"Hold position for now. The Freedom Fighters is not important, what's important is Dragon."
Rosse added a sentence, and from the corner of his eye, glanced down. He saw Moa lying motionless on the maid uniform and his pants, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
["Understood. Then let's continue operating the Sorbet Kingdom. Give the Freedom Fighters a fixed station, and make it easier to control them,"] Zannie quickly replied.
Zannie didn't need to think too much. Just follow the script and read the lines.
"Let the Freedom Fighters stir up trouble in the Sorbet Kingdom. Last time, we deliberately let them leak the eavesdropped content to Dragon, but Dragon still didn't come to save anyone. Really disappointing," Rosse chuckled lightly and raised his palm to gesture to Moa.
Moa pressed her lips together, but she could still understand Rosse's gesture. With extreme humiliation, she picked up a big white bunny and proactively placed it in Rosse's hand.
To lower her presence, she was willing to offer some initiative.
The information Rosse had just revealed had already deeply shocked Moa.
The Freedom Fighters had been infiltrated by Rosse like a sieve, and the news of her capture and transfer to Drum Island had apparently been sent back to Dragon from the very beginning.
Although it was a trap, Dragon really had shown no response at all. And the other Freedom Fighters members hadn't even thought about rescuing her either.
'Why…'
'Were all the previous things the Freedom Fighters said about liking me all falsehoods and lies?'
"Let them stir things up. How's the plan for Reverse Mountain going?", Now that Moa's matters were finished, Rosse brought up other topics.
The truly secret matters certainly couldn't be told to Moa, but some trivial matters, if revealed to Moa, could instead help verify the credibility of other information.
Besides, he hadn't planned to deceive Moa.
Sometimes, just changing how the truth is said can bring a completely different impact.
["The blueprint is already complete. I've contacted the environmental department. The laborers promised by Saint Mars are already heading toward Reverse Mountain. But transporting them to the top of the Red Line is quite a troublesome thing,"] Zannie replied.
"Construct a few cable car lines. The environmental department has construction plans. It's just a matter of spending money," Rosse said with a light laugh.
Although Reverse Mountain had reverse-flow water channels, the current was extremely turbulent. Unlike Mary Geoise, which had buffer zones, reaching the top would cause a direct drop through the Grand Line's passage.
In such a short time, it was hard to send ordinary people to the Red Line's gentle zone.
Moreover, it was a one-time-use passage, which made transportation very inconvenient.
Besides water routes, the World Government here could also go up and down the Red Line via cable cars.
Most nobles typically used this method, it was more efficient, quicker, and extremely safe.
["Understood. But if we are to build Reverse City according to the planned scale, we'll need to construct at least a hundred cable car lines,"] Zannie said.
Rosse obviously didn't care about the money, but as a subordinate, Zannie still had to report truthfully.
"Let them build it first. Although building a city on the Red Line is easy, transportation won't be."
Rosse and Zannie discussed more details before finally hanging up the call.
As long as construction could start, any losses along the way didn't matter.
Eventually, once he held authority equal to the Five Elders, he could build a high-speed rail or fast waterway on the Red Line, directly connecting the Holy Land and Reverse City. That would completely bring the Red Line to life.
The Red Line's area far exceeded the combined size of all the islands, and its land could be used for farming and livestock, fully capable of supporting billions of people.
Looking down from the Holy Land over the Four Seas and Grand Line, and considering the traffic distances and population of the Holy Land, those on the seas would sooner or later start getting ideas.
But if it was the Red Line overlooking the Four Seas, things would be different.
With such an immense mass, no island nation would dare to have other thoughts.
Managing such a massive Red Line would also cost far less than maintaining the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
"Master, are you really going to build a city on Reverse Mountain?", Moa felt physically unwell, but seeing Rosse hang up the call, she couldn't help but ask eagerly.
She simply couldn't believe that Rosse would have such a crazy idea.
If Reverse Mountain were cut off by the World Government, then one less route would remain between the Four Seas and the Grand Line.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask," Rosse pinched the big white bunny again, giving her a warning glance.
"Master, I understand," Moa spoke through pain, realizing she said something she shouldn't have, and quickly lowered her head.
Currently, she didn't have Rosse's trust at all. The fact that she was allowed to hear these things was already a sign of Rosse letting his guard down.
If she asked too much, she really feared that Rosse would tell her nothing in the future.
"Keep it up. If you behave, I'll tell you something you might be interested in," Rosse smiled gently and casually painted a pie in the sky.
From beginning to end, Moa was just a toy he used against the Freedom Fighters.
It'd be best if she could be of some use. If not, it didn't matter either, just entertainment for leisure.
———
Half a month later, Rosse and the others finally left Drum Island.
Stella's medical skills had improved by several levels. Even without using her fruit ability, her medical expertise was enough to be the doctor of a great pirate crew.
Sora had already finished recording all the medical information, which hadn't even occupied 0.5% of her brain capacity. Ever since learning that excessive memory caused brain enlargement, Sora had paid extra attention to efficient memory management.
After learning some rapid classification methods from Rosse, Sora used her overclocking ability to develop a super-efficient classification method compatible with the Brain-Brain Fruit.
Even if she copied all of Vegapunk's mental memories, it still wouldn't fill her brain's storage space.
The only relatively special matter was that, just before Sora left Drum Kingdom, with Rosse's intentional cooperation, she unsurprisingly got pregnant.
It was a boy, and also Rosse's first child.
Rosse didn't feel anything special toward his child. In a pirate world filled with longevity and immortality methods, he didn't need heirs to pass on anything, nor did he have any need for retirement planning.
So toward offspring, Rosse had always taken it lightly.
But as Sora became increasingly important, the bond between him and Sora increasingly needed something like this to connect them.
Besides, "Jaygarcia Sanji", that name sounded like it could be quite interesting.
———
[On the Ship]
Rosse hugged Sora as they stood at the bow enjoying the sea breeze. Stella, Moa, and Gion leisurely sat in the lounge area drinking tea.
"Don't you want a child?", Moa looked at Gion and couldn't help but provoke.
Stella often told her many things about Rosse, so she knew that Gion was Rosse's legal wife.
Now that another woman had first gotten Rosse's child, no matter what, Gion must feel some resentment inside.
"Meaningless. It only affects increasing strength. Might as well kill a few more people for him," Gion didn't fall for Moa's provocation at all. She had discussed the topic of childbirth with Rosse.
Right now, the one most capable of giving birth at sea should be Charlotte Linlin, also known as BIGMOM, who, now less than 50 years old, already has 64 children.
Just thinking about that number made Gion feel terrified.
She was someone who valued strength, not much interested in children. Coincidentally, Rosse was the same, and the two easily reached an agreement in this regard.
Rather than considering childbirth, she would rather work hard on developing her vampire fruit power, and in the future absorb lifespan through blood to transfer it to Rosse so that both of them could live forever.
However, although Gion didn't care, since Moa had provoked her, she wasn't going to let Moa off so easily.
"Come here!", Gion sat on a chair with her legs crossed and lifted her head to glance at Moa.
'What kind of woman is this... can't even ask a question...', Moa muttered and complained in her heart, her face immediately drooping.
Knowing she couldn't refuse, she could only dawdle her way behind Gion and start kneading her shoulders and neck.
Among Rosse's group, aside from Rosse himself, the one she feared most was Gion.
In the Heavens Hunt footage she had previously watched, there were also scenes of Gion killing.
Just from the momentum of her moves, Moa felt she was no weaker than Dragon or a Marine Admiral.
And to be acknowledged by someone like Rosse, such a bully, and treated as his most trusted person and kept by his side every day, it was obvious that she was absolutely a powerhouse among powerhouses, a villain among villains.
"Are we going to Arabasta now?", At the bow of the ship, Sora leaned in Rosse's arms, her gentle face full of happiness.
This kind of feeling now was the love she had dreamed of.
The crystallization of love should come from mutual affection, not cold external fertilization.
"Before going to Arabasta, we'll take a trip to Little Garden. There are two people there who need to be dealt with."
After staying on Drum Island for so long, Rosse remembered during his leisure that there were still two XP babies of the Giant Warrior Pirates on Little Garden.
These two people's strength wouldn't be lower than Saul's. After taking them down, that would be another 1 million XP earned.
Ever since he killed Vegapunk previously, his strength had somewhat stagnated. People like Moa and Sora at their level couldn't bring him much improvement.
Instead, relying on his S-grade physical body, Rosse managed to improve several individual attributes through sparring with Zephyr.
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[Rosse]
[Strength: 19.68 million / 20 million (S, Admiral-level)]
[Devil Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi · Mythical Zoan · Watatsumi Form (Unawakened)]
[Combat Skills: Observation Haki (S), Conqueror's Haki (S), Armament Haki (A), Hakoku Sovereignty, Rokushiki (A), Swordsmanship (A), Gunmanship (A), Physical Techniques (A)...]
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Although now he steadily possessed Admiral-level strength, if it came to a life-or-death battle with Zephyr, he might not survive in the end.
Rosse's only S-level skills were Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki. Without mastering Conqueror's coating, the boost to his combat power wasn't very high.
As for those basic abilities, he was completely inferior to Zephyr.
According to Rosse's estimation, Zephyr's physical techniques, Rokushiki, and Armament Haki were all at S-grade. Even with an S- physique, he could suppress Rosse in battle.
His current state was very similar to Big Mom's, possessing a physique stronger than any technique, but to fully utilize it, time was still needed.
When it came to developing techniques, Rosse felt a bit helpless.
He wanted to self-learn Conqueror's coating, but Zephyr didn't even have Conqueror's Haki, let alone teach it to him.
If he had to imagine and learn it out of thin air, that really would be difficult for him.
He could only wait until reaching the Holy Land and see if that old fart Saturn could show him.
But physique was the foundation of strength, and Rosse had no intention of letting the two XP babies in Little Garden go.
With these two XP babies, his hard power could reach the S+ level. At least in terms of stamina and attrition, he could already stand at the peak of the pirate world.
If a real fight happened, it would depend on the opponent's situation.
Most of the time, chances for Rosse to make a move weren't too many either.
"So what about the Princess of Arabasta? How does Your Highness plan to handle her?", Sora slightly closed her eyes, her head rubbing against Rosse's chest, casually chatting.
"You mean the child in her belly?", Rosse slightly raised his brows.
When Princess Titi left Drum Island, she was actually already pregnant with a girl. It was when Sora had a sudden urge and gave Princess Titi a recovery checkup that they accidentally discovered this little surprise.
After discovering it, Rosse quietly brought Stella and Gion over and used their devil fruit abilities to secretly adjust Princess Titi's body.
No matter who examined Princess Titi, they could only come to one conclusion, she was already pregnant before coming to Drum Island.
Only the four of them knew about this. The others, including Princess Titi herself, were completely unaware.
But now, after so long, Princess Titi surely knew already. Just didn't know how she would feel about it.
"Yes, don't we need to bring her to the Holy Land?", Sora nodded lightly, without any other emotions.
This world never emphasized one-to-one monogamy. Big Mom had who knows how many husbands, not to mention that Sora herself was of noble birth and had been educated to center her life around her husband.
"No need. Cobra has no other children. When the Levely takes place next year, Cobra will come to the Holy Land," Rosse replied calmly.
As for what would happen to Cobra once he came to the Holy Land, Rosse didn't continue, but the ending was already certain.
Princess Titi and the girl in her belly were always part of his plan for Arabasta.
He wasn't like Crocodile or Doflamingo who did things crudely. Once the girl was born, Cobra would no longer be of use.
As for who the girl's father really was, as long as they knew privately, it didn't matter. Rosse would still name her Jaygarcia Vivi.
Only, to the outside world, she would be Arabasta's successor, and eventually, she would be the one to announce joining the Holy Land and changing the Kingdom of Arabasta into the Arabasta Administrative Zone.
"Not a bad plan," Sora nodded gently and didn't think there was any problem with the plan, instead fully supporting it.
Compared to Judge's military conquest approach, Rosse's method, where only one person had to die to conquer, was already the most merciful way.
Besides, her heart was already shaped like Rosse.
No matter what Rosse wanted to do, as long as he didn't betray her, she was willing to support it.
———
[Arabasta]
"Good news, great news!"
Inside the royal palace, after diagnosing Princess Titi who lay on the bed, the doctor joyfully congratulated, "Her Highness is pregnant, and already more than two months along."
When Chu Chengzhou returned to the Great Spirit Arena, the second round of the preliminaries, which was expected to have started in the morning, had yet to officially begin.
At this moment, tens of thousands of spectators sat in utter silence, and the solemn, dignified voice of Emperor Xue Ye echoed above the arena through soul-powered amplifiers.
"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is a grand event for the soul master world. Its primary purpose is to discover outstanding young soul masters across the continent.
However, just last night, a most disgraceful incident occurred.
Some faction had the audacity to dispatch assassins to infiltrate Lanba Academy and attempt to murder outstanding contestants during the night. This not only disrespects the organizers of the tournament but is a blatant provocation against the empire's authority.
The empire will pursue this matter to the very end.
I, Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, hereby warn any and all scheming villains lurking in the shadows: do not attempt to challenge the empire, or you will pay a bloody price."
As he spoke, Emperor Xue Ye cast a glance at Salas beside him.
After a brief pause, the emperor continued:
"To prevent such vile acts from happening again, the empire will dispatch a special force consisting of ten royal guests and a hundred soul masters above Rank 60, along with 20,000 royal knights, to patrol Heaven Dou City day and night, ensuring the tournament proceeds smoothly. All participating academies may rest assured."
With his warning complete, Emperor Xue Ye returned to his seat.
Then the master of ceremonies announced:
"Next, the second round of the preliminary matches will begin. Will the first ten academy teams please enter the stage in an orderly fashion."
Seeing that Lanba Academy wasn't among the ten teams called to the stage, Chu Chengzhou headed to the rest area.
"Brother, you're back!"
As soon as Xiao Wu saw Chu Chengzhou, she rushed over, but after a few steps, remembering that he secretly got together with her best friend, she pouted and returned to her seat with a sour face.
"Ahem... Xiao Wu, who are we facing today?"
Although the matchups had already been drawn yesterday, Chu Chengzhou hadn't paid attention and genuinely had no idea who their opponent was.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Wu responded with a cold snort.
"You're the captain, yet you don't even care about the matches! We're facing Oakland Academy this time.
Oh, and our lineup's already been arranged. As for you—go wherever and stay out of the way!"
Liu Erlong, nearby, shot Chu Chengzhou a dissatisfied look.
Whether she was upset about him not fulfilling his responsibilities or because he was a shameless womanizer, it was hard to say.
Chu Chengzhou didn't argue. He plopped down beside Xiao Wu, pulled her into his arms, and drew her consciousness into an illusionary realm.
"???"
As Xiao Wu lost consciousness, Liu Erlong, Flender, and Zhao Wuji nearby all looked puzzled, sensing the spiritual fluctuations.
Inside the illusion—
"What are you doing?"
Xiao Wu glared and slapped at Chu Chengzhou in annoyance.
"What do you think?"
Chu Chengzhou didn't bother with words—he knew actions spoke louder.
Xiao Wu: "..."
Half-resisting, half-accepting, the two... got busy.
In the real world, seeing Xiao Wu mentally absent, Ning Rongrong blushed deeply, guessing exactly what was going on.
"Scumbags never change! And at a time like this too—shameless!"
"Rongrong, what's wrong with your face?"
Zhu Zhuqing, noticing her blushing cheeks, asked curiously.
"Uhh… nothing!"
Ning Rongrong waved her hand, too embarrassed to say someone was "farming" in dreamland nearby.
The Lanba Academy vs. Oakland Academy match was scheduled for the second group.
Half an hour later, the tournament staff came to lead the ten teams of the second group to the stage.
"Xiao Wu, wake up—it's time for the match!"
Not knowing the situation, Liu Erlong nudged her gently.
Since Chu Chengzhou had missed the initial lineup, adjustments had been made. The team would now be represented by four substitutes—Tai Long and the others—along with Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Dean Erlong, Xiao Wu's not feeling well. Let someone else go."
Still "plowing" in the illusion, Chu Chengzhou split a bit of consciousness to speak up.
Their opponent, Oakland Academy, was a cannon-fodder team with not even one Soul Sect (four-ring soul master). Neither he nor Xiao Wu needed to bother fighting—it was a guaranteed win.
"She's not feeling well?"
Liu Erlong blinked, then nodded. "Fine. Dai Mubai, go take Xiao Wu's place."
So Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai, and the four substitutes followed the staff to the stage.
Just as they left, a middle-aged man Chu Chengzhou didn't recognize also followed behind.
This man exuded strong spirit power—Chu estimated he was likely a seven-ring Soul Sage.
"Dean Erlong, who's that guy?"
Chu Chengzhou asked curiously.
"He says he's here under Emperor Xue Ye's orders. Until last night's incident is fully resolved, he'll stick close to Dai Mubai."
Liu Erlong responded, a little exasperated.
"Under Xue Ye's orders?"
Chu Chengzhou was briefly stunned, but quickly figured it out.
Lanba Academy was attacked by so-called "assassins from the Star Luo Empire." Even if Star Luo didn't do it, they'd never admit it—especially with the domineering White Tiger Dai Clan.
But with Dai Mubai—a Star Luo imperial prince—in Heaven Dou's hands, that changed the game.
If Star Luo refused to own up, then Heaven Dou could make Dai Mubai pay. Even if he was a sidelined prince, he was still the emperor's biological son, and Star Luo couldn't just abandon him.
In short, with Dai Mubai in their grasp, Heaven Dou had leverage.
If Star Luo really denied responsibility? No problem. Heaven Dou could foot Lanba Academy's losses, and "reap compensation" by... having Dai Mubai mass-produce heirs.
Top-tier beast martial soul bloodlines? Not a bad deal for Heaven Dou at all.
Hmm… come to think of it, maybe Dai Mubai himself would prefer his dad didn't take responsibility?
Meanwhile—
Noticing that Chu Chengzhou didn't show up on stage, Salas, seated in the VIP row, raised an eyebrow.
"Sect Master Ning, Chu Chengzhou wasn't injured last night, was he? Why isn't he participating?"
Salas asked Ning Fengzhi, who had just arrived.
"Heh, Salas, you seem awfully concerned about my good nephew?"
Ning Fengzhi replied with a smile.
"As a committee member of the tournament, it's only natural to care about the participants."
Salas replied earnestly.
"Then, Salas, what's your opinion on last night's attack?"
Emperor Xue Ye suddenly asked from the center.
"I have already reported the matter to the Pope. Our Spirit Hall will never tolerate the perpetrators behind the attack."
Salas declared righteously.
His tone and demeanor were so convincing, it would fool anyone into thinking he personally wanted to drag the attackers to justice.
"Very good. Salas, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not tolerate a repeat of such incidents. If it happens again, we will take appropriate measures."
Ning Fengzhi said coldly with narrowed eyes.
'Next time, watch your back!'
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, beside him, transmitted a message into Salas' mind.
Though Spirit Hall was strong, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wasn't easy prey. If they targeted Salas alone, neither Heaven Dou's sanctuary nor Spirit Hall could save him.
As long as they left no proof, who would care if Salas ended up dead?
No one wanted open war—not even Spirit Hall, unless Pope Bibi Dong went mad.
That is—if Salas kept asking for death.
Hearing the threat in his mind, Salas' pupils contracted.
"Sword Douluo, what do you mean by this?"
Face dark, Salas demanded.
"What do you mean, Salas? Did I say anything to you?"
Chen Xin feigned ignorance with a blank look.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Chen Xin play dumb, Salas could only snort coldly.
"Hmm? Salas, you're just a Platinum Bishop, and you dare to act arrogantly in front of this Douluo? Did your Spirit Hall Pope never teach you the meaning of respect?"
As he spoke, Chen Xin released the full pressure of a Titled Douluo upon Salas.
"I am a Titled Douluo. Even Bibi Dong has to treat me with courtesy. You—a mere Platinum Bishop—think the Spirit Hall badge lets you stand as my equal?
Daring to throw me attitude—you clearly don't understand why Titled Douluo are addressed as 'Your Excellency!'"
Under the crushing spiritual pressure, Salas' face turned purple like pig liver. If Chen Xin had gone full force, or if the chair weren't sturdy, he'd already be lying on the floor.
"Heh, Uncle Jian, no need to be angry. I'm sure Salas meant no offense."
Ning Fengzhi said with a smile.
"Sect Master Ning is right. Sword Douluo, for my sake, if Salas offers an apology, let's consider the matter resolved."
Emperor Xue Ye chimed in pleasantly.
They were the "civilized ones"—Chen Xin played the bad cop, now it was time for them to smooth things over.
"Fine, I'll give His Majesty this face."
Chen Xin nodded, pretending to yield reluctantly.
"Salas, what do you say?"
The Emperor looked at Salas, whose face had turned the color of pig liver from rage.
Watching the three— Emperor Xue Ye and company—act in concert, Salas, under immense pressure, felt a burning fury in his heart with nowhere to vent it.
If he could, he would love nothing more than to challenge Ning Fengzhi and the Snowy Night Emperor to a noble one-on-one duel.
Why not Chen Xin?
Damn it~ He's a Title Douluo! As an eight-ring Support-type Soul Douluo, there's no way he could beat him.
After a long silence, seeing that Salas still hadn't responded, Chen Xin lightly slapped his forehead, pretending he just remembered something, and said, "Look at me, I almost forgot—someone with only eight rings of soul power can't even speak under the pressure of a Title Douluo like me."
As he spoke, Chen Xin temporarily withdrew the soul power pressure he was exerting on Salas.
"You—!"
As the pressure was lifted and he could move again, Salas pointed at Chen Xin in indignation.
"Hm?"
Seeing this, Chen Xin frowned slightly, his gaze toward Salas growing more dangerous.
Meeting Chen Xin's eyes, Salas couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. That earlier feeling of his life not being in his own hands had been terrible. He had no desire to experience that again.
Taking a deep breath and forcefully suppressing his anger, Salas lowered his head and said, "Elder Sword, it was my fault earlier. I hope you can forgive me."
Chen Xin wasn't wrong—Salas was merely an eight-ring Soul Douluo. Even if he held the positions of Platinum Bishop and Head of the Heaven Dou Temple, in terms of rank, he was still beneath Chen Xin.
After all, Chen Xin was both the Guardian Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and an honorary elder of the Spirit Hall.
Among the six symbols on the Pope's decree, the sword represented none other than Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword spirit.
Whether honorary or official, an elder of the Spirit Hall held a status above that of a Platinum Bishop.
At this moment, Salas addressing Chen Xin as "Elder Sword" rather than "Sword Douluo" was a move to preserve the Spirit Hall's dignity.
As a high-ranking official of the Spirit Hall, Salas understood: he could bow to an honorary elder of his own faction, but he could never lower his head to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's Sword Douluo. Even if he got through this situation, his superior, Bibi Dong, would never tolerate such a spineless subordinate.
"Very well, since you've sincerely apologized, I, as a magnanimous Title Douluo, will let you off this time! But remember what I said!"
With that, Chen Xin didn't forget to warn Salas once more.
On the arena—
Unsurprisingly, Blue Tyrant Academy had decisively defeated their opponents from Auckland Academy.
After all, Auckland Academy didn't even have a single Soul Ancestor (four-ring); the seven who took the stage were all three-ring Soul Experts. Meanwhile, Blue Tyrant Academy had three four-ring Soul Ancestors. Even if their teamwork was less than perfect, the outcome of the match was never in question.
To be honest, facing three Soul Ancestors, the fact that Auckland Academy didn't surrender right away already showed they had spirit.
After stepping off the competition platform, Ma Hongjun and the others headed to the stands to watch the next matches, while Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing returned to the rest area.
When the two girls got back, they found that Chu Chengzhou and Xiao Wu had just finished an enjoyable training session and exited the illusion.
"Huh? Where's Dean Erlong and the others? Is it our turn to go up?"
Seeing only the two girls in the rest area and no one else, Xiao Wu temporarily set aside her irritation and asked Chu Chengzhou.
"Uh, well… our match is already over."
The cheers from the spectators when Blue Tyrant Academy won had been loud—even from the rest area, Chu Chengzhou had heard it.
Xiao Wu: "…"
"This is all your fault!"
Xiao Wu punched Chu Chengzhou in annoyance.
"Yes, yes, it's all my fault! Xiao Wu, you and Rongrong are close sisters—and you're the elder sister, she's the younger one. You need to be the big sister and get along well from now on!"
Under Zhu Zhuqing's shocked gaze, Chu Chengzhou took one of Xiao Wu's hands and one of the confused Ning Rongrong's hands, speaking earnestly.
Zhu Zhuqing: What is going on here?
"Huh? Zhuqing, do you want to join in too?"
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing stunned on the side, the ever-reckless Chu Chengzhou tried to probe further.
Bang—
Before Zhu Zhuqing could respond, a fierce right hook landed squarely on Chu Chengzhou's left eye socket, creating a perfect match with the already swollen right eye.
At that moment, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but admire Chu Chengzhou—when it came to digging his own grave, no one could beat Scumbag Chu.
Even Big Sis Xiao Wu hadn't fully accepted her as a second sister, and now this guy wanted to pull in a third?
"Xiao Wu, go ahead and hit me! I'm tough and can take it—and every punch you land on me is filled with your deep love!"
Sporting twin panda eyes, Chu Chengzhou said tenderly.
Hearing this cheesy line, Xiao Wu couldn't help but twitch her lips.
How had she not realized before that this guy could be so shameless?
"Hmph!"
Still fuming, Xiao Wu snorted and turned her head.
You can't show kindness to shameless scoundrels like this—give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
Right now it was just one extra sister—Ning Rongrong—and maybe Zhu Zhuqing on the radar. With so many beautiful female soul masters in the continent, if she let this go, wouldn't all of them end up as "sisters"?
"Still mad, Xiao Wu? Let's not be mad, okay?"
Chu Chengzhou reached out to touch the rabbit ears on Xiao Wu's head.
"Ugh, you annoy me!"
Xiao Wu slapped his hand away.
Chu Chengzhou wasn't offended. He gently cupped Xiao Wu's cheeks in his hands, leaned in, and kissed her lips.
Trying to push him away but failing, Xiao Wu, still furious, bit down hard. Blood instantly oozed from Chu Chengzhou's lips.
Though his lip was bleeding, Chu Chengzhou didn't let go. A little bite was nothing—as long as the "fish" in his "pond" could coexist peacefully, it was worth it.
After a long time, when Xiao Wu's lips went numb, he finally let her go.
"Still mad?"
Chu Chengzhou licked the blood from his lips and asked.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Wu snorted coldly again.
Though she had partly accepted the idea of having another sister, she knew she couldn't let this go easily. If she gave in now, there would be more "sisters" than she could count.
"Mm mm mm!"
The next second, Chu Chengzhou kissed her again.
Mad? Then I'll kiss you until you're not mad.
When the fear of being kissed outweighs the anger, things will settle down.
After all, Douluo Continent doesn't enforce monogamy. It's common for men to have many wives and concubines—unlike Chu Chengzhou though, most of those men's wives were just pretty faces.
Of course, there was another method: keep doing "fun" things. Once Xiao Wu realized she couldn't handle it all by herself, she might not mind sharing anymore.
But considering their age, the "real thing" was still a bit inappropriate.
Over and over again, until around noon when the second round of the preliminaries ended and the spectators began to leave, Xiao Wu finally gave in.
At this point, her lips had swollen noticeably, turning her once-rosy cherry mouth into a sausage.
She had resisted at first, but although she had higher soul power than Chu Chengzhou and even an extra soul ring, her physical strength was no match for his—she simply couldn't break free.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou didn't escape unscathed—his lips were covered in bite marks, blood seeping from multiple wounds.
"Still mad?"
Chu Chengzhou asked again.
"Nn-oh mnot m-mad…"
Xiao Wu shook her head vigorously, voice slurred from her swollen lips—she was genuinely scared of being kissed anymore.
Although they had been officially together for a while now, in her view, all the kisses they had ever shared combined didn't add up to what had happened today.
"Then… is Rongrong your sister for life?"
Xiao Wu hesitated, but seeing Chu Chengzhou's head leaning in again, she quickly nodded like a pecking chicken.
"And will you two get along from now on?"
Xiao Wu still nodded fearfully.
"What about Zhuqing?"
Chu Chengzhou tried again.
"Go die, bastard!"
This was truly pushing it.
In a fury, Xiao Wu lifted her long leg clad in crystal heels and kicked Chu Chengzhou straight into the wall.
Bang—!
The sturdy wall of the lounge shook. Chu Chengzhou, now imprinted against it in the shape of the character "太" (too much), slowly slid down, completely limp.
Ning Rongrong: "…"
Zhu Zhuqing blinked. Why did Senior Chu bring me up?
Could it be… one "boat" wasn't enough—he wanted to stand on three?