Monet frantically wracked her brain, desperately trying to pinpoint where she'd gone wrong. Hikaru's words echoed in her mind, and suddenly, the answer was glaringly obvious. It was the term "Young Master" that had completely shifted his demeanor.
"Child? Have you ever seen a twenty-year-old child?" Hikaru retorted, his voice laced with amusement.
"I..." Monet choked, knowing that wasn't the crucial point. "I understand my mistake. Please, Lord God... No, Master, please forgive me this time..."
Master? That title certainly had a ring to it.
To watch your enemies fall into your trap, step by step, until they're forced to humble themselves, pitifully kneeling and calling you Master... Then, they offer no resistance, instead agreeing to your every demand with genuine submission... This feeling, truly, was immensely gratifying.
"Oh? And what exactly did you do wrong?" Hikaru didn't move closer, opting instead to observe her humble posture with keen interest.
Monet sighed internally before replying respectfully, "I shouldn't have called... Doflamingo 'Young Master'."
"Haha~" Hikaru let out a light laugh.
Seeing no change in Hikaru's expression, Monet knew she hadn't gone far enough. She hardened her resolve and pleaded coquettishly, "Master, I truly know I was wrong. Why don't you unleash all your anger on Monet? As long as you're not angry, you can ask Monet to do anything!"
"Hmph~ Now you know how to please me. What were you doing before?"
A wave of relief washed over Monet as she detected a softening in Hikaru's tone. She stood, forced herself to lean in, and tentatively pulled Hikaru's sleeve towards the room, intensifying her plea.
"Master, please come inside and forget about those bad things. My sister is so little; how could she be half as intelligent and sensible as me? And I promise, I will never resist. I will definitely accept Master's severe punishment!"
Hikaru thought to himself, As expected. Doflamingo's standing in Monet's heart was certainly not as high as Sugar's. Her previous declaration that she and her sister would die for Doflamingo was merely a tactic to prevent him from pressing further. At that time, threatening Monet with Sugar hadn't worked because Sugar wasn't in his grasp.
Now that Sugar was his captive, he only needed to show a slight "interest" in her, and Monet would have no choice but to surrender and be completely under his control.
Hikaru allowed Monet to pull him into the room without resistance. The Angels outside, hearing this, knew the matter was settled and considerately closed the door for them.
Inside the room, Hikaru feigned helplessness as he was guided to a chair beside Monet. Seeing Monet sit there blankly without moving, he couldn't help but prompt her, "What? At this point, are you still hesitating? In that case, forget it..."
"No... I... Master, I don't know how to..."
"Ah, in that case..." Hikaru sighed, seemingly helpless. He stood, removed her Seastone anklet, and instructed her to sit on another chair.
Monet sat down, still in a daze.
Hikaru poured two glasses of red wine and stated calmly, "Drink this cup of wine, and you will be mine. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
And just like that, Monet and Hikaru shared the "wedding wine" and became a "family."
Hikaru had gone to such great lengths, threatening Doflamingo's life and leveraging Sugar's innocence, for two crucial purposes: First, to make Monet fully understand who she would live for in the future. Second, to temper her will, make her more obedient, and ensure she knew who truly held the reins of power.
A few hours later, the sun leisurely reached its zenith in the sky.
Monet, suppressing her mental fatigue, offered her delicate face with a flattering look, her small hands diligently massaging the thighs of the man before her.
In front of her, Hikaru looked utterly comfortable. He lay half-reclined on the cushion, his large hands continually kneading Monet's soft face.
After resting for a while, Hikaru stirred, preparing to get up. Seeing this, the Angels promptly approached and helped him put on a coat.
"Alright, Monet, that's enough. You're tired too. Just take a nap here for a while."
"No~! Master... don't go. I can still chat with you for a while..." Monet nervously crawled forward, expectation in her eyes, though her small hands dared not tug at Hikaru's clothes.
Hikaru smiled, offering a casual comfort, "Don't worry, little cutie~ I know what you're afraid of. Doflamingo won't die for now, and your sister will be taken care of by me. As for the future... hehe, you know, what their ending will be depends on your performance."
"Yes! Master! I will behave well in the future and strive to earn your forgiveness as soon as possible."
Monet breathed a sigh of relief. She had poured all her energy, used every method she had just learned, and finally, achieved some success.
Hikaru nodded, saying no more. Lightning crackled, and he vanished from the spot.
Seeing this, Monet waited respectfully for a moment. When she felt enough time had passed, she collapsed onto the chair, utterly exhausted. The nearby Angels, seeing her state, shook their heads and stepped forward to cover her with a blanket.
Perhaps some might consider Hikaru despicable, treating such a beautiful girl in this manner. This is indeed true.
Hikaru will employ any means, whether overt or covert; as long as it achieves his ultimate goal, it is a valid method! One thing must be made clear: Hikaru has never been a "good person." Furthermore, facing these enemies blocking his path, to show them mercy and offer them a chance to live is already the most he can possibly do.
God's Kingdom, Prison Island.
Under Shura's leadership, Hikaru collected the Ton-Ton Fruit from Machvise and the Swim-Swim Fruit from Señor Pink. The performance of these two Devil Fruits was average. The Ton-Ton Fruit, as the superior version of the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, might be given to Miss Goldenweek to play with.
As for the Swim-Swim Fruit, in the original timeline, after the World Government captured the Donquixote Family, they extracted Señor Pink's bloodline factor, created "Green Blood," and gave the power of the Swim-Swim Fruit to the Seraphim, Jinbe.
But even with the Seraphim's performance, only an unexpected sneak attack could make it truly shine. It could only increase the ability user's operational space in combat but couldn't genuinely boost destructive power.
After losing their Devil Fruits, Machvise and Señor Pink were left with only weak bodies, and their fate was clear—they fell into the embrace of death on the spot.
Doflamingo still held some value. The String-String Fruit could be temporarily stored in his body, making it easier for the Seastone to suppress him. Moreover, wasn't the String-String Fruit a natural limitation on Doflamingo's strength anyway?
"Buru Buru~ Boga~"
Just as he was leaving the prison gate, about to head to Mariejois to tease Doflamingo, the Den Den Mushi in Hikaru's arm rang. He picked it up and answered, and Robin's charming voice flowed through:
"Hikaru-chan~ There's news from Baroque Works that they've discovered traces of 'Supernovas' in the waters around the Sabaody Archipelago."