Kokoro's reaction had been entirely within Amon's calculations. For a woman, beauty was always paramount. If a girl ever called herself ugly, the worst thing you could do was agree with her. Girls never wanted to hear that. And their pursuit of beauty? That was something men could never truly fathom.
So every shift in Kokoro's expression had unfolded exactly as Amon expected.
He smiled and nodded. "That's right. One pill, and you can shape your body however you like. You could even have a figure like this beautiful lady right beside you."
He gestured toward Robin as he said it.
Robin, for her part, had been quietly paying attention to the whole exchange about the body-sculpting pill. Lately, with the food aboard being so generous, she'd put on a little weight. Particularly in a certain area of her chest, which had grown noticeably fuller in a way she wasn't entirely sure how to feel about. She'd been quietly worrying whether she might end up looking like Kokoro someday. So when Amon said her figure was the standard worth aiming for, Robin felt a warm little glow of satisfaction that she didn't bother hiding.
Girls liked being complimented. Especially by someone they cared about.
"Wait, that pill can actually turn Granny Kokoro into someone with a figure like that big sis over there?!" Franky went rigid with disbelief.
He barely finished the sentence before Kokoro's fist found the side of his head in what she cheerfully called a "love tap."
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I am fat?"
"N-No! Not at all!" Franky backpedaled immediately, wilting under the heat of Kokoro's glare.
"Hmph. Never mind you, then." She turned away from him, her irritation shifting into something far more eager. "I want to try that pill right now!"
After landing one more solid punch on Franky's arm for good measure, Kokoro wasted no time popping the pill into her mouth. After everything Amon had described, there was simply no holding back.
"Hm. It's a little..."
She trailed off as the pill began to dissolve.
Then her eyes went wide.
"I... I can feel it. My whole body is changing!"
The energy that spread through her was impossible to ignore. It moved like a current beneath her skin, pushing outward, rearranging. The soft, heavy mass that had settled around her frame over the years slowly began to pull taut. Bit by bit, the silhouette she'd long since made peace with losing started to return.
"Granny's figure is turning into noodles!" Franky blurted.
He had, apparently, learned nothing from the previous thirty seconds. But Kokoro was so completely swept up in the sensation rolling through her body that the comment didn't even register. Lucky for him.
Hyozo and Master Tom stood nearby watching in silence. The two exchanged a glance, something between astonishment and disbelief passing between them without a word. The woman who had been pushing past two hundred pounds just minutes ago was now standing before them as a willowy, slender mermaid. The transformation was real. It had actually happened.
"She changed! It worked! Granny's gotten her young figure back!" Kokoro looked down at herself, pressing her hands along her newly reclaimed waist, and completely lost her composure.
"Amon dear, I love you so much!"
She lunged forward with both arms wide open.
What followed happened in about half a second. There was a blur of motion, and suddenly it was Franky who found himself wrapped in Kokoro's enthusiastic embrace, gasping for air.
"Ah... Granny... can't breathe..."
"Hm? Why is it you, Franky?"
Kokoro blinked, genuinely baffled. Franky had no idea what had happened either. One moment he'd seen a shadow coming toward him, and the next he was being squeezed.
What they didn't see, though Hyozo and Master Tom had caught it perfectly, was Amon stepping aside at the last instant and pulling Franky into the path of the hug. Kokoro's figure might have improved dramatically, but the memory of what she'd looked like moments ago was still fresh. Amon had made his priorities clear.
Hiyori pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. She'd seen the whole thing too, and the sheer audacity of it had caught her completely off guard.
"In any case," Kokoro said, finally releasing a flattened Franky, "I really am grateful. Truly." She straightened up and gave Amon a deep, sincere bow. Then she turned immediately to the nearest reflective surface and began admiring herself from every angle, pure joy written across her face.
Watching her, Hyozo and Master Tom found their thoughts drifting toward the jars Amon had brought. Curiosity had taken root. They'd seen what one could do, and neither of them could pretend they weren't tempted. A look passed between them, and after a brief nod from Master Tom, Hyozo stepped forward.
"Um, Amon," he began, sounding a touch sheepish. "We were wondering if we might also... buy a jar? If that's not asking too much."
It felt a little bold to him. Amon had already done them such an enormous favor, and now here he was asking for more.
"Of course! Absolutely!" Amon's enthusiasm was immediate and genuine.
One more jar sold and he'd complete the task, unlocking the exclusive jar reward the system had been dangling in front of him. He had every reason to be happy about this.
"Really? Oh, wonderful. Here's a hundred thousand Berries. Please count it."
Hyozo held out the money.
"No need. Go ahead and pick one."
The system had already done its scan the moment the payment was offered. It was exactly a hundred thousand. Amon saw no point in counting it himself.
Hyozo blinked. Something about that small gesture, the quiet trust behind it, settled over him in a way he hadn't expected. He stood a little straighter as he turned to look through the selection.
It didn't take long. He came back holding a jar with a deep violet color.
"Purple, huh?" Amon smiled slightly. "Same as Kokoro did. Just smash it open."
"Right."
Hyozo gave a single nod. Around him, the others leaned in just a little, curiosity pulling them forward as he raised the jar.
...