Chapter 42
You don't know if Ace confided his feelings to the people on Whitebeard's ship afterward, but you did notice that Izo's interactions with you were not as gentle as usual. Whether you need it or not, Izo is happy to give you gifts.
Knowing that Yizang was giving you gifts to pursue you, you didn't indulge him and returned all the gifts he gave you to him intact. To prevent him from misunderstanding, you also wrote an extra note expressing that you only wanted to be friends with him.
Aside from Yizang, Saqi and Harta also performed quite differently.
Sachi is obsessed with researching your favorite dishes. While researching the dishes, he also expresses his willingness to be your confidant when you encounter a problem that you cannot solve alone.
Harta, however, is not as open-minded as before. When alone, she will often flee the scene like a cat with its fur standing on end because of a single word or glance from you.
If one person acts strangely, you can say it's your imagination. But if three people act strangely, and one of them expresses a desire to develop a closer relationship with you, you're forced to conflate the other two as well.
Ace, who has resumed normal interaction with you, is puzzled by this.
"Didn't you and Yizang have a pretty good relationship before? Why are you avoiding him now?"
Faced with Ace's confusion, you hesitated for a few seconds about whether to tell Ace that his brother wanted you to become his sister-in-law, but finally decided to tell Ace anyway.
"Do you want me to become your sister-in-law, or do you want to continue being friends with me?"
Eston, who hadn't considered the relationship between you and Izang in this way, paused for a few seconds before exclaiming with a look of sudden realization.
"Wait, you mean—"
You grasped Ace's outstretched index finger in surprise, and simultaneously reached out to close Ace's jaw, which was temporarily unable to close in surprise.
"That's what I mean. I personally prefer to continue maintaining the existing friendship with Ace and everyone else."
Having understood the meaning behind your words, Ace withdrew his hand and let out a regretful sigh.
"Hey, but wouldn't it be nice to become family? I really don't want you to leave. But if you want to go, I'll help you, since we're friends."
Ace's honest and straightforward words, devoid of any ambiguity, are very comforting; you've definitely made the right friend. However, the word "help" in his statement makes you feel something's off. But it was just something said casually, so you shouldn't take it to heart.
Meanwhile, the topic shifted from you and Izo to the island we'd be landing on soon: "We'll be on that island soon, do you want to find a safe place to hide?"
As Ace said this, he thought of Rem and Hongo, who treated him like an object of possession. He didn't know how Shanks viewed the matter; if the two of them wanted to take him away, Shanks probably wouldn't stop them.
Ace's reminder made you think about the Red-Haired Pirates, with whom you might encounter again soon. You weren't ready to meet them, nor did you intend to, so you never planned to land on the island in the first place.
"I'll just stay on the ship, okay? You guys aren't going to start fighting on the ship, are you?"
In response to your question, Ace gave a smile without any gloom, but his answer was the complete opposite of his smile.
"If a fight breaks out, just run to my place or to your dad's place. You'll be absolutely safe there."
"Does that mean you're not denying the possibility of a fight breaking out on the ship?"
Ace didn't speak, but simply raised an eyebrow while maintaining his smile. He had the energy of his age, with a touch of slyness, which was quite endearing. Until the smile on Ace's face disappeared, the previously quiet deck erupted in excited cheers.
Even without Observation Haki, you can tell from Ace and the others' reactions that something is about to happen. Ace turning to look at you is telling you why they're excited.
"Redhead and his gang are here. Why don't you go back to your room and hide?"
You expected to encounter Shanks and his crew soon, but you never imagined that you'd run into them the moment you heard their name again—the speed was truly astonishing. Surprised as you were, your immediate priority was to hide before the encounter.
"I will, Ace, please be careful too."
After leaving those words, you weave through the crew members who are jumping up and down in anticipation of the upcoming battle, heading towards your room.
Before you even reached your room, you and some other people on the ship collapsed on the deck, during which you could hear Marco clicking his tongue in frustration.
"That red-haired guy, he used Conqueror's Haki before even seeing anyone. Is he that excited?"
As Izang helped you up from the deck while you were still unconscious, he tightened his grip on you under the reproachful gazes of Harta and Sachi.
"Perhaps there's something else besides the treasure that's making him anxious."
Meanwhile, Vista, standing on the lookout tower, saw Mihawk through his binoculars—someone who shouldn't be with the Red-Haired Pirates, but instead standing with Shanks. Vista, who harbored an extreme passion for swordsmen, made no attempt to hide his excitement.
"Are you sure it's Shanks who's in a hurry? I think I see Hawkeye."
Vista's voice surprised Marco: "Hawkeye? Is the Navy going to get involved in this treasure hunt too?"
The white-bearded man, seated in the main seat, let out a hearty laugh, picked up the weapon beside him, and announced the start of the war to his prepared "sons."
"Whether it's Red-Haired Shanks or the Navy, get ready, my sons—!"
The feast for pirates has only just begun.
-
When you woke up, you were alone in the room. Because you fainted so suddenly, your only memory before you collapsed was of someone catching you as you fell; you knew nothing else.
Yuka, the only one who could tell you what happened afterward, wasn't in the room, so you didn't dare to make any rash moves. However, the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from the deck reminded you of the banquet that had just been held.
So Yuka isn't in her room? She went to the party after the fight? Your temporarily sluggish brain and chaotic thoughts lead you to decide to go out and check the situation. At least from what you've heard so far, it's safe outside.
And that was indeed the case. The crew members who stayed on deck were chatting and laughing. One of the crew members who was on good terms with you even asked how you were doing and whether you needed to call Marco back to check on you.
Before you could thank crew member A, crew member B, who was standing next to him, jokingly shared his thoughts.
"I've never seen anyone get knocked out by Conqueror's Haki and sleep until evening before I've ever seen one!"
Then crew member B, who was gloating, was punished by crew member A with an elbow strike.
"Idiot! How can you say that to someone's face like that!"
"Damn it! I'm telling the truth!"
Immediately afterwards, crew member A and crew member B started fighting. The crew members next to them were used to it and could still talk to you as if nothing was wrong.
"Your father and the others are having a banquet on the shore. You've been sleeping for so long, why don't you go and see them?"
After thanking crew member C, you walk toward the gangway to disembark.
Your thoughts must be in complete disarray right now, which is why you forgot that the Red-Haired Pirates were also there. Otherwise, how could you have been grabbed by the hand by Rem, whom you hadn't seen in a long time, as soon as you stepped off the ramp?
Seeing the familiar sunglasses and hat, and feeling the dissatisfaction and anger that you could sense even through the sunglasses, you, who had just woken up from a coma, are now quite lucid.
"Lem...?"
After saying Lyme's name in an uncertain tone, the hand holding your wrist loosened its grip a little, at least enough to stop hurting you, but it was still unlikely you could break free.
"you--"
Before Rem could finish speaking, a bright flash of light streaked past your eyes, and the hand gripping your wrist loosened as Rem retreated. Standing between you and Rem was Ace, who had previously told you that you could hide behind him during the melee.
“Even if it’s a red-haired cadre, it’s not good for him to lay a hand on my friend right away.”
Because of the angle, you couldn't see Ace's expression, but just by listening to his voice, you could tell that Ace's expression must be very serious right now.
Rem, forced to interrupt his communication with you, restrained his urge to fight Ace. Your reaction, not running away from behind Ace, suggests that if he attacked Ace, you would definitely be angry that he attacked your "friend."
Lyme didn't mean to upset you the moment we met; he just wanted to talk to you and find out what you'd been through since you left them.
But you didn't have that thought, and even silently hid behind Ace. This realization made Rem angry, and at the same time, he felt a little resentful that you didn't want to see him.
Before the three of you could recover from the tense atmosphere, Shanks' hearty laughter broke the silence.
"The banquet has only just begun, and you've already started another one in a corner? Young people really do have more energy!"
"You have the nerve to say that? Wasn't it your people who started it first?"
Looking towards the source of the sound, you see Shanks, whom you haven't seen for more than half a year, Marco, who is helpless because of Shanks' words, and Mihawk, whom you have only seen in the newspapers so far.
Perhaps influenced by what you heard about Mihawk from Crocodile, the moment your eyes met Mihawk's, your body instinctively prevented you from interacting with him, and you deliberately made yourself smaller by hiding behind Ace.
It was this action that made Ace, who was standing in front of you, turn around and speak to you in a softer voice.
"Don't be afraid, I won't let them take you away."
Not knowing how to explain to Ace for the moment, you decided to put the explanation aside for the time being. At the same time, Shanks walked up to Rem, whose face was full of dissatisfaction, and patted Rem's sturdy back.
"Lem, that's enough. We're here on important business."
Marco walked up to you and Ace, reached out and tapped Ace's head with a chop to the head. Amid Ace's feigned "Ouch!", Marco lazily lectured Ace about how he almost had a private conflict with Rem.
"You too, you'll be in another fight if you're not careful."
Again? Does that mean Ace had a conflict with Rem before this?
Before you could even process what was going on, Ace, who had just been taught a lesson by a hand chop, chuckled and accepted Marco's admonition.
"No fight broke out, did it? And she's right next to me, I won't fight with him."
Marco glanced at you and sighed at your bewildered gaze.
"That's true."
-
Once you come to your senses, you regret your rash decision to disembark. Not only are Lym and Hongo watching you closely, but also Mihawk, whom you've only met once but whose gaze has never left you.
If you initially had some doubts about Crocodile's claim that Mihawk caused your amnesia, now it seems you should apologize to Crocodile.
Such a commanding gaze—if you weren't enemies, you'd never guess you had any connection with Mihawk, whom you'd never met. Ace and Harta, sitting next to you, shared this sentiment.
Ace: "Where did you offend Hawkeye? He's watching you even more closely than Shanks and the other two."
Harta: "Tsk, it can't be that the Navy has their eye on you and wants them to take you away, right?"
Ace and Harta's increasingly brilliant conjectures make you afraid to reply, lest you utter a single word become Mihawk's reason to kill you again, even if you don't have the memory of Mihawk killing you.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you see you scared her?"
Sachi, who came to deliver the food, first placed the food in front of you, then chopped Ace and Harta on the head with a chop, which earned him a simultaneous protest from the two of them.
Sachi ignored Ace and Harta's protests and instead crouched down, keeping his eye level with you.
"Don't worry, neither Red-Haired nor Hawkeye can take you away if you don't want to leave."
Before you could reply, Ace and Harta, who had overheard the conversation at close range, expressed their respective dissatisfaction.
That's what I wanted to say!
Unlike Ace, who verbally protested, Harta reached out and hooked his arm around Sachi's neck while Sachi remained crouched, expressing his dissatisfaction through gritted teeth, his own selfish motives also playing a part.
"Sachi, you bastard, you sneaked away in broad daylight, didn't you?!"
Accused of sneaking out, Sachi put on an innocent expression: "How can you talk like that? This is just a perfectly normal conversation!"
Sachi spoke, seeking your approval. Under the gaze of Sachi and Harta, you slowly nodded in agreement.
"Wow, it's so lively! Let me hear what you're talking about."
Izo, holding a wine glass, sat down next to you as he spoke, his intentions clear as to act first and ask for permission later. However, this was a public place, and you couldn't very well offend Izo. But Harta was different, because Izo was sitting in the seat he had taken before he stood up.
"That was my spot!"
The accused, Izang, raised an eyebrow, his tone devoid of any apology.
"Really? Sorry, I just sat down since this was empty. Next to me—"
While Izan was speaking, Ace, who had come to his senses, sat down to your right and gave the three of them a bright smile.
"That's my spot over there. Harta and Sachi, go look for it again!"
Sachi and Harta, who had lost their seats on either side of you due to the brief argument, fell silent. Considering that there was no point in arguing any further, Harta let go of Sachi's hand and sat down in the seat opposite you. Sachi, at Lu's call, ran back to the grill and helped Lu prepare the food for the two boats.
At the same time, the gazes falling on you seemed to have a stronger presence, and judging from the angle of those gazes, it was from where Mihawk was sitting.
Judging from this situation, you might really have some grudge against Mihawk.
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