Be My Backer? Do You Deserve It? (2/5)

Finn's words left everyone in stunned silence.

"What? The Sword Immortal kid has fallen in love with little Pudding?" Charlotte Linlin's eyes gleamed with interest. "This is unexpected," she mused.

Charlotte Smoothie, who stood nearby, couldn't help but glance at Finn in disbelief. Her beautiful eyes flickered as she tried to understand his motive. Is it because he saw Pudding being mocked and wanted to defend her? Or... does he genuinely not care about her third eye?

Whatever the reason, Smoothie's impression of Finn was beginning to change. Maybe he isn't as shallow as he first seemed...

Meanwhile, Charlotte Pudding's emotions were a whirlwind. Tears streamed down her cheeks. For the first time in her life, someone looked past her disfigurement—someone who didn't find her third eye grotesque, but instead saw it as beautiful. Her heart raced, overwhelmed by Finn's acceptance.

She had always been ridiculed, always the odd one out, but Finn's appreciation, his understanding, felt like a lifeline thrown into the stormy seas of her life. In an instant, she found herself hopelessly, irreversibly falling for him. It's like a rebellious girl, rejected by society, suddenly finding someone who truly understands her. How could she not?

Summoning all her courage, Pudding grabbed Finn's arm, her three tear-filled eyes pleading. "Take me away... please."

Her desperate words sent shockwaves through the room. The entire Charlotte family stared at her in horror. Pudding's request wasn't just rebellious—it was treasonous. To leave the family was unheard of. In the world of Charlotte Linlin, betrayal meant only one thing: death.

"Is she insane?" one of the siblings whispered.

No one dared defy their mother, let alone in such a blatant way. But Pudding, the gentle-hearted girl everyone mocked, had said it—right in front of Linlin herself.

Only Finn seemed to truly understand what Pudding had been through. Her life in the Charlotte family had been nothing but mockery, rejection, and loneliness. Her childhood was filled with taunts and cold stares, wounds that festered for years until Finn's kindness opened them up once more. He is the spark that ignited her long-suppressed rebellion.

For Pudding, Finn was her one chance for freedom. A chance to escape the cruel family she was born into. A chance to live without the constant ridicule. She knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She would rather risk everything, even death, than continue to live in misery.

Seeing the hope in Pudding's eyes, Finn felt a tug in his heart. Rebellious girls aren't born—they're made by broken families.

"Okay," Finn said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "I'll take you away."

Pudding's eyes widened with joy. "Really?" she gasped, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"Really," Finn assured her, his voice firm. He then turned to Charlotte Linlin. "Charlotte Linlin, you've seen it yourself. Pudding doesn't want to stay here. Let her go with me, and I'll owe you a favor. How about it?"

The towering matriarch's laughter boomed through the hall. "No," she said coldly. "You think I'd just give her to you? You must be joking."

Pudding was more than just an unwanted daughter to Linlin—she was a tool. Her rare third eye and her Memory-Memory Fruit made her invaluable. With Pudding's ability to alter memories, Linlin had erased any dissent within her crew, manipulating her children's minds to keep them loyal. Pudding knew the truth behind the Charlotte family's darker secrets, and Linlin would never let that go.

Finn narrowed his eyes. "Charlotte Linlin, are you sure? My favor as the Sword Immortal isn't something to take lightly."

"Your favor? It means nothing to me!" Linlin's son, Snag, growled. "How dare you threaten Mother?!"

Before Snag could say more, Finn's sword aura flooded the room like a tidal wave. The hall buzzed with invisible power, thousands of swords seemingly materializing out of thin air, all aimed at Snag. His face paled as sweat poured down his forehead. It felt as if he'd been pierced a thousand times over. He collapsed to the ground, trembling.

"Thank you, second brother," Snag gasped as Katakuri stepped forward, breaking the oppressive aura.

"Finn," Katakuri said evenly, "you won't bully my siblings. If you wish to take Pudding, you'll have to go through me."

Before Finn could reply, Charlotte Linlin's booming voice cut through the tension. "Enough! Pudding isn't going anywhere. But if you want, choose from Smoothie, Galette, or Flampe. Marry one of them, and I'll back you. In this sea, you could rise to the top with me behind you."

Finn smirked, a cold, mocking grin playing on his lips. "Back me? You?" He chuckled softly before locking eyes with Linlin. "Are you... worthy?"

The hall erupted into chaos. Guests gasped in shock, their mouths hanging open. Linlin's face darkened, fury radiating off her like a storm.

"You're finished, boy!" she bellowed, her voice shaking the walls. Though she hadn't yet unleashed her full Conqueror's Haki, the sheer force of her presence was enough to make the room tremble. Finn stood his ground, unfazed.

"Sword Immortal, you have to leave! It's my fault—I don't want to see you hurt because of me!" Pudding tugged at Finn's arm, her voice filled with panic.

Finn smiled down at her, his eyes softening. "If I leave you now, your life will never know happiness again."

Pudding's heart pounded. His words filled her with a warmth she had never known. She blinked, tears blurring her vision. Finn continued, his voice gentle yet firm, "As cheesy as it sounds, I'll say it anyway. From this day forward, I'll be the light that shines on your life."

With that, Finn pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed it into Pudding's hand.

"What... what is this?" she asked, confused.

"Trust me," Finn said with a smile. "Just press down with your thumb."

Without hesitation, Pudding did as he asked. In an instant, a sharp prick pierced her thumb, and her body shimmered like light reflecting off water. Before anyone could react, her form dissolved into particles of light, shooting upwards like a beam.

And just like that, she was gone.