Hurry up and change back!

-Thunderhawk

Night fell, and Sephiroth rested in the captain's cabin aboard the Thunderhawk.

Though called the captain's cabin, it was only somewhat larger than an ordinary crew cabin. Various office furnishings and functional equipment took up a fair amount of space.

Ever since coming to this world, he had suffered from a touch of paranoia.

Even now, he chose not to stay in one of Water 7's distinctive hotels, resting instead aboard the Thunderhawk in the stratosphere.

For the ten-plus years before obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had mostly played the part of an exemplary Holy Son.

His thinking back then had been that if he couldn't get the Rumble-Rumble Fruit first, he would find a way to kill Enel a year early, even if it meant ruining his carefully maintained image.

Afterward, he could simply settle down as the Holy Son and live an ordinary, comfortable life.

Only after obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had he finally felt somewhat secure...

"Lord Shining~ Lord Shining~"

Perona's voice suddenly interrupted Sephiroth's solitary musings.

It wasn't bedtime yet. Dinner had only just ended, and the three of them had returned to their respective rooms to rest.

But before long, Perona had come running to Sephiroth's room.

"...Perona. Is something the matter?"

The door wasn't locked, so Perona floated inside after calling out to him. Apparently, this wasn't an out-of-body visit; she had come in person.

"I have a request. Would you hear me out, Lord Shining?"

"What is it?"

"Please sleep with me tonight."

Before Sephiroth were Perona's slightly upturned eyes, sparkling with anticipation.

"..."

She looked just like a young gothic lady from a painting. There was no doubt she was a beautiful girl...

Sephiroth felt a slightly reckless urge to say something like, "You're a year older than me. Can't you act a little more mature?"

But looking at the undeniably petite, adorable Perona, he merely took a sip of tea.

"-Tell me, Perona. Do you mean you want to use 'Satellite Shining' as a body pillow?"

Ever since revealing his identity to Perona and Brook, Sephiroth had generally used his own angelic appearance whenever they weren't out in public.

Perona was older, but she was something of a spoiled princess. She looked like a gothic girl, too, and her behavior... probably couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.

"Horo~ Horo~ That would be lovely, too, but that's not what I mean~"

After all, Sephiroth couldn't actively maintain his elemental form while asleep. Before revealing his identity, he had always teleported back to Sky Island to sleep.

In the month since his confession, he had only occasionally stayed aboard the Thunderhawk.

He had assumed Perona wanted a "Shining body pillow." Apparently, something else was going on.

"Are you serious...?"

Sephiroth wasn't one to play coy. He saw no reason to refuse what was being offered.

"Yes~"

Even without today's development, Sephiroth had intended to make the first move after they had spent some more time together... but still.

"May I ask why?"

Sephiroth didn't want there to be some reason she felt she "had no choice." That would be another matter entirely.

"It's just that, seeing how you looked when you came back, Lord Shining... it felt like that was the mood today~!"

Watching Perona answer more honestly than he had expected, Sephiroth felt his interrupted train of thought reconnect.

After all, he was one of the Skypieans.

As long as he didn't stand in the way of Luffy, fate's chosen protagonist, stayed far away from major incidents, and didn't provoke the World Government, the Navy, or any powerful figures...

With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he could easily live out a peaceful, happy life without making any effort at all.

He could rule his own little domain, with no shortage of beautiful women and access to most material pleasures.

But how did that saying go?

All day he toiled to fill his belly; once fed, he thought of clothes. With food and clothing both secured, he longed for a lovely wife...

A long string of ever-escalating desires followed.

The "Song of Inadequacy" from the Celestial Empire in his previous life had captured it vividly.

It wasn't that Sephiroth didn't understand the principle. That was human nature, and he was no exception.

It was precisely those desires that had brought him this far.

"...Perona, you..."

Perona's long hair, tied into two spiraling pigtails, fell around Sephiroth's head from above.

Her adorable face came within five centimeters of his.

Her scent was distinctive, a sweet fragrance reminiscent of vanilla, yet also of lily of the valley.

"Say... do you know, Lord Shining? The feeling you're giving off right now..."

From Perona's perspective, it was a little strange to put into words.

Two emotions mingled within her.

One was something like how a delinquent girl would feel watching her delinquent boyfriend return to school victorious after taking on the leader of a rival gang in single combat.

The other was an emotion she couldn't quite explain. She was normally the one who liked being pampered, yet for some reason, seeing Sephiroth today made her want to hold him.

...In truth, Sephiroth understood his current state.

Having unexpectedly awakened Conqueror's Haki, his mental state was temporarily unsettled. On top of that, he was a Rumble-Rumble Fruit User, and his Mantra had awakened a new ability: Emotion Release.

Even without doing it deliberately, his fluctuating thoughts could have a slight effect on reality.

Ever since obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had indeed felt a little like what people in his previous life called someone who had suddenly struck it rich... this was even more exhilarating than winning two billion.

Still, he had restrained himself to a degree, avoiding any embarrassing behavior born of a need to compensate for past deprivation.

Beyond regularly meditating and questioning himself, he also maintained as cautious an attitude as possible, taming and sorting through his various desires.

Leaving aside the rare examples of supposedly lofty moral character, what would most ordinary people do if they suddenly won two billion on Blue Star?

If someone argued that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit wasn't worth two billion on Blue Star...

With the Four Emperors, Admirals, and Imu around, how could someone get cocky over a mere Rumble-Rumble Fruit?

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was comparable to two billion on Blue Star-if "Imu" was the equivalent of Blue Star's richest person.

Nobody was stupid enough to insist on competing with the people on the rich list just because they had won two billion, were they?

He could simply hide away on a remote "Sky Island," avoid provoking the powerful, and do whatever he pleased in his own little corner.

But he didn't want to do that. It wasn't merely a matter of "never being satisfied"; he didn't want to sink that low, either.

Now that he had the ability, he still wanted to accomplish something.

On that subject... he could put it a little sentimentally.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit.

-A man of purpose must be broad-minded and resolute, for his burden is heavy and his road is long.

-In hardship, cultivate yourself; in prosperity, help the world.

Deep down, he really did harbor that sort of "ambition." He had simply been forced to look after himself when he lacked the ability to do more.

People weren't one-dimensional. They were multifaceted, three-dimensional beings.

Faint traces of thought spilled out from Sephiroth.

They were thoughts that somehow did not belong to this world.

Perona didn't understand what they were, but she couldn't help being drawn to them. She leaned toward Sephiroth's cheek, her lips almost touching him.

Instead, Sephiroth pulled her closer himself, then leaned toward her ear.

"...You know what's going to happen, right?"

"Yes~ Lord Shining."

With that whisper, Perona pressed her whole body against Sephiroth.

Though she was old enough to hold a job, she always dressed like a young girl and behaved like a child. Yet her body had distinct curves, and she was very soft...

He lifted her petite body and turned, reversing their positions and laying Perona down on the couch.

That touch alone seemed to make Perona bloom with delight. She narrowed her eyes with a muffled sound, her cheeks turning pale pink, then raised her upper body. She remained in a straddling position...

"Lord Shining, I have a request..."

Having said that, Perona smiled faintly. Bracing herself with both hands, she brought her face close again, close enough for Sephiroth to feel her breath.

As though tempting him, she brought her pink lips to his ear.

"Could I trouble you to change back, Lord Shining?"

That was what she whispered.

"..."

So... young lady, are you sure there's nothing wrong with your wiring!?

Although his biological magnetic field allowed Sephiroth to avoid shocking her...

But...

"And just a tiny bit would be even better~"

"..."

Seeing Sephiroth's dumbfounded expression, Perona gave him a smile that said, "Success~ Shining star~"

As though showing off, she slowly pulled her gothic outfit upward, revealing her lovely navel and slender waist...

...Inside the captain's cabin, faint light flickered irregularly.