One Piece: I'm not Roger

Soon, the afternoon tea party ended with everyone leaving in apparent satisfaction. Even Aether, despite his indifferent attitude, managed to secure four business deals with the others. The only one who gained nothing was the man who had remained pinned to the ground the entire time without anyone helping him up.

Du Feld could still feel a lingering trace of Conqueror's Haki pressure, so he could only grit his teeth and curse inwardly throughout the event.

"Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. The humiliation I suffered today will surely be repaid twofold."

A faint, moist glint appeared at the corners of his eyes. The era when the six kings of the underworld freely schemed against one another felt like it was fading, never to return.

When Du Feld finally managed to stand and leave the banquet, he immediately sought out the King of Assassins with a dark expression. They had matters to discuss, and their movements did not go unnoticed by Aether.

Some rats simply loved moving in the dark, unaware that an eagle was already watching from above.

[S-Class Figure Du Feld has generated negative emotions toward the Host, high-level hostility, rewarding 5,000 experience points.]

[S-Class Figure Pierrot has generated negative emotions toward the Host, medium-level hostility, rewarding 2,000 experience points.]

Come on, like moths flying into a flame.

Night eventually fell, and the entire Cake Island glowed with colorful lights, turning the island into something resembling a fairy tale world.

Aether received another banquet invitation from Katakuri. He attended out of courtesy, making no effort to engage in conversation throughout the event.

However, despite remaining low profile, he still became the center of attention. As time passed, nobles and influential figures gradually gathered around him, attempting to build connections.

Amid the crowd, several restless hands tried to touch him. If not for the fact that some of the noblewomen were still tolerable in appearance, Aether would have reminded them of the consequences of overstepping, just like the man who reached out earlier and was knocked unconscious.

The brightest figure of the banquet was undoubtedly Stussy. Her black evening gown accentuated her figure as she moved through the crowd like a butterfly. However, anyone who attempted to approach her ended up humiliated.

After dealing with the crowd, Aether finally observed the Charlotte Family gathered together. If not for his curiosity about the largest family in the pirate world, he would not have bothered attending such a tedious banquet.

A large group followed Charlotte Linlin, young and old alike. The eldest son was nearly fifty years old, while the youngest child was only two. It was clear Charlotte Linlin was extraordinarily prolific, though the quality of her offspring varied greatly.

Some were handsome and elegant, others were far less appealing. Much of this likely came from their fathers, since Charlotte Linlin herself had been a beauty in her youth.

Many of her children benefited greatly from her lineage, which even surprised Aether upon seeing it firsthand. Perhaps Charlotte Linlin's vision for Totto Land was not entirely without merit.

Having seen enough, Aether quietly left the banquet hall and returned to his room.

A few hours later, inside a VIP guest room of the Cake Island palace, Aether, who was preparing to sleep, had just rejected a woman arranged by the Big Mom Pirates when the doorbell rang again.

When he opened the door, a woman in a translucent, revealing nightgown stood before him. Every movement she made carried an unnatural charm. Her face was that of Stussy, someone he had seen several times before.

Stussy, noticing Aether's reaction, tilted her head and said provocatively,

"Won't you invite me in, Roger-sama?"

"…."

The tone, laced with suggestive intent, did not match the refined face at all. Aether frowned slightly, reassessing her.

There was an obvious sense of artificiality about her, something that lowered his evaluation of the situation immediately.

As she stepped closer, about to touch him, Aether took a step back and asked,

"Ms. Stussy, why are you here, and why are you dressed so lightly?"

Before she could respond, "Stussy" pressed forward again, her finger tracing lightly across his chest. She tilted her head with a seductive expression.

"I just wanted to deepen our relationship, Roger-sama. After all, a weak woman like me needs someone strong to rely on in business."

Under her affectionate gaze, Aether did not resist. Instead, he lifted her up, closed the door with his foot, and carried her toward the bed.

The abrupt movement made the woman's eyes flash with disdain. So this was the Pirate King. Just another man driven by desire.

When she let out a feigned gasp, she was thrown onto the bed. However, the rough treatment she expected did not follow.

Aether's expression suddenly turned cold. He pinned her down with one hand and restrained her wrists, his voice sharp.

"Tell me who you are, and why you are pretending to be Stussy."

Being exposed made the woman freeze for a moment, but she quickly tried to recover, putting on a pitiful expression.

"My lord, what are you saying? I am who I am. Tonight, I am only your woman."

The acting voice carried a false softness, but it did nothing to soften Aether's gaze. His grip did not loosen.

Realizing he was unmoved, the woman understood she had already been seen through. Her lips parted as if to shout, but no sound came out. Only muffled, broken noises escaped.

Her expression changed drastically. She could not even signal the outside contact point, let alone alert anyone. Their backup was stationed a thousand meters away, only responding to the sound of battle as a signal. Now, there would be no signal at all.

Aether ignored her struggle. He reached out and pressed against her face, then tugged sharply. A hidden seam appeared, and with a single motion, he tore off a lifelike human skin mask.

The woman beneath was completely different, with plain features and a vulgar aura far inferior to Stussy's appearance. She was clearly an assassin.

Aether rubbed the mask between his fingers, studying its texture. It was likely the product of some Devil Fruit ability.

He then looked down at her and said,

"Speak. If you confess everything, I will let you leave."

The woman only opened her mouth silently, as if mocking him or refusing to cooperate.

Aether adjusted his Haki slightly, loosening the suppression just enough for her to make faint sounds.

Even then, she refused to cooperate, struggling to speak while producing only weak noises.

Staring into her eyes, Aether's faint smile carried clear contempt.

"Want to try again? Your time is running out."

Sensing the killing intent rising, the woman became visibly anxious. Before deciding whether to die for her master, she had one question she could not ignore.

"How did you find out I wasn't Stussy?"

"…."