The faint creak of a door opening broke the heavy silence that had settled over the shoe store. All three of them turned their heads toward the sound.
Standing in the doorway was the woman Enel had sensed earlier with his Mantra. She was short, slightly overweight, with long black hair that fell to her waist like a dark curtain. Her features were plain, almost forgettable—the very image of an "average civilian." Her hands trembled faintly as she gripped the doorframe, but her eyes were steady, and her presence, though weak, carried a warmth Enel had rarely felt in anyone.
Kyoka's face softened immediately. She stood from the piano bench and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Hisako-san," she said, her voice tinged with guilt. "I didn't mean to thrash your store like this. The robbers just—"
"It's alright," the woman said gently, cutting her off with a wave of her hand. Her voice carried no anger, no judgment, just quiet reassurance. "Without you, those thieves might have taken everything. You did the right thing."
Kyoka exhaled in relief, shoulders sagging. For someone who had spent years being rejected, that simple acceptance meant more than words could say.
The woman stepped further into the store, her presence calm despite the broken glass and overturned displays around her. She turned to Enel and Tatsumaki and gave a polite nod. "My name is Hisako."
Enel inclined his head respectfully, though his words were blunt. "Enel. And before you speak to us, you should know—we're pirates."
To his surprise, Hisako didn't even flinch. She nodded as though she had expected that answer. "I already knew," she said simply. "Your faces are on bounty posters now. Hard to miss."
Tatsumaki raised an eyebrow, floating lazily beside him. "You knew and you didn't panic?"
Hisako smiled faintly. "Kyoka trusts you enough to bring you into my store. That's enough for me."
Enel tilted his head, intrigued. "And what makes you so sure she's good at judging character?"
"I listen to people's hearts," Kyoka answered before Hisako could. She brushed her elongated earlobes, the metal jacks glinting faintly. "Literally. With the Oto-Oto no Mi, I can hear heartbeats, and with enough practice, I've learned to tell when someone's lying or hiding malice."
Enel's smirk grew sharper. "Useful," he said simply, filing that information away. Someone like her could sniff out deceit long before it became a problem.
Tatsumaki, however, ignored all of that, her eyes lighting up with something else entirely. "Wait," she said suddenly, floating closer to Hisako. "You said bounty posters?"
"Yes," Hisako replied, her amusement barely hidden.
Tatsumaki's grin widened into something manic. "Finally!" She turned to Enel, practically vibrating in place. "Do you know what this means?"
Enel chuckled, already knowing where this was going. "A badge of honor?"
"Exactly!" Tatsumaki said, pumping her tiny fist. "A bounty isn't just some number—it's recognition. Proof that the world government sees us as a threat worth fearing!"
Enel nodded, but his smile was more restrained. "True. Though it's not always about strength. Even weak pirates can have high bounties if they hurt the government in ways that matter—politically, economically, symbolically. Power comes in more forms than brute force."
Hisako chuckled softly at their enthusiasm. "In that case," she said, moving toward the back of the store, "why don't I show you what the world thinks of you?"
She disappeared for a moment, then returned with a stack of freshly printed bounty posters. She laid them carefully on the nearest table, the paper still crisp.
Enel reached forward and flipped through them, reading each aloud.
"DEAD OR ALIVE. 'ARCHANGEL' ENEL – Captain of the Angel Pirates. Bounty: 310,000,000 Berries."
"DEAD OR ALIVE. 'TORNADO' TATSUMAKI – Navigator of the Angel Pirates. Bounty: 182,000,000 Berries."
"DEAD OR ALIVE. 'SOLAR ANVIL' ESCANOR – Shipwright of the Angel Pirates. Bounty: 220,000,000 Berries."
"ALIVE. 'SCARLET BLADE' FIGERLAND ERZA – Swordswoman of the Angel Pirates. Bounty: 215,000,000 Berries."
"DEAD OR ALIVE. 'ALL SEEING EYE' HYUGA HINATA – Archaeologist of the Angel Pirates. Bounty: 90,000,000 Berries."
Enel hummed softly, his gaze lingering on his own poster, his mind running through thoughts. "'Archangel,' huh? I wonder if they found out about my wings, or…"
Tatsumaki didn't hear him. Her attention was locked on her own bounty—and her face was contorting into pure rage.
"…What the hell is this?!" she screeched, shaking the paper like it had personally insulted her. "I'm below everyone except Hinata?!"
Enel blinked, then smirked. "Makes sense."
She snapped toward him with a speed that would have impressed even a seasoned assassin. "EXPLAIN."
Unbothered, Enel shrugged."I'm the captain, and I have the strongest Logia fruit in existence". He keeps going. "Erza's a former Celestial Dragon with a black blade that's one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades. The Marines aren't even sure if she blackened it herself, which terrifies them. And Escanor…" He grinned faintly. "Where do you think he got all that seastone for the Ark of Raijin's training room? He raided half the Marine bases near Water 7 to get it.Then he melted it with the power of a fruit mimicking the sun, and practically painted it into the walls."
Tatsumaki froze, blinking. "…I didn't think about that. He's lucky sea stone works based on physical contact. "
"Exactly," Enel said, smirking.
Tatsumaki crumpled her poster in her fist, glaring at nothing in particular. "Fine. I'll just do something to raise it. Something big. Something they can't ignore."
Enel raised an eyebrow, amused. "Looking forward to it."
Then she tilted her head toward his poster. "Still doesn't explain your nickname. How'd they know about your wings?"
Enel chuckled. He had figured it out. "They didn't need to. I'm the captain of the Angel Pirates. It could just be a name. It's not exactly subtle."
Before Tatsumaki could respond, Kyoka approached, her voice calm but tinged with awe. "These are… pretty high bounties."
Enel turned to her, his grin widening. "Then you're joining us, right? Like I asked."
Kyoka hesitated, glancing at Hisako. "I… I want to. I've always dreamed of learning every kind of music the world has to offer. But…" Her voice softened. "I can't just leave her behind."
Hisako, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward with a gentle smile. "Kyoka, you don't need to hesitate."
Kyoka blinked at her in surprise. "What?"
"I've been planning to close this store for a long time," Hisako admitted. "Spend the rest of my days with my husband and siblings. We've saved more than enough to live comfortably. The only reason I kept it open was because I knew you loved coming here. I didn't want you to feel like you had nowhere to belong."
Kyoka's mouth opened, but no words came out.
Hisako reached out, brushing a hand against her cheek. "The truth is, this place only stayed alive because of you. If you hadn't wanted it, I would've passed it on to you anyway. I don't have any children of my own. You've been my daughter all along."
Tears welled in Kyoka's eyes, spilling freely now. Even Enel and Tatsumaki, who were hardly sentimental types, found themselves momentarily stunned into silence.
Truly, Enel thought, some people are too kind for this world.
"Go chase your dream," Hisako said softly, pulling Kyoka into a hug. "That's all I've ever wanted for you. Thank you for being my daughter."
Kyoka's voice broke as she clung to her. "Thank you… Mom."
Hisako's smile deepened. "That's all I needed to hear."
She turned to Enel and Tatsumaki then, her gaze firm despite her tears. "Take care of her."
Enel gave a rare, genuine smile. "I'll do better than that. I'll teach her how to protect what she cares about too."
Hisako nodded, satisfied. "That's all I want."
Then, almost playfully, she added, "And as thanks, you can take anything you want from my stores. Free of charge."
Enel raised an eyebrow, immediately recognizing her intention. This was her way of ensuring they'd see Kyoka in a good light, of tying their gratitude to her. Clever, he thought. Kind, but not foolish.
Tatsumaki, of course, fell for it instantly. She was already floating toward the racks of clothes, muttering to herself about "outfits worthy of a rising star bounty," while simultaneously welcoming Kyoka to the crew as if the decision had already been made.
Enel just laughed. "Generous," he said to Hisako.
Hisako chuckled. "Don't thank me. Just take care of her."
As Kyoka left to pack her things and Tatsumaki disappeared into a frenzy of fabric and heels, Enel glanced at the bounty posters one last time.
"Mind if I take these too?" he asked with a teasing grin.
Hisako laughed. "You're a pirate. I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
Enel chuckled as lightning crackled faintly at his fingertips, his grin widening. "Fair enough."