Chapter 83: It's Just a Task from Above Sengoku's Devil Fruit Ability
She took the document from the base commander with a puzzled look. The base commander stared at her awkwardly, clearly conflicted.
"He, you… actually like him, don't you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he silently cursed himself.
How could a girl about to enter the Naval Academy possibly like a boy several years older than her?
That damned higher command. That damned mission.
But neither the Naval HQ nor the World Government cared about what the people below felt. Their orders were absolute.
"What 'him'? Who?" Tsuru looked at the commander, confused, not even opening the document yet.
"I mean… cough… Roy. Harold Roy." The commander almost choked. Why was he speaking like a fool?
He had practically raised Tsuru himself. He was like a father to her. To think the higher ups wanted him to use her affections to win over that brat.
He was furious. But what could he do?
To the World Government, sacrificing a single girl to recruit a monstrous talent like Roy was an acceptable trade.
"What nonsense… I don't…" Tsuru abruptly turned her head away, her heart pounding.
The commander stared in disbelief. "You… really do like him?"
This world had gone mad. Was she just naïve? There really were girls who liked older boys?
He felt defeated. Completely defeated. Ordered to send Tsuru to seduce Roy. What a nightmare.
Tsuru blinked, then suddenly tore open the document. As she read the orders, her brows furrowed sharply. She clenched her fists around the paper, teeth grinding.
"How… could they…" she whispered.
She lifted her head, eyes trembling with grievance, only to see the commander avoiding her gaze.
She admitted she did like Roy a little, with his strange maturity and charm. But…
How could they order her to steal him from Amatsuki Toki?
How could they tell her to use romantic affection as a weapon?
Was justice worth throwing away their dignity?
Tsuru's heart burned with resentment.
She was a Wash Wash Fruit user, a future threat to pirates. She was strong, brilliant, endlessly hardworking. Yet to the World Government…
She was nothing more than bait.
If they couldn't capture Linlin when she rampaged through Elbaf, then they would seize the other monster who could neutralize her—Roy.
Only a monster could stop a monster. That was their logic.
Tsuru's eyes dimmed. Every bit of goodwill she had toward Roy suddenly withered.
"So they want me to win him over… even if I don't like him, as long as he likes me…" a dark thought whispered in her mind.
It was the first time she felt anger toward the world she had sworn to protect.
"Tsuru, listen…" the commander sighed helplessly.
"Hm?"
"Don't be too upset. Just… follow your heart." He rubbed his forehead. "If Roy doesn't like you, then forget it."
"Why wouldn't he?" Tsuru frowned. "He's just an idiot running around doing whatever he wants."
"Uh…" The commander was speechless, then handed her another document. "These are his own words."
Tsuru skimmed it.
Roy said he wanted to be with a girl he liked.
Roy asked Sengoku to look after Tsuru.
Her expression softened immediately. Her irritation melted away.
"This is… what he said?" she whispered.
The commander nodded. "Don't blame him. He… well, you'll understand."
He had been single for forty years. Romance advice was not in his vocabulary.
"I understand. I'll do my best… to complete the mission." Tsuru bowed and left.
In the corridor, she pressed the document to her chest, her heart racing.
"So you… like me too?" she whispered.
Her emotions flipped up and down like a ship caught in a whirlpool.
Annoyance, joy, anger, embarrassment, curiosity… all swirling together.
"Huh? I'm not a little S"
A young navy recruit mopping the floor raised a hand timidly.
He had no idea what she was talking about but the second half sounded interesting.
"Go away! I wasn't talking to you!" Tsuru snapped.
She was gentle, normally. But this guy kept imagining weird things about her.
"Should I go to the South Blue? But that girl is still there…" Tsuru bit her lip again.
She didn't want a man who flirted with every woman he met. But… she did like Roy.
She was struggling so much it hurt.
---
South Blue
The birthplace of Sengoku.
"Ugh! What is this? It tastes terrible!" Sengoku stood at a fruit stand, face distorted in horror, holding a half eaten fruit.
The worst part? He had already swallowed some of it before realizing how disgusting it was.
"It's… a Devil Fruit, kid!" the stall owner gasped. "You picked a good one! Pay me extra!"
"Huh?" Sengoku stared at him, stunned. It really was a Devil Fruit?
So not only did he nearly die from the taste… he had to pay extra for it?
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]