Chapter 43: The Voice of the New World
ââThat place⊠was the latter half of the world that countless sailorsâpiratesâaspired to reach.
To even enter that route, half would sink at Reverse Mountain. And of those who survived to enter the Grand Line, another half would drop out before completing the first half of the journey.
Then, only about 30% would make it to Fish-Man Island, the midpoint resting at the ocean floor 10,000 meters below. The remaining 70% wouldnât even reach it.
The sea that only those who overcame this brutal survival race could finally arrive at⊠was the latter half of the Grand Lineâthe New World.
ââThe New World.
This was a sea where the influence of the World Government and the Marines was thin.
Of course, it wasnât a complete lawless zoneâthere were nations affiliated with the World Government and Marine G-branches. These countries maintained proper military forces, and in some cases, even sought the Marinesâ aid. And pirates, for that matter, didnât just go around mindlessly destroying every island they came across.
But the government wouldnât act for civilians, and neither would the Marines. In the New World, where ruthless pirates reigned supreme, the Marines were just another factionâno more significant than any other.
For pirates, it shouldâve been paradise. A true utopia⊠but that couldnât be further from the truth.
For the strong, the New World was heaven. They could claim vast territories and rule over them like kings.
But half the pirates who made it here would either lose everything and die⊠or flee back to the real "paradise"âthe first half of the Grand Line.
Countless rookies arrived seeking adventure, fame, power, or richesâbut only a handful survived long enough to claim them. The New Worldâs elite pirates monopolized it all. To take anything, you had to fight for it. And in the end, most lost everything in the struggle.
The only way to survive was to swear allegiance to one of the legendary pirates who already ruled these seas.
Like "Golden Lion" Shikiâthe fleet admiral reigning over dozens of pirate crews, said to be aiming for world domination.
Like "Big Mom"âa ruler of nations, steadily expanding her territory across the New World.
Like "Whitebeard"âthough his domain was smaller, his overwhelming personal strength and the power of his sworn crew made him a force feared by even the mightiest pirates.
And then there were those like "Roger"âa pirate who sailed freely across the world, claiming no territory, yet whose sheer strength allowed him to crush even the most notorious pirates. None could rival him except Whitebeard, and he too was counted among the New Worldâs greatest rulers.
The battle for supremacy among these titans was fierce, leaving no room for newcomers.
But even in these turbulent seas, there were rare gapsâoccasional rookies who, despite their small numbers, carved out a name for themselves.
These outliers were called the "eyes of the storm," catching the attention of the great pirates themselves.
Just like⊠todayâs newspaper.
"Zehahahaha⊠So they finally made it, huh? Those damn rookiesâŠ!"
On a summer island in the New World, where tall palm trees swayed, stood the base of a legendary pirateâone who flew the flag of the "Lionâs Skull."
A man with wild golden hair like a lionâs mane, two legendary swords at his waist, and a cigar between his teethâa pirate so infamous, the whole world knew his name.
The admiral of the Golden Lion Pirates⊠Shiki.
Right now, he was grinning at the newspaper in his hands. The headline read:
ââThe Beasts Pirates Storm the New World!!ââA Threat Great Enough to Wipe Out an Entire Nation!!
Seemed like theyâd caused trouble the moment they arrived⊠but Shiki just laughed. Typical of those lunatics.
As he pondered what to do nextâfrantic footsteps and a panicked voice interrupted.
"Boss!! Boss, itâs bad!!"
"Yeah? Whatâs got you so worked up?"
"ItâsâŠ! One of our shipsâthe one carrying the new recruitsâwas sunk! By those Beasts Pirates bastards!!"
"! âŠZehaha⊠Still as crazy as ever, huh? Not even scared of my flag."
"H-Huh? What do youâ?"
"Nothinâ. Just some old acquaintances. I was planninâ to pay âem a visit soon anyway⊠So let âem be for now."
"Youâre going yourselfâŠ? Understood."
And just like that, Shiki brushed off the loss of one of his ships. His empire wasnât so fragile that something like this would shake it.
No rage. No retaliation.
Just a single thoughtâ
Sooner or later⊠Iâll make even them bow to me.
The New World â A Certain Island
"Kaido and NueâŠ!! HA~HAHAHAHAHA!! Took you damn long enough to show upâŠ!!"
"Those two are as batshit crazy as everâŠ"
At a tea party in front of a massive, half-built castle, a certain female pirate grinned wildly as she read the newspaper alongside her crew and children.
This was none other than "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, a legendary pirate who would destroy entire nations for sweetsâa former crewmate of the two now making headlines.
The Beasts Pirates had been stirring up trouble for a while, but this was their first major incident in the New World. Meaning theyâd finally arrived.
Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family, grimaced openly. But he wasnât the only oneâmost of the older siblings wore similar expressions. Even as children, they remembered. They couldnât forget. Kaido was one thing, but Nue in particular had⊠played with them when they were much younger.
And among them, even the youngestâstill a minor yet already a wanted criminal, the Charlotte familyâs finest masterpieceâreacted.
"Tch⊠So theyâre finally hereâŠ"
"? Whatâs wrong, Katakuri?"
"âŠNothing."
The boy, Katakuri, pressed a hand to his temple, his usual stoic expression cracking ever so slightly into something like irritation.
Elsewhere in the New WorldâŠ
"They wiped out a whole country!!"
"Heh. Sounds like a real mess. Just like our captains!"
"Dumbass! Our captains and first mate are way stronger! Right, Gabban?!"
"Hah. Kaido and Nue, huh⊠So, what do you think?"
On the deck of their ship, a straw-hatted redhead and a round-nosed boy bickered over the news. The sunglasses-wearing man sharpening his axeâScopper Gabbanâtossed the question to the two figures nearby.
"Itâs been years since we last saw âem⊠Judging by their bounties, theyâve gotten a lot stronger."
"YeahâŠ! Canât wait to fight âem!! WAHHAHAHA!!"
The calm analysis came from "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh, flipping through the bounty posters tucked in the paper.
And the man eagerly looking forward to a reunion? The freestâand most fearedâpirate on these seas: "Gold Roger" Gol D. Roger.
And Yet AnotherâŠ
A certain legendary pirate frowned at the same news.
"âOld man!! These guysâŠ!!"
"Yeah⊠Damn it, they never learnâŠ!"
On the deck of the Moby Dick, a ship shaped like a white whale, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate rubbed his temples as his sons gathered around. So theyâve finally made it to the New World.
Between this and the recent disappearance of a World Government-affiliated royal familyâalong with several fish-men and merfolkâthings were getting too damn suspicious. Whitebeard usually enjoyed sailing carefree, but lately, heâd had plenty to worry about.
Meanwhile, Among the CiviliansâŠ
As the New Worldâs pirates took note of the Beasts Piratesâ arrival, its ordinary citizens could only pray one thing:
"Please⊠donât let the same thing happen to us."
The New World's Seas Are Brutal.
A sea of fire. Rain of lightning. Islands floating in the sky. Islands turned upside down. Incomprehensible phenomena, impossible weather. Mysterious and deadly creaturesâthreats to life were everywhere.
âŠBut for us? It was nothing new. Weâd rampaged through these waters before.
Back then, every enemy was strongâevery fight brought us to the brink of death. And that was fun. This was the ultimate sea, the only place worthy of real pirates.
But so far, the trash weâd run into at the entrance? Pathetic.
"P-Please, spare usâŠ!! We ainât got no beef with youâŠ!!"
A whimpering voice echoed across the dim, choppy waters. The ones begging were the pirates weâd tied up on deckâcurrently being entertained by our crew.
Our torture-loving executive, King, glanced at our captain.
"âHmph. Theyâre begging. Whatâll it be, Kaido?"
My partner, standing beside me, grabbed one by the throat and snarled.
"Worthless trash⊠You die first. Weaklings got no place here."
"Ghkâ?! W-Wait, hold on!! If you kill us, Golden Lion Shiki wonât let this slideâŠ!!"
"Y-YeahâŠ! Weâre newbies, but weâre still part of his fleet!! You mess with us, andâ"
"And what?! AND WHAT, HUH?!?!"
"G-Gah⊠AahâŠ!!"
They thought name-dropping Shiki would save them. Did they really think we didnât know what would happen if we crossed him?
Of course we knew. We used to sail together. Shiki was strongâa real threat. Right now? We couldnât take him.
But that didnât mean weâd bow to some bottom-feederâs threats. Not me. And definitely not Kaido, whose grip was crushing the pirateâs windpipe beside me.
"Tch. That bastard ShikiâŠ! Always lookinâ down on peopleâŠ!"
"He is kinda funny, though~. But honestly? Doubt heâd start a war over some newbies and one sunk ship~~~⊠Eh, either way, youâre already dead meat. Bye-bye~âĄ"
"Whaâ?! Y-You idiots, donâtâ"
"MUAHAHA!! EXECUTION TIME~~~~âȘ"
Queen and the others got to work. Some died by his sadistic machines. Others burned under Kingâs flames. I lounged back, laughing as the show unfolded.
"Ahaha! So cool~âȘ But man, these guys were way too weak. Kinda wanted a real fight, yâknow? Om nomâĄ"
"The entrance of the New World doesnât always have strong opponents."
"Heard lots just turn tail and run. âOh, want a pork bun?"
"Iâll pass."
I pouted (not really) and kept munching, using S-snakeâs lap as a pillow. Warm, juicy, deliciousâwhy did no one ever take me up on sharing? Only Kaido ever did. Then again, he knew what was safe to eat around me.
(Being a Zoan carnivore had perksâenhanced digestion, poison resistance. Iâd tested it. Surviving stupid shit? Thatâs what Animal Types do. Toughness for days.)
Not that it mattered here. The moment we entered the New World, Kaido and I went wild.
Which, as S-snake dryly pointed outâ
"Did you really have to destroy a country right off the bat? Youâll be fine?"
"Pfft! That was nothing!"
"Tch. Boring as hell. Wrecking that Marine base after was way more fun."
"âŠFufufu. Well, at least someoneâs happy."
"Huh?"
"The hell?"
S-snake smirkedâwell, I think she did. Hard to tell from this angle, my head buried in her thighs. (Why are all the beauties in this world so damn stacked?!)
"That island had two nations. The one you crushed was winning a war against the other. So⊠the survivors? Theyâre thanking you."
"What the hell is that� Sounds like total crap to me."
"Ohh, so thatâs what it was⊠In that case, maybe I shouldâve visited the other country too and basked in the hero treatment while I was at it."
"Exactly! If Iâd gone too, I probably wouldâve become a star over there. Super popular, totally irresistibleâ"
"âOh yeah, wasn't pork their local specialty? Then Iâm sure youâd be real popular, alright."
"What the hellâs that supposed to mean, King?!"
Ah, there they go againâKing and Queen fighting. And of course, the crewâs keeping a little distance. I mean, even if it's just a shouting match, itâs these two. Canât blame them for being cautious.
But more importantly, what comes next?
"Hey, Stussy. How much farther to the island?"
"Hmm⊠a day or two, maybe. Itâs not too far off."
"Hmm~~ Got it⊠In that case, I think Iâll hit the hay for today. Stussy, wanna go to the bath~?"
"Sure. âIf youâll excuse me?"
"Yeah. âAlright, you lot, partyâs over."
With Kaidoâs words, the usual combo of party and execution for the enemy pirates who crashed the celebration comes to an end. Stussy and I get up to head back inside the ship, but then King responds to what he just heardâ
"Ah! Miss Nue⊠wait, just a momentâŠ"
"Hm? Donât tell me the bathâs not ready yet?"
"Sorry⊠Iâll heat it up right away."
"Make it quick~"
King apologizes and rushes back inside. I donât get mad or anything and start leading the way for Stussy, but then she gives me this deadpan, mildly exasperated look and saysâ
"âŠWait a second. The bath on this ship⊠donât tell meâŠ"
"Oh, you figured it out? Yep, itâs hand-heated~âȘ Ehehe, pretty impressive, right?"
"âYes. Quite."
Oh, she wants to say something, I can tell. But the fact she doesnât? Thatâs what makes her such a lady. A real grown-up. If it were Queen, heâd be cracking jokes in a heartbeat. Not that it matters. I never expected that from Stussy anyway.
âAnd so, after waiting a bit, itâs bath time. Once thatâs done, time to sleep.
"Alrighty, bedtime~ Câmon, hop in the futonâȘ"
"Thank you. Iâll be intruding, then."
I invite Stussy into my big custom-made bed. Sheâs a guest, and a lady, so naturally sheâll be sleeping with me. I decided that myself, and Kaido had no complaints. Honestly, in a ship full of men like ours, thereâs nowhere else decent to let her sleep. So, into the plush, custom-ordered bed she goes. For the record, Iâm in my pajamas, and Stussyâs changed into a white nightgownâpretty sexy, honestly. So the two of us get into bed, and right away, Stussy looks at me and saysâ
"âŠHey, Nue⥠Mind if I ask you something?"
"Hmm~? What is it? Go right ahead~"
I casually give her the go-ahead. I figured she might start asking things soon. You know, letting her guard down now that weâre getting close. I donât mind answering a little bit if itâs nothing serious.
"Iâm really happy weâve grown so close⥠But⊠tell me, by any chanceâdo you have that kind of taste?"
"Huh? âŠOhhh, I get it now~âĄ"
It took me a second, but I caught on quick. Ah, that kind of taste, huh? Hmm~~ what should I say to that? Itâs not like Iâm into that stuff anymore, but itâs not totally foreign to me either. In fact, back then, it was perfectly normal. âŠWait, is she trying to use this as a way to probe deeper? âIf thatâs the play, maybe Iâll play along a bit.
"Hehehe~⥠And what if I said I did?"
"âIn that case⊠I think we could grow even closerâĄ"
"âŠAhaha. I see what youâre doing~âȘ Thatâs a pretty tempting offerâĄ"
I flash a playful smile and think to myselfâwhoa. She really went for it. So that is what this is. Well, yeah, makes sense. This isnât some fictional world, itâs reality. These things happen. We even had those kinds of places in our territory. They just never got shown on screen, is all. Itâs kinda fun, like Iâm peeking behind the curtain of the world. I could keep playing along a bit longer⊠but I donât like being drawn into someone elseâs rhythm. Time to flip it, surprise her a little, and steer things back to my pace.
So, as I wrap my arms around Stussy, I sayâ
"âBut ya knooow~~ When I get all touchy-feely like this, itâs actually for a different reason~âȘ"
"Oh my, and what exactly do you mean by that?"
Stussy asks back as she wraps her arms around me in return. So, I lock eyes with those blue ones of hers and tell her up closeâ
"When a cute girl like me is cuddling up to something adorable or beautiful, it just makes me look even cuter, donât you think? âĄ"
"âŠSo basically, youâre doing it to show off how cute you are?"
"Fufun. Thatâs exactly right~âȘ"
"Fufu, thatâs a rather tacky hobbyâĄ"
"I know, right~âĄ"
With that, I throw her a wink. âŠWell, thatâs not the only reason, of course. Honestly, if I donât keep a close eye on her like this, who knows what she might try. Itâs just a precaution.
For example, if she broke the bubble on the way to Fish-Man Island, itâd be a disaster. And this ship has a lot of stuff that would be very bad if stolen. Sure, most of itâs hidden using mysterious seeds and all, but that doesnât make it 100% safe. And times like bath or bedtime are when people tend to let their guard down the most, so she might try something. But if Iâm right here, she canât exactly report back or pull anything funny.
Best of all, if weâre sleeping together, and Iâm holding her like this, thereâs nothing she can doânot even in the middle of the night. Thanks to some past experience, Iâve got this knack for waking up instantly if I sense anything. Malice, hostility, anything shadyâIâll be up before she even blinks.
So while weâre bathing or sleeping, Stussy doesnât make any suspicious moves. Once weâre on the island, I wonât be able to keep this up, but thatâs fine. Iâll just make sure we have more eyes on her and keep a closer watch. Not that I think sheâll act rashly or anythingâbut on a ship, one wrong move could be fatal. Better safe than sorry. And besides, itâs a good chance to observe her.
And me? I get to cuddle up to a beautiful spy, subtly keep her in check, and snooze on a super-comfy human pillow. Cute, clever, and efficientâitâs a triple win. Fufun. I am a genius. Iâm sure Stussy wanted to use this as an opening to get somewhere too, but even if that were the case, Iâd be fine. No openings here.
Which means I can totally relax, enjoy our chat, or even tease her some more. Like thisâ
"Hehehe~⥠But you know~~ if sleeping next to someone as cute as me is just too much for you to handle, I might consider being generous andâ"
"Youâre right, Nueâyou are adorable⥠So cute, I could just eat you upâĄ"
"Ehh⊠eeeehhh~⥠Y-You really think so? EheheâŠâȘ W-Well, I am cute, so I guess thatâs fair! Here, Iâll even grant you the exclusive right to dote on meâĄ"
"Thanks. In that case, Iâll shower you with affection⥠My cute, cute NueâĄ"
"Ugh⊠D-Donât think for a second that just calling me cute over and over is gonna make me happy or anything! N-Not at all! Ehehhehehehe~~âȘ"
âKuh⊠Khh!! Damn it, I didnât see that comingâdeath by compliments!! I canât believe she hit me with that strategyâŠ!! But I wonât lose! Sheâs hugging me tight, patting my head nonstop, showering me in complimentsâbut I wonât let it get to me!! âŠSo câmon, say Iâm even cuter!!
âA few hours later.
"Heeey, Stussy~~⥠You should totally join our pirate crew~⥠Iâll even make you my exclusive Cute Manager⥠Iâll pay you loads too⥠And if thereâs anything you want, or anyone you wanna get rid of, just say the word, okay?⥠Youâre already my bestie for life, StussyâĄ"
"Uh, y-yeah⊠thanks, youâre adorable, Nue. (I canât believe how easy she is to handle⊠Is this her weakness? âŠCan I even call it that? Still, I didnât expect sheâd keep this up all night...)"
I got so pampered. Seriously, Stussyâs such a good person⥠I didnât think there was anyone in this world whoâd understand my cuteness this much⊠Sheâs more than a best friend, more than a soul mate. Sheâs my true Appreciator of Cuteness. She even said sheâd help out the Beasts Pirates! The only downside is that sheâs with CP0, but heyâI'll just steal her awayâȘ Real pirates take what they want, after allâĄ
As the morning sunlight pours into the ship, I revise one of my future goalsâHmm? Someoneâs calling at this hour?
"âAh, sorry, Stussy. My Den-Den Mushiâs ringing. Iâm just gonna step out for a sec, okay?"
"! âOh my, a secret call? Even that part of you is adorableâĄ"
"Ehehe~⥠Right?⥠But sorry, it might be something important~âĄ"
"âŠI see. Well then, take careâĄ"
I leave Stussy in my room and head out. I feel a little bad about it, but I canât go around spilling too much to a spy. That would just cause problems for Kaido and the rest of the crew. So I quietly apologize to her in my heart and move to a place where she wonât hear, then pick up the Den-Den Mushi.
"Hel~looo? Whoooâs this?"
"âKyokyokyo⊠That voice⊠it is dear little Nu-e, isnât it?"
"!! That laugh⊠and that voiceâŠ"
I freeze in surprise. I had expected this might happen someday, but I didnât think sheâd reach out now. That old womanâs voiceâand the Den-Den Mushi mimicking her faceâbelonged toâ
"IndeedâŠ!! Itâs been a long time, hasnât itâŠ? My former apprentice⊠Looks like youâve become quite the pirate. Iâm proud of youâŠ!!"
"âŠWell, you know~ So? What do you want?"
"KyokyokyoâŠ!! Iâve brought you and Kaido a very interesting proposal. I hear youâve been struggling to expand your power, yesâŠ?"
âThat voice belonged to the old woman who was once a comrade⊠Kurozumi Higurashi. And I decided then and there to hear her outâtogether with Kaido.
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