Holding Nerona in his arms, Chiga walked over to the sofa and sat down. He glanced at the two round maids standing silently to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"When did you end up with two maids?"

Nerona didn't lift her head. Her voice was muffled as she muttered,

"You didn't like those guards in black last time, remember? I replaced them after you left. So… are you touched or not? Just admit it. I won't laugh at you!"

Snap!

Chiga flicked her forehead sharply, halting her smug tone mid-sentence.

He took another look at the maids. Both were round as dumplings, and their faces could best be described as forgettable. He couldn't help but wonder if Nerona's sense of aesthetics was broken.

Nerona lightly headbutted Chiga's chest, sulking.

"Hmph! Do you think I'm like you, surrounding myself with beautiful women? You have those two pretty secretaries. If I brought in someone like that and you saw them…"

She trailed off, but Chiga could read between the lines. So that's what this was—she was guarding against him.

A low chuckle escaped his throat as he ruffled her hair.

Nerona looked up abruptly, clearly annoyed.

"Why are you always messing up my hair? You're going to ruin the style!"

Ever since Chiga had once criticized her ridiculous hairstyle, she had cut it to shoulder-length. But after his constant head-patting, it had gone a bit wild again.

Grumbling, Nerona smoothed her hair and gave a little hmph.

"Anyway, you ignored me first. Today, you're not allowed to leave until I say so."

"Oh?"

Chiga raised an eyebrow. His gaze made her flinch as her voice dropped to a whisper,

"Uh… I mean, how about I keep you company? Surely you have time for that?"

Satisfied, Chiga leaned back and draped an arm over the sofa.

Nerona tugged on his arm and rested her head against it, tracing idle circles on his chest with her finger.

"Chiga, do you still need Devil Fruits? I found a few really good ones. I'll give them all to you."

You'd think she was offering Berries, not rare and powerful treasures. Chiga shook his head and tapped his temple, motioning to his eyes.

"No need for now. My Eyes are basically maxed up right now."

"I know. I watched the live broadcast. You looked so cool!"

Nerona ran her fingers through his snow-white hair. The strands slipped between her fingers like silk.

Chiga smiled faintly, and his long hair began moving on its own, wrapping gently around Nerona and lifting her into the air. She let out a squeal of surprise, followed by delighted giggles.

Since stepping into the Six Paths realm, his body control had reached new levels. Manipulating his hair was mere child's play.

Nerona laughed as she was gently spun and lifted, her laughter light and unrestrained. Eventually, the hair set her down in his lap. She curled up like a kitten, closed her eyes, and let out a content sigh.

The two maids watched the scene, utterly stunned. Their hearts raced at the surreal yet strangely beautiful display.

That calm was suddenly shattered as a rotund figure barged into the hall.

"Sister! Rizwell just—huh!?"

The newcomer froze, eyes wide as saucers at the sight of Nerona nestled in Chiga's arms. His finger trembled as he pointed.

"You! You're that Uchiha Chiga! What did you do to my sister!?"

Chiga glanced at him coolly, not even bothering to shift his posture.

"You should put that hand down. Unless you want to lose it."

A flash of purple shimmered in Chiga's Rinnegan. The pressure in the room dropped like a hammer. The man—clearly Nerona's brother—shook uncontrollably. Then, with a whimper, a warm stream ran down his legs. He had wet himself from fear.

Nerona quickly tugged on Chiga's sleeve, whispering gently,

"Chiga, let my brother go. He's not the brightest, but he's harmless…"

Chiga withdrew the Haki pressure and waved his hand. A breeze swept through the room, carrying away the stench and tension.

The man slumped, eyes lowered, utterly humiliated.

Chiga, meanwhile, had caught onto something.

When the man burst in, he'd mentioned Lizville.

"Rizwell… that name rings a bell," Chiga murmured.

He turned to Nerona.

"Wasn't Rizwell the one who bought Boa Hancock back then?"

At the mention of that name, Nerona's expression tightened.

"Yeah… I know her. She's a Celestial Dragon too. Hideous, frankly. Looks worse than these maids I brought in. Pockmarked face, body like a boulder."

She shot a glare at her brother.

"And this guy actually likes her. Follows her around like a puppy."

Chiga's expression darkened.

"I see…"

A quiet, chilling intent rolled off him.

Nerona felt the change immediately and clung to him.

"Did she do something to upset you?"

"Something like that."

Chiga turned to her brother.

"Hey. What were you saying about Rizwell earlier?"

The man jumped at being addressed directly, then quickly bowed his head.

"She—she just wanted to know more about you. She asked my sister about you…"

Both Chiga and Nerona were surprised.

Nerona's brows furrowed.

"What does she want with him?"

The answer came quickly.

"She said she's very interested in the man beside you," her brother mumbled. "She… she wants you to invite him over to meet her."

Nerona's face went pale, then flushed red with rage.

This pig-faced troll thinks she can just steal my man?

She turned to Chiga with a look of desperation and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Chiga~ Please don't talk to her. She's awful."

Chiga couldn't help but burst out laughing, reaching out to pinch her cheek.

"I don't plan to entertain her, but there's something I need to settle."

He turned to the brother and said with quiet finality,

"I'm right here. Tell her to come to me."

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