Chapter 22: Peaceful Days

—I truly believed that from here on, peaceful and quiet days would continue forever.

“Haa... haa...!”

The people who came to this island always spoke of terrible rumors—how some town had been attacked, how some Navy base was wiped out. That kind of talk.

The world was in turmoil. I understood that in my head... but not in my heart.

“Hyahaha! Run! Cower! Be afraid!”

“Another big haul today!”

“Kh...!”

I was scared. But a part of me also thought: that kind of thing won’t happen to me. Or to anyone around me.

Those stories we heard—they were about a different world. About big cities and famous places. Not remote islands like ours.

Even as I ran, desperately, down the alleyways of our little town... even then, I couldn’t fully believe this was real.

But I had been naive. This is real. Those stories were real threats. Even a backwater country like ours could be attacked.

“Helloooo, come out, come out...”

“Kh!?”

...And even knowing that.

“Hm? That’s strange... I could’ve sworn I felt someone here...”

“...!”

Even knowing that, I never imagined something like this could exist in the world.

I hid in the shadows, watching the pirate who was hunting me.

It wasn’t human. It was a monster—some twisted beast, like a chimera of several animals, speaking in the innocent voice of a young girl.

Just moments ago, it was a young girl. Or rather, something that looked like one. Right before my eyes, she had transformed into that creature.

Now it was close. Too close.

I held my breath, clamped my hands over my mouth, and didn’t move an inch. I waited, praying it would go away.

I could hear my heartbeat thundering in my ears. Every second felt like an eternity.

The creature’s presence slowly faded, the voice growing more distant—

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s here... Maybe they went that way?”

Once the presence was truly gone, I stayed still, just to be safe. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, I felt I could breathe again. I stepped out from my hiding spot, relieved.

There was no one—

“Gotcha!”

“Hiih!? Aa...! A-ah...!”

—But the monster was right there.

My heart nearly stopped. I collapsed. Couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move.

Towering above me—at least ten meters tall—was the same creature with a young girl’s voice.

A black, lion-like mane. A snake for a tail, green-scaled. Red and blue wings. Razor-sharp claws and fangs. A terrifying fusion of multiple beasts.

It looked down at me with a wide smile, as if amused by something.

“Ahaha! That reaction was priceless! You were really scared, huh? You still can’t even move or speak!”

“...ugh...!”

“Well, I kinda get what you wanna say. You want me to spare you, right?”

“...!!”

Despite its monstrous appearance, it spoke casually—almost playfully—like an innocent girl. That didn’t make it less terrifying. If anything, it made it worse. Still, I nodded desperately. I couldn’t speak, but I begged with my eyes: please, save me.

Then the creature smiled—an open, cheerful smile. Like a friendly animal. There was no hostility in it, just pure, childlike joy.

“Sorry, though. Normally I wouldn’t care—whether I kill someone, torture them, or let them go. But I was told to wipe this place out. Orders from the captain.”

“...!!?”

“So yeah, I need you to help me out with a little test. Honestly, I’m glad you ran off on your own. If I did this out in the open, where everyone could see, I think people would freak out. What I’m about to do... well, it really hurts. You’ll probably think you're dying the whole time. But hey, blame your weakness—or your bad luck.”

“...!!!”

The moment I heard that, a chill ran down my spine. A horror so overwhelming it nearly broke me.

I didn’t know exactly what she meant. But I knew I was about to be dragged into something unspeakable. A nightmare.

I finally tried to scream for help—but before I could, something slashed across my throat. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t call out.

Then I was dragged deeper into the shadows—

“Okay, let’s begin~!”

“!!! ———!!! ———!!!”

And just like that, with her disturbingly cheerful voice echoing through the alley, a young marine’s life was quietly snuffed out, with no one around to witness it.

---

"Man, what a nice day. Makes you wanna take a nap, huh?"

And so, as usual, I was hard at work with my pirate duties. Wiping out some backwater town in the South Blue on Captain Rocks’ orders. Sometimes, we completely wipe them out. Not that it’s usually a big island or country—just small islands or towns where wiping them out sends a proper message of terror. Apparently, half-hearted plundering and killing don’t quite get the threat across. We do hold back sometimes, but every now and then, we gotta remind the World Government and its member nations that there are some real monsters out there.

Anyway, under this perfect sunbathing weather, I’d just finished playing a little game of tag with some Marines stationed here—well, more like slaughtering them with the rest of the crew. Sure, it’s kinda childish, but when you go all out, it’s actually pretty fun.

Though, I ended up getting a little messy, so I was washing my hands and body in a nearby water bucket. Ugh, kinda gross. Maybe I overdid it. Just as I was thinking that—

"—Hey, Nue."

"Oh, Kaido. You done too?"

"Yeah. Boring as hell, but I killed 'em all."

Kaido trudged into the alley, looking genuinely bored, his kanabo dripping with fresh blood. Then again, fighting some no-name Marines and townsfolk in a place nowhere near the Grand Line would be dull for him. Me? I can find my own fun.

"More importantly, you don’t usually walk around looking like that."

"Hm? Oh, right. I don’t like showing it off, but I figured I should train with it every now and then."

Kaido was pointing at me—specifically, at one of my Animal-Type Zoan forms, one I rarely use: Full Beast Mode.

I shifted back from the monstrous "Nue" image people expect to my usual human-beast hybrid form. My full beast mode is pretty damn terrifying, and while it’s versatile, I don’t use it much, so I was practicing. …Now that I think about it, I should’ve washed up before transforming back.

"Beast Mode’s scary, and if I stay like that too much, it’ll ruin my cute image, y’know?"

"Who gives a damn? Strong is strong."

"No! You gotta save this stuff for the right moment! The gap between ‘Wait, that monster’s actually a cute girl?!’ and ‘Wait, that cute girl’s actually a monster?!’ is the whole point! Mystery and cuteness are my brand!"

"...The hell’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing’s wrong with me!!"

I shot back at Kaido, who just looked exasperated. He’d never get my aesthetic, but I wasn’t backing down. I wanna be both cute and terrifying. Being cute but strong makes you unsettling, and it lulls enemies into a false sense of security. Not that I wanna rely too much on that—if people catch on, it’s annoying. But my abilities do lean toward ambushes, stealth, infiltration… Assassin Pirate Beauty has a nice ring to it, but if I overdo it, people might think I’m weak in a straight fight. Gotta balance it out—can’t afford to be underestimated if I’m standing next to Kaido.

"Oh, hey, speaking of which—don’t you think your Beast Mode gets bigger as you get stronger?"

"—Yeah, it does. Just how it works."

"Right?! Like, the more you train, the more your beast form evolves… Back when I started, I was only like a meter tall, but now I’m, what, ten times that? Crazy."

"Still tiny as hell."

"Don’t compare me to you! Nobody gets as big as you! Probably!"

"Sounds like you’re not even sure."

Ugh, shut up. Kaido’s the weird one here. Probably. …Seriously, I don’t think any other Zoan user gets as big as him. The guy’s, what,100 meters long now? Sure, against real opponents, he’s just a big target, but to weaklings? Pure nightmare fuel. And I say that as someone who also terrifies people. Other Devil Fruits probably don’t scale like that—or maybe it’s just Kaido being Kaido. Like, if he ate a Bug Bug Fruit, would he just turn into a 100-meter-long insect? That’s horrifying in its own way… Actually, it’s probably both. The Fruit’s busted, but Kaido’s even more busted. So don’t act like I’m the small one here.

"Well, Zoans boost raw physical ability, so the stronger you get, the crazier your beast form becomes."

"Don’t matter to me. I’d get strong no matter what crap power I had."

"That’s our Kaido. Confidence on another level."

Not like I expected anything else from him. At the end of the day, strength’s all about the user.

"...Hey, Nue… You got somethin’ on your face."

"Huh? —Oh, right. Forgot about that."

Kaido pointed at the dirt on my cheek—well, near my mouth. A little embarrassed, I wiped it off with my finger, licked it clean, then rinsed my hand.

Kaido smirked, that annoying grin of his.

"Worororo… Still got those nasty habits, huh?"

"Nah, nah, just an experiment. Gotta know for emergencies."

"How’d it go?"

"Mmm… Some parts were okay, others were rough. Might be better cooked. Next time, I’ll bring seasoning."

"Good. Now we got a solution for the ship’s food supply."

"Dumbass. Normal humans would never. Total dealbreaker. …But maybe Zoan users could handle it. Carnivorous ones, at least."

"Worororo, next time we catch some weaklings, we’ll test it."

Kaido’s grin widened as he made the suggestion. Sounds fun—for us. Any civilians or weaklings better run. He will do it, and I’m not exactly against it. I only tried it because I figured Zoan users could stomach it, based on past experience. Results? Mixed. Like I said, some parts were edible raw, others… not so much. My Fruit’s based on a yokai, so I thought I could eat anything raw, but nope. Maybe it’s a taste thing. Either way, Zoans add the animal’s traits—including dietary quirks. Makes sense. In a way, Zoans are as messed up as the other types. Truly Devil Fruits. Gotta keep experimenting—this stuff’s useful.

"—Cut the crap, you damn morons!!!"

"—Whoa!? Scared me… What was that?"

"Tch. That voice… Whitebeard."

A sudden roar echoed from the distance, making me jump. For a second, I thought I was being yelled at, but no—it came from the town square. And like Kaido said, it was Whitebeard. And he sounded pissed. Arguing with someone, maybe? Not many people can argue with him…

"Wanna go check it out?"

"Yeah."

Almost instinctively, Kaido and I left the alley, heading toward the square. The streets were littered with corpses, the air thick with the presence of pirates—all of them our crewmates. Pushing through the crowd, I floated up to get a better look.

"I don't care if it's an enemy, but don't kill an ally over some stupid reason!!!"

"Hah!? Shut the hell up, Whitebeard!!! I was just tryin' to teach that brat a lesson!! Show 'em what happens when some damn newbie gets too cocky!!!"

"Aahhh... I kinda get it now. So Linlin tried to kill another crewmate again, and Whitebeard lost his shit, huh?"

"Whitebeard's always bitchin' about killin' allies. Dude's strong as hell but soft as hell—annoying as fuck."

Kaido and I pieced together the situation just from Whitebeard and Linlin’s yelling. I don’t know the exact details, but basically, Linlin tried to kill… that girl behind Whitebeard—wait, who was she again? Some newbie? Whatever. Point is, Linlin was about to murder her, Whitebeard saw it, and now he’s pissed. That’s gotta be it. They’re basically saying as much, and fights like this are nothing new. Happens all the time. Not exactly rare.

…Though, that new girl… I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere. Who was she? Blue hair, pretty face. Maybe I’m imagining it. Whatever. More importantly, this fight’s heating up way more than usual…

"Grrr!! That’s ENOUGH!! You’re always gettin’ in my damn way!! Today’s the day I put you down for good!!!"

"Bring it, dumbass!!! Try me!!!"

"—Oh, this might get bad."

Linlin and Whitebeard snapped, weapons in hand. The Rocks Pirates crew erupted into chaos, the crowd scrambling back.

"!!!"

"Whoa, crap!! This is bad!!!"

"Whitebeard and Linlin are goin’ at it!!! Somebody stop 'em!!!"

"Dammit…!! I’m all for lettin’ 'em kill each other, but if we don’t move, we’re gonna get caught in it!!"

"Should we call the Captain!?"

"He won’t stop 'em!! Just back the hell up!!"

In an instant, Whitebeard’s naginata and Linlin’s sword clashed—a deafening blast, shockwaves ripping through the air. This wasn’t just Armament Haki. This was Conqueror’s Haki colliding. Everyone scrambled for cover, though some just cheered for both of 'em to drop dead.

Honestly? Same.

"Whoa! This is insane, Kaido!! Conqueror’s Haki clash!! Whitebeard and Linlin are finally goin’ all out!!"

"Worororo!! Hell yeah!! Fight, fight!! I’ll kill whoever wins!!"

"That’s rough, but this is an insane fight!! We gotta watch this—it’s not every day you see something like this!!"

"Damn right!!!"

So, Kaido and I settled in to enjoy the show. I mean, come on—Whitebeard vs. Linlin? That’s a once-in-a-lifetime match!

We floated up to get a better view. Flying’s handy in times like these. Less chance of getting wrecked by the aftermath.

…Though, honestly? I’ve got a feeling Whitebeard’s gonna win this one.

Watching Whitebeard’s quake powers and Linlin’s rampaging Zeus and Prometheus, I couldn’t help but think it. Linlin’s strong, no doubt, but Whitebeard’s just on another level. Even now, he’s pushing her back, landing hits while Linlin’s sweating bullets, struggling to deal any real damage.

Yeah… Whitebeard’s the real deal. No wonder they say he’s the strongest in the crew after the Captain.

Speaking of, where the hell is the Captain? He said he was going deeper into the island to look for something… Hmmm… I’m curious, but he ordered us to stay put. Not like it matters—this town’ll be rubble in seconds. Hell, it’s already getting flattened. Those two are monsters. Especially Whitebeard’s quake fruit—total cheat code. We’re fine up here, but the guys on the ground are screwed.

…Might be a good chance to take out someone we’d never beat normally. Not that I’d do it. If I’m gonna kill someone, I wanna do it head-on—oh, right.

"—Huh? What’s up?"

"Gonna go talk to someone real quick!"

I gave Kaido a heads-up before flying down to a certain someone. Never talked to her before, but hey, good chance to see if I can remember her.

"—Hey, you okay?"

"!! You’re… Nue, the rookie, right?"

"Oh, you know me? Even though I’m just a rookie?"

"You and Kaido are kinda infamous… Rookies who act way too big for your britches. Word is, the Captain’s got a soft spot for you."

Oh? That’s nice to hear. Heh. Guess Kaido and I are already outgrowing the "rookie" label. Only thing holding us back is age, but that’ll fix itself soon. Been on the crew almost five years now. We’ve gotta be at least 16 or 17 by this point—old enough to sail proper, old enough to ditch the rookie tag—

But anyway, back to her. Who is this blue-haired lady? Must be a new recruit.

"So, who’re you? You’re new, right? Joined recently?"

"...Yeah. Got in not too long ago. Name’s Whitty Bay, from the North Blue. Nice to meet you."

"Whitty Bay… Yeah, cool name! Not as good as mine, though!"

"Uh… sure. You’re, uh… pretty bold for a rookie, huh…?"

Kinda feels like she’s judging me. Whatever. Not gonna sweat the small stuff.

…Wait, Whitty Bay? Hmm. The name’s kinda familiar. Pretty sure she’s connected to Whitebeard somehow. Like, they’ve known each other forever. Huh. So she’s been around since way back then?

…Wait, how old is she? Like, is she secretly some old hag—?

"—You thinking something rude right now?"

"Nope, not at all! Ahaha…"

"...Sure. Whatever."

I flashed a grin, brushing it off. Yikes. Observation Haki? Or just woman’s intuition? Either way, I felt a sudden chill—better watch myself. Newbie or not, she’s not weak. If the Captain let her join, she’s gotta be strong.

Maybe I should lay off the "old hag" comments...

"──Hey, are you okay? Almost got killed by Linlin, huh? Tough luck."

"？ Who are you?"

"Ah, I’ve been hanging out with Whitebeard recently... Who was it again?"

"Rakyou. …No, it's Nue. I told you my name... I introduced myself when I came over while I was drinking with Newgate..."

"Huh? Did you? ──just kidding, that was a joke. Yeah. The guy with dreadlocks and a yellow bandana. Dark-skinned with a beard, holding a spiked ball... That guy is Rakyou, right?"

"Got it! Sp... Spap King!!"

"Who the hell is that!!? I'm Rakyou, you idiot!!"

"Parley! Parley! Here, here’s the theme song! Dede, Den-den, Dede, Den-den, Dede, Den-den-de-de, Den♪"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!? Are you crazy!?"

"That rhythm’s strangely catchy..."

"Tch, you’re no fun. I can’t hang with people who have no sense of fun, so I’m leaving now."

"A free spirit, huh!!"

With that, I walked away from Rakyou and Whitey Bay. I only wanted to check on the woman. But when these two are together… hmm. I can’t exactly say it, but it reminds me of a certain pirate… Oh well.

Anyway, the fight seems like it’s gonna drag on, so I’ll go grab some food and drink. One for Kaido and one for me. I don’t need too much food though.

──So while I was casually raiding around town for some food and alcohol, trying to find anything that looked safe,

"──Hey, Nue. What are you rummaging around for?"

"Ah, Shiki. Well, since it’s an opportunity, I thought I’d grab some drinks and snacks and watch the fight."

"Jihahaha!! Watching the fight with a drink in hand! That’s the way to do it! Wanna bet on who’s gonna win?!"

This time, Shiki shouted from above as he came down. He still has those weird eyebrows. He’s pretty cheerful among the crew, not the type to kill his own comrades, so he’s relatively safe. Plus, since I can fly too, he tends to talk to me when he’s floating in the air. And he likes to joke around like this.

"So, if I win, you become my subordinate. How about that?"

"Then I’ll bet on Whitebeard. If I win, it’s 100 million berries."

"Jihaha! That’s not gonna happen! I’m betting on Whitebeard too!!"

"That’s not even a bet!"

──And this is how he casually tries to recruit people. It’s all in good humor, but you can tell he’s got an ulterior motive hoping it turns out that way. It’s a bit annoying. I’ll probably call him a chicken bastard someday. He’s surprisingly easy-going, so I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.

"Anyway, is the captain still not back?"

"Hm? Why are you asking me?"

"Huh? You’re probably looking into where he went, aren’t you? He’s been secretly gathering crew members inside the ship, right?"

"…Jihaha. Well, yeah. The boss probably isn’t back yet. But, it’s just a guess. He’s probably still searching for something."

When I told him that, he flashed a mischievous grin and replied. He said it was just a guess, but I’m pretty sure he’s lying. I know this guy. He’s reckless and always doing things like this. Even though I was told not to investigate where the captain went, I wouldn’t dare do something like that. If I got caught, I’d probably get killed.

"So, the fight between Whitebeard and Linlin will probably go on for a while. I’m bored, so watching it isn’t the worst idea. I’ll drink too."

"Ah, don’t take ours. I’m gathering it secretly, you know."

"Jihaha, as usual, you’re a cocky apprentice. Well, whatever, but──you guys aren’t gonna charge in and get involved in their fight, right?"

Oh? What’s this weird eyebrowed guy saying? I answered with full confidence.

"──Hahaha! Of course not! I mean, charging into that fight would be like suicide──"

──30 minutes later.

"──Worororo!! Let’s go, Nue!! Let’s start the best war ever!!!"

"Hahaha!! Okay!! War! War! Creek! Creek!!"

"…These guys are definitely insane…"

──Before I knew it, Kaido and I were lying on the ground, knocked out by unimaginable pain and shock. Even when we woke up hours later, the fight was still going on, and in the end, until Whitebeard’s victory, Kaido and I tried to join the battle about three more times. Why we did something so crazy, I’m not sure, but──well, it was painful, but at least it was fun!!

---

──Meanwhile.

"…Gihaha… I see. This should be the area..."

The devil separated from his comrades and began searching the ruins to pinpoint his next destination—eventually finding a new stone and grinning a wicked grin.