Chapter 30: Afterwards.
—OoOoO—
The battle against Moria's group had ended with relatively little damage. Essentially, they were a group that relied heavily on their sheer numbers, even though their average strength wasn't particularly high. In terms of the main force aside from their own captain, they only had Perona, the zombie Ryuma, and the Ancient Giant. However, because the zombies' weaknesses were too obvious, and Perona was a strategic fighter with no immediate threat of damage, their army structure was extremely fragile.
Therefore, with a little adaptation and discipline in carrying out the plan during the fight, defeating Moria's group wasn’t difficult. Moreover, Maki alone had taken care of the invisible man and Ryuma, and the chaos caused by her and Luffy could have taken down Perona, who was always by Moria's side. All that remained was how to defeat the Ancient Giant by exploiting his weakness. Meanwhile, even Luffy, with the power of a hundred shadows, managed to dominate his battle against Moria.
However, the threat didn’t simply end there.
"You mean, another Shichibukai is coming, and he's already on his way here?" Zoro asked with his brows furrowed.
“I don’t mean to doubt your intel, but are you sure, Robin? I mean, how did you know that in the first place?” Ussop echoed his suspicions.
They were in the ruins of Luffy's battle against Moria. They surrounded Luffy as he lay unconscious.
“Someone from the World Government told me,” Robin replied without giving details.
Hearing that unexpected reply, everyone present widened their eyes simultaneously. Except for Maki, of course, who already knew who the messenger was.
“Wait. You have an insider in the World Government?” Nami asked.
“Not insiders per se,” the black-haired woman quickly clarified, “But more like minority sympathisers who secretly think that letting me live has strategic advantages to their interests in the government.”
“Then, why are they trying to capture and kill you?” Zoro asked in a flat tone, “If they really exist, why didn’t they come to save you at Ennies Lobby?”
The question was indeed valid. It wasn't that Zoro distrusted Robin as a member of the Straw Hats, as he had previously. However, he was more concerned about the validity of the information she had, given that she wouldn't reveal the informant's name even to her comrades.
“I think they came to save Robin-san, but not in an overt campaign.”
It wasn't Robin who gave her opinion after just listening for a while, but Maki.
“If they secretly wanted Robin-san to stay alive, the aid they sent would definitely not be in a form that would make their parent organisation suspicious," the girl from another world continued.
“You’re not saying that because you’re biased towards Robin, are you?” Zoro asked, narrowing his eyes with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Hey, Marimo! Watch your words! Are you accusing Maki-chan and Robin-chan of hiding something?!”
“If your brain can't be used to think objectively because it's filled with butts and breasts, you better shut the fuck up,” Zoro immediately shut down Sanji coldly.
That caused the blonde boy to flinch slightly as his throat tightened. However, Maki quickly stepped in to mediate their argument and prevent them from straying from the topic.
"Aokiji was in the group that raided Ennies Lobby, and he's the same person we met in Long Ring Long Land. In our first encounter, he let us escape. And in Ennies Lobby, for an admiral, do you think it was possible for a small ship to suddenly enter and slip through without him noticing?"
When the Ice Admiral was mentioned, the room for rebuttal was drastically reduced. After all, he was a figure who could end their group if he so chose. However, was their escape from the man twice a pure stroke of luck, or was it something he intended?
'Maki only mentioned the events at Long Ring Long Land and Ennies Lobby, but she didn't mention that Aokiji had stopped by Water Seven? Is there an ability or trick to hide the presence from Kenbushoku Haki?' Robin thought.
The woman with long, jet black hair sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts.
“I admit I couldn’t give details for this informant, but that doesn’t mean I want to hide anything from you,” Robin finally rejoined the discussion, “As a minority group in the World Government that operates in secret, just going to the trouble of coming here to inform me is already very dangerous, and I don’t want to give them the additional burden of mentioning their names.”
“You didn’t say that because you thought we would leak their names, did you?” asked Franky, who had been just observing.
To which Robin immediately shook her head slowly, and her black mane swayed slightly with the movement of her head.
“In the intelligence world, even to the people you trust most, it is the norm not to give out the names of your informants.”
Even though it gave the impression of a subtle refusal, Robin didn’t hesitate to follow suit by lowering her head to show her sincerity.
“I know that sounds uncomfortable, but I hope you can understand,” the woman continued.
Meanwhile, after her brief exchange with Zoro moments earlier, Maki showed no signs of rejoining the conversation. In fact, she was slightly cursing herself for getting carried away by mentioning Aokiji and nearly turning the discussion into a pointless conspiracy theory debate. The problem might have been resolved if both parties had lowered their egos instead of forcing an argument.
As Robin stated, she didn't force the idea that there was indeed an insider group within the World Government who wanted her alive by bringing unconfirmed evidence. Instead, she simply admitted that she was protecting Stussy's identity as an informant and couldn't reveal it even to those closest to her.
'It annoys me because it seems like the only methods I can think of are using force and violence,' Maki thought, frowning.
Amid the ongoing conversation, the girl continued to observe a spot behind the ruins where the once-magnificent castle had stood. She sensed a group of people hiding. However, she didn't take action or alert her friends, simply because she didn't sense any hostility. Furthermore, Maki knew they were the same group that fed Luffy the Hundred Shadows.
Thinking that they would be hiding forever, Maki was wrong when one of the group started to step out.
“Hey, we’ve a guest here,” Maki said as she looked at the ruins.
The Straw Hats, who had been having a heated discussion, except for Luffy, who was still unconscious, turned to where Maki was pointing with her chin.
“Please forgive our rudeness. We didn't mean to eavesdrop and interrupt your discussion.”
A woman with a large build and a slightly round face was followed by dozens of people.
“Oh, Lola!” Nami responded excitedly.
The woman named Lola smiled in return to Nami's greeting. However, the smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression, and was followed by her and her teammates kneeling before the Straw Hats.
“Allow us to thank you all for defeating Moria and freeing our shadows from his clutches.”
“Hey, raise your head. There’s no need to go to such lengths, you know? We were also greatly helped by your plan to feed Luffy a hundred shadows.”
“I am deeply touched by your generosity, Nami. But at least allow us to properly thank you as someone who has been trapped here since last year.”
Nami no longer reacted, remaining silent with her mouth tightly shut. Even for someone known for her money-grubbing and calculating approach to extracting debts from others, it seemed even the Cat Burglar had a soft side to strangers she had just met.
“Regarding Bartholomew Kuma, let me make a suggestion,” Lola said again.
The Straw Hats remained silent, their expressions varying. However, despite not saying a word, they agreed to let Lola continue with whatever she wanted to say.
"As Nico Robin said, Barholomew Kuma, the Tyrant, is someone none of us can overcome. Even among the Shichibukai, he's on a completely different level. So, putting aside the validity of the information she has, there's no harm in leaving here immediately."
Lola paused her words for a moment to catch her breath.
"After all, even though we achieved a major victory here, Thriller Bark is still an enemy base. Lingering here without a strategic objective will not provide any benefits."
The woman's final piece of advice seemed to carry significant weight in the discussion. It was no longer about the information Robin possessed, but rather the importance of their interests here.
After receiving a lot of input and deliberating on his own, Zoro sighed heavily and scratched his head, even though nothing itched. He glanced at each of his teammates with his usual furrowed brows, then his gaze fell on their captain, who was lying on the ground.
“Since Luffy is in no condition to make a decision, I’ll leave this matter to voting,” Zoro said, turning his gaze back to his group. “Although Robin hiding the identity of her informant doesn’t sit well with me, there’s some truth to what Lola said. Regardless of whether the information is true or not, it’s best if we leave early if there’s nothing else we need to do here.”
After Zoro threw the decision-making into a consensus, the discussion finally moved forward.
“Is this Bartholomew Kuma really that amazing?” Ussop asked.
"I haven't heard anything about his feats, though. But he's pretty famous even in Water Seven," Franky replied.
The long-nosed boy immediately put on a sour expression upon hearing that answer. However, as if that wasn't enough to make him cower, Robin added something she really didn't want to hear.
“You should probably put him on the same level as one of the Yonkou executives.”
The air around them suddenly felt so cold that it prickled at the mention of the title of the four strongest pirates in the world. Even though the Straw Hats were a group filled with mostly newbies, their encounter with Garp at Water Seven had opened their eyes to the geopolitics of the New World. However, Maki was more interested in Lola's reaction than they were, as if she had suddenly been electrocuted on the spot, her face turning pale.
“In other words, this may not sound comfortable, but even if Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Maki teamed up, I doubt it would be enough to defeat Kuma,” Robin concluded her brief explanation.
These words immediately lowered the group's morale, even though they had just achieved a major victory against Moria. However, for Robin, it was better than giving them false hope.
“I don’t want to get involved in unnecessary fights, and it’s not about winning or losing,” Maki said, staring at the black katana she was leaning against the wall. “Someone told me that I need to align what I want with what I think. Align my inner desires with my mind.”
The girl paused to form her next sentence, even though all eyes were on her. However, she recalled her encounter with Sakamoto Ryouma, who had reincarnated into this world as Shimotsuki Ryuma.
“Although I don’t really understand, but I think that I shouldn’t get carried away by something and lose sight of my main goal just because I’ve become stronger than before,” said the girl while looking straight at her comrades in turn, “So, if there’s no strategic interest, I don’t think we need to face this Bartholomew Kuma guy.”
After Maki gave her opinion, all eyes were now on Sanji. Understanding the meaning of the stares he was receiving, the blond took a deep drag on his cigarette and then exhaled into the air.
"It's a fight we can't even win, isn't it?" he said, staring up at the misty sky with an unreadable expression. "For me, the safety of the ladies comes first. While it may be suffocating, it's better to avoid a disaster if I can't protect them in the first place.”
Zoro, Sanji, and Maki. Three of the four heavy hitters agreed not to continue the fight any further. or gambled on whether Kuma would come or not. With all of them agreeing on the same decision, albeit for different reasons, the other members' opinions should be easier to predict.
“I was worried you guys would still be stubborn, but thank goodness you guys aren’t that crazy,” Nami said, followed by a sigh of relief.
“Even though we had a big win this time, it doesn’t mean we’re ready for another fight,” Usopp chimed in, a weight lifting off his shoulders. “For me personally, I’ve used up most of my ammunition fighting the Ancient Giant, and I need some preparation if I want to jump straight into the next fight.”
'That sounds reasonable and professional, but are you sure it's not just you who's afraid to fight him?' Maki thought without intending to voice her thoughts.
While Nami and Usopp had expressed their opinions, Chopper, the last member of the cowardice trio, also followed suit, voicing his in a similar tone.
“Yeah. There’s no reason to vote for any other option when you all agreed not to fight that guy.”
Including Robin, seven people unanimously voted to avoid the unnecessary battle. Even if there had been dissenting voices, nothing would have changed, as the option garnered overwhelming support.
"Running away from someone when they come alone, that feels really unpleasant. It's not manly at all," Franky said, with a complicated expression, "However, I understand the situation and the stakes we're facing." If that's the best option, then let's do it."
After the blue-haired man, all eyes were now on the only living skeleton there. As if he hadn't expected this treatment, Brook would have widened his eyes if he had them.
“Oh, you guys are also asking about my opinion?”
"Of course. Ain’t Luffy already said he’d recruit you? And now the only thing holding you back from joining us is gone," Maki replied nonchalantly.
“Oh….”
Brook seemed at a loss for words, unable to respond to the girl's exclamation. He looked at each of the Straw Hats, and everyone seemed to agree with the statement.
Become a member of the Straw Hats? Him? Indeed, at their first meeting, Brook had refused, even though he felt incredibly flattered. However, just as he had said, with Moria's control over him, what was stopping him from walking away once the sun was no longer his enemy?
"I don't fully understand the dynamics of this group yet. However, the strongest are sometimes not those who always win, but those who know when to avoid an opponent and continue to improve for the future," said the living skeleton, displaying the wisdom he had cultivated over eighty years.
Ultimately, what often leads young people to failure isn't a lack of resources or vigour, but rather a lack of crisis management skills. Sure, in some cases, they would face the unexpected and unavoidable. However, in life, most of the crises they encounter were avoidable.
These young people often overestimate themselves, failing to identify problems they shouldn't be working on at their current skill level. Therefore, having Brook in the group and hearing his advice brought a sense of relief, as if they had found a moral anchor.
"Anyway, before we set sail, can we loot the logistics on this ship first?" Sanji asked, "If possible, I want to search for salt supplies on this ship because I have used most of what we have to fight the giant."
—OoOoO—
Thriller Bark wasn't just a giant ship that terraformed its entire bridge to resemble a haunted island, complete with fortresses. It also boasted a massive, sturdy castle, which wasn't completely destroyed even after the fierce battle. While some of its towers collapsed, the structure remained intact, as did many secret rooms yet to be explored.
However, the building's sheer size meant that exploring every nook and cranny would take a significant amount of time, especially if you were looking for the food storage area. However, that wasn’t the case if you possessed a highly versatile ability like Kenbunshoku Haki.
“I know your ability allows you to sense human presence, but how did you know this corridor would lead us to the kitchen?” Zoro asked.
“No, I never said it’d lead us there.”
The ponytailed girl's curt rebuttal made the green-haired boy glare at her. However, before he could rant, the girl provided additional context.
“I ain’t looking for food using Kenbunshoku Haki, but rather looking for signs of life.”
Maki rested her left hand on the hilt of the katana tucked into her belt. Although she practically had two swords now, only the black katana was currently at her waist. No, it wasn't because she was Japanese that she preferred the katana over the cutlass. It was just that Ganesha didn't have a scabbard, which made it a bit cumbersome to carry.
"And?" Zoro asked again to continue their conversation.
"If there are signs of life during a crisis, that means there's definitely food there. Or at the very least, we can ask directly for the location of the kitchen or even the treasure trove."
Maki gave this explanation while glancing at the boy walking next to her, making sure that he didn't suddenly get lost and disappear, even though they were currently in a straight corridor without a single fork in the road.
"Though I thought you already understood the ins and outs of this building, Brook?" the girl said, looking back.
Maki and Zoro weren't alone. Walking behind them was a tall, living skeleton who felt a bit awkward joining the conversation between the two youngsters, who exuded a frightening aura of dominance.
“I have indeed explored this castle, but I have never entered the underground area,” said the afro skeleton, “Even though I should be residing underground because I am already dead! Yohohoho!”
Maki stared at the man with a deadpan expression and nearly stopped in her tracks. The dead man's jokes that the living skeleton always uttered reminded her of Panda's lame panda jokes. Instead of being funny, it sounded so weird that she didn't know how to react.
'Maybe I'll only relate to jokes like that when I'm older and become an auntie.'
"Anyway, why are you walking behind us like that? Come here. You're making it seem like we're excluding you," Zoro said.
“Yohohoho. Thank you for your concern. But Sanji-san said I need to walk behind you to make sure you don’t get lost.”
A cross appeared on Zoro's temple, and his forehead creased upon hearing the statement.
“That damn cook. I swear I'll kill him.”
Maki, on the other hand, simply snorted softly. However, she couldn't deny the suggestion. She would even do the same, walking a step behind him to ensure her gaze never left the boy.
The otherworldly girl sighed and shifted her gaze to the large woman walking beside Brook. In fact, he wasn't the only one accompanying them, and the other one was Lola.
“You seem very familiar with how to navigate dungeons like this, Zen'in Maki?” the woman asked as their eyes met.
“Really? Isn't that normal? I mean, look at Zoro. He doesn't even look scared or confused at all.”
Zoro furrowed his brows at the mention of his name.
“What’s there to be afraid of?”
“No, it’s not about being scared or anything,” Lola quickly replied, ignoring the green-haired boy’s quip, “Even though you’ve mastered Kenbunshoku Haki, it’s surprising that you know what to do in these situations.”
The woman paused for a moment to gauge Maki's reaction. However, the girl instead turned her gaze back to the front.
"Nami also said that the reason she, Usopp, and Chopper were able to meet us was that you said to look for other survivors on Thriller Bark, right?"
“We’ve explored the forests of Skypiea before. It's no different than exploring a dungeon like this," Maki replied.
'And I'm quite used to doing it in video games,' the girl added silently.
"I see. I thought you might have an educated background or something," the woman said.
Maki immediately turned to look at the figure walking a few steps behind him.
“Why do you think that?”
“Well, how do I put it?” Lola seemed to be muttering while staring at the ceiling as if searching for an answer there, “There’s a difference between how someone responds to a situation because they’ve had experience, and how they do it because they’ve been systematically taught from a young age.”
She then returned his gaze to Maki, who was walking ahead of her.
"I think, while you do have a lot of experience, I also think you are very educated to be able to make decisions quickly, even though you are the youngest member of the Straw Hats besides Chopper."
Maki was about to open her mouth, but Lola didn't seem to have finished her words.
"Actually, that's the same feeling I get when I see Chopper. If he hadn't been exposed to medical science and medicine from an early age, he wouldn't have become a doctor at such a young age, would he?"
Hearing that, Maki fell silent. Her lips, which had opened, slowly closed again, holding back the words that had almost escaped. She swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue, as if they had never been there. Her mind flashed back to her encounter with Stussy, or perhaps her clone, moments ago. More specifically, the message she had conveyed specifically to her just before the blonde woman left them, disintegrating into dozens, if not hundreds, of bats.
—OoOoO—
“Before I go, I have a present for you, Maki-chan.”
Stussy floated in the air with a pair of bat wings on her back. She smiled broadly, showing off her fangs on both sides, while her red eyes, glowing in the darkness, stared at the otherworldly girl with interest.
“Congratulations, you are now one of the figures the Five Elders have their eyes on,” said the blonde woman.
“Five Elders? Who’re they?”
Maki turned to Robin, hoping for an explanation.
"They are the highest administrative body of the World Government. They make the organisation's major decisions, and they can even veto decisions made by the Marine."
Hearing that explanation, Maki frowned and looked back at Stussy.
“Why’re such people paying attention to me?” asked the girl.
“Well, maybe it’s because your appearance in this world was too suspicious?” Stussy smiled lightly as she said those words, “If you had appeared more moderately, without the space-time rip in the sky, perhaps things would have turned out differently.”
Those words were enough to make Maki grit her teeth as she glared at the woman. From the way she spoke, it was as if they knew she was from another world. However, it was a provocation. Or rather, Maki understood that people like Stussy were always quick-witted and liked to provoke others.
““Appeared,” huh? Your choice of words is very specific, you damn woman,” Maki said, trying to control her anger, “And cut the crap. Say what you need to say, then get the fuck out of my sight.”
Meanwhile, Stussy seemed to just snort softly while shrugging her shoulders with a smile that never faded from her face.
“Regardless of your true background, the Five Elders currently have the conclusion that you are someone who came from the past together with a woman named Toki."
Maki then turned back to Robin, seeking an additional explanation from the black-haired woman.
“Sorry, but I don't know who this Toki is either.”
"Well, that's understandable if you don't know her. After all, she's a master at blending in and hiding his background," Stussy said.
She seemed satisfied to see that one of the most knowledgeable women in the world had no information about a key figure in history. Seeing that expression, Robin's pride as a historian was tarnished, but she couldn't help but clench her fists tightly.
“If it weren’t for her unique devil fruit characteristics, even the World Government wouldn’t have realised that Lady Toki had come from the past," the blonde woman continued.
“So, who’s she and what does she have to do with me?”
“Very impatient, aren't you?”
Maki immediately glared at the woman upon hearing those words. However, before she could say anything, Stussy had already beaten her to it.
“She is someone who came from Wano, from an era called the Void Century, and went to the future, to the same era as the Pirate King.”
Stussy's words made Robin's eyes widen, but she restrained himself from bombarding her with a thousand questions.
“Due to the mystery of the mechanism of your abilities, your unusual appearance in this world with no prior history before your time with the Straw Hats in Skypiea, and considering your name sounds very similar to names from Wano, the Five Elders concluded that you were from the past. Because most of these variables also match how they identified Toki as coming from eight hundred years ago.”
Thanks to this, Maki's origin from another world was successfully disguised. While these conclusions were actually the result of all the misdirection Stussy provided to her superiors, she deliberately didn't take credit for it, and it wasn't purely out of good intentions.
"That's all I have to say. Being hunted by the world because they think you're associated with Lady Toki is far better than them suspecting you're from another world," the blonde woman said.
“So, you know that I'm from another world, huh?”
“Not really, but all your first traces in this world are very suspicious, and your fighting style is also very different from the people of this world.”
“You say as if you've explored the whole world,” Maki quipped.
And Stussy just chuckled softly at the naive accusation.
“I’ve been a spy since I was your age, Maki-chan. And believe it or not, there’s no place in this world I haven’t been to other than Raftel.”
Raftel. It was an island unreachable without some means of transportation. However, for someone in her early thirties to claim to have visited every island except the last one demonstrated her status as a major player on the world stage.
“Well, that’s all from me,” Stussy said, her body beginning to disintegrate into a swarm of bats. “With your disguise, you can move around much more freely. So, use it as you wish.”
—OoOoO—
Although Stussy had said there was a background available, ready for her to use immediately to manoeuvre through this world, Maki honestly didn't know how she would use it. Having a background certainly made things easier. At least, if there was something she didn't know or something she didn't understand, she could just say she was from the past. In fact, when Lola mentioned that her fighting style resembled that of an educated, experienced person, she could have said it was because she came from a noble family.
In that respect, it wasn't even entirely a lie. After all, Zen'in was an ancient nobility that still existed in the modern era. However, Maki didn't see the point in fabricating the story.
“We're here,” said the girl.
They stood before a set of double doors. From the outside, it appeared no chains or locks were securing the doors. However, when Zoro tried to push, the doors wouldn't open, and it made him frown.
'It's locked from the inside? So, there really is someone in there?' the green-haired boy thought.
Zoro took a half step back. He let out a soft breath, so soft it was barely audible. Without any special preparation, he kicked the door, pushing it hard with his right foot. Not only did it swing open, but it even knocked it off its hinges.
“Wow,” Brook muttered.
With her mouth agape, Lola also showed the same surprise at how Zoro opened the door.
“What a violent guy,” the woman said.
However, Zoro paid no attention. He simply stepped into the room, leading the group of four. Maki, just an inch behind him, was the second to enter. Meanwhile, Brook and Lola exchanged glances before following the two.
“Since this is a dungeon, I did think we would find the treasure room before the kitchen, but I didn’t expect the treasure to be this abundant,” the afro skeleton muttered.
It was a rather large room, lit only by gas lamps on the walls. However, the glint of gold and diamonds in the room was enough to brighten up the dim light. The treasures, piled up to two meters high and forming a hill-like cluster, made it difficult for anyone to tear their eyes away.
"If Nami were here, she would go crazy for sure," said Maki.
After enjoying their meal to their satisfaction, they immediately looked around. However, there was nothing but piles of treasures in the room. Even so, Maki continued to walk further in, walking to the far end of the room. She noticed an ukiyo-e painting hanging on the wall, but she wasn't there to appreciate the artwork.
“I don't want to treat something related to my homeland rudely, but there's nowhere else to put this painting.”
Maki, without further ado, immediately took down the painting and placed it on the ground. At first, this action seemed odd, as she was so focused on a work of art when there were literally piles of treasures in front of her. However, their confusion was immediately resolved when a safe door, about the height of a normal man, was revealed behind the painting.
“What is that?” asked Lola.
“I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough.”
Maki then tried to turn the steel doorknob, but her eyebrows raised. However, with her superhuman strength, she forced the handle to turn, shattering the steel bar locking the door.
Maki pushed with all her body as she stepped into the room. And when she saw what was inside, a smile appeared on her face, followed by a small sigh.
“There you are.”
Inside was a woman with striking pink hair and round eyes. She stood in the corner of the bunker, her body trembling as the steel door was forced open. Even though several white spirits surrounded her, it wasn't enough to assuage her fear.
"Oh, she's a negative ghost girl. If those creatures make physical contact with you, you'll instantly lose all motivation," Lola said.
"I see. So, she’s the mastermind who was playing tricks on us with her strange creatures, huh?" Zoro monologued to himself.
He stepped forward to stand beside Maki, flexing his knuckles and making a loud "crack" that echoed through the bunker. The sound was enough to make the pink-haired girl even more startled, and she cowered in fear.
“Y-you, what are you doing here?! And how do you know this place?!” the girl screamed in horror.
“I was surprised,” Maki said as she walked over, “Although I made sure I didn’t hit you too hard, but I also didn’t expect you to wake up this quickly.”
His eyes couldn't take their eyes off the ponytailed girl, whose right cheek and nose were now bandaged from the blow. The terror she inflicted, the direct trauma deeply etched into her chest, was palpable. However, Maki showed no empathy for the terrified girl. Instead, she drew her black katana and tapped its blunt edge against her shoulder.
“I’ve some questions for you, and I want you to answer them honestly or you know what’ll happen if you resist,” Maki said while keeping her distance from the pink-haired girl.
“W-what?”
“Where’s the kitchen?”
“H-huh?” the girl tilted her head in slight confusion.
Honestly, the thought of brute-forcing her way out and escaping using her Devil Fruit abilities crossed her mind. However, she quickly dismissed the thought. Perona clearly remembered that the girl standing before her was incredibly fast and agile, even capable of manoeuvring through the air. In their previous fight, she had even been able to evade her ghosts with ease. And that further confirmed that the source of her fear of the girl was no mere illusion.
Even if she managed to hit her this time, there were still three others behind her. Furthermore, the green-haired boy exuded an intimidating aura of dominance that was just as terrifying as the girl's.
“W-why are you looking for the kitchen?” the pink-haired girl dared to ask.
Maki could have ignored the question. However, no matter how cruel she was, she couldn't be that cold-hearted as to see the girl frightened.
“We're leaving this island, and consider everything in your kitchen as compensation for the things you did to us.”
Perona widened her eyes when she heard that statement.
“Wait. You can't empty the kitchen!”
The reaction left the four people in the room stunned. A cornered girl, trembling with fear like a rat unable to escape a predator, suddenly screamed as if she were putting his life on the line.
“Why?” asked Zoro.
“Because I want to run away too!” Perona answered quickly.
However, that did not satisfy them as the people continued to stare at her, demanding further explanation.
"While your captain was fighting Moria-sama, a call came in from a World Government envoy, saying he was on his way here. If they find out what happened here, it will be the end of me."
Perona's first words caught the four of them's attention. An envoy from the World Government—that sounded like the information Stussy had conveyed to Robin and Maki.
"Why did you need to run away? Don't you have the right to immunity as a member of the Shichibukai?" Lola asked.
“For Moria-sama, it may be, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to us, his subordinates,” Perona said with a sharply arched brow, “As long as Moria-sama doesn’t commit a serious crime like Sir Crocodile, the World Government won’t immediately strip him of his Shichibukai membership even if you defeat us. However, there’s no guarantee what our fate will be after such a major failure.”
Perona clenched her fists so tightly that her shoulders seemed to be shaking.
"No. If a Shichibukai were to be defeated by a group of rookies, we would probably be considered an incompetent group.”
Frustration, anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, and many more. These negative emotions were all mixed up in one place. With her Kenbunshoku always activated, Maki felt overwhelmed as her mind processed all these emotions uncontrollably. Although she could deactivate the ability, for some reason, she chose to accept all the negative emotions and imprint them firmly in her brain.
“Wait. Isn’t Thriller Bark a closed ecosystem supported by the marine conditions of the Florian Triangle?” Lola asked, drawing on her experience as a survivor for nearly a year. “Even the World Government wouldn’t know the situation here unless they came directly. So, they couldn’t possibly be here to judge you, could they?”
Maki was surprised by the empathy Lola showed. Compared to her crew, Lola probably had every right to hate the entire Moria Pirates. However, she chose to show compassion and concern.
"No. That's precisely the problem. Normally, the World Government would send a notification letter before a visit. However, someone clearly in a higher position or more powerful than Moria-sama would come without formal notification.”
“So, do you think this person’s arrival is delivering a message of something greater?” Maki asked.
Perona nodded with a little hesitation.
"And thanks to you guys, now we are in a complicated situation, and maybe the World Government will throw us out," the woman replied after feeling a little relaxed around them.
However, Maki frowned and pursed her lips as she tapped the black katana against her shoulder again, prompting a frightened reaction from Perona.
“Hiii!!” the woman immediately cowered, protecting her head. “I’ll tell you where our kitchen is, and you can take our stockpile. But please don’t steal everything, and leave some for us.”
Honestly, neither the Straw Hats nor Lola's crew had to comply with the request. However, seeing Perona's plight, Maki and even Zoro felt pity for her. They even felt a little ashamed for facing and fighting so wholeheartedly against such a fragile group.
“As long as you don’t lie to us, do whatever you want,” said the green-haired boy.
—OoOoO—
On the Sunny Go, those who hadn't gone to secure supplies prepared the ship for the voyage. With Nami as their central command, they collaborated to ensure the ship was in top condition for departure. Although their bodies were still sore and exhausted from the recent battle, they had no choice but to meet and confront the figure said to be far more terrifying than Crocodile.
“Oh, there they are!”
Ussop shouted from the crow's nest, and the rest of the crew immediately looked in the direction the long-nosed man was pointing.
“Huh? What did they loot that they took so much stuff with them?” Nami muttered.
However, even the instincts stronger than Kenbunshoku Haki were immediately activated when she heard the clinking of luxurious metals rubbing together, her eyes turned green, and she shot to the ship's railing.
“Maki-chan! Zoro! What you brought was gold and luxurious minerals, right?”
The two people Nami had mentioned only had sour expressions when they heard the scream. Maki even considered throwing away the sack, which was the size of an Asian elephant, just to see the girl's horrified reaction.
“Even with Kenbunshoku, I couldn't guess the contents of this sack, but how did she know it was a pile of treasure?”
“Just ignore her, or you'll go crazy if you think about her too much,” Zoro replied.
Meanwhile, Brook, walking behind them with a large sack of food, simply chuckled at the interaction. Lola did the same. However, she had her own agenda.
"I'll go to my group first and see how things are going. We'll join you guys later."
Maki nodded at those words.
"Thank you for accompanying us. And you just focus on your preparations. After a year stuck here, there's a lot to do to get back on the water, right?"
“But with Franky helping with your ship preparations, you guys will be ready in no time,” Zoro added.
Lola's group was practically without supplies. Their supplies had been depleted just to survive on Thriller Bark. Furthermore, since they hadn't sailed for a year, their ship required special maintenance before it could be used again. Normally, that would take days. The bottleneck wasn't the ship's mechanics' skill, but rather the materials. Therefore, instead of using their old ship, they decided to take one of the ships on Thriller Bark.
“I should be the one thanking you guys,” Lola bowed slightly, “Moreover, you left quite a lot of treasure for us.”
"No problem," Maki replied briefly.
After that exchange of words, the pale pink-haired woman parted ways with the Straw Hats to join her own group. Meanwhile, Maki and the others continued walking to their ship, where Nami was ready to greet them with sparkling eyes.
“Hey! Hey! So, how much treasure did you guys get?” Nami asked enthusiastically.
Maki immediately pulled her head back, gasping for breath. She knew the girl was a money-grubber, but she was never used to the pressure she exerted.
“I don’t know. Just count it yourself,” Zoro replied as he dropped the giant sack.
Maki was a little grateful that the boy took over the conversation. For her, even though she had a wealth of experience interacting with various types of people, someone as extreme as Nami was a first. Furthermore, Nami was very kind to her, and she felt comfortable spending time with her as her only female friend her age. However, on her home world, she would have had a hard time getting along with money-hungry people like Mei Mei.
As such, interacting with Nami, who was in money-hungry mode, was a little awkward for Maki.
“Is Luffy still unconscious?” the otherworldly girl asked as she put down her loot.
"He hasn't opened his eyes yet, and Chopper is still monitoring his condition."
Nami replied without even looking at Maki, her attention completely focused on assessing each treasure trove. And in the next second, she tossed a gold coin to Zoro.
“Your share.”
The green-haired boy reflexively caught the coin, but he immediately looked at the short orange-haired girl and glared at her.
“Hey! Seriously?!”
Nami snorted softly and shook her head several times at the protest.
“You know, Zoro. Who do you think pays for your food on the ship? You guys are pretty wasteful when it comes to drinking, too.”
“You crazy girl. Even if you included all my bills, I should still get a pretty good share with all the treasure I’ve collected,” Zoro retorted, trying to defend himself.
“Not really,” Nami shrugged her shoulders as if she were unconcerned, “Every drop of beer wasted will incur a fine. And if you don’t pay it back immediately, it will accrue interest of about ten times the amount every hour.”
Maki stared at the interaction speechless. It was just like after they disembarked from Skypiea, Nami had imposed exorbitant and unreasonable fees on everyone, both men and women, even Nami herself, leaving the entire group with nothing but friction from all the wealth they had acquired. It was probably one of the biggest culture shocks she had experienced since being stranded in this world.
However, considering Nami's personality, Maki decided to ignore the girl's quirk.
Maki dropped the giant sack she was carrying and untied it, revealing another pile of treasures they had brought.
“Then, I’ll take this,” said the girl with the ponytail as she took the sword sheath decorated with various kinds of jewellery.
“Are you going to use that for Ganesha? But isn’t that too much for everyday use? I mean, Maki-chan, these are usually just for decoration, right?”
Nami tried to gently reason with the treasure, which was being held in check. While she was very strict about the budget and allowances for each member, what set her apart was her treatment of both the boys and girls. When talking to Luffy and the others, she would transform into a demon crawling out of a nightmare. However, when she was with Robin and Maki, it would turn into a heated discussion. At least, that was what it looked like on the surface, because in reality, she would give unreasonable arguments that would tire her interlocutors out.
“I know. That’s why I’m gonna ask Usopp and Franky to remove the ornaments and see if it can be used as a normal scabbard, or replace them with some accessories if needed.”
“I see, I see,” Nami nodded enthusiastically, “Then, let me know when you guys start working on it, okay?”
Just then, Franky's loud screams could be heard from the land. It was just an incoherent scream, but they knew he was trying to summon the entire crew at once. Nami, standing quite close to the railing, walked over to see what he was doing.
“Are you sure you won’t say anything to her about your share?” Zoro asked quietly.
Maki glanced at the boy for a moment, then looked at the back of the orange-haired girl who was one year older than her.
"As long as she doesn't embezzle our funds and use them for personal gain, I’ve no problem with how she manages our finances. Besides, it's not like I’ve got anything I wanna buy."
Zoro narrowed his eyes at the girl after hearing her indifferent response. However, Maki truly didn't care about her share of the treasure. The only thing that had caused her any culture shock was Nami's extreme management of their finances. She simply walked away from Zoro to join the short, orange-haired girl and assess the situation at the harbour.
“What are they doing? Do they need something?” Maki asked.
Nami jumped slightly when the girl suddenly snuck up beside her. However, it wasn't anything to worry about.
“It seems Franky has finished helping Lola's group preparation.”
“Really? That fast?” the otherworldly girl replied without taking her eyes off the man.
Speak of the devil, Franky immediately turned his head in the middle of his conversation with Lola's crew. His eyes met Maki's and Nami's, and he immediately waved enthusiastically, with his signature smile.
“Hey! If you guys are done with your things, come here! We’ll say goodbye to Lola and the others!”
Without needing to respond, Nami immediately turned around and looked at her teammates one by one. Her first gaze fell on Zoro, who was sitting cross-legged and leaning against the wall, his expression still irritated by the argument over the distribution of the loot. However, the girl strengthened her resolve to keep the group's finances healthy without wasteful spending.
“Guys, if you have nothing else to do, could you please come down for a moment to say goodbye to Lola and the others?” Nami shouted.
Usopp, who had already unfurled the sail, turned to the girl. Although Zoro appeared indifferent, he clearly heard her request. Meanwhile, Sanji emerged from the cabin with Brook after the skeleton delivered the food supplies to the kitchen.
“Robin seems to be taking a bath. Could you tell her to gather around, Maki-chan? And I’ll go find Chopper,” Nami said.
“Sure,” and Maki replied with a nod.
—OoOoO—
The farewell ceremony didn't require a lavish party or formal inauguration. Lola's group simply lined up and jostled to bid farewell, while the Straw Hats, minus Luffy, stood at the front of their ship. Lola, as captain and representative of her team, stepped forward and approached Nami, who happened to be standing in the middle row.
“This may not be the best place to meet, but I am very grateful to have met you, my friends,” said the large woman while holding Nami’s hand, “This may be a short meeting, but we are very grateful to you and will always remember this debt of gratitude.”
Lola released her grip on Nami's hand and reached into her pocket. Without wasting any time, she pulled out a piece of paper and tore the corner into a small piece.
“Please, take it,” she said, handing me the paper.
“Isn’t this…,” Nami muttered as she accepted the paper.
It was similar to the one Ace gave to Luffy, but since she had never seen anything like that again throughout her journey, Nami wasn't sure if it was the same object.
“That’s my mother’s Vivre Card,” said Lola, understanding Nami’s confusion. “Your destination is the New World, right? If you need anything, go to the place guided by the Vivre Card. She’ll probably help you, I guess.”
Nami hesitated slightly at the less-than-convincing answer. However, she kept it in regardless.
"Thank you. We'll make the most of it," the girl said.
“No, we should be the ones thanking you,” Lola quickly retorted, “This was a short meeting, but I hope it won’t be our last.”
Nami nodded at the statement.
“Yes, and I hope you find true love soon on this journey.”
“I will, certainly.”
The search for true love—there's no more ridiculous reason to embark on a long journey. While it may seem absurd to most, for some, it may be as important as a journey of self-discovery.
Maki might never relate to those feelings and reasons. No, she was never even considered being in a relationship, at least not yet. Even though she once said that the minimum requirement for a partner was a man stronger than herself, that didn't mean she was looking for a boyfriend right away.
A long journey in search of true love seemed ridiculous. However, in Maki's eyes, even with Lola's weird appearance, she somehow felt that she had become a truly beautiful and noble woman in that moment. Something she unknowingly respected deeply, and it gave rise to a sense of unease in her heart.
Deep down, perhaps Mai and the emotional bonds she felt for her friends weren't the only fuel that kept her searching for a way home. Perhaps, even without realising it, her urge to return home was driven by her fear of never seeing the person who, for the past year, had filled her heart with a colour other than the darkness of hatred.
'I wonder what that cheeky boy is doing now.'
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello everyone, how are you doing?
Anyway, this chapter wraps up the entire arc. And yes, I didn't have them fight Kuma. If I had, this arc would probably have ended in two or three chapters. But that's the way it is. So, there's nothing really I want to say. With that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
The next chapter is the Sabaody arc. So, see you later, and have a nice day.