Daren froze on the spot.
She got here this fast!?
...That was the first thought that popped into his head.
This woman's insane!?
...That was the second.
And how the hell is Big Mom this damn hot!?
...That was the third.
In that moment, Daren stood there, staring at Big Mom atop the thunderclouds in stunned disbelief. His mind was flooded with too many conflicting thoughts to even figure out what he should be shocked about first.
The Big Mom in front of him had absolutely nothing in common with the monstrous, food-crazed crone he remembered from the original timeline.
Fiery red lips curled into a sultry smile, wild pink hair blazing like flames, and those large eyes held a commanding, seductive allure. She radiated the presence of a mature woman with a domineering, irresistible charm.
She wore a cropped white shirt, tight enough to hug her figure, carelessly buttoned only at the bottom. Her cleavage was deep and endless, her waist cinched tight, accentuating toned abs and a firm navel.
Below, she wore white hotpants, with pale pink garter stockings squeezing against her thighs, leaving faint marks on her skin. Her body was curvaceous in all the right ways, dangerously alluring, with a devil's figure that burned itself into the eyes. Red leather boots added to her wild, untamed presence, highlighting those long, powerful legs.
And with her standing on a thundercloud, one hand casually resting a gleaming broadsword on her shoulder, she wasn't just sultry—she was fierce, exuding an awe-inspiring heroic aura that made her even more dazzling.
—It was impossible to reconcile this with the grotesque, terrifying, deranged hag she would later become!!
In that instant, Daren suddenly understood. He got why that skintight dress at the auction had sparked a frenzy among so many "gentleman" pirates.
He also understood why so many world leaders and powerful factions had been willing to marry into Big Mom's family.
Because the way she looked right now... was downright deceptive!
This was Sea Circle Calendar 1493. The 39-year-old Big Mom in her prime!
"Well, well, well... So? Marine-chan, do you accept?"
Charlotte Linlin saw Daren frozen in place and let out a hearty laugh, her red lips curled into a playful smirk.
Daren's mouth twitched.
Hell no, I don't!
Setting aside the fact that I'm a Marine and she's a pirate, there's no way in hell I'm getting involved with a woman who might snap and eat someone alive at any moment!
Sure, Big Mom looked damn good right now. That overbearing, older-sister vibe was enough to stir up a man's primal instincts.
But the impression she left on him in the original story? Way too traumatizing.
He only had to picture it for a second—that this smoking-hot bombshell in front of him would, in just a few years, turn into a meat-mountain lunatic—and immediately, every hair on his body stood on end.
Nope. Absolutely not.
Even for someone like Daren, who considered himself a shameless bastard with no real bottom line, this was where he drew it.
Some things, once you've seen them in the wrong light, are ruined forever.
It's like seeing a beautiful woman you once fantasized about... suddenly squatting to take a dump in public, digging her nose, and flicking the booger at your face. Whatever magic she had is instantly, permanently destroyed.
And there was... one more, admittedly minor reason.
Daren glanced at the nearly eight-meter-tall Big Mom. His eye twitched.
He could already feel a dull ache creeping into his lower back.
He was over three meters tall himself—already a monster of a man by normal standards.
But compared to this "non-human" tower of power…
Yeah, there was a very real chance he'd die.
Thinking this through, Daren took a deep breath. His expression hardened with unwavering resolve as he raised his hand in a firm "no" gesture and declared righteously:
"I refuse!"
"Oh?"
Charlotte Linlin arched a sharp brow and gave a carefree laugh.
"And why is that?"
She didn't act like some bashful woman—her presence was bold and commanding, a beauty that radiated power and confidence.
Daren remained expressionless.
"I'm a righteous Marine. You're a pirate—pure evil."
He pointed at the two corpses on the ground and sneered.
"Besides, I just killed two of your sons. Don't you want revenge?"
Charlotte Linlin paused for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma… You killed Perospero and Daifuku. That really did make me angry."
"If it had been anyone else, you'd already be a corpse."
"After all, while those two weren't exactly the strongest, they were some of the more capable among my children. Their deaths definitely brought me grief…"
"But…"
A glint of madness and greed flashed in her alluring eyes.
She looked at Daren like a mischievous child eyeing a new toy—or like a collector discovering a priceless treasure. She licked her lips and murmured,
"You're different!"
"Marine brat… I'm not mistaken, your body—it's tough, isn't it?"
As Daren fell silent, Charlotte Linlin laughed with crazed delight: "The same unbreakable body as mine… strength rivaling a giant's… speed beyond reason… and an unbelievably powerful Devil Fruit ability…"
She spread her arms wide, her chest swaying boldly with the motion.
"If you become my husband—Charlotte Linlin's husband—our union will give birth to the strongest warrior this sea has ever seen!"
"Our bloodline could surpass even my own... the birth of a true natural destroyer!"
"He'll plunge the world into terror, annihilating all who stand in his way!"
"And he'll become king of all races, ruling over a Totto Land that's truly equal, free, and united!"
"Ma-ma-ma-ma!! So, what do you say, Daren? Be my husband!!"
Daren: "…"
The word stud slammed into his mind, leaving him dizzy and disoriented, the world spinning black for a second.
She's actually lusting after my body!?
Unbelievable!!
And that look in Charlotte Linlin's eyes—open, greedy, like she wanted to devour him whole—it sent a chill crawling up his spine.
It was as if bugs were skittering all over him. He felt utterly violated.
"Not a chance!!"
Daren roared, eyes bloodshot, as a burst of overwhelming force erupted from his body and surged outward in all directions. The sky seemed to darken under the weight of it.
He had unleashed Conqueror's Haki—without even realizing it!
"A king's spirit!"
Big Mom didn't flinch. In fact, she seemed thrilled. Her gaze toward Daren grew even more ravenous as she grinned wildly.
"You've awakened Conqueror's Haki! Ma-ma-ma-ma!! Just as I thought! You really are the perfect man for Charlotte Linlin!"
"Submit to me!"
An even greater and more terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded from her body, immediately overpowering Daren's aura.
Charlotte Linlin laughed wickedly as she leapt up from the thundercloud, her arm raised high to grab Zeus.
Zzzzzz!!
Violent purple lightning crackled across the sky like a massive web.
"You don't get to say no!"
She brought it down—
A colossal bolt of purple lightning tore through the heavens like a raging dragon, crashing down toward Daren!
"Raitei!!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake