The Red Line, Marie Geoise.
At one of the greatest mansions amidst the richest districts, an individual teleported into the Esquivel Royal Manor, appearing naked and a bit flustered while holding her soaking garments.
She leaned against a wall, exhaling a deep breath of pleasure, looking around a bit disoriented, her mind still deep in that underwater cave, next to that person.
'Veyron, Veyron...'
She mumbled that name longingly one and again, feeling the sudden emptiness of her insides, of her heart... nevertheless, even in his absence, the warmth in her insides was unquestionable.
Isabel stared around, finding herself once more back in that hellhole of responsibilities, moral limitations and centuries' worth of shackles. Feeling the warmth in her womb, the petulant mansion no longer looked so terrible. Isabel recalled what had just happened, how she had felt for the last two days... and rejoiced inwardly.
'Everything is going to be okay... I have to trust... he will have a way to get me out of here...'
She heard the voices of her family along the halls of the mansion, playing and torturing their pets. She ignored them and headed to her private chambers, tiptoeing around, feeling giddy, happy... in love. So long as she locked herself in that room... no one could interrupt that love.
Once inside, secluded in her little space, Isabel took a shower, deep and joyful, caressing her breasts, abdomen, belly... all the places he had liked of her. Even going as far as to hum a little tune, she came out of the shower, combing her hair.
And that's when she saw her.
!!!
The woman was dressed in dark garments, with a huge crown... her whole silhouette seemed to be a darkened contrast of the bright environment in which only those demonic red eyes were visible.
"Imu...sama", She mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant but concealing her panic... here she was, the person she most feared, the person who held her life like one holds an insect before crushing it.
This was perhaps the last person she wanted to see now.
"You look like you have been enjoying yourself quite a bit, Isabel" The woman's voice sounded sweet, but there was evil concealed within.
"I don't follow, Imu-sama... I went out to take a breath of fresh air" She said, drying out her silver hair. Isabel tried to act as she usually would. She didn't notice when, the woman was standing right in front of her.
"..."
There was a moment of silence, an inspection in which Isabel awaited the worst.
"Should we take a bath together...? Just like old times," Lady Imu mumbled lovingly, so much so that it irked Isabel. Taking showers together? That had ended centuries ago, when her devotion began to dwindle.
"If Imu-sama so wishes" She couldn't deny and wouldn't deny.
...
Isabel swallowed her nervousness, inwardly she even prepared to summon her sword while holding her belly.
"That won't be necessary" Imu dropped some cryptic words and headed into the bath area, discarding her garments in the process and even her darkness.
What appeared in front of Isabel was a clear sky blue hair that dropped as far down as Imu's heels, silky and gorgeous. Just looking at it, grief manifested in the Knight's heart.
'L-Lili...'
An ancient perfect body belonging to the void century. Instinctively, Isabel looked away as the woman began taking a shower, humming and sighing in pleasure as the water droplets slid down her cleavage.
"Why are you shy around me all of the sudden...? Are you hiding something from me, Isabel?" Imu asked, not particularly looking her way.
"Not at all, should I wash your hair, Imu-sama".
Isabel stepped in and began showering the beauty's hair even before she answered.
"I'll leave it up to you".
Isabel started washing up her hair. For a moment, there was silence. Imu turned around until they were staring at each other eye to eye. Isabel started washing the lady's body regally, her breasts, her ribs, the back of her neck and went as far as to spread her ass and clean it too. There was no intimate reaction from either of them.
Because they knew there was a gigantic elephant in the room.
"You look more charming than usual today, Isabel" She raised her arm just so Isabel could clean her armpits.
"Thanks, Imu-sama, I try my best to look charming and graceful for you".
"For me, huh..."
Isabel's eyes flinched.
"It has been so many years since you became my knight. I am proud of your service. Among them all, you have no doubt given me the best results... even now. Those dark demonic eyes drifted downwards... to Isabel's belly.
"I live to serve, Imu-sama... you have given our families the opportunity to rise beyond the ancient kingdom's clutches... this is a lifetime debt I am willing to repay".
"I know, I know... and you are repaying that debt very well".
Imu stood up, her breasts giggling all around, and plastered her body together with Isabel in a deep hug. The latter felt electrified... but nevertheless, she hugged back. They stayed there for a while with the water falling down on them like blood rain.
"You even brought me such a magnificient gift~".
"Imu-sama".
When Imu put her hand on Isabel's belly, the latter lost all colour... but rather than cower, her embrace of her master tightened up marginally to the point even Imu felt it. There were tears in Isabel's eyes, but also... a willingness to protect the warmth in her insides.
"Please, don't..."
"It's okay, it is okay... Isabel, I am not how you think I am... you have been my most devoted knight " Even when she said that, Imu's eyes shone brighter like fresh blood, and Isabel felt it... she felt like her heart had stopped for a moment.
She collapsed but was held by Imu's embrace. Isabel realised how powerless she was in front of this individual; she didn't even have the capability to protect what she wished to protect.
'Veyron, I am sorry... I am sorry...'
"Please, Imu-sama... d-don't harm him in my name... don't harm us", She begged, the realisation of her powerlessness. The pain in her heart stopped, but the fear remained.
Imu caressed her silver hair softly, "Be at ease, Isabel. I will pardon your sin, your collusion... you are my favourite knight, I can do at least this much".
Imu held the crying Isabel; the strong-willed woman had never looked so vulnerable.
"In exchange".
Isabel's heart stopped. Imu did some subtle hand movements, and Isabel felt like something was coming out of her body, flushing out against her will. Something warm... something she wished to hold dearly. She looked at her genitalia, panting, and saw a white liquid she knew very well, flushing out of her.
"N-No".
"Yes... if you wish forgiveness... you will have to give me this gift, Isabel~".
That white liquid levitated to Imu's vagina and flushed inside, sending a wave of ecstasy down the demoness' gut, "Ahn~ so much potential... his body and Lili's body together... two magnificent dreamers, perhaps among the strongest this world has ever seen, together with that bastard, Joyboy..."
Watching these happenings, Isabel cried in grief and powerlessness; that warmth was all gone, and she knew exactly what Imu's plans were. The demoness took Isabel's chin and lifted it, planting a kiss on her cheek, a thankful kiss for the wonderful gift she had brought her with great effort.
"Do you know... I have long ago been aware that Dracule Veyron is stronger than I".
"... then why?"
"The Lightning Goddesses, Astrape & Bronte, his 'Little Boy'... that power that erased Ennies Lobby and Onigashima surpasses even the Ancestral Weapons... if he wished to storm Marie Geoise, I, alongside the Knights, would barely be able to hold him off, but we'd be defeated, because he wouldn't be alone... the second knight, Whitebeard, even Silvers Rayleigh... he is playing his game very well, lining up useful pieces his way. Right now, after your relationship with him has been formalised, even I wouldn't dare to. Give him a reason to come seek trouble with me? I would pass. But, his relationship and mine... we don't need to be enemies~"
"..."
"Why be enemies when we can be lovers~" Imu giggled, holding her belly, holding that warmth that now belonged to her, the one she had mercilessly plunged away from her loyal night in cold blood.
"I think it is time for Lili to experience true love, the love she couldn't experience with Joyboy".
Isabel's lips trembled, 'IT WAS YOU WHO DENIED THAT LOVE!'.
"And the fruit of this romance... it will be an extremely powerful Lunarian, a new body that has all the power and shall never age... my new power" Imu spoke, almost with thrill and endless expectation, "I am not stronger than him... but our child... even Dracule Veyron won't be able to compare".
"You can't–"
"I can and I will, and you will help me, Isabel. Because you are my night, and these are your ORDERS".
**
**
[Veyron's POV]
I travelled to Fishman Island deep in thought. Feeling a bit complex... I didn't think Isabel and I would develop in this direction, honestly. I am weak to women... but I put my guards up with her at all times, knowing she was a world noble.
But she ended up being such an interesting and smart person, that... I couldn't resist.
You could say, for the most part, my life was very peaceful. I was strong as hell... which meant there was very little that could threaten me. My women were also strong; if there was something they couldn't deal with, I could deal with it.
Rusukaina, Skypea and Amazon Lily were also very strong nations that I developed to be self-sufficient. When problems came along, they were sorted out quickly by my family's joint effort.
But this problem... it is not easy for me to sort out. Thankfully, just by not doing anything, I can stall for time... but if what Isabel said is true, if Imu is a demon, not a human, but a being capable of doing 'magic'... how can I know that he's not aware of our relationship?
For all I know, he might have seen everything we did.
If he has a power capable of making her immortal, and he's also able to take it away... then I can also assume he should be able to keep track of her indirectly. After all, whatever that power is, it is within her body. It could even be infectious, like a disease, and now I have it.
We will never know, but if I want to keep Isabel safe, I have to take all possible precautions, and one of them is... that we can't see each other often. On top of that, whenever we see each other, it has to be me going to her, because her leaving her spot would be suspicious.
'I need to develop a communication channel between us'
That was the first move in my mind, to make a way for me to contact him without having to go to Marie Geoise. A simple den-den mushi.
'I will think about all that later, I have to tell mom about all this anything... and brace'.
...
Soon, I crossed the boundary of the island, and I came into the gigantic bubble and there it was, Fishman Island. Without wasting much time, I went to the Ryugu Castle.
There is someone I want to see.
"Veyron-jamon!" King Neptune greeted me first from his throne.
"It's been a while, Neptune, I didn't want you all to think I forgot about you".
"We would never. We were eagerly expecting your next visit-jamon".
"How have things been around here?" I floated in front of him, sitting in mid-air and getting comfortable. After all, this is the first father-in-law I've had, there is Dragon too, but I don't consider him that for obvious reasons.
"Very peaceful. Ever since it became public that you're now the God of our Fishman Island, very few pirates dare to act recklessly. Thanks for everything, Jamon"
"It is okay, I didn't do much. Please know that in the event of an incident, even if I am not present, you can call Hancock... she will be spending most of her time in the paradise side of the grandline, so she may be easier to get a hold of than me".
Since my beloved Hancock wants to be busy, I will give her a lot of stuff to do so she doesn't even consider going to the New World for a while.
"Are you going to the New World-jamon?".
"Yes... I have some business to deal with in there, but... before that, I thought I had to give you an answer regarding something–"
"Veyron-sama!".
A gigantic mermaid spawned out of nowhere, jumped in the air with her floating bubble and tackled me to the ground, much to my amazement. In doing so, she nearly shattered the whole hall.
"Veyron-sama, I missed you!" She hugged me against her huge face.
"S-Shirahoshi!" I greeted this girl, who was like a cluster of living cuteness; she's the reason I am here.
"Shirahoshi-hime! Please be mindful! You're so big compared to Veyron-sama!" Someone else came along, it was the minister of the right, a seahorse.
"S-Sorry!"
Shirahoshi removed me from her face and placed me on top of her huge breasts. I almost sent a thumbs-up to the seahorse.
"It is okay, Little Hoshi (Little Star), I don't feel suffocated at all".
"Little Hoshi?~" Shirahoshi blushed giddily.
I stood up on top of her boob with aura and looked at my father-in-law, "King Neptune. I have come to officialise my compromise with Shirahoshi".
!!!
There was a lot of silence for a moment. I could see Shirahoshi get beet red but say not one word, like a furnace ready to explode.
"Yes! Finally!" Somebody else came rushing into the main entrace.
"O-Otohime!".
The mermaid flew along the palace and jumped on me as well.
"Of course! Of course, we'd be happy for this union!"
"Leaving Shirahoshi in your hands would leave me relieved as a father-jamon" Neptune accepted too, but I could tell he was a bit reluctant. No father likes to give their daughter away. Let alone, Shirahoshi is still very young.
"Mom- you don't have to be so happy!" Shirahoshi covered her face in shame.
There was joy, laughter, and a banquet to congratulate this compromise.
"I am going to be busy... quite busy... so I don't want to leave little star hanging. I want you to know you belong in my family," I said to her, and that's because after this journey ends, I don't plan to leave my laboratory for a long time.
"Veyron-sama".
I looked at Shirahoshi, her eyes sweet and pristine, "Do you want to marry me, Shirahoshi?".
I felt like I needed to ask her to let her know this union was not political. I genuinely wanted her as my girl. Who wouldn't want this absolutely cute creature as their wife? I want to protect her too, and it will be easier to do so if she's my wife and lives with me.
"Yes, I absolutely want, Veyron-sama!".
Once more, she tackled me to the ground with a hug.
I am suffocating, and I am not complaining.