One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 165 The most alluring thing is when it's partially hidden.

Katakuri hadn't expected that it would be afternoon tea prepared in advance—donuts and black tea.

"You prepared this?"

Yura pulled Katakuri to sit on the sofa. The coffee table was full of donuts, which smelled delicious. The black tea was also hot, with a rich and pure tea aroma.

"I reckon you won't be eating anything at the ball later. Even if you manage to avoid being caught, you'll still feel uncomfortable." Yu thought of how Katakuri used to quickly eat donuts to avoid being seen by her and thought he was incredibly cute. "Besides, it's your afternoon tea time now. I remember you said that afternoon tea was all mine."

The same conditions he had proposed before, but now, saying them like this, seemed to have taken on a different meaning—a positive one.

"But you've always been by my side." How can there still be time?

"What's wrong? Are you so touched that you've become stupid?" Yu reached out and took off the scarf, cupped Katakuri's face, and said, "You forgot, I can use my ability to create clones."

Aside from being unable to speak, the clone can do everything else within her control. Afternoon tea is nothing to her.

"Eat quickly, I'll go change my clothes first." You picked up the bags of clothes and went into the bedroom.

Katakuri enjoyed the donuts and unconsciously hummed a little tune. It had been so long since he had tasted Yu's donuts.

The chefs in the Kingdom weren't bad, but he just preferred Yu's donuts. Yu's donuts had a flavor that the chefs couldn't replicate.

He knew about Yu's abilities, but he really didn't expect her to create a clone to prepare afternoon tea. Creating a clone should be very physically demanding, but Yu didn't seem to be acting strangely along the way.

Yu is indeed getting stronger.

"Karn, come help me out."

Yu's voice came from the bedroom. Katakuri still had half a donut in his hand, which he then bit into.

She knocked on the door and went in. Looking in the mirror, Yu stretched her hands out behind her back with difficulty.

"The back of this dress is really complicated." Looking at her back in the mirror, Yu hadn't noticed Katakuri yet.

After Katakuri took the straps of her skirt with both hands, Yuu freed her hands and looked at Katakuri. She saw that he still had half a donut in his mouth, but because his hands were helping her, he couldn't finish it properly.

Yu reached out and fed him the remaining donut. "How is it? Has your cooking gotten any worse?"

“It’s always been delicious.” Katakuri said honestly, his hands moving constantly; this knot was really difficult to tie. “If you didn’t prefer the other one, why are you wearing this one?”

The outfit Yu is wearing now was not originally something she planned to buy; at the store, Yu preferred another one.

"Because the sales assistant said that this dress would go better with your outfit." That complicated knot was rejected at first glance.

As it turned out, the shop assistant mentioned while Katakuri was changing that the dress was designed together and would match even better. Those salespeople are truly shrewd; that one sentence was all it took for Yu to buy it.

But looking back now, it was a bit hasty; the knot was way too complicated. From now on, I'll have the designers Tesoro hire keep things simple; this is a thankless task.

"It seems a little loose, tighten it a bit." While he was thinking, Katakuri had almost finished tying him up behind him, but it wasn't as tight as he had imagined.

Katakuri tightened his grip slightly after hearing Yu's words, "Tighter or it will be too tight."

After putting on the dress, Yu turned around in front of the mirror to admire herself. Apart from the slightly complicated knotting process, the result was quite good.

"Ka Er, your knot looks better than the one on the mannequin in the store." It's more delicate, and it outlines her back more beautifully, without looking too heavy.

Katakuri, pleased with the compliment, smirked, "Isn't the set you like a perfect match for my other set?" The implication was that he didn't care about his own preferences; Yu's liking was the most important thing.

"Hehe, you look even better in this outfit." Yu laughed cheaply, her eyes sparkling, her gaze lingering on Katakuri's chest.

Katakuri sighed, flicked her forehead, and said, "You little pervert."

Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. Anyway, when Katakuri changed his clothes, Yu couldn't help but stare at him and almost drooled.

"Wait, wait, put this necklace on too."

Katakuri didn't quite understand why he needed to wear another necklace, since he already had the crystal Yu had given him. "Isn't one enough?"

"It's not that it's not enough, it's that it's different. This rope is longer." You put it on him and admired it with satisfaction.

Katakuri's current outfit has a neckline that plunges to his chest, revealing his pectoral muscles but not completely, just a hint of them. Combined with the necklace adorning his chest, he's undeniably dashing.

Yu's lecherous gaze made Katakuri a little scared; something felt off. "You've seen it before, haven't you?" What's the difference?

"You don't understand, it's precisely this kind of alluring veiled mystery that's most captivating." Yu was mindful of her image, wiping her mouth beforehand to prevent drool from dripping down.

This action puzzled Katakuri even more. Was it really that tempting?

Fearing Katakuri wouldn't believe her, Yuu pulled him to the mirror. The two figures in the mirror were, without exaggeration, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

"Look, isn't that right?" Yu said happily, looking at the two of them in the mirror.

Katakuri didn't feel anything when he saw the deep V-neck of Yu's back and the knot he had tied around her waist, and suddenly he understood.

“A little.” He gazed meaningfully at her smooth back. Yu was relatively tall compared to others, but to him, she barely reached his shoulder. And his hand, with a slight lift, reached her waist, easily encircling her. “Put on the mask, let’s go.”

The ballroom was resplendent in gold, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the entire Golden City. At night, in addition to the golden glow, the Golden City was illuminated by other lights, creating a dazzling spectacle.

When Yu and Katakuri arrived, there were already quite a few people there. Their appearance briefly caused the others to stop what they were doing and look at them, but they quickly looked away.

Perhaps it was the lack of warmth or the weight of the scarf around his neck that made Katakuri feel a little awkward. Yu, who was holding his hand, noticed it immediately. However, the reason she brought him here today was to prevent him from acting as he used to.

Yu pulled him by the hand and led him into the crowd. Everyone was wearing masks and had changed clothes, so no one could recognize who was who. Moreover, because of the masquerade ball, no one would guess who was behind the mask.

You casually found a small table and joined the lively conversation of the people around it.

"That Fire Fist Ace caused quite a stir a while ago. At first, I thought he really would defeat Whitebeard." The man in the black mask and top hat held his dance partner's hand, his eyes shining. "But it's not surprising that Whitebeard invited him to join the crew."

"The Four Emperors' strength isn't something you can just easily deal with, but Fire Fist Ace is a rising star, and his courage is commendable." Another woman in a fox mask responded, her tone full of undisguised admiration for Ace.

“I heard he and that witch Yu are siblings,” the woman wearing a feather mask next to him in the black mask and top hat chimed in. “I’m a huge fan of Yu.”

"I'm a fan of Ace, but Ace really liked Yui. I've heard him praise her the most." The man in the fox mask found common ground and spoke enthusiastically.

Yu listened while chuckling to herself, “I just happened to see them earlier, but the surgeon from Beihai was also there, and they seemed to get along quite well.”

The feather-masked man quickly explained, "Of course, that Luo is also You's younger brother. I originally thought the two brothers would fight, but they seem to get along quite well."