[~1200 words]
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The moment Mansherry stirred, James noticed immediately.
He gently moved his hand from Rebecca's body, reached under the quilt, and pulled the tiny princess into his embrace.
Even in the dim light, Mansherry's bright eyes sparkled. The second she saw James, she called out happily in her sweet voice, "It's the Great Good Man! Did you succeed?"
James nodded and whispered softly, "I succeeded. Keep your voice down—someone else is sleeping right next to us."
"That's great," Mansherry breathed a huge sigh of relief.
With the root cause of her capture gone, she no longer had to fear being spied on by those with ill intentions.
Despite her weakened state, Mansherry curiously peeked at Rebecca. At the same time, Rebecca's soft, adorable eyes fluttered open.
"Eh!?" Rebecca was startled. "This is…"
James turned on the room lights and introduced them with a smile. "This is Mansherry, the princess of the Tontatta Tribe."
"She was kidnapped by the Donquixote Family many years ago and suffered a lot. I'm sure the two of you can become good friends."
Rebecca nodded warmly. After the girls exchanged names, they both suddenly realized they didn't know their savior's name. They turned to James with curious eyes.
"What about you?"
"My name is James, my people call me God James," he replied.
As the light fell on Mansherry's face, James noticed something was wrong. She looked exhausted and extremely weak.
He had been so focused on plundering the Healing Fruit for his own enjoyment that he had momentarily forgotten about the side effects of having a Devil Fruit taken away. Now clearly wasn't the right time to give her the injection to treat those effects.
After the two girls chatted for a while, James noticed how late it had gotten and gently interjected, "Mansherry, your body still needs rest. You should sleep a little more~"
"Okay~" Mansherry nodded obediently. The feeling of weakness still clung to her and refused to fade.
James released a small wave of Conqueror's Haki toward her. The poor little princess immediately fainted softly into Rebecca's hands. James took her gently and placed her back in his arms.
Now it was time for his private world with Rebecca.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Rebecca finally voiced the question in her heart.
"Onii-chan… did you come here just to tell me that news?"
"Of course not." James shook his head, revealing his true intentions with a gentle smile.
"I avenged your mother's death, and I will also help fulfill your deepest wish—to become strong."
"Most importantly… I want to receive a proper 'repayment' from you."
"Thank you, Onii-chan. You're so kind," Rebecca said sincerely, her eyes full of gratitude. "You helped me avenge such a huge wrong and you're even willing to make me stronger."
She understood that nothing in this world came for free. Everything had its price.
She was more than willing to give everything she had to repay his kindness—even if it meant working like an ox or a horse for the rest of her life.
"It's only right to repay Onii-chan…"
"It's just that I'm only a penniless princess of a fallen kingdom… I really don't know how I should repay you…"
"The way to repay me is very simple," James said with a slight smile. "Just promise to marry me and become my Divine Concubine."
"Eh!?" Rebecca was startled. She clearly hadn't expected such a bold request so suddenly.
"Why…?"
James thought for a moment and decided to activate his grand "smooth talker" mode, tailoring his words beautifully to his audience.
"At first, becoming the new ruler of Dressrosa was mainly to stabilize my control over the country. If I married you—the princess of the former royal family—it would help legitimize my rule."
"But the moment I saw you, that goal was completely shattered."
"Your beautiful, lively, and adorable eyes told me that I wanted your heart far more than I wanted a stable kingdom—even if it meant ruling over a ruined Dressrosa."
James's eyes burned with sincere passion, enough to melt anyone's heart.
"This isn't because of your special status. It's because of the wonderful qualities that Rebecca herself possesses—qualities that make people want to cherish and love you."
"Ah!?" Rebecca grew even more embarrassed. She nervously fidgeted with her small hands and murmured shyly, "I… I'm not as good as you say…"
"You can doubt my strength, but never doubt my judgment, Rebecca. Your kindness and beauty are beyond words."
"I… I'll believe you then…" Rebecca's face burned bright red. She shyly turned her head away, fanning her flushed cheeks with her hands.
"What? Are you unwilling to accept my excessive request?"
*(Kyros, still unconscious: You actually admit it's excessive!? You knocked out your future father-in-law and then tried to steal his precious daughter right in front of him!)*
"No, it's just… it was too sudden, and I… I'm a little overwhelmed."
Rebecca's soft, sweet voice easily stirred James's desire to tease her. But instead, he gently asked for her honest feelings.
"Then what are your thoughts?"
"Me…" Rebecca turned to meet his gaze for a brief moment before quickly looking down again. Her cheeks grew even redder, radiating maidenly shyness.
"If it's Onii-chan… I… I can!"
James smiled softly. "Good girl. I'm glad you agreed willingly. That way, you can accept my care for you with a clear conscience."
"Call me ungrateful or say I used coercion if you want."
"Rebecca, from the moment I met you, I knew I would never let you go—no matter what."
"Onii-chan~ I understand…"
James nodded and proactively pulled her fragrant, soft body into his arms. The feeling of her full breasts pressing against him awakened many desires.
The next moment, a pure, intoxicating maidenly scent filled his nose—not from any perfume, but Rebecca's natural fragrance.
"Hmm~ Onii-chan~"
"Good girl~ I'll just hold you for a while~"
"Okay~"
After some time passed, Rebecca noticed James still hadn't let go. She asked quietly, "Weren't you only going to hold me for a little while?"
She had never felt so awkward before, yet this strange feeling made her delicate body grow warmer and warmer.
It felt… strangely comfortable. Could this be what it meant to like someone…?
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**Character Note:**
**Rebecca**: Possesses super beautiful long pink hair. Violet's niece and a princess of a fallen kingdom. She feels immense gratitude toward James for avenging her mother's death. With James taking the initiative, this gratitude will naturally transform into her devoting her entire being to him.
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