Vivian was utterly bewildered.
Having been in the One Piece world for over two years, he had grown accustomed to the system's outrageous options, but…
This time, it was beyond anything he had experienced before.
Why would saying he didn't like her trigger a quest reward like "Conqueror's Haki"?
Vivian didn't understand.
But since the system had never been wrong, he didn't question it.
So, he nodded reluctantly, "Yes… you figured it out?"
[You chose option 2, reward: Strength +1]
The atmosphere in the duty room suddenly became silent.
Vivian stared directly at Domino.
It wasn't because he actually liked her, but because he was trying to figure out what was so special about her that the system would offer such an outrageous reward.
However, Domino interpreted his intense gaze differently.
"He… he really likes me?"
And he's looking at me so openly…
Do all Marines from the headquarters pursue girls so directly?
This… this is too embarrassing!
Domino lowered her head again, her face turning red.
To be honest, this was the first time she had received a confession from anyone other than Hannyabal.
And unlike Hannyabal, Vivian had taken the blame for the escaped prisoners for her sake.
Isn't this a sign of "love"?
Also…
Vivian was much more handsome than Hannyabal.
Even though she had been sent to Impel Down at a young age and had no life experience, there were many prisoners in Impel Down.
Occasionally, she would see some handsome pirates being brought in.
Like Ace, who was brought in half a month ago…
But now, after hearing Vivian's confession, she genuinely felt that Vivian was the most handsome man she had ever seen!
But now she had a problem.
Since he had confessed, should she accept it?
If she accepted, would they get married?
And if they got married, would they have children?
She had heard from Sadi-chan that having children was a terrifying experience.
Her mind was in turmoil.
Meanwhile, seeing Domino's expression change multiple times in a second, Vivian quickly waved his hand in front of her. "You don't need to worry about it."
"Huh?" Domino was puzzled.
"I mean, liking you is my own business, it has nothing to do with you. I don't want you to feel troubled by my feelings, so… you don't need to respond. Just treat me as you always have, okay?"
Domino: (°ー°〃)
Before she could say anything else, Vivian turned around and continued preparing the ingredients for the hot pot.
Domino watched Vivian busy at the stove, feeling a bit dazed.
Swordsmanship: Advanced (10/200)
Shooting: Intermediate (97/100)
Cooking: Advanced (111/200)
Forging: Intermediate (12/100)
Craftsmanship: Master (max/max)
Brewing: Master (max/max)
…
Vivian's skills, which he had been diligently practicing, would gradually improve over time, even without relying on the options. His experience points in swordsmanship and shooting, for instance, would slowly increase with his hard work.
Similarly, after taking the blame for Domino, Vivian gained his second max-level skill after brewing: craftsmanship.
Unlike forging, which was used for making weapons, "craftsmanship" was a skill for building houses or ships.
Standing outside the duty room on the sixth level, Vivian looked at the vast open space before him, and many ideas flashed through his mind.
"Maybe I could get some materials and build a villa next to the duty room?" he muttered to himself.
In an instant, various woodworking details for construction appeared in his mind.
At the same time…
"Wow…"
"What is this called? Why is it so delicious?"
"I don't know, but it's amazing…"
"I think Vivian said it's called hot pot."
"Who cares what it's called? This is the best food I've ever had…"
Fujitora, Domino, Hannyabal, Little Sadi, and Saldeath were all sitting around in the duty room, eating like they were starving, enjoying the food so much they wished they could swallow their tongues.
However, compared to the chicken soup at noon, the aroma of the hot pot, which was several times richer, spread throughout the sixth level, making all the prisoners restless.
"Hey, kid, bring some of that food in here for us to try!"
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Driven mad by their appetites, everyone started pounding on the cell bars, shouting and yelling like crazy.
The smell was just too enticing.
"What's going on?"
Hannyabal stood up from his seat.
"It seems the smell is too good, causing an uproar," Fujitora said, wiping his mouth.
Vivian's food was so good that even prisoners who had been locked up for years couldn't resist it. Fujitora, who had tasted it many times, was convinced of this.
"Isn't anyone going to stop them?" Saldeath asked.
At just 16 years old, Saldeath was extremely short, like a child, but his position was the same as Vivian's, both being chief jailers. His appetite was astonishing, and in just a short time, he had consumed most of the ingredients Domino had prepared for Vivian.
Except for Fujitora, everyone gave him a disapproving look, "You eat so much, shouldn't you be the one to stop them?"
Saldeath: "…"
"I'm still growing, so eating more is only natural," Saldeath said with a straight face.
As he finished speaking, Little Sadi, Hannyabal, and Domino all gave him a murderous look.
Saldeath: "…"
"Alright, I'll go."
He stood up, walked to one of the cells, and shouted, "Shut up, all of you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless bowls and plates flew out from the cells, hitting Saldeath and leaving him covered in soup.
Everyone: "…"