The streets of Dressrosa were as bustling and passionate as ever, with sunlight dappling through stained-glass windows, and the air filled with a mixture of sweets, floral scents, and pheromones.
Charlotte Linlin walked through them with the two giant Damselettes, Gölz and Ripley, forming an extremely eye-catching scene.
However, this "attention" was not always well-intentioned.
Even without activating Observation Haki, Charlotte Linlin could sense the sticky, greedy gazes coming from all directions.
Most of these gazes fell upon her, who was mistaken for a "princess," mixed with admiration, covetousness, and the undisguised possessiveness of certain nobles.
After this period of time, Charlotte Linlin had understood why so many people were targeting her.
Besides herself, another reason was the long dress she was wearing, made by Gölz.
Except for the size, this white dress was almost identical to the attire of the princesses of Dressrosa, so much so that most residents of Dressrosa took her for a princess from another country.
"Disgusting gazes."
Charlotte Linlin's brow furrowed slightly beneath her sunglasses, a chill rising in her heart.
"Buzzing like flies. Sometimes, I really want to use a Raigo to clear things out."
Her gaze inadvertently swept across a hidden corner decorated with a floral arch, where a figure dressed inconsistently with the commoners was peeking furtively before shrinking back.
"Which noble's spy is it this time? Truly tiresome."
At that moment, a figure both familiar and annoying to Charlotte Linlin appeared, breaking their mood for sightseeing.
A man dressed in exquisite noble attire, but with obvious bruises on his face, held a bouquet of delicate roses. He forced a smile he thought was soulful and hurried toward them.
"Noble Princess! The sun is shining brightly today. I wonder if I might have the honor..."
"No. Thanks. Goodbye." Charlotte Linlin interrupted him before he could even finish, her tone flat and emotionless, before gesturing to Gölz beside her.
"Gölz, send him away."
"Okay! Linlin!" Gölz's booming voice carried a hint of excitement.
The "practical combat" of this period had already made her well-versed in this process. Her massive fist didn't use much force, simply waving casually as if shooing away a mosquito.
*Thud!*
With a dull thud, that "elegant" noble man traced a graceful arc through the air, falling into a scenic fountain by the street and splashing a large amount of water.
"Prince Eros! Prince Eros!"
A group of servants following Eros cried out in alarm, rushing over in a scramble to fish their drenched prince out of the pool.
An old butler, while wiping Eros's soaked hair and clothes with a towel, advised him earnestly.
"Prince Eros! This is the twenty-first time! How about... just giving up? That princess, she... she really doesn't seem interested in you!"
However, Eros was completely oblivious to his own pathetic state. Instead, he fished the now-disassembled bouquet of roses from the pool, his eyes shining with excitement.
"No! What do you know! This time is different! She only knocked me into the water this time! The water! I wasn't hurt at all!"
"What does this mean? It means she's starting to care about me! She couldn't bear to see me hurt again! This is progress in love!"
The old butler looked at his young master's appearance and nonsensical logic, his lip twitching.
"Young Master, is it possible... that was just an accident?"
"Impossible! This fountain is where she stopped to look just now! She must have deliberately knocked me here to soothe my pain with the spring water!"
Eros said with conviction, completely immersed in his own fantasy.
The butler looked at Eros's bruised and swollen face, feeling it wasn't convincing at all.
Not far away, Gölz clapped her hands, her giant face showing some confusion and annoyance.
"Why hasn't this guy given up yet? I've swatted him away eight or nine times. Did Sister Gloriosa not scare him off completely?"
Charlotte Linlin sighed helplessly and explained.
"Do you think it's possible that when Gloriosa was around, he didn't even have a chance to get close?"
"Most of the unhealed wounds on his body are'souvenirs' left from the first time Gloriosa met him."
Recalling Gloriosa's undisguised killing intent and the force of her strikes at the time, Charlotte Linlin felt that the fact this guy could still jump around was proof of Dressrosa's excellent medical standards.
Gölz struck her palm with her fist in sudden realization.
"Ah! So that's how it is! Then next time I'll strike harder too! Lest he be like what you said, Linlin..." She couldn't remember the term for a moment.
Watching the fun from the side, Ripley reminded her with a smile, "A dog-skin plaster."
"Right! Like a dog-skin plaster, endlessly annoying!" Gölz said huffily.
"Always popping up to ruin our mood while we're hanging out with Linlin!"
"Who told our Captain to be so charming?" Ripley leaned in close to Charlotte Linlin, blinking mischievously with a teasing tone.
"Even with her face hidden, her overall aura and sense of mystery are enough to make these mad bees and butterflies flock to her one after another."
Charlotte Linlin glanced sideways at the person who always loved to tease her and said sternly.
"I'm annoyed too. Since the mood for sightseeing is ruined, why don't we go back to the ship now?"
As she spoke, she made a move to turn around.
"Eh! No, no, no!"
Ripley quickly grabbed the corner of her dress, her clear large eyes instantly filling with a glistening sheen.
"Linlin, Captain! I was wrong, I'll never tease you again! Let's play a bit longer!"
Charlotte Linlin looked at her helplessly. "We've been playing for six or seven days. Haven't you had enough yet?"
"It's mainly because today is the last day!" Ripley cried out pitifully, drawing out her voice.
"Who knows when we'll be able to come here again! Sister Linlin~ please~"
Seeing Ripley's lack of giant dignity, instead pleading like a giant dog, Charlotte Linlin's heart couldn't help but soften.
Even though she knew this girl was faking it, she always felt that by refusing this version of Ripley, she was committing some sort of grave sin.
"Sigh~ alright then." She finally compromised.
"Great!" Ripley immediately beamed.
Beside them, Gölz's eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at Ripley's "face-changing" skill, her heart filled with shock.
"As expected of Teacher! To actually handle Captain Linlin so easily! Amazing! I must learn this move from Teacher!"
She secretly clenched her fist, determined to study this art well.
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