Chapter 115: A Bird in a Cage

A/N: Chapters in advance in Patreòn

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(Finished)

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Chapter 115: A Bird in a Cage

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-Max POV-

Seeing Raynare coming back from the bathroom with such a happy look on her face, even though it was only a small unnoticeable mirk, told me a thousand words.

Knowing how fake Pudding acted around me, I wasn't foolish around women like Sanji. So I won't grovel myself in front of them even when they want to kill me.

Still, though, Pudding trying to pick a fight with Raynare was very funny to me. She might think that Raynare was just another girl who sank into the background, but she couldn't be more wrong.

While I and Negan were the strength behind our trio, Raynare had her role to play too, like the camera conspirator during the Marineford war. She made sure the cameras were on me when I did something amazing, like fighting against Whitebeard and Kaido. It also showed moments when Akainu and the others failed.

So overall, Raynare knew a lot of dark stuff about me. She wasn't as innocent as she seemed either. 

"So, what do you think about our Alliance?" asked Big Mom, getting my attention back to the conversation. "And more importantly, what does the World Government think?"

"Oh they don't like it at all and if this was a time where they could banish me from the Marines, then they would. Sadly they need me too much." I explained to her the real reason I haven't been hunted down. "Also it isn't like the World Government doesn't have its communications with the Yonko. CP-0 are pretty much the messengers of that ordeal."

Big Mom looked at me surprised, the dealings with the World Government and Yonko were very top secret. 

"Mamamama~" she laughed. "I can't believe that you have a spy in the Cipher Pol Zero. No wonder the old grandpas want you gone. That's like you having your finger at their pulse."

Well, it was a little more complicated than that. Since this knowledge was all taken from the Anime. But I wasn't telling her that, and it was good for the World Government to think that I know of every single one of their plans against me. I didn't, but this would make them even more cautious to act against me.

I didn't have any notions of Big Mom being loyal and not telling them about this. I knew she wouldn't be able to help herself. But I also knew many secrets about her, things that she could never imagine.

Just her eating almost all of her childhood friends was enough to break her. Or maybe how Mother had only adopted children to sell them to the World Government. I knew secrets she couldn't even imagine. But I decided to not spill everything here, it wasn't the time yet.

"Well, it was a lovely dinner," I got up, ready to finish this ordeal. "Again, thank you for your invitation Big Mom, and hopefully the wedding party and food will be amazing."

She smiled at the mention of food. "Oh yes, it will be delicious. That will be one of the happiest days in my life."

"Mine too," I smiled back and walked off, with the rest of the crew following me.

Some small people dressed as chess pieces came to guide us to our rooms. While walking out, I saw pudding looking at the ground fearfully outside of the door and her body was shaking in terror. But as soon as she noticed us, her demeanor changed and a smile appeared on her face. Though a trace of despair still appeared in her eyes. 

"H -Hi, darling, should we go on a dinner date?" She said, but I noticed that she only said what first came to mind and didn't think I would agree, and she probably didn't want me to. The girl was just terrified. Sheesh, Raynare must have been angry, what did she even do to her?

"Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea," I smiled sweetly, her body shook and her knees buckled and she fell on the ground.

*hic* *hic*

Tears dripped on the ground and she started crying, "S -Sorry, I -I am just crying out of happiness."

Okay… does she think I am a harem anime protagonist? I can read the atmosphere here. She was terrified of me. 

I gave Raynare a side glance and she looked at me apologetically. Well, I won't reprimand her in front of others as we must show a united front. But, when life gives someone lemons, I steal the lemons and make lemonade. 

Crouching down I touched her hand and gently helped her get up. But she stumbled and fell unconscious as soon as she got up. I picked her up in a princess carry and glanced at the others in my crew. "Tell Big Mom that we are going on a date."

<Soru>

Fwosh!

I kicked off the ground and blitzed through the castle, finding a window and jumping out of it. The dark sky was beautiful and the wind hitting my face as we fell was gentle, the perfect atmosphere for a romantic date.

Also, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that Pudding was terrified of me. Plenty of abusers use that tactic when the girls don't have respect for their fathers or brothers and think of them as weak or can't protect them. 

In this case, Big Mom should be the parental figure of power and Katakuri was the strongest brother. Now I must invalidate their power over me in Pudding's eyes and make her think that no matter what they can't protect her. 

I could use the charming method and become someone who seemed like her perfect soul mate. But that was impossible from the beginning, Pudding wasn't gullible enough to fall for that.

Whatever Raynare told her in the bathroom was very harsh, and I am trusting Raynare to not have gone easy on her.

Landing on a grass field on the outskirts of the island, I put Pudding down and laid next to her, waiting for her to wake up. It shouldn't take too long, passing out from being too scared doesn't usually last.

"Ummh~" Pudding groaned and woke up just as I thought that. She looked around grudgingly and once she saw me lying next to her, she started shaking with fear.

"Good evening," I greeted her with a smile. I had to be charming for this to work and appear a little naive in her eyes. "You worried me there when you passed out."

"S -Sorry."

"Xahaha," I laughed softly, trying to put her at ease. "Don't worry, I know that due to you having a lot of siblings Big Mom might not pay a lot of attention to you. But once we are married I will and we will spend the rest of our lives together."

I could see the gears on her head-turning as a terrifying realization drew on her. Big Mom didn't care about her and had many other children that her presence was probably nothing special in the family, no one would miss her.

Smart people like her liked to overthink things, and what I said wasn't necessarily untrue. Big Mom had shown multiple times that she didn't care about most of her kids. Pudding had probably witnessed it multiple times, just like when one of her sisters refused to marry the Prince of Elbaf.

This was also what made her family have some critical weaknesses. Like sweet Pudding here, she was still terrified and was probably feeling alone. She would run to someone who could protect her, even if where she had to run might be a devil's arms.

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A/N: Okay, just a warning here. If your partner starts acting like Max and alienating you from those close to you… RUN!! And don't think that females don't act like this either, as they can be manipulative too.

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