Author's Note:
If you haven't read the previous chapter yet, please start there.
---
"All righty, thanks for waiting! Continuing from last time!"
"Since we're releasing both parts at once as a two-part update, anyone who jumped to the latest chapter and landed directly on this one should go back and read the previous Chapter 192 first. That way everything will make sense."
"Honestly, if you don't, you won't have any idea why we're all fired up making meta-commentary like this, so yeah, reading the previous chapter first is highly recommended!"
"Seriously."
"So from here on out, we'll be giving quick introductions to the original characters from this story in the same style. We can't cover everyone, so it'll just be the ones who've been significantly involved."
-- Eddie --
Sue's Editor as a writer, and simultaneously one of her passionate fans. A woman who considers herself Sue's "very first fan."
Her appearance is somewhat plain and understated (according to Sue), but she's fundamentally cheerful and energetic, as well as serious and dedicated when it comes to work. Priding herself on being the person who understands Sue best as a writer, she has helped bring numerous works into the world alongside Sue.
Even after Sue became a wanted criminal, and even after she became a Shichibukai, nothing changed. Eddie transferred to a publisher affiliated with World Economic News and continues to serve as Sue's primary Editor to this day.
-- Venerdi Toto Kash --
Sue's father. He ran a bookstore. His name before marriage was Toto Kash.
When Sue was only four years old, their town was attacked by pirates, and he was killed in the raid.
It was later revealed that he was not her biological father but her adoptive father. Even so, Sue still considers him her father to this day and treasures her memories of their family.
-- Venerdi Kuu --
Sue's mother. A full-time housewife. Her name before marriage was Venerdi Kuu.
When Sue was only four years old, their town was attacked by pirates, and she died shielding Sue with her own body.
It was later revealed that she was not Sue's biological mother but her mother's younger sister, making her Sue's aunt. Even so, Sue still considers her a mother to this day and treasures her memories of their family.
The earrings she left behind are something Sue still wears at all times, never letting them leave her person. (They were confiscated once when she was imprisoned in Impel Down, but she raided the storage during her escape and took them back.)
-- Saint Banosakka --
A Celestial Dragon. He took a liking to Sue at Sabaody Archipelago, declared he would "make her his Wife," and had her abducted.
His hobby is taking beautiful women as wives, housing dozens of them in a Separate Residence, dressing them up, providing them with a luxurious lifestyle, and admiring them. The way he sees it, it's basically the same as keeping hamsters or tropical fish as pets.
He rarely inflicts direct harm, so among the Celestial Dragons, he falls into the relatively less terrible category. Even so, he still possesses the typical arrogance of a Celestial Dragon, gifting his "Wives" to associates he's close with, or demoting a "Wife" to slave status if she does something that displeases him.
-- Venerdi Sou --
Sue's biological mother and a former researcher in Shiki's Pirate Crew.
Petite with a somewhat youthful appearance, her distinguishing feature was the same platinum blonde hair as Sue. Sue inherited her hair from this mother, and according to Shiki, their overall appearance is "a spitting image, aside from build."
She looked like a perfectly normal beauty, but her personality was wild and utterly devoid of common sense. An eccentric who would single-mindedly pursue her research, ignoring all morals and norms, and would do so without even seeking permission from Shiki, her superior.
Her talent as a researcher was nothing short of genius, producing results that overwhelmed even Dr. Indigo, a fellow member of the same Pirate Crew. However, her numerous problematic behaviors cancelled all of that out, leaving her as a perpetual rank-and-file researcher. Even so, her personality was so intense that every veteran researcher and crew member remembered her.
Additionally, she had previously operated a hospital (unlicensed) where she dealt almost exclusively with hard-of-hearing elderly patients, which caused her natural speaking voice to become extraordinarily loud. As a result, many of her colleagues developed hearing loss.
Approximately thirty-six years ago, she contracted an incurable disease with no hope of recovery. As her final research project, she modified her own body and conducted an experiment to imbue the child she would bear with superhuman abilities. The child born from that experiment was none other than Sue. Initially, the experiment was thought to have failed, but...
After Sue's birth, she entrusted Sue's care to Kuu, and her whereabouts became unknown from that point onward. Her final fate remains a mystery.
-- Lupusregina --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the second eldest of the six sisters.
A beautiful girl characterized by reddish-brown hair, dark skin, and a lively demeanor. She speaks with a casual, sporty tone.
Friendly and informal with allies like Sue and the daughters, but she also has a fairly cunning and cruel side.
Her true identity is not human. She is a TABOO Ability User of the Kill-Rabi, a carnivorous species unique to Merveille that combines the traits of wolves and rabbits. In addition to high physical ability, she has also mastered Haki, giving her considerable combat prowess.
She was the first among the six sisters to receive an Outing Permit, and accompanied Sue to the Sky Island of Skypiea.
-- Yuri --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the eldest of the six sisters.
Characterized by black hair swept up in a chignon, an intellectual gaze, and glasses. She always speaks in polite language.
Her true identity is not human. She is a TABOO Ability User created by feeding TABOO to a War Goddess statue found in the ruins of Merveille. In addition to high physical ability, she has also mastered Haki and primarily fights with bare-handed martial arts. However, because the statue's head was nearly detached, unless it's secured in place, she has a Dullahan-like structure where her head comes off.
She is the most dependable of the six sisters, but due to the aforementioned structural issue, she has not been granted an Outing Permit.
-- Narberal --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the third eldest of the six sisters.
Characterized by a black ponytail and sharp, strong-willed eyes. She speaks politely to Sue and the others, but is fundamentally sharp-tongued toward everyone else.
Her true identity is not human. She is a TABOO Ability User of the Sickle-Weasel, a species unique to Merveille.
She received her Outing Permit after Lupus, making her the second among the six sisters.
-- Solyushan --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the fourth eldest of the six sisters.
She has blonde hair in vertical ringlets and somewhat unsettling vacant eyes, giving her a faintly dangerous aura. She speaks politely and carries herself with grace, but also has a sensual and uninhibited side, such as responding to Alice's harassment with nothing but a smile.
Her true identity is not human. She is a TABOO Ability User of the Mimic Slime Amoeba, a species unique to Merveille. While there have been no combat scenes yet, she claims she can "change her form freely at will."
She received her Outing Permit after Lupus, making her the second among the six sisters.
-- Shizu --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the youngest of the six sisters.
A taciturn and expressionless girl with little vocal inflection and limited emotional expression.
Her true identity is not human. She too is a TABOO Ability User, but details have not yet been revealed in the main story.
During the Skypiea Arc, she had not yet received an Outing Permit, but at Leona's desperate plea, she used her abilities to fly and transport Leona to Skypiea, and continued to fight as one of the combatants. During that time, she employed modern weaponry such as thrusters and firearms.
-- Entoma --
A member of the Maid Squad, Sue's direct subordinates and attendants on Merveille, and the fifth eldest of the six sisters.
Characterized by maroon hair gathered in a chignon-like shape and a face even more unchanging in expression than Shizu's... though that said... She is not particularly quiet, however, and speaks in a drawn-out, languid manner.
Her true identity is not human. She too is a TABOO Ability User, but details have not yet been revealed in the main story.
She is among the members who have not yet received an Outing Permit.
"Oh, the Maid Squad gets introduced here too... With six of them, that was a long section."
"And yet even among all that... Granny's character profile really... stands out."
"The sheer destructive power of just the written description... What was she actually like in person, I wonder."
"We'll never get to meet her now, so who knows... But whenever Papa or Dr. Indigo talk about her, they seem to age about ten years."
"Come to think of it, they did say just remembering it gives them stomachaches and ringing in their ears."
"Giving a legendary Great Pirate that much stress from the memory alone... that's impressive."
"And then... oh right, the Celestial Dragon. That must've been awful, Mom, getting kidnapped by someone like that."
"I'm truly glad ye made it back safely. One hears nothing but terrible things about that lot."
"Ah, yeah, that roughly one year... It wasn't really painful per se, but having no freedom, that quiet, grinding sense of being caged, that was rough in its own way. Well, I got various experiences out of it, and I met a lot of people thanks to the whole ordeal."
"Are the Maid Squad girls really... Is this the right place to introduce them? They're not exactly original characters. Technically, they're crossover characters, right?"
"This author still loves crossovers as much as ever..."
"They don't exist in the Original Work, so introducing them here should be fine, right? And... the other set of grandparents... I wish I could've met them too. I'm sure they were kind people."
"Yeah... Maybe I should go visit their graves soon."
"Their graves, those were the ones you made on some island after you got taken aboard the Kuja ship, right, Mom?"
"Yeah, there were no remains or anything, but I wanted to have at least the form of it. But, well, that island ended up getting destroyed by a pirate raid too... And then I got captured by pirates, sold off, and became a slave for the first time in my life."
"What a tumultuous life... But in that case, the graves would no longer remain either, would they?"
"Right... So I'll go to the island where I first lived. My homeland. There are no graves or anything, so all I can really do is put my hands together at the site."
"Okay... Then I'm going too! I wanna say hi to Grandma Number Two and Grandpa Number Two."
"That naming... Well, I suppose I shall go as well. A trip of that scale should be permitted, yes, Mother?"
"Me too, me too!"
"Yes, yes, we'll all go together sometime. ...Got a little sentimental there. Let's continue."
"But there aren't really any more major original characters left, are there?"
"Indeed. So... shall we do a token introduction of some Original Work characters whose lives got twisted in various ways due to Mother's influence?"
"Sure. There's quite a few, so it'll have to be brief."
-- Shakuyaku --
Captain of the Kuja Pirates and Empress of Amazon Lily (at the time).
She found Sue collapsed and took her aboard the pirate ship, looking after her for a time.
At one point, she tried to formally recruit Sue into the Kuja, but after being turned down, she dropped Sue off at an island in their territory and they parted ways.
Later, when the island was attacked by pirates and Sue's whereabouts became unknown, Shakuyaku maintained her composure on the surface while inwardly worrying about Sue's safety.
As in the Original Work, after she began running a bar on Sabaody Archipelago, she reunited with Sue. They maintain a friendly relationship, with Shakuyaku occasionally giving Sue sparring sessions. Shiki also drops by for drinks from time to time.
-- Hina --
Marine Headquarters Captain. Known as Hina the Black Cage.
She had met Sue on an island called Fireworks, which Sue visited for research as a writer. At the time, Hina was already a promising newcomer but was still a rookie, and had not yet acquired her Original Work Cage-Cage Fruit powers.
When the novel Pirate Slayer was published later, one of its main heroines, Rina, matched Hina's features and other characteristics, exposing the fact that she had been used as a model without permission. This led to people making insinuations about her relationship with Smoker and teasing her endlessly, and Hina has held a grudge against Sue that is one hundred percent personal, spanning twenty years.
That grudge has recently deepened even further with the release of the "new edition" and the "sequel."
-- Morgans --
President of World Economic News. A print-media DJ living life however he pleases in the Great Pirate Era.
Sue first met him at the Sickear Kingdom, which she visited for research as a writer. At the time, he was not yet president of World Economic News but appeared as a mid-level manager of one department. He cooperated with Sue, who was looking for material for her research, and together they successfully obtained fascinating material connected to the kingdom's dark underbelly.
Since then, they have been business partners of twenty years. In addition to publishing her books through an affiliated publisher, he occasionally commissions columns and articles from her.
-- Wapol --
Former King of Drum Kingdom.
Sue visited Drum Kingdom while Wapol was still a Prince, and they met once there. Even then, his selfishness caused a fairly large-scale incident, putting many of his people in genuinely serious danger.
As in the Original Work, after being defeated by Luffy and sent flying into the distance, in this world he was picked up by a Pirate Crew under the Golden Lion's umbrella and assigned to Dr. Indigo's research division. There he created Wapometal, contributing to the research efforts. While he is essentially domesticated by Shiki, he's living a decent enough life and seems satisfied with his current situation (though he himself is unaware of being domesticated).
As a result, in this world the Golden Lion Pirates currently hold a near-monopoly on Wapometal. ...What fate awaits Franky Shogun two years from now?
-- Shuraiya Bascood --
A character from the fourth theatrical film, Dead End Adventure. Known as the Pirate Executioner.
Sue met him when he was still a boy in the Shipbuilding Town of Elena, which she visited for research purposes. In addition to being saved from pirates back then, he was also protected from Gasparde's subsequent attack (Sue repelled him before he could reach the town), leaving him deeply grateful to and respectful of her.
He has since relocated from the town of Elena to Gran Tesoro, where he serves as a high-ranking member of the security division. He has already mastered Haki and has become strong enough to overpower even New World-class pirates.
-- Adele Bascood --
Shuraiya's younger sister.
In the Original Work, she was separated from her brother and ended up aboard Gasparde's ship as an engineer's assistant. In this world, however, she chose of her own will to study shipbuilding and became an engineer. This resulted in her developing a tomboyish manner of speech and attitude here as well, causing Shuraiya and the adults around her no end of headaches.
She currently resides aboard Gran Tesoro alongside Shuraiya. She is also a fan of Sue's novels.
-- Stella --
A character from the theatrical film GOLD.
In the Original Work, she had died, but in this world Sue helped her escape from Mary Geoise, allowing her to survive. She was later safely reunited with Tesoro.
She currently serves as one of the top singers aboard Gran Tesoro. As a stunning beauty whose appearance hasn't changed at all in over a decade, she has surprised not only Sue but even Hancock.
Additionally, in this world, she became a Human-Human Fruit Model: Benzaiten Ability User, both for self-defense and to be useful to Tesoro. On top of fairly high combat ability, she possesses invincible luck in matters of financial fortune. No matter if her opponents cheat or try anything else, no one in the world can beat her at gambling.
-- Gild Tesoro --
A character and main antagonist from the theatrical film GOLD. A Gold-Gold Fruit Ability User.
In the Original Work, the loss of Stella caused him to become increasingly obsessed with money, turning into a man who looked down on and exploited the poor. In this world, however, the two were successfully united, sparing him from falling into darkness.
Even so, driven by the conviction that "having money gives you more choices for the future than not having it," he rose to wealth and power just as in the Original Work, ascending to reign over the New World as the owner of Gran Tesoro.
He feels a deep debt of gratitude toward Sue for saving both him and Stella, and continues to maintain a friendship with her. Through Sue, he also has connections to Hancock, Shiki, and others.
-- Boa Hancock --
One of the Shichibukai and the Pirate Empress, known as the most beautiful woman in the world.
She met Sue in Mary Geoise, where they overcame a crisis together, and was again saved by Sue during Tiger's incident several years later, which allowed her to safely return to her homeland. Since that time, Sue has been both her benefactor and her irreplaceable best friend, and they have grown stronger together through mutual training.
Partly due to this influence, Hancock has attained power far surpassing her Original Work self. In addition, regarding her Love-Love Fruit abilities, beyond petrification she has also awakened a new ability called Love Flame, which converts passion into heat and flames.
Furthermore, perhaps because she was able to live with greater peace of mind, her personality has apparently mellowed somewhat compared to the Original Work. That said, her dislike of men (Luffy excluded) and her willfulness remain largely unchanged.
-- Zephyr --
A former Marine Admiral. Known as Black Arm Zephyr.
When Sue was a child, he saved her life by protecting her from pirates who attacked her village, making him her life's savior. When they reunited over a decade later, he still remembered her.
When Sue was inducted into the Shichibukai, he appeared alongside Gion to serve as the delivery escorts for the official documents, and gave her words of encouragement.
-- Honey (Honey Queen) --
Former Executive of the Trump Pirates. Currently a Senior Concierge at Gran Tesoro.
After she picked a fight with Sue in East Blue, the Trump Pirates were annihilated, and she was captured by the Marines but escaped. After various twists and turns, she was saved by Sue, and through desperate effort she attained her current position.
While not to the extent of the Original Work, she fundamentally retains her arrogant, haughty, and cocky personality to a fair degree.
Recently, she has often accompanied Sue on her adventures as an attendant.
-- Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald --
Three Fish-Man girls Sue met during her adventures. Ruby is a Sixbar Wrasse Fish-Man, Sapphire is a Cobalt Damselfish Fish-Man, and Emerald is an Angelfish Fish-Man.
They are not from the Original Work itself but from a game adaptation.
Because Sue saved them from being enslaved, they feel indebted to her and call her "Sister."
Currently, through Sue's introduction, they work as employees at Gran Tesoro, and occasionally accompany Sue on her adventures as attendants. Since all three can use Haki, their combat ability is quite high.
-- Uta --
A girl who began performing as a Songstress at Gran Tesoro several years ago. Her distinguishing feature is hair split between red and white on each side, tied up behind her head in a butterfly-like shape.
Tesoro personally scouted her at a certain location and apparently took her in along with her guardian. She has since become the most popular Songstress at Gran Tesoro.
The circumstances behind this and her past have yet to be revealed, remaining shrouded in mystery. What the truth may be...
-- Gasparde --
A pirate with the unusual background of having been a Marine officer before becoming a pirate. Known as the Pirate General.
He encountered Sue just as he was about to attack the town of Elena and was driven off. After various twists and turns, he and his entire crew were absorbed into Shiki's Pirate Crew.
He currently holds a respectable position under Shiki's command, sometimes leading a fleet. He often acts under the direction of Sue, whom he calls "Miss," but perhaps because his leader is a fellow "villain" in Shiki, the arrangement seems to suit him well.
-- Saga --
A young man Sue befriended on Asuka Island. He cannot yet use Haki, but is a highly skilled swordsman.
Initially he was hostile toward Sue, suspecting her of being a pirate, but after she saved the island and his lover Maya, saved his own life, and healed his arm which had become immobile, he reconciled with her and came to trust her.
He is also a childhood friend of Zoro, the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates. During the 3D2Y period, it was decided that he would train alongside Zoro, and he came to a Sky Island located in one corner of Merveille.
-- Marianne --
A girl who was formerly an agent of Baroque Works under the name Miss Goldenweek.
She was a personal acquaintance of Sue's, and since she had provided illustrations for several of Sue's novels as an artist (as part of her undercover work), Sue was fond of her. During Operation Meet Baroque, they fought together and rescued their comrades.
Additionally, in order to save Bon-chan, who had been left behind during that operation, she stormed Impel Down alongside other former Baroque Works members and fought, successfully rescuing their comrade-in-arms.
Even after the Summit War, she remains with the Golden Lion Pirates, serving as Sue's friend, subordinate, and illustrator.
-- Bon-chan --
A former agent of Baroque Works who held the name Mr. 2 Bon Clay. An Okama.
In this world too, from Operation Meet Baroque to Impel Down, he displayed the warrior spirit of fighting for his comrades and friends with no regard for his own safety, captivating all who witnessed his devotion and friendship.
In this world, thanks to Sue's efforts, he was not left behind alone in Impel Down to bow out. He fought valiantly alongside Luffy to rescue Ace during the Summit War. Afterward, he followed Ivankov to the Kamabakka Kingdom, where during the 3D2Y period he threw himself into days of blood, sweat, and tears alongside Sanji in training.
-- Shiki --
A legendary pirate who has lived since the era of the Pirate King, known as the Golden Lion. Grand Boss of the Golden Lion Pirates and Pirate Fleet Admiral. And Sue's biological father.
Initially, he sought to add Sue to his forces after seeing potential in her abilities, but when he touched upon Sue's absolute taboo of "exploiting her identity as a writer," it escalated into an all-out brawl at the level of a fight to the death, with both sides using their powers and Haki.
Afterward, through fighting together against the Marines, and the discovery that their personalities and wavelengths were surprisingly compatible, they hit it off. One thing led to another, their relationship improved, and he amicably welcomed Sue into his Pirate Crew on a "provisional" basis.
Since Sue's joining, his personality has mellowed somewhat compared to before, and he no longer resorts to extreme or cruel actions (provided the other party isn't an enemy). He dotes on his grandchildren normally and is fairly well-liked by them.
Unlike in the Original Work, through various means such as prosthetic leg development and physical conditioning, he has overcome the decline in his abilities and other issues. While not at his absolute peak, he maintains an extremely high level of strength.
After the Summit War, he retired from all the aforementioned positions and passed the family headship to Sue, but remained in the Pirate Crew as an Advisor, continuing to hold real power. It goes without saying that he appears to be scheming something.
-- Enel --
The former God of the Sky Island Skypiea.
After his defeat in the battle at Skypiea, through his fights with Sue and Luffy, he came to accept that "there are still many things I lack and don't know," and descended to the Blue Sea to embark on a journey of discovery. During this journey he encountered Shiki, and partly to broaden his horizons, he and his subordinates joined the Golden Lion Pirates as affiliates.
He is currently engaged in training various combat skills, including Haki, as well as studying and absorbing the diverse technologies that exist on the Blue Sea. Already formidable as he was, he is one of the most terrifying prospects for what he might become two years from now.
-- Magellan --
Chief Warden of the Great Prison Impel Down. He attempted to persuade the imprisoned Sue to defect to the World Government, but when she refused, he ordered various forms of torture to break her will.
During the massive riot in the final stages of the Impel Down arc, he fought Sue one-on-one and was defeated. He was subsequently ganged up on by the Blackbeard Pirates, suffering near-fatal injuries. He apparently survived, but whether he will be able to return to duty remains uncertain.
He is also a fan of Sue's work. However, he appears to be the type who does not mix personal feelings with professional duty, and he carried out both the torture and the attempted execution without mercy (even though he ultimately lost).
-- Sadi-chan --
Chief Jailer of Impel Down. Under Magellan's orders, she carried out various forms of torture on Sue and directed operations.
She looked forward to hearing Sue's screams and seeing her expressions of agony, and often conducted the sessions herself rather than delegating to subordinates. As a result, among Original Work characters, she likely spent the most time with Sue during the Impel Down arc. The author, indulging in bad habits and personal tastes, made heavy use of her character, citing the reason: "She was incredibly easy to write."
During the massive riot that accompanied the escape, Alice, who had been quietly building rage over how Sue had been treated, attacked Sadi-chan, subjecting her to something so extreme that even the description was omitted, resulting in her death.
-- Sakazuki --
Marine Headquarters Admiral Akainu. A Magma-Magma Fruit Ability User and Sue's natural enemy.
He is the one who lured Sue into a trap, cornered her with overwhelming power and terrible type matchup, arrested her, and threw her into Impel Down. At that time, considering Sue a threat for having concealed enough strength to wound him, he recommended to Fleet Admiral Sengoku that she be executed rather than imprisoned.
He confronted Sue again at the Summit War, but was defeated through the combined efforts of Ace, Marco, Crocodile, and others fighting alongside Sue. Due to wounds sustained in battle and severe aftereffects from Magellan's poison that Sue used against him, his recovery is reportedly considered hopeless. As a result, unlike in the Original Work, Kuzan was appointed Fleet Admiral in his place.
-- Ace --
Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and son of the Pirate King Gold Roger.
In the Original Work, he was killed by Akainu during the Summit War, but in this world, through the combined efforts of Sue, Luffy, and other pirates, Akainu was instead defeated. When the war was subsequently ended by Shanks' mediation, Ace was able to return to the New World with his comrades, alive and well.
Toward Sue, he feels gratitude for saving both his and Luffy's lives, and for calming him down when he was about to lose his temper, reminding him of his mission to "protect Whitebeard's treasure." He has resolved in his heart to repay that debt someday.
He is currently rallying the surviving members of the Whitebeard Pirates, vowing to rebuild and gathering strength.
Due to the influence of a Combination Technique with Sue, he appears to have gained the ability to wield even more powerful flames... He, too, may show us a different side of himself two years from now.
-- Luffy --
The Original Work's protagonist.
His involvement with Sue began during the Skypiea Arc, after which they fought together at Impel Down and the Summit War, successfully rescuing his brother Ace. Because of this, he does not carry the deep emotional wound of the Original Work, but he keenly felt his own lack of strength, and as in the Original Work, he decided on two years of training.
He did invite Sue to join his Crew during the Sky Island Arc, but was turned down. He doesn't appear to have given up, however.
-- Zoro --
A combatant of the Straw Hat Pirates and protagonist Luffy's first crewmate.
Like Luffy, his involvement with Sue began during the Sky Island Arc, and there was no particular occasion to meet after that.
As in the Original Work, he was sent flying by Bartholomew Kuma at Sabaody Archipelago, but in this world he was sent not to Kuraigana Island but to Asuka Island, where he reunited with his close friend Saga. Rather than Mihawk, he asked Sue for guidance in swordsmanship. Though bewildered, Sue accepted, and he will be spending his two years of training with Sue and her daughters and companions. Just how strong he will become in two years, no one yet knows.
"...And that about covers it. Man, that turned out way longer than expected."
"Indeed... I never imagined it would exceed eighteen thousand characters across both parts."
"We've been going for a long time now, so there were a lot of characters to write about... Plus this author is terrible at keeping things concise. Too much crammed into each entry."
"On top of that, the descriptions tend to get longer for characters the author is personally passionate about... Sadi-chan's section has more text than Magellan's or Enel's. What's that about?"
"Probably 'cause the author got a lot of use out of her for tormenting Mama... It even says 'indulging in personal tastes' and 'incredibly easy to write.'"
"So tormenting Mom was really that fun... I'm jealous."
"Don't sympathize with that, ye perverted little sister."
'...What kind of face am I supposed to make listening to this conversation as the person who actually got tormented?'
"Well, in any case, I think this should suffice. We've written painstakingly detailed descriptions. That's plenty."
"True... Oh, but there's one thing I was wondering about."
"Hm? What, Leona?"
"About the original characters. There are brief descriptions of their appearance and features, but shouldn't we also include, like, specific comparisons to characters from other works they resemble? Also, with secondary-creation characters, depending on the author and the work... sometimes character profiles include things like 'the imagined voice actor is so-and-so.'"
"Ah, good point... It depends on the work and author, but you do see that kind of thing on character profile pages sometimes."
"But look, this has been going for over half a year and over 190 chapters already. At this point, it's a bit late. By now every reader has probably settled on their own mental image. Throwing out 'the author pictures this look and this voice' at this stage... would just be superfluous."
"But people ask about it in the comments sometimes, you know? The original character roster has gotten pretty big."
"Hmm... How about we just toss it in the afterword with a 'for reference' tag, and people who want to see it can see it? Anyone who doesn't need it can skip it and keep their own mental image."
"Well... I suppose that much would be fine. Then we'll include imagined appearance and voice actor references only for the main original characters."
""Agreed!""
"Well then... that'll be it for this time, so..."
"""Thank you for your continued support of 'I Will Become a Great Writer!'"""
---
"All right then, as we mentioned earlier, here's the 'appearance references' and 'the author's imagined voice actors.'"
"As we said before, these are merely the author's personal mental images, so if you've already settled on your own image, there's no need to force yourself to read this and overwrite it."
"Also, these are just rough images, so it's less 'they look exactly like this character' and more 'adjust as needed for build, hair color, hairstyle, et cetera.' And keep in mind these are appearance only, so the personality might not quite match up!"
"""Here you go."""
-- Venerdi Toto Sue --
Appearance: Sephiria Arks (BLACK CAT)
CV: Ami Koshimizu
-- Suzu --
Appearance: Princess Sakuna (Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin)
CV: Naomi Ozora
-- Leona --
Appearance: Aoi Tategami (KiraKira PreCure A La Mode)
CV: Aoi Yuuki
-- Alice --
Appearance: Eru (Knight's & Magic)
CV: Rie Takahashi
-- Blume --
Appearance: Yue Ayase (Negima! Magister Negi Magi)
CV: Natsuko Kuwatani
-- Beauty --
Appearance: Matoi Giboshi (KochiKame)
CV: Ryoko Shiraishi
-- Sou --
Appearance: Dr. Amamiya (Sasei Byoutou - the more all-ages version)
CV: Sumire Uesaka
"Hmm... Some of the characters and voices match up, and some don't... Well, it's just a reference image after all."
"These range from recent to pretty old stuff... There are definitely gonna be people who don't recognize some of them."
"Well, 'tis only a reference... Though the most obvious thing to comment on would be yours, Alice. Your image reference is clearly a male character."
"So what? His looks put most girls to shame anyway. Besides, I can become a boy too."
"So that's the gist of it. Take it however you like! See ya!"
To be continued...