"I'm surprised," I said, looking at the girl in the dimly lit hut. "You really are just a child."
"Horo horo," the girl giggled, floating slightly off the dusty floor. "You're a child yourself, aren't you?"
"...Well, that's true, but..."
Perona, who invited me into her house, had the appearance of a girl—no, you could say a young girl—who was mature for her age but still clearly a child.
She had obviously been wearing the same clothes for a long time, and while clad in slightly grimy garments, she lightly dusted off the dusty sofa and offered it to Daz and me.
Hey, Daz. Don't wrinkle your nose like that. Those kinds of small actions often hurt people the most.
When I lightly cautioned him, Daz seemed to feel bad about it and bowed his head slightly.
"Sorry, Captain," he apologized. "But the smell is quite strong."
Ah, well... if you're not used to it, you wouldn't understand.
"This is the smell of medicinal herbs," I explained. "There are so many things soaked into the walls and furniture that it's hard to tell, but..."
"Horo..." Perona sounded impressed. "You figured that out well."
"When I was preparing to go out to sea, I thought it wouldn't hurt to learn some basic medicine, so I studied it a little. I also dealt with wild plants then."
Daz's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Captain knows medical knowledge too?"
"No," I admitted with a sigh. "Even trying to learn the basics was complex and troublesome, so I eventually gave up... or rather, I threw the book at the wall. Whoever wrote such an annoying book must have a bad personality."
What kind of "Gentle Introduction to Medicine" is that? If you need additional knowledge just to take the first step into the basics, write in big letters on the cover that you should buy this other book from the start.
Meanwhile, Perona, finding something amusing, was doing that "horo horo" laugh I'd seen so often in the manga. Daz was also chuckling a little.
"Horo horo horo! Ah, I understand you. The woman who lived in this house said the same thing."
"...Your mother?"
"The woman who picked me up," Perona clarified. "The village people called her a witch."
"A witch. ...Ah, I see. Was she some kind of local herbalist?"
"...You really know a lot," Perona said, surprised. "I only learned about that recently myself."
That was general knowledge I'd acquired somewhere before becoming Kuro. I never thought I'd end up using it or showing it off like this.
"I don't know what kind of conflict there was between the villagers and the woman who lived here," Perona continued, her tone becoming somber, "but she was apparently resented."
"...Where is that person now?" I asked.
"Dead," Perona stated flatly. "About a month before the pirates came."
"...And when did you eat the Devil Fruit?"
"Around the same time. ...When I ran out of food and was searching through the house, I found it."
This house smells of dust and medicinal herbs, but there's no smell of death at all. The witch's body was probably properly transported and buried in some form. And there's no way the current Perona could have done that alone.
There must have been at least someone who helped.
The villagers knew about this child's situation and ignored everything, didn't they?
Because she's the witch's child, they were probably disgusted—something like that. But to think they gave no assistance with food or clothing at all. How cruel to do that to a child...
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Perona, who had been in a good mood compared to earlier, looked up and turned her face toward the outside—toward the village.
"Hey, you guys," she asked, her voice sharp, "Were you wanted criminals?"
"Ah, I am, at least. ...Are they making some kind of commotion?"
The pirates couldn't possibly escape from here, so if something was going to happen, it would be the villagers. Though I think it would be nearly impossible to get back up after taking one hit from Perona's Negative Hollow...
"You need to run quickly. Those bastards are calling the Marines with a Den Den Mushi."
'—'
Those damn bastards did it!!
–
"H-hey, are you really sure about this?" one villager asked nervously.
"Shut up and look!" the village leader snapped. "That glasses kid is a bounty head too!"
The villagers had gathered in the largest hall for discussion. What the villagers were surrounding was a single piece of paper. It was the wanted poster of the glasses-wearing boy who had captured the pirates in this village—"Silent Step" Kuro.
"But there's the witch's child," another villager fretted. "If she goes on a rampage with that curse..."
"Even so, it's just three kids," the leader argued. "There's no way they can beat the Marines!"
It started when they were organizing information like newspapers that had been stopped while under pirate control. Due to Gold Roger's execution and the existence of the "One Piece" he left behind, the number of pirates had increased abnormally.
The pirates who controlled this island were one such group—men who had risen through violence alone.
Knowing where such beings were located was important information for the islanders.
"If we catch that glasses kid, it'll be 37 million berries!" the leader announced. "Plus the Family has put a 10 million berry bounty on him!"
"So together, that's nearly 50 million berries!?"
Someone among the villagers gulped.
"That's not all—even in a backwater place like this, if the Family's influence grows stronger, money will start moving. We can become prosperous!"
Seeing agreement, the leader nodded with satisfaction.
"It's not difficult. Let's take that kid's ship with us. Those guys got their hands on the pirates' treasure. We'll take custody of the ship with everything and move to the other side of the island--"
"That's an interesting conversation you're having there," a cold voice echoed through the hall.
And the next moment half of the building they were hiding in was blown away.
–
"Hey! If you can fly, say you can fly! Wait, you could fly?!" Daz yelled as I gently lowered him and Perona to the ground.
"One surprise after another..." Daz muttered, shaking his head. "Captain, you really could do something like this?"
"...I knew I'd be able to do it someday, but I didn't think it would be today."
No really, when I heard that story, I understood for the first time in my life what it meant to have blood rush to your head. I could understand calling the Marines, giving them a hundred steps of leeway, but when they go this far, it's only natural to want to rampage a little.
I looked up at the building that was torn apart by the slashing attack from my kick. Aw man, to think I'd learn Rankyaku in a situation like this. Well, it's a happy miscalculation, but that aside, should I blast them?
"The fools underestimated Perona's ability, didn't they?"
Knowing that Perona has been persecuted all this time, there's no way she wouldn't be wary of you people. Didn't you know that the ghosts from The Horo Horo no Mi Fruit can also do reconnaissance?
...No, that's not it. They looked down on Perona because she's a child. They probably looked down on her thinking she was just a child who wouldn't know how to fight back no matter what they did.
Then they got scared when she easily twisted them and the pirates.
"W-wait... please wait," the village leader pleaded.
"What do you mean 'please wait'?" I scoffed. "We retrieved everything that was stolen from you. We didn't harm any of you. On top of that, you sold us to the Marines."
Ah, as expected, this village was just as I predicted. Other than the leader, everyone else either had their legs give out and couldn't move, or were trying to escape somehow.
"No, that's fine. No matter what, I'm a wanted pirate anyway."
That's right, I repeat, that doesn't matter. It's extremely frustrating, but that's fine.
"But why?", I demanded, my voice dangerously low.
"Why did you include Perona in your report as part of 'Silent Step' Kuro's crew?"
I was shocked when I heard what Perona overheard through her ghosts. I understand Daz. He's prepared for that someday and calls me Captain.
But Perona is different. No, it's not even a question of different or not. These bastards, even though she's been on this island and saved their lives, they're going beyond abandoning her and trying to frame her so the Marines will dispose of her.
Huh? What's with those faces?
"Captain," Daz reported, looking out to sea, "it's a Marine ship."
"How many?"
"One ship," Daz confirmed.
Ah, so that's why you're a little relieved. You idiots.
"Daz, protect Perona here."
"What about you, Captain?"
I can see it from here too. One Marine ship.
"I'm going to sink that ship."
--
Powerstones Goal: 30