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The bright and spacious living room was bathed in warm tones.
Standing behind Wilhelm, Mies Olive, the maid, watched Custard with a smile. Seeing her disbelief, she softly said, "Congratulations, Lady Custard!"
Custard had always treated her well.
Of course, Mies Olive knew it was mostly because of Wilhelm's influence, but even so—she was grateful.
And now, seeing Custard receive such a gift from Wilhelm, she couldn't help but feel happy for her.
After all, even a maid like her had been granted the Logia-type Cloud-Cloud Fruit.
There was no doubt—the gift Wilhelm had given Custard wouldn't be anything ordinary.
"This is the most precious gift I've ever received!"
Holding the Wave-Wave Fruit tightly, Custard's face was filled with joy and excitement. She eagerly nodded, her voice brimming with happiness.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she stood up and bowed deeply toward Wilhelm, who was sitting on the opposite sofa.
"Thank you, Brother Wilhelm..."
"No need for that. We're family."
In an instant—
Wilhelm's silver-white figure appeared right in front of her.
Placing a firm hand on the sixth daughter of the Charlotte family, he gently pressed her shoulder, motioning for her to sit back down.
"Don't be so formal. You're my family—just like Smoothie."
Looking down at Custard's radiant face, Wilhelm locked eyes with her big brown gaze. His lips curled into a chuckle.
"I may have some personal conflicts with Cracker, but that doesn't mean I would ever reject or dislike you, Sister Custard."
"Brother Wilhelm..."
Custard, feeling overwhelmed with emotion, obediently sat back onto the luxurious sofa.
Looking up at Wilhelm's towering figure, his handsome face so close to hers, she felt her heart race uncontrollably.
For a brief moment, she couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
"If you ever need anything—or if you just want to train with me—come find me directly."
With a teasing smirk, Wilhelm lightly pinched Custard's delicate baby face and leaned down, whispering into her ear.
"Don't be like before—hiding in the corners of Temptation Forest, secretly watching me from afar, too scared to come over and say hello."
"Huh? Wilhelm, you... You knew about that?!"
Custard's face instantly turned crimson.
The secret she had buried deep in her heart—exposed!
Flustered, her words came out in a mess. She felt so overwhelmed that her burning face nearly matched the color of an apple—as if it were steaming.
Like a child who had been caught red-handed, she lowered her head in embarrassment.
And in her panic, she almost buried herself in her own ample chest, which—compared to Mies Olive—was just as impressive, if not even more so.
"Don't underestimate me. I might seem laid-back, but the Observation Haki I've trained so hard isn't just for show..."
Wilhelm chuckled, watching his adorably flustered sister.
"Besides, don't forget—I carry the blood of the White Shiba Inu Mink Tribe. My sense of smell is naturally far superior to others...
No matter how subtle the scent, my nose will always pick it up!"
"You... you really don't hate me?"
Custard clenched her fists tightly.
Mustering up her courage, she suppressed the panic bubbling inside her.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to lift her head and meet Wilhelm's gaze. His face—impeccably handsome—was impossible to look away from.
"Of course not."
Wilhelm's hand gently cupped Custard's soft, porcelain-like face.
His golden eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul, making her heart tremble uncontrollably.
"And by the way... that lily cake you made was delicious. It would've been a waste to throw it away like that..."
A teasing glint flashed in his eyes as he leaned in, lightly tapping his forehead against her flawless white skin.
His smile deepened.
"My lovely, kindhearted, and adorably silly little sister."
"W-What?! Wilhelm, how do you know about that?"
Custard's mind went blank.
She stared at Wilhelm, completely stunned.
There was no way he should've known about that lily cake.
But then—Wilhelm casually brushed his fingers across the elegant lily flower pinned to her short violet hair and chuckled.
"Custard... did you really think the fragrance of a lily could escape my nose?"
His words left her speechless.
"Besides, Long Bread is an old fox. He knows that lily cake is my favorite in the entire Charlotte Family.
He figured out what you were up to right away—and he even told me about it!"
Wilhelm smirked. "In fact, he personally delivered the one you made for me."
Thinking back, that was probably when Custard had unknowingly started wearing a lily in her hair.
"...That damn old bastard, Long Bread..."
Custard's eye twitched.
Her embarrassment quickly turned into frustration, her teeth gritting in anger.
She had never expected that nosy old man to see through her so easily—and then go straight to Wilhelm about it!
But just as she was about to fume—
Her gaze fell on Wilhelm's handsome face.
And just like that... her anger melted away.
A warm, bashful smile tugged at her lips.
"...As long as you liked it, Wilhelm... that's all that matters."
Custard's heart swelled with indescribable joy.
Still feeling a little shy, she lowered her head slightly and said in a soft, coy voice:
"I'll make it for you often from now on! No—actually, I can make it for you every day!"
Wilhelm chuckled, shaking his head.
"That's not necessary. Just once in a while is enough."
His golden eyes softened as he continued, "More importantly, Custard, you have to remember—we're family.
There's no need to be so secretive about it!"
...A gentle atmosphere settled between them...
"Mmm!"
Seeing Wilhelm's sincerity, Custard felt even happier.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded firmly.
At that moment—
"Speaking of which, Lord Wilhelm..."
Mies Olive, standing nearby, stepped forward with a polite smile.
Skillfully, she poured tea for the two of them, her movements graceful and precise.
Then, glancing at the orange-colored Devil Fruit in Custard's hand, she asked with genuine curiosity:
"The Wave-Wave Fruit you gave to Lady Custard... it must be a powerful ability, right?"
It had to be said—this maid truly understood the moment.
With effortless grace, she changed the subject—perfectly steering away from Custard's lingering embarrassment.
Even Custard, hearing the question, couldn't help but look at Wilhelm expectantly, her big brown eyes blinking with anticipation.
Wilhelm didn't keep them waiting.
"The Wave-Wave Fruit allows its user to create and manipulate fluctuations in whatever they touch—whether it's the ground, the sea, or even the air."
His voice was calm and confident as he explained:
"It can also enhance attacks, infusing swords, spears, and other weapons with oscillating energy."
He glanced at Custard.
"For example, if you touch the sea, you can generate controllable waves to crash over your enemies.
If you touch the ground, you can make it ripple like an ocean, sending massive shockwaves that can topple anything in their path."
Wilhelm's golden eyes gleamed as he continued:
"When used in combat, you can create powerful slashing waves with your sword—enhancing both cutting and piercing attacks."
He then added,
"Of course, it's not on the same level as the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, which can directly shatter the atmosphere and cause disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis."
"You could say it's a 'lesser' version of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit... but it's still an incredibly versatile and powerful ability."
Wilhelm smirked slightly.
"Its true potential depends on how you develop it, Custard.
It might even be possible to generate seismic waves, light waves, or other forms of energy... but that will all depend on your talent and effort!"
In the world of Devil Fruits, true power wasn't just about the ability itself—it was about the user.
If someone like Wilhelm, Katakuri, or Smoothie had this power, they would undoubtedly be able to push it to the level of Awakening, turning it into something disastrous and overwhelming.
For an average user?
It would still be strong, but not quite at the level of a natural disaster.
Even so—
Even without Awakening, the Wave-Wave Fruit was far from weak.
It was a devastatingly useful power, and Custard was lucky to have it.