章 109: Monet And Sugar Sisters, Dolls And Brother Ming

The puppet lowered its head and asked calmly, "What are your names?"

The older girl, seeing that he had spoken, quickly replied, "Sir, my name is Monet, and this is my sister, Sugar. If we're caught, we'll surely be killed!"

Upon hearing the name, Arías, who was controlling the puppet, immediately perked up. It seemed that the changes in the world were beginning to bear fruit. Characters from the original plot were now escaping their destined fates on their own.

Just as he was about to respond, he noticed more voices approaching. Turning around, he saw a pirate ship docking nearby. A blond man disembarked, striding forward with an air of confidence.

"Tsk! Two birds with one stone," Arías thought with satisfaction. The puppet then spoke to the sisters, "Come with me."

The two sisters hurriedly followed. However, the group chasing them wasn't ready to give up. "Hey, you! Leave those two behind!" one of them shouted.

Arías remained silent as a cold light flashed, and the pursuers fell to the ground, clutching their throats, blood pooling beneath them.

Doflamingo, who had been approaching, paused, surprised by what he had just witnessed. "Hey! Stop!" he called out, aiming a gun at the puppet's head. "Kneel, or die!"

Intrigued by the puppet's strange killing methods, Doflamingo considered recruiting it. To him, strong subordinates were essential for achieving his ambitions.

But how could he possibly conquer the puppet?

The puppet moved with blinding speed, cutting through Doflamingo's armed threads one by one. However, the sheer number of threads eventually halted its advance.

"It's a flying knife," Doflamingo realized, understanding how his men had been killed.

"You've got potential. How about joining me?" Doflamingo offered, laughing arrogantly.

The puppet, unfazed, replied, "You're not qualified to conquer me yet!"

In a flash, the puppet lunged at Doflamingo, its claws aimed at his throat. Doflamingo dodged, but something felt off. His strength was waning.

"Seastone!" he thought in alarm. But how? The puppet had nothing in its hands, yet the effects of seastone were unmistakable.

Taking advantage of Doflamingo's weakened state, the puppet struck again, this time aiming for his heart. Just as it was about to make contact, Doflamingo's crew, including Pika and Diamante, intervened, knocking the puppet away.

The puppet, however, was unharmed. Its durability was beyond anything they could easily overcome.

"Doflamingo, do you want to continue?" the puppet asked, its tone taunting.

Seething with anger, Doflamingo retorted, "We'll see!" Never before had he come so close to death.

Ignoring Doflamingo and his crew, the puppet guided the Monet sisters onto the boat. As they sailed away, a system voice echoed in Arías's mind: "Sisters Monet and Sugar saved. Future world line altered. Reward: Dragon Claw Hand."

Meanwhile, on the island, gunfire erupted, and flames began to spread. Monet and Sugar, still shaken, glanced nervously at the puppet, their savior.

"Why were those people chasing you?" the puppet asked, its voice devoid of warmth.

Monet recounted their story: their parents had died young, leaving them in the care of a cruel uncle who treated them like slaves. As Monet grew older, her cousin attempted to assault her. In self-defense, she had wounded him severely and fled with her sister.

"Another tragic tale," Arías thought, realizing just how dire their situation had been. Even without his intervention, Doflamingo would have found them and turned them into loyal followers. But now, their loyalty would be his.

"From now on, you're under my protection. No one will harm you again," the puppet declared.

The sisters felt a sense of relief and gratitude, instinctively becoming more attached to their savior.

"Wait here," the puppet instructed before jumping off the boat. Shortly after, it returned with a large fish.

"There aren't any cooking tools, so we'll eat sashimi," the puppet said, tossing the fish onto the deck and handing them knives.

Monet and Sugar, grateful for the meal, began cutting the fish and ate eagerly. It had been so long since they had eaten their fill.

"Don't you want any?" they asked the puppet.

The puppet, needing no food, waved them off. "I'm fine. Cut what you can't eat and hang it to dry."

After the meal, Monet asked hesitantly, "What should we call you?"

Arías, realizing the puppet would need a name for future interactions, thought for a moment. "You can call me Xia Ye, or Yong Ye."

"Yes, Lord Ye!" Monet replied respectfully, pulling Sugar to bow with her.

Afterward, the two began drying the fish. Satisfied, Arías decided to teach them how to cultivate Qi. Their loyalty in the original story had proven their worth, and now, they would be his confidants.

The puppet would need its own power, especially as it moved forward in conquering the underground world. The future was bright, and the puppet's strength would only grow.