The girl was, in fact, the Supernova known as the "Big Eater," Jewelry Bonney.
Yamato, who was in the middle of devouring her meal, stopped when she saw the small, crying girl running toward her. Her initial surprise quickly melted away, and her eyes began to sparkle. In one swift motion, she scooped Bonney up into her arms.
"So cute!!!"
Bonney, suddenly lifted off the ground, was startled. A moment later, the taller woman's cheerful voice was right next to her ear. "Are you hungry? It's okay, you can eat as much as you want!"
"Really?!" Bonney's own eyes lit up, her act forgotten for a moment.
"Of course!" Yamato beamed. "But you can't call me 'sister.' You have to call me 'brother,' because I'm a boy!"
"Huh?!" Bonney was momentarily stunned. Is she kidding? she thought, utterly confused. Those soft… parts aren't fake, are they? She looks like a girl no matter how you look at her. Could she be one of those legendary Okama?
However, that wasn't important right now. And so, the two big eaters, one large and one small, began to demolish the mountain of food on the table. As Yamato watched the small, seven-or-eight-year-old-looking girl eat with just as much fervor as herself, her eyes welled up with tears. Are there really so many people in the outside world who can't get enough to eat?
About an hour later, both of them patted their full bellies in satisfaction. Yamato paid the bill, and they walked out of the restaurant together.
"Eating a full meal feels so good!" Bonney exclaimed with a contented sigh.
As she finished speaking, a heavy bag was suddenly held out in front of her. "For you!"
Bonney blinked. "What's this?"
Yamato's cheerful smile answered her. "This is all the money I have left. It's for you. Seeing how much you can eat, you must have been hungry for a very long time."
Bonney dumbly took the pouch of Berries, looking at Yamato in disbelief. "But… brother, if you give all this to me, what about you?"
"Hehe," Yamato gave a silly smile. "Don't worry, I have more on my ship, and I'm really strong."
"A ship?!" Hearing that word, Bonney's eyes widened in realization. "Brother, are you a pirate too?"
"Not… not yet," Yamato said, then declared with confidence, "but I will be soon!"
"I see. Are you alone, brother? If you are, I know a powerful female pirate captain. Maybe we could all team up?" Bonney suggested slyly.
"No need for that," the naive Yamato replied, completely missing the craftiness in Bonney's words. "I've already decided to join the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Oh, so you've already—" Bonney's words caught in her throat as she froze. Wait, did I just hear that right? Whitebeard? As in, THE Whitebeard?
"What's your name, brother?" Bonney asked, her tone shifting.
"My name is Yamato! And you?"
"My name is Bonney. Jewelry Bonney!"
"Oh, that's a nice name!"
Bonney felt a bit awkward. She asked tentatively, "Brother Yamato… you've never heard my name before?"
Yamato looked startled. "Is your name famous here, Bonney? Sorry, I just came from the New World, so I'm not familiar with this place."
"The New World?!" Bonney's pupils contracted. It was all starting to make sense. Then, her eyes lit up. "So you're from the New World! Then you must be super strong!"
Yamato smiled a little shyly. "Compared to Uncle Whitebeard, I'm still a long way off!"
"..." Bonney's face was a mask of sheer speechlessness. Who compares themselves to the World's Strongest Man right off the bat? she thought. This made her doubt if the "Whitebeard" Yamato was talking about was that Whitebeard, or just some random old man with a white beard.
But just as she was about to ask for clarification, the entire street fell silent. The bustling crowds, the cheerful music, the ambient noise—it all vanished in an instant. All around them, people began to kneel.
Yamato noticed it immediately, her face full of curiosity. Before she could ask what was happening, Bonney grabbed her arm and pulled her down.
"Don't ask, Brother Yamato, just get down! Don't look up, and they'll pass by soon."
Though Yamato was completely confused, she let Bonney pull her into a kneeling position. Then, she instinctively lifted her head, and her entire body went rigid. In that instant, even Bonney, who was still holding her, felt Yamato's body begin to tremble violently.
Bonney looked up and saw that the cheerful, naive person beside her was gone. Yamato's expression was grim, a terrifying aura radiating from her. With her head still bowed, she asked in a low, cold voice, "Bonney... are those people the World Nobles? The Celestial Dragons?"
"Eh?!" Bonney was startled. "Yes, Brother Yamato! You know about them?"
"Ah, of course I know," Yamato's tone was filled with an anger that Bonney had never heard before. "So, in this world, there really are people even worse than that old man."
As her words fell, under Bonney's horrified gaze, Yamato stood up. She gripped the spiked club at her waist with one hand and began to walk forward. At that moment, even an idiot would know that something terrible was about to happen.
The 24th Grove of the Sabaody Archipelago was a famous food street, with white buildings housing countless restaurants and inns nestled beneath the giant Yarukiman Mangrove trees. Moments ago, it had been incredibly lively, filled with the laughter and joy of dense crowds.
But now, it was gone.
As if by instinct, every man, woman, and child had knelt, bowing their heads and parting to create a wide path. Their bodies trembled with a collective, silent fear. The reason was simple: at the end of the street, a procession had appeared, accompanied by the grim clanking of chains.
Leading the group were two figures in bubble helmets and luxurious white robes—a man and a woman, seemingly a father and daughter. Serving as their mounts were slaves covered in rags and injuries, bound in heavy shackles. One, crawling on all fours, was Diaz, the captain of the Devilman Pirates, with a bounty of 60,000,000. The other was Red, captain of the Red Pirates, a man with giant's blood, a massive physique, and a bounty of 80,000,000. Flanking them were two female slaves from the Longleg Tribe, scantily dressed in red and purple, their hands also shackled. Behind them marched five guards in silver-white armor and a man in a black suit with his eyes covered.
This procession seemed to drain the very joy from the air. From the moment they appeared, a pall of sadness, despair, and fear settled over the entire street. Only those who represented the highest privilege in the world were allowed to smile here: the Celestial Dragons.
As he crawled forward, Diaz the Devilman was sobbing. "Wuwuwu... It hurts so much... someone, please save me..."
No one dared to look up. His only response came from the woman riding him, whose vicious high heel dug into his back.
"Why are you crying, you good-for-nothing?" she sneered. "You're embarrassing me. I should have just fed you to the piranhas." With each step she took, her sharp heel left fresh, bloody marks on Diaz's back.
The other Celestial Dragon laughed. "You're just bad at training your slaves. See? Mine is very obedient." The man drew a knife and plunged it into the shoulder of the giant beneath him. Blood splattered, but the giant didn't even flinch.
"What is it, father?" his daughter whined. "This one is just too idiotic. Get me a new one."
"You're always breaking my collectibles..."
But just as the Celestial Dragon father and daughter were having their "happy" conversation, a clear voice cut through the terrified silence.
"Why... why are you doing this?"
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