"Kaya, look... do you recognize this person?" Hikaru took out a wanted poster and showed it to her.
"This... this is Butler Kuro?" Kaya's expression shifted as she sensed something was wrong. She had enough common sense to recognize the paper in front of her—it was a bounty issued by the Marine.
"His real name is Kuro. Two years ago, your father took him in as a butler, but he has been plotting all this time to seize your family's wealth."
"He murdered your parents at sea two days ago. I happened to pass by and killed Kuro, but by the time I arrived, your father was already gravely wounded… He didn't make it."
"No! Big brother... you're lying, right?"
Kaya's face filled with disbelief. Her fair complexion turned deathly pale as the shock sank in. Trembling all over, she gasped for air, her small chest rising and falling rapidly.
Hikaru sighed and gently pulled her into an embrace. A faint current of electricity surged through his body, soothing her both physically and mentally.
"Ugh..."
Kaya turned toward him, burying her face in his chest as soft sobs escaped her lips. She desperately wanted to believe it was all a lie, but deep down, she knew Hikaru had no reason to deceive her.
After a while, when she had calmed down a little, Hikaru took out a video recorder.
"This is the last thing your father left for you. He recorded a message before he passed away."
Kaya shuddered violently at his words. Her tear-filled eyes widened as she stared blankly at the floating video recorder, too afraid to reach out for it.
Seeing her hesitation, Hikaru activated the recording.
The next moment, an image of Kaya's father was projected into the air. Though his voice was weak, he tried his best to sound normal.
"Kaya, if you're seeing this…"
Kaya remained silent as she watched the message. Her tears continued to fall, streaming down her face like an endless river. Her entire body felt limp, and she unconsciously leaned against Hikaru for support.
Despite being born into a wealthy family, her parents were always away, working hard to maintain their fortune. Because of that, she had learned to be independent and mature from a young age.
By the time the video ended, Kaya's eyes had lost all their light. Overwhelmed by grief, her body gave out, and she collapsed into Hikaru's arms, fainting from the shock.
Hikaru said nothing. He simply held her petite frame, waiting for her to wake up.
Time passed in silence. Eventually, Kaya stirred and slowly opened her eyes, frowning in discomfort.
She looked up at Hikaru, who sat beside her with his eyes half-closed, and whispered, "Brother Hikaru… thank you..."
Then, mustering her courage, she lifted her delicate face and placed a light kiss on his cheek—a small gesture of gratitude.
Hikaru wasn't actually asleep. He had been deep in thought, contemplating his Devil Fruit abilities. But he wasn't so tactless as to avoid her kiss and risk hurting her fragile feelings.
As the warmth of her lips faded, Hikaru opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. A shy blush crept across Kaya's face.
He smiled gently, raising a hand to wipe away the lingering tears from her cheeks.
"You must be hungry, Kaya. Let's go have breakfast."
He wanted to keep her occupied, to prevent her from drowning in the sorrow of her parents' deaths.
"Mm..." Kaya nodded softly.
Without hesitation, Hikaru scooped her up in his arms and stood to leave.
Kaya blushed even deeper at his actions, but she didn't resist. Instead, she muttered in a small voice, "Brother Hikaru, I can walk by myself..."
"You're still weak. It's better if I carry you."
Seeing that he wouldn't budge, Kaya could only surrender to his insistence. Resting quietly in his arms, she allowed him to carry her downstairs for breakfast.
The sudden tragedy had shaken her to the core. If not for Hikaru, she would have been told her parents "died of illness" and spent her days bedridden in grief, worsening her already fragile health. That was how she originally met Usopp.
But now, Hikaru had already decided—Kaya would be his divine consort. He refused to let her fall into despair. He would take care of her in every possible way.
He had even considered using himself to help with her treatment. However, the timing wasn't right. Her body was still too frail to endure his intense healing methods.
Only after her health improved would he dare to help her strengthen her body, relieve her worries, and ultimately, bring her happiness.
After everyone finished eating, Hikaru carried Kaya back to her room and asked Robin, Nami, and the others to take care of her. He then stayed behind to chat with Kaya about topics related to women.
Earlier, he had shown Robin the video left behind by Kaya's father. With her persuasion, Kaya would surely be able to recover quickly and look toward the future.
Robin understood well that the more companions Hikaru had, the stronger he would become. Though his methods were sometimes a bit extreme, he always treated his women with kindness.
She had no reason to stop him—nor did she wish to. Instead, she saw it as her role to be a good wife, stabilize his growing harem, and help every new companion accept their place.
In her eyes, Hikaru's actions weren't just about conquest—they were a form of salvation, freeing women from their past struggles and offering them a carefree life.
Leaving Kaya's mansion, Hikaru soared into the sky, focusing on developing his Devil Fruit abilities.
For a time, the heavens roared with thunder, and the winds surged unpredictably.
With a single swing of the Thunder Sword, a burst of sword energy split the vast sea in half.
A massive orb of lightning formed, crashing into the water and unleashing a shockwave that rippled out in all directions.
Moments later, Hikaru dived into the ocean, using the power of the Float-Float Fruit to push aside the seawater, allowing him to glide freely through the depths.
His mastery of Armament Haki was progressing rapidly—he could now coat half of his body in it. But there was still much to refine, and he knew he had to keep pushing forward.
Conqueror's Haki relied on both physical strength and the strength of one's heart. Only by strengthening both could his dominance reach its peak.
He was not of this world—his vision and ambitions surpassed the limits of this reality. And with the power of the Thunder Fruit, his will had expanded without boundaries.
Eternal life. Power. Wealth. Beauty. I will have them all!
This was not just an empty declaration. At this stage, he was capturing goddesses not only for his own desires but also to grow stronger—to achieve his grand vision.
His Devil Fruit abilities required constant imagination and practice to evolve.
Now that he possessed both the Thunder Fruit and the Float-Float Fruit, he needed to focus on fusing their powers. He had already devised several ingenious techniques.
For example, by infusing his lightning attacks with the power of levitation, any unconscious body struck by them would become his to control.
But two Devil Fruits weren't the end of his ambitions—he needed more. Stronger Devil Fruits to counter any situation.
For instance… Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
After an extended period of training, Hikaru finished developing his abilities. His body was slightly heated and glistening with sweat as he returned to the Going Merry.
After washing up, he donned a robe and made his way to Kaya's room, now looking refreshed.
"Onii-chan!"
The moment Nami saw him, she grinned playfully and transformed into a cloud, wrapping herself around him.
At that moment, Vivi and Robin were sitting beside Kaya.
"It looks like you three are getting along quite well~" Hikaru smirked, coating his hand with Armament Haki as he reached out and grabbed Nami's elemental body.
"Ahh! That hurts~" Nami cried out in mock pain, pretending to struggle.
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