Chapter 79: Rhapsody

At the No. 1 GR of the Shabondy Archipelago, my lovely singing voice echoes.

"~Meengomingo♫ Min-Mingooo♫~ Makin' deals left and right, Mingooo~♫~ Schemin' in the shadows, Mingooo~♫~"

"…………"

"~Threatenin' the government, Mingooo~♫~ Takin' countries in a frenzy, Mingooo~♫~ The name's Donquixote Doflamingo~♫~ Meengomingo Doflamingo~♫~ With Trebol lurkin' behind me, Ngo~♫~"

"…………Fuh, fuhfuhfuh… Mind givin’ me an answer soon?"

"—Hah? Excuse me? I went through the trouble of summarizing your whole deal into a neat little theme song AND performed it live for you, and THIS is the thanks I get? 'Mind giving me an answer soon?' Who the hell do you think you are, brat? The proper response here is, 'Thank you for the wonderful song!' Got it?"

"Gh…!! R-Right… My bad. That was thoughtless of me…"

"Damn right it was. You’re killin’ the vibe here. With that attitude, you’ll never survive the New World. —Oh, more skewers over here~!"

"—Right away, Lady Nue."

I lounge across the sofa prepared for me, doling out advice to the rookie in front of me while ordering Jack and Black Maria on either side to fetch more skewers. The rookie in question is Donquixote Doflamingo, age 28. He’s also sprawled on a sofa, legs spread wide, with his top executive—the grimy-looking Trebol—lurking behind him. The rest of his crew is here too.

But despite having his formidable family backing him up, Doflamingo’s been sweating bullets this whole time. Not bad that he’s keeping the smile plastered on, but why the sweat? Is he hot? Or… maybe he’s scared of me~?

Though honestly, I’m being plenty nice to him—he could at least try to look like he’s enjoying himself. He hasn’t touched any of the food laid out, only sipping his drink out of obligation. At first, he wouldn’t even do that, so I had to politely tell him, "Drink up~♡" before he finally caved. No way was I letting him refuse my booze. Nope nope.

"…Glad to see you’re enjoying the meal—"

"—Oh, about earlier—sure, whatever. Do what you want~."

"…………"

Whoops, cut him off right as he was about to lay on the flattery. Oopsie, guess I’m just too quick-witted and free-spirited! Doflamingo goes silent for a second before forcing his strained smile back into place.

"That’s a relief… Let’s build a mutually beneficial relationship, then… Fuhfuhfuh…!!"

"But don’t get the wrong idea~♡"

"…Wrong idea?"

Mm-hmm, I nod, munching on another skewer before turning my smile back to him.

"Right now, you’re nothing special. If things go well, great! If not? Eh, whatever. So if you make it to the New World and actually manage to pull something off, then we can talk business for real."

"…Yeah, fine by me. Can’t hash out specifics yet anyway."

"Exactly~ So do your best… and watch your step, ‘kay?♡ If you embarrass our symbol… or if your little schemes stop being fun? I’ll kill you. Oh, and I’ll let Kaido know, but what he does after that’s on you. Better scrape together some bargaining chips and beg real nice, ‘cause if you fail? You’ll get two choices—join us or die~! Ahahahaha!!"

"!! …I’ll keep that in mind… Fuhfuhfuh…!!"

Oh, he’s forcing that laugh. Deep down, he’s probably pissed I’m mocking him and scared shitless, but hey—he just scored a shot at dealing with an Emperor, so he’ll take it. Not bad for a Conqueror’s Haki user. Got some guts, at least.

Normally, we recruit pirates who enter the New World. Nod yes, and you’re in. Become a subordinate? Fine. Bend the knee, and we’ll overlook the details. Even if you’ve wronged us before, water under the bridge—especially if you’re strong.

But if you refuse? We break you. If you submit, good. If not? We kill you. If you won’t join, you’re an enemy. Not that some no-name pirate’s a threat, but if another Emperor scoops you up? Annoying. Easier to just snuff you out.

So yeah, if Doflamingo plays ball, we’ll let him slide. Kaido won’t say no if the deal’s juicy enough. His methods do have merit.

After all, if he becomes a "Warlord" and uses that position for underworld deals, making him a direct subordinate would ruin the whole setup. The government would never allow a Warlord—meant to counter the Emperors—to serve one.

But if he stays officially independent while dealing under the table? The government will turn a blind eye. They only care about their own gains, and it seems Doflamingo’s got dirt on them. That’s why they tolerate his schemes—might even cover up for him.

So keeping him at arm’s length as an ally works better than absorbing him. And Kaido? He’s no idiot. If it’s more profitable this way, he’ll agree—assuming he’s not wasted.

"—Well, we’re off now. Do your best to make it back up there, ‘kay?~♡"

"…!! Fuhfuhfuh… Yeah… Mind if I ask one last thing?"

"What’s that?"

"Where you headed next?"

For just a second, Doflamingo’s face freezes—but he quickly schools it back, pressing a hand to his forehead as he watches me prepare to leave.

Delighting in his shock, I answer with a smile, pointing upward.

"—The sky.♡"

"!!!"

I giggle, watching his reaction. So cute~.

---

—Holy Land Mariejois.

"Gorosei!! Gorosei!! Urgent report!!!"

"What is it now…? All this commotion. What happened?"

"R-Reports from the Sabaody Archipelago! A flying ship and a UFO have been spotted!!!"

"What…!?"

Upon hearing the report, their faces turned pale, just like the marine who delivered it.

A flying ship and a UFO—there was only one pirate those could point to.

And so, immediately following the report, a state of highest alert was declared across both the Holy Land Mariejois and Navy Headquarters.

"It appears the Beasts Pirates have been sighted passing through the Sabaody Archipelago!!"

"What business would the ‘Demon Beast’ have in the first half of the Grand Line…!?"

"We don’t know what could happen…!! Recall all three Admirals and issue an alert to every Grand Line division!!!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

"That damn ‘Phantom Beast’… what is she planning this time…!?"

A member of the Four Emperors. The moment the Vice-Governor of the Beasts Pirates makes a move, the report reaches even the Gorosei, and the Navy Headquarters goes into a frenzy.

They were dangerous enough as it was—but the ‘Phantom Beast’ was elusive, impossible to pin down.

Now she had deliberately left the New World to head for the first half of the sea, and the World Government began to speculate on her motives. But whatever they guessed, the truth was beyond prediction. The “Phantom Beast Nue” was the New World’s wild card—unpredictable, irrational, and infamous for it.

But if there was one thing everyone could agree on, it was this: whatever she was planning, it wouldn’t be anything good. Every incident she had caused so far was enough to send chills down the spine—grisly, nauseating acts of cruelty.

"And we’re already stretched thin handling the Fish-Man Pirates and the other crews in these waters…!!"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!! The Kuja Pirates just sank one of our warships!!"

"The Kuja!?"

"Yes, sir!! Also, it appears they’ve changed captains… Reports say she’s a stunning beauty with monstrous strength…"

"……!! Dammit… and right when we’re short a Warlord…!!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku buried his face in his hands. Lately, the Grand Line had been thrown into utter chaos.

First, the emergence of that troublemaker rookie in the New World—the one they call “Red-Hair.”

Then the rise of the Fish-Man Pirates, led by Fisher Tiger, one of the key figures in the attack on the Holy Land and the liberation of the slaves.

On top of that, a new powerhouse had appeared among the warrior tribe of Amazon Lily, leading the Kuja Pirates on expeditions.

And if that wasn’t enough, even the Donquixote Pirates—an old thorn in Sengoku’s side—had entered the Grand Line and were rapidly expanding their influence.

And now, to top it all off: one of the Four Emperors. The Beasts Pirates’ Vice-Governor—the ‘Phantom Beast’ herself—had made her move.

It was all spiraling out of control. They didn’t have the manpower. Even if “Red-Hair” had gone off to the East Blue, they had no resources left to chase after him.

---

"Hmm… sounds like the Grand Line’s gotten pretty lively lately. Must be rough."

Lying on the deck in my beachwear, I muttered while reading the daily newspaper, as usual. Lately, the papers were full of stories. Very entertaining.

"Look! They wrote about us too!!"

"They really did ♡ Nue-sama’s adorable face is right there on the front page."

"…By the way, Nue-san. Why are we going to Skypiea again?"

I flashed the front page at Black Maria and Jack—two of the tobiroppo, and among the three Lead Performers I brought along. The third one was just standing there silently, but I ignored him and answered Jack’s question.

"Vacation. And… some research, maybe♪"

"There’s something that appealing about the island to come all this way?"

"Hehe ♪ It’s not about appeal, Black Maria. According to my research, that sky island might just have a Poneglyph of History~♡"

"! I see."

"…Makes sense. So that’s why Dulak is with us."

"Exactly."

Black Maria and Jack turned to look at the third Lead Performer—Dulak—who nodded in response, confirming that that was indeed her purpose here.

After all, Dulak was the only one among us who could read the Poneglyphs of History. She was an archaeologist, studying their content and significance. If we were going to read one, we needed her along. That’s why I brought her—and why we were now floating gently above the clouds.

"So, how are we getting to Skypiea?"

"How else? We’ll just float there like this. I more or less know where it is."

"Is that why you got an Eternal Pose for that island… ‘Jaya’, was it?"

"Yep, that’s right~. ‘Skypiea’ is supposed to be somewhere around there. So with my Observation Haki and the UFOs, we’ll just scan for some likely-looking cumulo-empyreal cloud banks and boom—we’re there♡"

I twirled a finger toward the UFOs flying above the ship, making them spin playfully as I winked. My UFOs were super useful for this kind of thing.

They could monitor territory, track intruders, attack rebel elements, even pinpoint exact locations.

They’d evolved with my abilities, and I’d integrated them with my Observation Haki. If I do say so myself, they’re insanely convenient!

That’s how I can float my ship like this too. The UFOs can attract objects and people—which means they can lift an entire ship if I want.

So getting to Skypiea is easy. No need to detour to some island or ride the Knock-Up Stream or whatever. I mean, the stream looks flashy and all, so it’s fun to watch, but it’s actually not that rare in the Grand Line. I’ve played around with it a few times already. That trend’s over for me. It’s like fireworks—fun to watch, but that’s about it.

"They say there’s also a route that uses the Knock-Up Stream to get to that island!! Anyone want to give it a shot?"

"The Knock-Up Stream… Oh, that one…"

"That’s the sea current Nue-sama played with, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, yeah! I used to toss captured pirates and marines into it, or split it vertically and sideways with Kaido… Ah, it was so fun throwing in fish-men and mermaids♡ It’s wild, you know? They’re still alive when they get launched into the sky, seem totally fine—then BAM, they hit the ocean and die! Amazing!!"

"…………"

"Classic Nue-sama…"

"…That's a pretty twisted game you're playing."

"Really? Wanna try it too, Dulak? You shouldn't knock it 'til you try it—might surprise you how fun it is!"

"I'll pass."

As I reminisced about the old days, Jack went silent, Black Maria commented with a faint smile, and Dulak simply called it distasteful. The other crew members who overheard were actually kind of amused. My crew loves that kind of cruel stuff—this level of talk is practically comedy to them.

Sure, sometimes when I talk about actual torture or the nastier stuff I've done, some of them flinch a little, but most of the people on my crew have a high tolerance for brutality. They’re the kind who laugh at stories about crushing people.

The only one who ever frowns is Dulak—but even she keeps a polite smile on her face. She doesn’t really enjoy it, but she acts like she does, keeping up that mysterious air. Honestly, it's very "agent on permanent vacation" energy. Like mother, like daughter, huh? Sure would be nice if they could reunite someday.

“—Ah, there it is. That way.”

"You already found it?"

"Sure did! Looks like it’s about twenty kilometers southwest. Well then—let’s go sightseeing in Skypiea!"

"Wooooaah!!! That's our Lady Nue!!!"

"Kyaaaa~~~!!! Lady Nueeee~~~♡"

Soaking in the cheers of my lovely subordinates, I steered the ship toward the sky island. Hehe, I can’t wait to see what Draak has to say once we get there♪

---

──Skypiea.

It is, without a doubt, one of the legitimate islands of the Grand Line. A massive mass of sky cloud floating in the air—specifically, an island cloud drifting atop the White-White Sea, ten thousand meters above sea level.

This is what people call Skypiea.

Technically, the nearby solid landmass known as “Upper Yard” is part of Skypiea as well, though that place is infamous for its complicated history and the conflicts tied to it.

Still, on that so-called “Island of the Gods” stands the “God’s Shrine,” home of the ruler of the country—referred to as “God.”

And currently, the man governing Skypiea under that title is an elderly gentleman named Gan Fall.

“Today was the scheduled negotiation with the Shandians…”

“Your Excellency… are these talks not reaching their limit? They refuse to listen. They're little more than beasts.”

“Don’t say that. Their cause may differ, their methods warped, but they are still human. If we open our hearts and speak in earnest, even the roughest souls can be reached.”

“But still—”

“—Pardon the intrusion!!!”

At the God’s Shrine, the voices of Gan Fall and one of his attending priests echoed through the grand hall. Gan Fall, unwilling to prolong the battle with the Shandians—the native people of Upper Yard striving to reclaim their homeland—continued trying to find a compromise. Even though the people of Skypiea couldn’t part with the land, he refused to abandon diplomacy in favor of bloodshed.

The priest opened his mouth to argue against such naïveté, but before he could speak, a divine soldier burst in, breathless and clearly rattled. A member of the Divine Guard—the national military force.

“? What’s gotten you so worked up? Has something happened?”

“We’re under attack!!!”

“! Don’t tell me—it’s the Shandians again…?”

“No sir! It’s not the Shandians!!!”

“!! What!?”

When you hear “attack,” the Shandians are the first to come to mind. If it were them, as unfortunate as it is to say, that would at least be routine.

But this soldier’s face was pale. Not with frustration or anger—those usual emotions the Shandians stir—but something different.

This was fear.

“Skypiea and Upper Yard are under assault! The Divine Guard and White Berets have mobilized… Even the Shandians seem to be joining in the fight, but at this rate—!”

“!! Who are they!?”

Gan Fall's expression darkened as he barked the question.

The soldier gave his answer, his voice trembling as he revealed the identity of the attackers.

“Pirates from the Blue Sea!!! They call themselves the Beasts Pirates…!!!”

"Pirates...!?"

They didn’t know yet.

That the warriors of Shandia, who fought under the banner of justice, were not beasts. That no matter what others called them, they were still human, each with a will of their own.

—No, that wasn’t quite right. Real beasts did exist.

And that day, they would come to understand what it truly meant to face beasts who couldn’t be reasoned with—at the hands of the Beasts Pirates.

—The battle on the Island of God ended in an instant.

"—Who the hell are you people!?"

"Blue Sea dwellers...! Are you here to trample our homeland!?"

The warriors of Shandia, fighting to reclaim their sacred land, erupted with hostility and battle lust as they faced the sudden arrival of pirates from the Blue Sea.

"Illegal trespassers!?! We’ve received no report of this!!"

"Do you even realize where you are!? This is holy ground! Leave at once!!"

The divine warriors of the Skypiean God’s army also raised their weapons to protect their land.

Both the Shandians and the God’s soldiers wielded the unique weapons of the Sky Island—arms enhanced with “Dials,” conches with a variety of powers.

Blue Sea dwellers were weak at this altitude—over 10,000 meters above sea level. Unused to aerial combat and unable to adapt to the thin air, they were of no real threat.

—Or so they thought.

"Gyahahaha!! Hey, you bastards! Don’t tell me you don’t know who we are!?"

"Gyahaha!! I don’t care if this is your sacred ground or whatever—you think that crap’s gonna stop us!?"

"It’s not like there’s an actual god here anyway! Ain’t scared of any so-called divine punishment!"

The pirates from the Blue Sea showed no fear as they laughed crudely and jeered at them.

But tragically, the people of the sky had never heard the name of the pirate crew that flew the flag with the twin-horned skull.

Had they known, they might have fled. Yes—because for those who could not match their power, escape was the only option.

"!!!"

"H-Hey! What’s that rumbling!?"

"That thing that just passed through the sky—don’t tell me...!!!"

A strange pressure filled the air, making them break into cold sweat.

The forest split. The ground trembled. Overhead, a disk-shaped object swept across the sky.

And then—behind the group of pirates—came the true monsters, and the onlookers’ eyes went wide.

"—You people. Move aside. Now."

"! What did you say!?"

From among them, a white-haired woman wearing a horned mask stepped forward and addressed the defenders.

But she too radiated an unnatural presence. Through the two holes in her mask, she stared straight at them and made her demand.

"If you get in our way, you’ll die. So I suggest you step aside, unless you want to be fools."

Beasts Pirates “Headliner” Dulak — Bounty: 130 million Berries

"...!!"

"What nonsense...! You think we’ll take orders from some Blue Sea pirate!?"

Her words sparked outrage.

But murmurs of unease rose as something even worse approached behind her.

Because the two shadows that followed weren’t even shaped like humans.

"—Move, Dulak."

"—Looks like they don’t want to listen."

"!!"

A man’s voice. A woman’s voice.

And both belonged to gigantic, ancient beasts.

Only now did they realize: these were the monsters that had been shaking the land beneath them.

And they also began to sense the overwhelming power they held. A few warriors who possessed the “Mantra,” the Sky Island’s version of Observation Haki, were already trembling from the sheer force they felt.

Then, just as the pirates prepared to escalate things again—

"—Stop right there, all of you!!!"

"! The God!?"

“G-Gan Fall!!”

God Gan Fall of Skypiea had stepped forward, stunning both the divine soldiers and the Shandians.

Accompanied by a large force of divine guards, he walked calmly toward the beasts and met their gaze without flinching. The mammoth and giant spider regarded him with suspicion.

"A god...?"

"Does that mean he’s the king of this land?"

"That’s right. I am Gan Fall! We have no intention of fighting. I only ask that you let us talk!"

"Talk...?"

"My, my..."

"…………"

Gan Fall made his intent clear—he wanted dialogue, negotiation. If they had demands, he would listen. As the leader of this country, he would not allow needless bloodshed. And so, he stood firm.

It was a noble stance. So much so that even the warriors of Shandia, despite their clenched teeth, could say nothing against it.

Yes, Gan Fall had always stood his ground like this, continuing to negotiate with the Shandians despite their centuries-long grudge.

But… that sort of reason didn’t work on everyone.

"...Seems like now would be the perfect time to lay out our demands, don’t you think?"

"—Don’t be stupid, Dulac. We didn’t come here to negotiate."

"You’re forgetting the orders we were given, Dulac. Try to remember. What were we told to do—"

The one called Dulac was cut off by the giant spider, who fixed her beastly eyes on those before her and declared:

"—We’re here to find the gold. And anyone who gets in our way… we crush them all."

"…!!! Wait!!! Aren’t you the leader!? Then let me speak to—"

"!!!?"

"GWAAAAAH!!!"

"K-Kuhh...!!?"

Just as Gan Fall tried to continue, the mammoth made his move.

With a swing of his massive trunk, he struck out at them, unleashing raw destruction. The giant spider cackled, and Dulak raised her eyebrows slightly.

"My, Jack... You really have no patience."

"Shut up, Black Maria. —Enough of this. We kill everyone."

"...!!!"

—What madness.

Was Gan Fall the only one who thought so? Or was he not alone?

But all who witnessed what happened next realized the same thing:

These were beasts.

Utterly unreasonable and beyond negotiation. Wherever they went, they left only destruction in their wake, taking whatever they wanted—whether it was gold or lives.

They were, in every sense of the word—calamities.

None of them were officially labeled as such. But for the people of the sky, there could be no better word.

Beasts Pirates “Tobiroppo” Jack — Bounty: 400 million Berries
Beasts Pirates “Tobiroppo” Black Maria — Bounty: 312 million Berries

"—Alright, you lot!! Tear this island apart and find it!!!"

"For Nue-sama’s sake, crush anyone who gets in the way♡"

“Hyahhaaa!!! Let’s go!!!”

“Yooooooo!!!”

And so, the Beasts Pirates trampled over the Divine Soldiers and the Shandian warriors, pushing forward into Upper Yard.

Those who lived in the sky were by no means weak. Not at all. Against any average pirate or brute, they would’ve held their own.

But still—this enemy was simply the wrong one to face.

"What... incredible strength...!!!"

"I told you, didn’t I?"

Dulak replied to Gan Fall’s awestruck mutter with a sigh. Her tone made it clear—had they followed her warning while she was still being gentle, no one would’ve needed to die.

“But it’s not too late even now. If you know something, I suggest you start talking.”

“…!! I know nothing…!! And even if I did, I’d never tell the likes of you…!!”

“God!!? Please, stay back!!”

Brushing off his subordinate’s warning, Gan Fall gripped his spear and took aim at Dulak. He wasn’t weak either—once, he’d been a warrior in his own right.

“…I see. Then I’m going to ask you to get out of the way.”

“I cannot…!!”

“…Then don’t complain if you end up dead…!!”

Gan Fall immediately raised his spear and charged at Durac. He was ready to strike her down if it meant protecting his people and his land—even if just a little.

“—Lierre.”

“Gghh!?”

But then, something unseen suddenly wrapped around his body, stopping him cold.

Gan Fall had no idea what was happening, and in an instant, he was sent tumbling to the ground.

As he tried to rise, he realized he was already bound from head to toe. Neither his arms nor legs could move. Gritting his teeth, Gan Fall looked up at the approaching Durac and spat out the truth.

“A Devil Fruit ability…!!!”

“Correct. At least you know that much… Though honestly, I don’t think I’d lose to you even if we fought properly. Not that I feel like taking even a scratch, so I’ll just restrain you instead.”

“I was careless…!!!”

Gan Fall struggled against whatever was binding him, but the power entangling him was far too strong. Watching him writhe on the ground, Dulak gave a faint smile.

“For someone so obsessed with the land… this suits you, don’t you think?”

“Kh… You… You bastards, stop right there…!!”

“Sorry… but I don’t have the luxury of stopping.”

“!!”

At that moment, Gan Fall caught a glimpse of her eyes behind the mask.

Sadness. Rage. Regret. Despair. Resolve—so many emotions swirled together, bleeding into one another. And as he realized he couldn’t place who she truly was, the words he meant to speak caught in his throat.

“—Just stay there and keep rolling around.”

“Ghh…!! Stop, damn it…!!”

“Don’t worry. Once we’re done here, we’ll leave. So until then, I suggest you behave yourself.”

With that, the woman called Dulak turned and walked away. Along the path, she captured the other Divine Soldiers and Shandians in the same way, tossing them into the woods one by one.

Neither Gan Fall nor the Divine Soldiers, nor the Shandians—no one could stop the advance of Dulak and the pirates who followed her.

---

In the Four Blues and even the first half of the Grand Line, places like Sky Islands are often thought of as nothing more than fairy tales. But for pirates in the New World, even if they haven’t seen one themselves, it’s not something they’d find unbelievable.

After all, the New World is full of islands just as bizarre as the sky. Islands that are constantly on fire, islands where lightning rains from the sky. Compared to upside-down islands and the like, a floating island really isn’t that strange.

Plus, there are several Sky Islands in the New World as well, so it’s not like they’re impossibly rare. Sure, it might surprise some of our crew, but it’s hardly a discovery worth throwing a party over. There’s even a Sky Island near Wano.

That makes sense too—Sky Clouds and Island Clouds are formed when the components of Seastone, made up of keratin particles, are carried into the sky by volcanic eruptions. When they absorb moisture, the density difference allows floating islands to form. Given that Wano is a Seastone-producing country, it’s only natural for Sky Islands to appear nearby.

“—But! More than any of that technical stuff, what I really wanted was the Dials and the Poneglyph, you know!!”

“What are you talking about, Nue-san?”

“Oh, nothing at all! Just talking to myself~♪”

Beaming, I looked down at the pile of Dials I’d gathered with my UFO and the golden bell before me. Seeing them in person really is something else.

Well, the Dials were just a personal side project. If I hand these off to Queen, he’ll probably whip up some absolutely insane contraption out of them. Sounds fun!

“—Nue-san. About this golden bell…”

“Ah, no worries. Just leave it. It’d be a pain to lug it back. I’ve already copied the Poneglyph, so I’m good. Great job, everyone~♡ Let’s throw a wild party with all the loot we took, yeah!?”

“UOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!”

When Jack asked me what we should do with the golden bell, I told him we could leave it. It’d just be in the way on the ship, and hauling it back to the New World with the UFO would be a nightmare.

So I’ll let them keep it and settle for the other spoils. Aren’t I just the nicest? It really does feel good to do something kind every now and then! I mean, sure, I’ll kill a bunch of living people, but I’ll leave the bell behind—something they probably really didn’t want taken! Strange how the voices come through so clearly, though. Probably the fault of that masked beauty.

“Durac, you’re looking forward to this too, right? Once we’re back, you’ll report to me and Kaido about what was written on that thing, so make sure you’re thorough, okay♡?”

“…Of course. I’m… quite interested. But is it alright if I don’t explain it now?”

“Sure thing~! I’ve got a good feeling about what it says, so I’ll look forward to it, okay~?”

“…Understood.”

Dulak was off by herself, staring silently at the ancient text, so I called out to her. She’s already a proper member of the Beasts Pirates, after all! Always dependable, and this time, too, I’m sure she’ll handle decoding the Poneglyph just fine.

Because if she doesn’t—it’d be a ve~ry big problem♡

Now then. I did say we’d kill anyone who got in our way, but Dulak went out of her way to leave some of them alive without Jack and the others noticing. I wonder if she’ll prove her loyalty to us properly~? I’m so looking forward to it~♪