Chapter 40: Esdeath
It had been three days since the battle with Zefa.
"Who… who won?"
Charlotte struggled to sit up, but his entire body felt sore and weak, rendering him unable to rise.
"Master, it was a tie!"
Martha quickly reassured him and gently urged him to lie back down.
From his position, Charlotte noticed Martha's slightly bulging belly. She, too, was pregnant—carrying Charlotte's third child. He didn't know yet whether it would be a boy or a girl.
Charlotte already had two children: a daughter and a son.
His daughter, two-year-old Jenny's child, was named Rockefeller Esdeath.
Charlotte had chosen the name because of her striking blue hair, inherited from her mother, and her accidental consumption of the Cold-Cold Fruit.
That incident still made Charlotte both laugh and sigh. Esdeath had been playing in his quarters when she accidentally discovered and bit into the devil fruit from his collection. Despite only taking a small bite, the fruit's powers had fully transferred to her.
Now, Esdeath's body constantly exuded cold, causing her to be nicknamed a "witch" by the crew. However, Charlotte doted on her regardless, finding her mischievous antics endearing.
His second child, a son, was Jillian's. He was only two months old and had yet to be named. Charlotte had been so focused on training and fighting that he had neglected to name his first son—a mistake he regretted.
"Bring Esdeath here," Charlotte said, looking at Jenny.
Jenny hesitated. She worried that Esdeath's uncontrollable cold might harm Charlotte, especially in his current weakened state.
"You don't need to worry. Bring her here," Charlotte insisted, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Reluctantly, Jenny left the room and returned shortly, carrying little Esdeath, who had a pacifier in her mouth and her trademark blue hair tied in small pigtails.
"Ah! Ahhh!"
Esdeath babbled happily as Jenny placed her beside Charlotte.
Charlotte smiled as he reached out to touch his daughter's chubby cheeks, but the moment his hand made contact, he felt an icy chill.
Despite this, Charlotte's smile grew. The coldness was a minor inconvenience compared to the joy Esdeath brought him.
"Ah!"
Esdeath, curious and playful, slapped Charlotte's hand away with surprising strength.
Jenny gasped, horrified.
"Esdeath!" she scolded, worried Charlotte might be hurt.
Charlotte chuckled. "It's fine. She's strong—it's a good thing. It means she can protect herself in the future."
He gestured for the maid in the corridor. "Order the cook to prepare all the meat we have."
The maid quickly ran off to deliver the order.
---
Soon, a line of maids entered, carrying plates piled high with roasted meats, steaming soups, and freshly baked bread. They arranged the dishes on the table near Charlotte's bed.
"Help me up," Charlotte instructed.
Alice and Nell quickly moved to support him, carefully guiding him to the dining table.
The maids began cutting the food into bite-sized pieces, feeding him one piece at a time. Charlotte chewed methodically, savoring the taste and feeling his strength gradually returning.
"Keep going," he ordered.
"Yes, Master," the maids replied, taking turns to feed him.
The sight of Charlotte devouring food like a bottomless pit left the maids in awe. It was as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.
Once the plates were cleared, Charlotte frowned. "That's not enough. Tell the kitchen to prepare triple the amount."
A maid bowed and left to relay his order.
---
After a while, Charlotte began to feel his strength returning. He decided to remove the bandages wrapped around his body.
"Master, no!" Martha cried, trying to stop him, but it was too late.
As the last of the bandages fell away, Charlotte suddenly realized he was completely naked beneath them.
"Why am I not wearing anything underneath?" he muttered, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
Martha quickly grabbed a cloak and draped it over him. "Master, please put this on!"
Turning to the other maids in the room, she shouted, "Everyone out!"
The younger maids blushed furiously as they hurriedly left the room. Most of them were teenagers, with only a few in their twenties or thirties. The sight of Charlotte's bare physique had clearly flustered them.
Once the room was clear, Martha helped Charlotte into his clothes.
---
By the time the next batch of food arrived, Charlotte had regained enough strength to feed himself. He picked up the plates, eating rapidly and with gusto.
The maids watched in amazement as Charlotte cleared plate after plate.
Charlotte's insatiable appetite had the ship's kitchen staff working at full capacity. The chefs were drenched in sweat, stirring and grilling without pause.
Despite the chaos, Charlotte felt at ease. His energy was returning, and with it, his determination.
He glanced at Esdeath, who was now playing with her pacifier and laughing happily.
"You're going to be strong one day," he murmured, his voice filled with pride and resolve.
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