and had a vision and style far beyond his peers, deliberately dressed himself in a more mature direction, completely blurring the line between youth and man.
"Luo, your dark circles seem to have gotten worse?"
Violet found it absurd. Under the great island lord's meticulous care, Luo Lian's platinum lead disease, which was considered incurable by doctors, was cured. So why has this mere dark circle under his eye been with him since he was a little kid?
Vera's eyes sharpened: "Have you been secretly staying up late studying medical books again?"
Since Violet and the Whitebeard Pirates established a stable means of communication, Law and Marco, the Whitebeard Pirates' doctor, have been in contact. The two, who share a passion for medicine, felt an instant connection after exchanging ideas about diseases and medicines.
Judging from Luo's persistent dark circles under his eyes, which seemed like a stubborn leech, and Marco's steadily receding hairline, it was clear how many all-nighters these two, though not officially master and disciple, had secretly endured without Violet's knowledge.
Vera couldn't help but complain, "You're a doctor yourself, don't you know the effects of staying up late on your health?"
Luo calmly replied, "I have the surgical results, so I can be sure that there are no problems with my body at present."
Vera narrowed her eyes: "Do you want me to tell Mr. Rosinante?"
The thought of Mr. Rosinante, who would secretly massage his and Vera's legs all night long when they had leg pains, made a guilty look flash in Luo's eyes.
"Don't tell Mr. Rosinandi... Okay, I'll be careful. I'll try not to stay up late anymore."
Vera nodded in satisfaction.
She handed Law a map of Cake Island that she had drawn herself, which included the location of the Temptation Forest, which was highlighted by Vera.
"Is the thing that needs to be cut right here?"
"Well, today... between dusk and night, I'll create some chaos to distract Charlotte and the Homies. You can use this time to go to the treasure location I've drawn and see if you can use the Op-Op Fruit to cut the sculpture open."
"Whether we succeed or not, you need to get to the place we agreed on as soon as I give the signal, and escape from the Kingdom of Ten Thousand with me."
This was an arrangement concerning life and death, and whether the island lord's goal could be achieved. Luo nodded quite seriously.
Rolling up the map and putting it away, Luo looked at the hesitant and stammering Vera and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Luo: "Is there anything else the island lord would like to say?"
“Hmm…” Violet carefully chose her words, “Katakuri will leave with us then.”
Katakuri?
This was quite unexpected for Luo.
Luo knew that the island lord had been secretly meeting with someone. Although Luo was curious, Violet would leave Mr. Rosinante on the island every time she went out. She didn't want them to find out who she was meeting so obviously, so Luo naturally wouldn't follow her.
However, not being able to follow them doesn't mean we can't make inferences based on the existing clues, and the most suspicious one is Katakuri.
I had a vague feeling that Violet wanted to recruit Katakuri to Law in R'lyeh, and I was quite surprised when I first came up with this guess.
The island lord rarely so blatantly extends his wicked hand into other forces—not counting the flirtatious invitation to Marco, everyone knows that was mostly a joke—after all, it meant a slim chance and the risk of making enemies with other forces.
Therefore, Law certainly wouldn't be the bad guy who shatters the island lord's illusions. It's better to leave the task that would lower the island lord's favorability to Katakuri himself.
In Law's mind, Katakuri's personal refusal would be enough to make Violet give up that unrealistic idea.
In Law's imagination, there was never any possibility that Katakuri would agree to become the island's owner!
That shouldn't be the case. Katakuri's feelings for his brothers and sisters are genuine. Given his sense of responsibility, it's impossible for him to abandon them and join the island lord.
Luo frowned, his expression sour: "What happened?"
"That's right, Katakuri is getting married, it's Big Mom's order, but Katakuri doesn't want to, so I've decided to kidnap him tonight."
"Pfft, cough cough!" Luo was so shocked by the explosive news that he choked on his saliva. "Marriage? So sudden?!"
Violet nodded sadly. Parents pressuring her to get married is truly terrifying; everything happened so suddenly.
That's not surprising. Katakuri himself was unwilling, and he couldn't directly stand up against Big Mom, so asking the island lord to be the bad guy was the most appropriate thing to do.
Anyway, Violet came to Whole Cake Island to cause trouble, and that way she can also gain Katakuri's gratitude.
It's about stealing the groom or something, cough cough!
Luo said with a serious expression, "I will ask Miss Ginny to be mindful of the public opinion surrounding this."
There's nothing wrong with stealing Katakuri, but it would be unfriendly if public opinion turned into "the Shichibukai Violet is a lecherous womanizer who steals other people's grooms".
Upon hearing Luo's concern, Vera remained silent for two seconds before closing her eyes and confessing under Luo's suddenly wary gaze.
"Actually, I was planning to steal both the bride and groom away!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Katakuri, who found himself unbound: ...Are we not going to raise him anymore?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com