I'm Not a Prince

"Fine... I'll let you have one."

Duen looked at Luffy and picked up a dumpling from the bowl, placing it in the latter's rapidly flattened palm.

Luffy cupped it with both hands and hurriedly shoved the dumpling into his wide-open mouth. Gulp... Before he could even taste it, he had swallowed it whole.

He smacked his lips and stretched out his hand without hiding his intentions. "I want more!"

"You want more?" Duen looked at the six or seven dumplings left in the bowl, then tilted his head up at Luffy, who was nodding vigorously. Then... faster than the eye could follow, he lifted the bowl and dumped every last one into his mouth, mumbling, "There's no more..."

"Negative emotion points from Monkey D. Luffy +999..."

Luffy's expression froze instantly. His entire body seemed to go numb as he stood motionless where he was.

"Luffy..." Ace walked over and dragged away the seemingly petrified Luffy. "That little bit won't fill you up. There'll be big chunks of meat soon, so just wait patiently."

Even Nami couldn't bear to watch and turned her head away. But when she remembered that Duen was the one doing this, she immediately felt it was perfectly understandable.

But then...

Duen lifted the pot lid again. Once the steam cleared, he picked dumplings out of the boiling water and placed them into a bowl, sighing as he did so. "I didn't expect there to be so many left. What a problem. I can't finish them..."

Luffy instantly broke out of his petrified state. Driven by instinct, he stretched his neck over and stared at the dumplings in Duen's bowl, muttering resentfully, "Not tasty, not tasty, not tasty..."

Duen shrugged slightly and raised the bowl of dumplings, saying calmly, "All right, consider it my treat..."

Luffy's eyes immediately lit up. Seemingly forgetting his anger at Duen, he stretched out his arm without ceremony and took the bowl. He happily looked at Ace beside him. "Ace, he's treating us to this!"

"Mm..." Ace looked at Duen's casual expression and laughed helplessly. Then he said, "Luffy, didn't I tell you what you're supposed to say at a time like this?"

"Oh!" Luffy seemed to suddenly remember. He gave Duen a small bow. "Thank you for your patronage!"

"No! It's 'Thank you for the meal'!" Ace hurriedly corrected him.

Luffy ignored Ace entirely and had already reached into the bowl to grab a dumpling. This time, he actually chewed it seriously before swallowing, then looked up at Ace happily. "Ace, this is super delicious!" As he spoke, he took another one and handed it over. "It's really good!"

Ace took the dumpling from Luffy's filthy hand without the slightest disgust and stuffed it into his mouth. He had never thought such a tiny bit of food could be that delicious, but after tasting it, his opinion was completely overturned. The chewy wrapper, the perfectly seasoned minced meat inside, and the condiments that balanced the flavor...

This was easily the most exquisitely flavored food he had eaten in all sixteen years of his life!

"Hehe, it's good, right, Ace?" Luffy asked with a grin as he watched Ace's expression.

Tch, natives...

Duen smugly glanced at Luffy, then turned around and comfortably lay back on the grass. He called, "Nami," then opened his mouth. "Ah—"

Nami helplessly picked up a dumpling from her bowl and fed it into Duen's mouth, muttering softly, "You're lazy beyond saving..."

Duen leisurely crossed one leg over the other and mumbled, "This is... your... job."

"Yes, yes, Lord Mengde. Please settle my wages."

"That depends on my mood. I'm rich. As long as you serve me comfortably, gold, silver, and treasures are nothing..."

"I really give up on you..."

Nami rubbed her forehead, completely unable to do anything about Duen. After all, he was rich and generous. More importantly, this guy was more vigilant than a hyena. Robbing or stealing from him, openly or secretly, was completely impossible...

The steaks Ace and Luffy had been roasting on clean branches began to sizzle. The two brothers finished their dumplings, still wanting more, then took down the steaks. Chewing as they walked over, they sat down beside Duen. Ace asked curiously, "Duen, were you born in the Goa Kingdom?"

"Of course not," Duen said unhurriedly. "I come from a country with an enormous territory. You don't really think I'm just an ordinary swordsman, do you..."

Ace couldn't help rubbing his chin as he considered it. "Oh... Do you have some hidden identity?"

Duen sat up, composed himself, and smiled mysteriously.

"Let me put it this way. Over there, the country's largest telecommunications company provides me with a special customized signal service. Every day, I take transportation worth tens of millions to work. I have long-term business dealings with all the major banks. If I take a liking to a piece of clothing, someone will travel thousands of miles to deliver it to me. If I send out a call, someone will come from afar to be my driver. Even the country and... its people have designated me as their successor!"

Luffy turned his head with a shocked expression. "Are you a prince?"

Ace nodded as well. "Indeed. Even if you aren't a prince, you must be a very important noble."

Duen tilted his head up slightly, basking in their rather envious gazes. "No."

"I knew it..." Nami curled her lips, having expected as much.

"But I'm not lying. Every word is true," Duen said solemnly. He guaranteed that there wasn't a single false word in it.

Ace nodded. "If that's really the case, then the country you come from sounds quite interesting, Duen. Once I set sail, I'll definitely find a chance to visit..."

Before he could finish, Luffy interrupted with a shout. "Ace... Today's meat doesn't taste good anymore!"

Ace bit off a piece of meat. It was true... After eating those dumplings from Duen, the steak now felt dry and shriveled in comparison. The more he compared them, the more it felt as if he were chewing leather...

He began to miss the dumplings the two of them had already finished.

After lunch, Ace and Luffy went off to train with great enthusiasm, agreeing to meet Duen again next time.

Duen actually liked those two guys quite a bit. It wasn't merely a matter of good and evil; the first impression left by the original story probably played a part as well.

Ace and Luffy were the kind of people suited to becoming companions. He would never have to worry about them stabbing him in the back when he entrusted them with it. Though they could be unreliable in everyday life, they would step forward when it truly mattered...

People without schemes who valued loyalty and friendship were always the best kind of friends. At least, Duen had rarely met people like that in his previous life. Who would risk their life over a single sentence or a promise?

From a worldly perspective, it was indeed incredibly foolish, but who wouldn't want a good brother like that?

In contrast, although Blackbeard possessed the potential of a ruthless ruler, people like him were often the most terrifying. He would lurk in the shadows, constantly coveting what he wanted and taking it by any means necessary, even if it meant taking the lives of companions who had been with him for years.

Even if one became his companion, one could never attain equal status with him. In his eyes, you were nothing more than a useful tool. Once you became inconvenient, he could discard you at any time. Getting along with someone like that... would be exhausting.