After waving his hand dismissively to show he wasn't offended, Luffy looked at Violet and said calmly, "Stand up straight."
When she obeyed, he met her gaze, his burning eyes locking onto her light brown pupils. He spoke with conviction:
"Princess Violet, I have great faith in your abilities, and my ship needs outstanding talents like you. Would you consider joining the Marines? If that's not appealing, you could become my personal advisor instead."
"Wait, are you… recruiting me?"
Violet pointed at herself in surprise. Her abilities were impressive, sure, but she had never imagined that the Marines would seek her out. Especially not after she had just offended one of their most prominent officers.
"That's right." Luffy nodded earnestly, his tone sincere.
"To be honest, I know a bit about the Glare-Glare Fruit. I need its abilities to help me locate something of great importance. If you're unwilling to join the Marines, we could establish a temporary partnership instead. You could work as a contracted advisor. Once we've found what I'm looking for, we'll end the arrangement, and I'll ensure you return home safely."
Hearing this, Violet nodded thoughtfully. Still, her gaze shifted to her father with uncertainty. King Riku, noticing her hesitation, responded with a reassuring nod.
"It's your choice, Violet. I won't stand in your way."
Though her father's support relieved some of her anxiety, Violet still felt torn. She turned her attention to the ruins of Dressrosa, her homeland ravaged by Doflamingo's reign. The devastation weighed heavily on her as she gritted her teeth and asked cautiously:
"If I accept your offer, will the Marines provide much-needed supplies for Dressrosa?"
A warm smile spread across Luffy's face. "You don't need to worry about that. I've already arranged it. Gion, an Admiral candidate, has dispatched orders to the nearby naval branch. Shiploads of supplies are on their way here as we speak."
He paused for a moment, then added:
"But honestly, that won't be enough to rebuild everything. The best course of action is for King Riku to reclaim the throne and appeal for aid from nearby allied nations or even the World Government to mobilize resources."
Violet glanced at her father again. King Riku, his head bowed in silence, seemed lost in thought. Taking a deep breath, Violet finally made up her mind. She turned back to Luffy and nodded.
"Thank you, Admiral. I'll do my best. Please take care of me from now on."
Luffy's smile widened. He couldn't help but feel pleased—Violet's ability was like a super radar, capable of detecting things within a 4,000-kilometer radius. With her onboard, finding the elusive pure gold could take far less than the six years he had originally anticipated.
Overcome with excitement, Luffy stood up and extended his hand toward her. However, as he stepped closer, Violet instinctively took a step back, like a startled rabbit.
The unexpected reaction caught Luffy off guard. For a brief moment, he thought of a lyric: Are you serious about taking a half step back? It's such a small move, but it hurts so much.
Realizing her behavior might seem rude, Violet quickly composed herself, stepping forward confidently to shake Luffy's outstretched hand.
As her fingers touched his, she was taken aback. His hands… they're so smooth! she thought.
Given Luffy's reputation as a warrior, she had expected his hands to be rough and calloused from years of rigorous training. Instead, his skin was soft and unblemished—completely unlike what she had imagined.
"Hey… they're not rough at all," she muttered under her breath, though her surprise was clear.
Violet's curiosity got the better of her, and instead of letting go, she held onto his hand a little longer than necessary.
Luffy raised an eyebrow at the gesture. He sighed and muttered to himself, "First, she is too afraid to shake my hand. Now, she doesn't want to let go. Women are impossible to figure out."
Finally, he said aloud, "Princess, would you mind letting go? I wouldn't want King Riku to get the wrong idea."
Snapped out of her thoughts, Violet blinked in confusion. She glanced down and realized with a jolt that she was still holding his hand. Her cheeks turned crimson as she let go abruptly, clutching her hands against her chest in embarrassment.
"No! It's not what you think! I just… I was curious!" she stammered, her voice rising in panic. "Your skin is so smooth, Mr. Luffy! I wanted to know your skincare routine!"
The room fell silent.
Luffy: "…"
King Riku: "…"
Kyros: "…"
Rebecca: "…"
Violet's mortified gaze darted between the stunned faces of the adults—and even the child—around her. She realized how absurd her words must have sounded. Feeling their eyes on her, Violet wished she could disappear on the spot.
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