That insufferable man.
Stussy’s smile didn’t waver, but beneath the surface, irritation simmered.
Just as the rumors say... he really is an indiscriminate flirt who’ll go after anything with a pulse!
She wasn’t sure whether the frustration stemmed from Darren’s arrogant confidence—or from her own involuntary reaction to it.
Either way, she had no intention of backing down. Not now. His smugness only stoked her competitive fire.
After all, she wasn’t just the Queen of the Pleasure District in name alone.
Within the grand stage of the New World’s most decadent red-light zone, she reigned supreme—not merely as a symbol of desire, but as a tactician, an actress, and a master of intelligence. Many of the most elite Kabuki artists and courtesans—women capable of bankrupting nobles with a single glance—had been trained personally by her.
They weren’t just entertainers. They were weapons.
Men were foolish creatures. Put a beautiful woman on their arm, let strong liquor loosen their tongues, and sooner or later, they’d start spilling secrets they’d never intended to share. The courtesans only needed to listen, smile, and ask the right question at the right moment.
In that world, Stussy was the uncrowned queen.
And in this unspoken duel of charm and will, the first to flinch would lose.
A teasing smile tugged at her lips, painting her expression with cherry-red temptation.
"My, Mr. Darren... such honesty. In that case, I won’t hold back either."
She rose with effortless grace, every motion fluid, sensual—precise.
The tap of her wine-red stilettos against the polished floor echoed like a slow, deliberate countdown. Each step a note, each note a tether winding tighter around the senses.
Darren recognized the rhythm immediately.
In his past life—before this world, before this body—he’d heard that sound countless times. The click of heels outside a private room, the hush before the door opened, the thrill of mystery. It always came with a price. Back then, it usually cost him a full day’s wages.
This was something else entirely.
The most refined, most dangerous courtesan on the Grand Line had come to him. No mystery to unwrap—but what man would complain about a gift already opened?
As those thoughts passed through his mind, Stussy reached the bedside.
Her pale, slender hands reached out, red-tipped nails tracing a slow path across Darren’s bare chest—mapping muscle, scar, and warmth.
"A body ," she whispered near his ear, "even the Great Pirate Charlotte Linlin would covet."
Her hips swayed like a serpent poised to strike as she leaned closer, her breath brushing Darren’s skin, hot and sweet.
"If Big Mom found out," she purred, "she’d be furious."
Her voice, thick with honeyed mischief, lingered in his ear. Her fingers painted invisible sigils across his chest. The scent of perfume clung to every word.
Careful now, Darren thought, lips twitching into a subtle smirk. You’re playing with fire, woman.
He let his breath hitch deliberately, his expression tightening into something halfway between desire and panic.
"I have no interest in that lunatic," he snapped.
"Oh?" Stussy giggled, her tone feather-light. "Then what about me, Mr. Darren? Do I pique your interest?"
Her fingers traced lower—slow, deliberate.
His muscles tensed in response.
Stussy’s eyes gleamed.
"My, my... Mr. Darren’s body is so honest."
Hey, that’s supposed to be my line...
Despite himself, Darren couldn’t help the inward chuckle.
She was good. Too good. Her rhythm, her tone, her pacing—flawless. A lesser man would’ve crumbled already.
But Darren wasn’t a lesser man.
Still, he played along, schooling his face into a calm, amused mask.
Heh. Didn’t think he’d be this easy to tease.
Stussy’s eyes sparkled with delight as her fingers continued their lazy exploration.
"And I’ve heard," she added softly, "that you have a beautiful wife waiting for you back at Marine Headquarters. Aren’t you afraid she’ll be jealous?"
Nope. You’re overthinking it.
If Toki ever found out, she wouldn’t be angry.
She’d probably try to drag you off somewhere and ask to be your friend.
Stussy, oblivious to the real answer, leaned in closer. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
"After all, if I could win your heart... I might gain control of the Pleasure District’s influence, wealth, and intelligence network."
Darren’s smirk faded slightly. His voice dropped.
"So you have done your research."
She waved a hand dismissively, laughter like windchimes. "Isn’t that only natural? These days, Mr. Darren is a name that echoes across every corner of the seas."
She tilted her head, her eyes half-lidded in admiration.
"Since your debut, you’ve crushed the World Destroyer Byrnndi World... severed the arm of Kozuki Oden, brother to Whitebeard himself... foiled Golden Lion Shiki’s schemes time and again... killed three of Big Mom’s own children... and even crippled Douglas Bullet, the so-called Demon Heir of the Roger Pirates."
She leaned in to whisper behind his ear, lips brushing skin.
"And just yesterday... your graduation speech shook the world. Your solo raid on Totto Land made headlines across the seas."
"Mr. Darren," she breathed, "you’re not just famous. You’ve surpassed the Three Pillars of the Marines—Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr."
She lingered, letting the silence stretch.
"Do you know what they call you now?"
She smiled as she whispered the list into his ear, each title delivered like a lover’s kiss:
"The New Generation Monster of Marine Headquarters."
"The Uncrowned King of the North Blue."
"The Heir to the Three Pillars."
"A Strategic Deterrent Weapon."
"The Endbringer of Legends."
Her fingers cupped his jaw with delicate affection. Their eyes met, her voice lowering to a hush.
"...The Future Flying Admiral."
Darren chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist with the ease of familiarity.
"I’ve really collected that many titles?"
His hand traced the line of her spine, slow and deliberate.
"Sounds ridiculous when you say them all out loud."
I’d die of embarrassment if I had to introduce myself with all that.
He shook his head with a low laugh.
"Nicknames always sound cooler when someone else says them, don’t they?"
Stussy gave a soft giggle, nudging his hand away before it wandered too far. Her expression turned coy, her voice a purr.
"So it’s only natural that a woman like me would want to know more about you... don’t you think?"
You’ve done your homework, huh?
Darren’s brow twitched.
But he didn’t answer.
And Stussy saw it—that flicker of recognition.
"You’ve been investigating me too, haven’t you?" she said softly, her smile widening. "You recognized me the moment I stepped through that door."