In Makoto's view, Rena was on the same level as Rouge… she just hadn't been cruel enough to abandon her children.
The quintuplets lowered their heads in silence.
They knew Makoto looked down on their mother somewhat, but they didn't dare say anything.
After all, with Rouge as a reference, they also knew how absurd their mother's behavior had been back then.
If they hadn't met Maruo, that high-quality 'cuckold', their childhoods would have been no better than Ace's.
Touching on the topic of family, Alice asked Miku and the others curiously, "Where is your biological father?"
Erina beside her gently tapped her cousin's arm and quietly scolded, "Alice, how can you ask such a thing?"
Alice spread her hands, looking innocent. "It's not that I want to hear gossip. I just think that for that biological father who abandoned them and their mother, Miku and the others should find a way to get revenge."
Hearing this, before the Nakano quintuplets could respond, Ace slapped the table hard, startling everyone.
"That's right! They must be made to pay!"
Ace's eyes flickered with long-suppressed rage.
Ace's greatest regret was not being able to kill that bastard Roger with his own hands.
Then Ace said that if the quintuplets couldn't bring themselves to do it, he could help kill him.
Well, this could only be said that Ace was treating the quintuplets' biological father as a 'substitute' for Roger.
After all, no matter what, Ace couldn't chase Roger to the underworld to kill him, could he?
But unfortunately, the Nakano quintuplets looked at each other, and finally Ichika shook her head.
"We have no memory of our biological father from birth."
Hearing this, Ace sat back down, disappointed.
Makoto thought for a moment. He remembered that in the original work, the quintuplets' biological father did appear, though he didn't have many scenes.
Mainly because when Makoto read that manga, his attention was focused on the five sisters' fan service scenes.
But he still had some impression of that biological father.
Because he was just too old. He seemed more like the quintuplets' grandfather than their father.
People said Rena was a great beauty, so why did she go for that kind of guy?
Her taste seems to be even worse than Rouge.
After all, Rouge's looks were just so-so. Finding a greasy fifty-something man like Roger was still barely acceptable.
But you, Rena, are so good-looking, so why did you go for that kind of guy?
At least Higashikata Tomoko found a handsome old man like Joseph.
Then, the topic returned to the Hero Association.
Makoto's girlfriends were quite interested and wanted to join the Hero Association.
This put Makoto in a bit of a spot, because heroes have rankings.
And sure enough, the cousin pair Erina and Alice, as well as Miku and Nino who usually didn't get along, started arguing over rankings.
Since Makoto didn't have a system for first wife, second wife, third wife, they would compete on hero rankings.
"Erina's ranking is definitely lower than mine. I'm much stronger than you."
Alice stood with her hands on her hips, looking very pleased with herself.
Erina was very unconvinced. She said coldly, "Although my More-More Fruit is support-type, the help I can provide in battle is definitely stronger than yours."
"Hero rankings compare individual strength. What use is your parasitic ability?"
"Alice, who are you calling a parasite?!"
On the other side, Miku, with the power of the Bake-Danuki Fruit, was definitely above Nino, the user of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
But Nino was still unconvinced, feeling she was being looked down upon.
"You're just relying on your Devil Fruit. That doesn't count as true strength."
Miku looked at her second sister expressionlessly and said calmly, "Devil Fruit abilities are also part of strength. Since you say that, if you've got the guts, don't use your ability!"
Nino was at a disadvantage for the moment, glaring angrily at her third sister.
"You—!"
Just as they were about to come to blows, Ichika and Yotsuba stepped in to pull them apart.
Ichika and Yotsuba each pulled one, finally managing to separate Nino and Miku a bit. But the two still, over the gap between them, kept trading barbs.
"Given Nino's strength, she'll be lucky to reach A-class hero," Miku said expressionlessly.
"If more superhumans awaken in the future, dropping to B-class isn't out of the question."
Nino was furious, her face turning red.
With Miku's strength, she could definitely become an S-class hero.
Nino knew this in her heart.
If you set aside Devil Fruit abilities, Miku's strength was definitely inferior to hers.
But who told Miku to eat an overpowered Devil Fruit?
And she had also had the chance to compete for that Devil Fruit back then, but unfortunately, she had hesitated.
So Nino couldn't blame anyone else.
Because of that, she could only argue from a different angle.
"You... you gloomy shut-in!" Nino shouted, pointing at Miku.
"If you become an S-class hero, you'll only devalue the title!"
Miku retorted without hesitation, "Nino's been on trending lists every day lately, making a fool of yourself. You're no better. The comments say you have the mentality of a nouveau riche."
"Who are you calling a nouveau riche?!"
Seeing the argument growing fiercer and the atmosphere more tense, Makoto finally spoke.
"Stop fighting."
Both Nino and Miku's bodies stiffened simultaneously. They obediently shut their mouths and sat back down, fuming.
Itsuki sat to the side, watching her quarreling second and third sisters with unusual envy.
To be honest, she kind of wanted to join in.
She glanced at Makoto with some resentment.
'Damn it, no chance at all.'
…
The next day, the quintuplets went to school as usual.
The five of them walking together always drew attention. Passersby students glanced sideways, some whispering, some secretly taking photos.
Halfway there, Itsuki suddenly stopped and slapped her forehead.
"Oh, I just remembered!"
"What's wrong?" Ichika asked, turning around.
"My favorite Chinese restaurant came out with a new flavor of meat bun! I want to go buy some for breakfast. I've been waiting forever!"
Nino helplessly complained, "You ate so much for breakfast already. You still want to eat? Meat bun monster."
Itsuki huffed, and without waiting for her sisters to agree, turned and walked off.
"Itsuki—" Ichika called, but Itsuki had already run off.
Watching Itsuki's departing figure, Miku said worriedly, "Is she going to be okay... by herself? Her strength..."
Itsuki's strength was the neither-here-nor-there type.
And Itsuki hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit. Her combat ability was only below average among the quintuplets.
Ichika thought for a moment and said, "It should be fine. After all, everywhere in the Nishikawa Nation, there are Makoto-kun's subordinates, the Devils, patrolling."
Nino proudly added, "And don't forget, I'm so famous now. With Itsuki's face, which looks just like mine, no one would dare touch her anyway."
"It's precisely because you always do such embarrassing things that I don't dare go out anymore," Miku said flatly.
Nino glared at her.
Itsuki jogged all the way to the Chinese restaurant she'd been dreaming of.
The shop wasn't big. Red lanterns, wooden tables and chairs, ink wash paintings on the walls… it had a flavor of Makoto's homeland.
The air was filled with the aroma of meat buns.
"Boss! The new flavor meat bun, two… oh no, five!"
Itsuki leaned on the counter.
The boss, a chubby middle-aged man, smiled and used a bag to pack five steaming hot meat buns for her.
Itsuki couldn't wait to take one out and take a bite.
"Mmm… delicious!"
Her eyes squinted into two crescent moons, her cheeks puffed out like a satisfied hamster.
Just then, an aged voice came from behind her.
"Itsuki... you've grown so big."
Itsuki was stunned.
She turned to look. The newcomer was an old man with a bald head, thick white beard, and a somewhat out-of-shape figure.
His face was covered in wrinkles, his eyes were cloudy. He wore a faded short-sleeved shirt.
Itsuki, her mouth still full of meat bun, asked indistinctly, "Who are you?"