Chapter 79: Rhapsody
At the No. 1 GR of the Shabondy Archipelago, my lovely singing voice echoes.
"~Meengomingoâ« Min-Mingoooâ«~ Makin' deals left and right, Mingooo~â«~ Schemin' in the shadows, Mingooo~â«~"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
"~Threatenin' the government, Mingooo~â«~ Takin' countries in a frenzy, Mingooo~â«~ The name's Donquixote Doflamingo~â«~ Meengomingo Doflamingo~â«~ With Trebol lurkin' behind me, Ngo~â«~"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠFuh, fuhfuhfuh⊠Mind givinâ me an answer soon?"
"âHah? 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?"
"GhâŠ!! R-Right⊠My bad. That was thoughtless of meâŠ"
"Damn right it was. Youâre killinâ the vibe here. With that attitude, youâll never survive the New World. âOh, more skewers over here~!"
"âRight 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. Heâs also sprawled on a sofa, legs spread wide, with his top executiveâthe grimy-looking Trebolâlurking behind him. The rest of his crew is here too.
But despite having his formidable family backing him up, Doflamingoâs been sweating bullets this whole time. Not bad that heâs keeping the smile plastered on, but why the sweat? Is he hot? Or⊠maybe heâs scared of me~?
Though honestly, Iâm being plenty nice to himâhe could at least try to look like heâs enjoying himself. He hasnât touched any of the food laid out, only sipping his drink out of obligation. At first, he wouldnât even do that, so I had to politely tell him, "Drink up~âĄ" before he finally caved. No way was I letting him refuse my booze. Nope nope.
"âŠGlad to see youâre enjoying the mealâ"
"âOh, about earlierâsure, whatever. Do what you want~."
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
Whoops, cut him off right as he was about to lay on the flattery. Oopsie, guess Iâm just too quick-witted and free-spirited! Doflamingo goes silent for a second before forcing his strained smile back into place.
"Thatâs a relief⊠Letâs build a mutually beneficial relationship, then⊠FuhfuhfuhâŠ!!"
"But donât get the wrong idea~âĄ"
"âŠWrong idea?"
Mm-hmm, I nod, munching on another skewer before turning my smile back to him.
"Right now, youâre 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."
"âŠYeah, fine by me. Canât hash out specifics yet anyway."
"Exactly~ So do your best⊠and watch your step, âkay?⥠If you embarrass our symbol⊠or if your little schemes stop being fun? Iâll kill you. Oh, and Iâll let Kaido know, but what he does after thatâs on you. Better scrape together some bargaining chips and beg real nice, âcause if you fail? Youâll get two choicesâjoin us or die~! Ahahahaha!!"
"!! âŠIâll keep that in mind⊠FuhfuhfuhâŠ!!"
Oh, heâs forcing that laugh. Deep down, heâs probably pissed Iâm mocking him and scared shitless, but heyâhe just scored a shot at dealing with an Emperor, so heâll take it. Not bad for a Conquerorâs Haki user. Got some guts, at least.
Normally, we recruit pirates who enter the New World. Nod yes, and youâre in. Become a subordinate? Fine. Bend the knee, and weâll overlook the details. Even if youâve wronged us before, water under the bridgeâespecially if youâre strong.
But if you refuse? We break you. If you submit, good. If not? We kill you. If you wonât join, youâre an enemy. Not that some no-name pirateâs a threat, but if another Emperor scoops you up? Annoying. Easier to just snuff you out.
So yeah, if Doflamingo plays ball, weâll let him slide. Kaido wonât say no if the dealâs 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 Warlordâmeant to counter the Emperorsâto 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 Doflamingoâs got dirt on them. Thatâs why they tolerate his schemesâmight even cover up for him.
So keeping him at armâs length as an ally works better than absorbing him. And Kaido? Heâs no idiot. If itâs more profitable this way, heâll agreeâassuming heâs not wasted.
"âWell, weâre off now. Do your best to make it back up there, âkay?~âĄ"
"âŠ!! Fuhfuhfuh⊠Yeah⊠Mind if I ask one last thing?"
"Whatâs that?"
"Where you headed next?"
For just a second, Doflamingoâs face freezesâbut 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.
"âThe sky.âĄ"
"!!!"
I giggle, watching his reaction. So cute~.
âHoly 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!!!"
"WhatâŠ!?"
Upon hearing the report, their faces turned pale, just like the marine who delivered it.
A flying ship and a UFOâthere 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 âDemon Beastâ have in the first half of the Grand LineâŠ!?"
"We donât know what could happenâŠ!! Recall all three Admirals and issue an alert to every Grand Line division!!!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
"That damn âPhantom Beastâ⊠what is she planning this timeâŠ!?"
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 wasâbut the âPhantom Beastâ 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 âPhantom Beast Nueâ was the New Worldâs wild cardâunpredictable, irrational, and infamous for it.
But if there was one thing everyone could agree on, it was this: whatever she was planning, it wouldnât be anything good. Every incident she had caused so far was enough to send chills down the spineâgrisly, nauseating acts of cruelty.
"And weâre already stretched thin handling the Fish-Man Pirates and the other crews in these watersâŠ!!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!! The Kuja Pirates just sank one of our warships!!"
"The Kuja!?"
"Yes, sir!! Also, it appears theyâve changed captains⊠Reports say sheâs a stunning beauty with monstrous strengthâŠ"
"âŠâŠ!! Dammit⊠and right when weâre short a WarlordâŠ!!"
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 Worldâthe one they call âRed-Hair.â
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 wasnât enough, even the Donquixote Piratesâan old thorn in Sengokuâs sideâhad entered the Grand Line and were rapidly expanding their influence.
And now, to top it all off: one of the Four Emperors. The Beasts Piratesâ Vice-Governorâthe âPhantom Beastâ herselfâhad made her move.
It was all spiraling out of control. They didnât have the manpower. Even if âRed-Hairâ had gone off to the East Blue, they had no resources left to chase after him.
"Hmm⊠sounds like the Grand Lineâs 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-samaâs adorable face is right there on the front page."
"âŠBy the way, Nue-san. Why are we going to Skypiea again?"
I flashed the front page at Black Maria and Jackâtwo 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 Jackâs question.
"Vacation. And⊠some research, maybeâȘ"
"Thereâs something that appealing about the island to come all this way?"
"Hehe âȘ Itâs not about appeal, Black Maria. According to my research, that sky island might just have a Poneglyph of History~âĄ"
"! I see."
"âŠMakes sense. So thatâs why Dulak is with us."
"Exactly."
Black Maria and Jack turned to look at the third Lead PerformerâDulakâwho 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. Thatâs why I brought herâand why we were now floating gently above the clouds.
"So, how are we getting to Skypiea?"
"How else? Weâll just float there like this. I more or less know where it is."
"Is that why you got an Eternal Pose for that island⊠âJayaâ, was it?"
"Yep, thatâs right~. âSkypieaâ is supposed to be somewhere around there. So with my Observation Haki and the UFOs, weâll just scan for some likely-looking cumulo-empyreal cloud banks and boomâweâre thereâĄ"
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.
Theyâd evolved with my abilities, and Iâd integrated them with my Observation Haki. If I do say so myself, theyâre insanely convenient!
Thatâs how I can float my ship like this too. The UFOs can attract objects and peopleâwhich 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 itâs fun to watch, but itâs actually not that rare in the Grand Line. Iâve played around with it a few times already. That trendâs over for me. Itâs like fireworksâfun to watch, but thatâs about it.
"They say thereâs 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 oneâŠ"
"Thatâs the sea current Nue-sama played with, isnât 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⥠Itâs wild, you know? Theyâre still alive when they get launched into the sky, seem totally fineâthen BAM, they hit the ocean and die! Amazing!!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
"Classic Nue-samaâŠ"
"âŠThat's a pretty twisted game you're playing."
"Really? Wanna try it too, Dulak? You shouldn't knock it 'til you try itâmight 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 stuffâthis 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. Theyâre the kind who laugh at stories about crushing people.
The only one who ever frowns is Dulakâbut even she keeps a polite smile on her face. She doesnât 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.
ââAh, there it is. That way.â
"You already found it?"
"Sure did! Looks like itâs about twenty kilometers southwest. Well thenâletâs go sightseeing in Skypiea!"
"Wooooaah!!! That's our Lady Nue!!!"
"Kyaaaa~~~!!! Lady Nueeee~~~âĄ"
Soaking in the cheers of my lovely subordinates, I steered the ship toward the sky island. Hehe, I canât wait to see what Draak has to say once we get thereâȘ
ââSkypiea.
It is, without a doubt, one of the legitimate islands of the Grand Line. A massive mass of sky cloud floating in the airâspecifically, 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 âUpper Yardâ 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 âIsland of the Godsâ stands the âGodâs Shrine,â home of the ruler of the countryâreferred to as âGod.â
And currently, the man governing Skypiea under that title is an elderly gentleman named Gan Fall.
âToday was the scheduled negotiation with the ShandiansâŠâ
âYour Excellency⊠are these talks not reaching their limit? They refuse to listen. They're little more than beasts.â
âDonât 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.â
âBut stillââ
ââPardon the intrusion!!!â
At the Godâs 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 Shandiansâthe native people of Upper Yard striving to reclaim their homelandâcontinued trying to find a compromise. Even though the people of Skypiea couldnât part with the land, he refused to abandon diplomacy in favor of bloodshed.
The priest opened his mouth to argue against such naĂŻvetĂ©, but before he could speak, a divine soldier burst in, breathless and clearly rattled. A member of the Divine Guardâthe national military force.
â? Whatâs gotten you so worked up? Has something happened?â
âWeâre under attack!!!â
â! Donât tell meâitâs the Shandians againâŠ?â
âNo sir! Itâs not the Shandians!!!â
â!! What!?â
When you hear âattack,â 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 soldierâs face was pale. Not with frustration or angerâthose usual emotions the Shandians stirâbut something different.
This was fear.
âSkypiea 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 rateâ!â
â!! Who are they!?â
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.
âPirates from the Blue Sea!!! They call themselves the Beasts PiratesâŠ!!!â
"Pirates...!?"
They didnât 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.
âNo, that wasnât quite right. Real beasts did exist.
And that day, they would come to understand what it truly meant to face beasts who couldnât be reasoned withâat the hands of the Beasts Pirates.
âThe battle on the Island of God ended in an instant.
"âWho 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!?! Weâve 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 Godâs army also raised their weapons to protect their land.
Both the Shandians and the Godâs soldiers wielded the unique weapons of the Sky Islandâarms enhanced with âDials,â conches with a variety of powers.
Blue Sea dwellers were weak at this altitudeâover 10,000 meters above sea level. Unused to aerial combat and unable to adapt to the thin air, they were of no real threat.
âOr so they thought.
"Gyahahaha!! Hey, you bastards! Donât tell me you donât know who we are!?"
"Gyahaha!! I donât care if this is your sacred ground or whateverâyou think that crapâs gonna stop us!?"
"Itâs not like thereâs an actual god here anyway! Ainât 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. Yesâbecause for those who could not match their power, escape was the only option.
"!!!"
"H-Hey! Whatâs that rumbling!?"
"That thing that just passed through the skyâdonât 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 thenâbehind the group of piratesâcame the true monsters, and the onlookersâ eyes went wide.
"âYou 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, youâll die. So I suggest you step aside, unless you want to be fools."
Beasts Pirates âHeadlinerâ Dulak â Bounty: 130 million Berries
"...!!"
"What nonsense...! You think weâll 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 werenât even shaped like humans.
"âMove, Dulak."
"âLooks like they donât want to listen."
"!!"
A manâs voice. A womanâs 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 âMantra,â the Sky Islandâs version of Observation Haki, were already trembling from the sheer force they felt.
Then, just as the pirates prepared to escalate things againâ
"âStop right there, all of you!!!"
"! The God!?"
âG-Gan Fall!!â
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 heâs the king of this land?"
"Thatâs right. I am Gan Fall! We have no intention of fighting. I only ask that you let us talk!"
"Talk...?"
"My, my..."
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
Gan Fall made his intent clearâhe 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 didnât work on everyone.
"...Seems like now would be the perfect time to lay out our demands, donât you think?"
"âDonât be stupid, Dulac. We didnât come here to negotiate."
"Youâre forgetting the orders we were given, Dulac. Try to remember. What were we told to doâ"
The one called Dulac was cut off by the giant spider, who fixed her beastly eyes on those before her and declared:
"âWeâre here to find the gold. And anyone who gets in our way⊠we crush them all."
"âŠ!!! Wait!!! Arenât you the leader!? Then let me speak toâ"
"!!!?"
"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. âEnough of this. We kill everyone."
"...!!!"
âWhat 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 wantedâwhether it was gold or lives.
They were, in every sense of the wordâcalamities.
None of them were officially labeled as such. But for the people of the sky, there could be no better word.
Beasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Jack â Bounty: 400 million Berries
Beasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Black Maria â Bounty: 312 million Berries
"âAlright, you lot!! Tear this island apart and find it!!!"
"For Nue-samaâs sake, crush anyone who gets in the wayâĄ"
âHyahhaaa!!! Letâs go!!!â
âYooooooo!!!â
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 wouldâve held their own.
But stillâthis enemy was simply the wrong one to face.
"What... incredible strength...!!!"
"I told you, didnât I?"
Dulak replied to Gan Fallâs awestruck mutter with a sigh. Her tone made it clearâhad they followed her warning while she was still being gentle, no one wouldâve needed to die.
âBut itâs not too late even now. If you know something, I suggest you start talking.â
ââŠ!! I know nothingâŠ!! And even if I did, Iâd never tell the likes of youâŠ!!â
âGod!!? Please, stay back!!â
Brushing off his subordinateâs warning, Gan Fall gripped his spear and took aim at Dulak. He wasnât weak eitherâonce, heâd been a warrior in his own right.
ââŠI see. Then Iâm going to ask you to get out of the way.â
âI cannotâŠ!!â
ââŠThen donât complain if you end up deadâŠ!!â
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 landâeven if just a little.
ââLierre.â
âGghh!?â
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.
âA Devil Fruit abilityâŠ!!!â
âCorrect. At least you know that much⊠Though honestly, I donât think Iâd lose to you even if we fought properly. Not that I feel like taking even a scratch, so Iâll just restrain you instead.â
âI was carelessâŠ!!!â
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.
âFor someone so obsessed with the land⊠this suits you, donât you think?â
âKh⊠You⊠You bastards, stop right thereâŠ!!â
âSorry⊠but I donât have the luxury of stopping.â
â!!â
At that moment, Gan Fall caught a glimpse of her eyes behind the mask.
Sadness. Rage. Regret. Despair. Resolveâso many emotions swirled together, bleeding into one another. And as he realized he couldnât place who she truly was, the words he meant to speak caught in his throat.
ââJust stay there and keep rolling around.â
âGhhâŠ!! Stop, damn itâŠ!!â
âDonât worry. Once weâre done here, weâll leave. So until then, I suggest you behave yourself.â
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 Shandiansâno 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 havenât seen one themselves, itâs not something theyâd 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 isnât that strange.
Plus, there are several Sky Islands in the New World as well, so itâs not like theyâre impossibly rare. Sure, it might surprise some of our crew, but itâs hardly a discovery worth throwing a party over. Thereâs even a Sky Island near Wano.
That makes sense tooâSky 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, itâs only natural for Sky Islands to appear nearby.
ââBut! More than any of that technical stuff, what I really wanted was the Dials and the Poneglyph, you know!!â
âWhat are you talking about, Nue-san?â
âOh, nothing at all! Just talking to myself~âȘâ
Beaming, I looked down at the pile of Dials Iâd 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, heâll probably whip up some absolutely insane contraption out of them. Sounds fun!
ââNue-san. About this golden bellâŠâ
âAh, no worries. Just leave it. Itâd be a pain to lug it back. Iâve already copied the Poneglyph, so Iâm good. Great job, everyone~⥠Letâs throw a wild party with all the loot we took, yeah!?â
âUOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!â
When Jack asked me what we should do with the golden bell, I told him we could leave it. Itâd just be in the way on the ship, and hauling it back to the New World with the UFO would be a nightmare.
So Iâll let them keep it and settle for the other spoils. Arenât I just the nicest? It really does feel good to do something kind every now and then! I mean, sure, Iâll kill a bunch of living people, but Iâll leave the bell behindâsomething they probably really didnât want taken! Strange how the voices come through so clearly, though. Probably the fault of that masked beauty.
âDurac, youâre looking forward to this too, right? Once weâre back, youâll report to me and Kaido about what was written on that thing, so make sure youâre thorough, okayâĄ?â
ââŠOf course. Iâm⊠quite interested. But is it alright if I donât explain it now?â
âSure thing~! Iâve got a good feeling about what it says, so Iâll look forward to it, okay~?â
ââŠUnderstood.â
Dulak was off by herself, staring silently at the ancient text, so I called out to her. Sheâs already a proper member of the Beasts Pirates, after all! Always dependable, and this time, too, Iâm sure sheâll handle decoding the Poneglyph just fine.
Because if she doesnâtâitâd be a ve~ry big problemâĄ
Now then. I did say weâd 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 sheâll prove her loyalty to us properly~? Iâm so looking forward to it~âȘ
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