"Ghost… Shark?"
Tsuru lifted the hanger gently and hung Laurentina on it with practiced care.
She muttered a few lines under her breath, voice calm and steady.
"You… were you born from the sea?"
Just hearing that title was enough — it was inseparable from the ocean.
"You can't hear it? The murmuring… the whispers of the one who rules all beneath the waves…"
The alternate Laurentina smiled sweetly, her murderous malice washed clean by Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit.
Tsuru raised her eyes toward Sengoku, gaze sharpening with certainty. She carefully voiced her guess:
"Are you a survivor… of Atlantis?"
Laurentina's expression froze, as if her mind blanked for a second.
Tsuru repeated the question.
The girl lowered her head, the black miasma around her slowly thinning, dissolving like ink in water.
Tsuru and Sengoku exchanged a look — the kind that made your heart feel like it was baing scratched by a kitten.
This theory of hers had started as a wild guess, then grew more convincing as she gathered information.
First:
Laurentina held an unusual reverence toward the sea.
Her combat style, her instincts, even the subtle disdain she showed toward land civilization — all pointed to someone whose roots were deep within the ocean.
And in ancient records, Atlantis was a highly advanced civilization, their technology and arts far beyond the present era.
Second:
Laurentina's long-handled chain-saw weapon was marvelously crafted — far ahead of the current technological level.
Its power source was suspiciously similar to the rumored Atlantean Magneto-Stone Energy System.
Third:
Atlantis folk were said to communicate easily with creatures.
Laurentina had just spoken of hearing the "murmuring of the ruler beneath the sea"…
Was that not identical to "hearing the voice of all things" — the ability to communicate with Sea Kings?
When she'd shared her deductions with Sengoku earlier, he had agreed almost instantly.
And yet — just before they could confirm anything, Laurentina had snapped back to normal.
Judging from her reaction now, both personas seemed ignorant of Atlantis…
Perhaps she had left at a very young age, later adopted in Loguetown.
Tsuru sighed softly.
Once Laurentina fully regaind consciousness, Tsuru ushered both her and Sengoku to sit, pouring fresh tea for them.
"Sorry, Lady Tsuru."
Laurentina bowed her head, holding the teacup with both hands.
"Could you tell me why you transform into… that?"
Tsuru asked gently, sliding a box of pocky toward her.
No matter what, she was still a 14-year-old girl — even younger than Tsuru's mischievous granddaughter, Kuina.
Laurentina nodded hesitantly.
But she had barely begun describing her past when several high-ranking officers rushed to the office, alarmed by the earlier blast.
Tsuru waved them back, allowing only Tashigi (Tina) to enter.
Tina stepped inside, eyes widening at the wrecked office…
But Tsuru signaled her to stay quiet and listen.
Laurentina took a deep breath… and began to speak.
Just a few minutes later—
Tina froze.
Her pocky slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.
Inside her chest, rage erupted like a bomb — the kind of fury only a righteous Marine could feel.
Her killing intent rose in waves, crashing wildly against her reason.
"Tina wants to kill someone.
Anyone who experiments on children deserves death!"
Everyone silently assumed Laurentina's suffering had happened during her two years at sea.
Laurentina shook her head lightly.
"Those who experimented on me… I've already killed them."
The words were calm, but the hatred beneath them was bottomless.
Tsuru and Sengoku exchanged a quiet, paind glance.
If such experiments occurred… knowing the World Government's track record… they likely had a hand in it.
The room fell heavy with silence.
Tsuru exhaled, then shifted topics.
"Laurentina… would you like to resolve your split-persona problem?"
"It can be fixed?"
Tina stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly — then remembered to sit back down, embarrassed.
Tsuru smiled kindly, placing new snacks in front of her.
"I found that my Wash-Wash Fruit can stabilize your divided state."
Laurentina closed her eyes and tried reaching into the foggy part of her mind.
…There was a flicker of clarity.
Small, but real.
She glimpsed memories from her unconscious frenzy — the manic, deranged version of herself.
Tsuru continued explaining:
"Your issue is not uncommon among Atl— …among certain cases in the Marines."
She paused briefly, then continued.
"In Atlantis, strength comes from unifying heart and body.
Your two personas are divided — one rational but weaker, the other powerful but unstable."
"But my Wash-Wash Fruit can gradually polish both into a single whole.
Not as effective as Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit… but enough."
Tsuru — who once chased Doflamingo and drove him scurrying like a rat — spoke with rare gentleness.
Laurentina's eyes lit with hope.
Tina immediately offered to shoulder more paperwork from the Strategy Division so Tsuru could focus on Laurentina's treatment.
Everything was finally moving in a good direction.
World Economy News — High-Altitude Airship
"WHAT? The intel was fake!?"
Big News Morgans slammed the receiver down, furious.
"Useless trash! Put the Photo King on it — next!"
"Yes, President. Another report just arrived from the Marines."
"Talk."
"Half a month ago, a Marine recruit named Laurentina killed the supernova 'Mad Lion Pirates' captain at Sabaody—"
Another staffer rushed forward with documents.
"This is her picture and the training reports from HQ."
Morgans' eyes widened.
Beautiful enough to rival Boa Hancock?
That alone was headline material.
Tina's younger sister?
Perfect for gossip.
Killed a supernova?
Plenty of news value.
Morgans grinned, lighting a cigar.
"Now this… THIS is news."
Within minutes, the news office was buzzing, assembling the most attention-grabbing angle.
The final headline Morgans approved:
"WORLD-SHAKING! The World's No.1 Beauty Joins the Marines — Slays a Supernova on Day One!"
Perfect.
Marine Headquarters — Training Grounds
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Ain was sparring with Alice.
Since Laurentina had thrashed her earlier, Ain had been training like a demon, demanding spar after spar.
And because Alice often traind with Laurentina, the shy and socially anxious Ain eventually opened up to her.
But this girl… was bizarre.
Every time Ain attacked—
Alice would slip, stumble, or fall in an impossible way, accidentally dodging the blow.
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