Author's Note:
This might seem odd coming from me after writing and posting a chapter like this, but I'm actually a tankoubon reader when it comes to One Piece, and Jump series in general. I deliberately avoid reading the Pixiv encyclopedia and such to dodge spoilers. So while I'm up to date through the latest collected volume, I'm not really keeping up with the magazine releases... I've been seeing scattered comments in the feedback section about how things around Bonney have gotten pretty wild beyond what's in the tankoubon... It's scary enough that I can't carelessly write anything too deep... If any fatal contradictions come up down the line, I might quietly go back and fix the relevant parts. Forgive me if that happens... Anyway, that's Chapter 198. Enjoy.
---
"Damn it... just kill me!"
"...That sounds like the kind of line Miss would love to hear."
"Nah, wouldn't that be more Miss Alice's thing?"
The morning after they captured the female pirate Jewelry Bonney, who had infiltrated Marianne and the others' ship.
Gem and Zala, who had gone to investigate the island, discovered the Bonney Pirate Crew's ship hidden and moored in an inlet on the opposite side.
But what they found there was...
Grrruuuurrrrgle...
"I-I'm starving..."
"Damn it, how... did it come to this...?"
"Please, we have money... just give us something, anything to eat..."
The entire Bonney Pirate Crew, every last one of them on the verge of starving to death.
And their captain, Bonney herself, was no different.
The whole crew was on death's door from starvation, too weak to put up any resistance when boarded. And so we circle back to Bonney's opening line.
"Hmph... I won't beg for my life. Boil me, grill me... deep-fry me... steam me..."
Grrruuuurrrrgle...
"...Damn it, I'm so hungry..."
"She's in bad shape..."
"She must be absolutely famished... But we're still close to islands with towns on them. This isn't exactly a place where you'd get stranded... So how did it come to this?"
"Did they miscalculate their rationing and run out of food? She's called the 'Big Eater' after all. Maybe she ate through all their reserves..."
"As if... we'd do something... that stupid...! I paced myself... when I ate...!"
Bonney managed to protest, barely clinging to consciousness.
While inspecting their ship, Galdino spotted something left on the deck.
Then he noticed the kitchen, visible just inside a window. There were traces of that same thing having been cooked in there.
"...Did you people catch and eat this fish?"
Galdino pointed to a sunfish-like fish about the size of a human child sitting on the deck.
"...Yeah, my crew's got a lot of big eaters, so we catch and eat fish all the time. We hauled in a huge catch of these, and they were delicious, but... now that I think about it... our bodies started going wrong after eating that fish... Damn, was it poisonous or something...? Or had it gone bad...?"
"...I see, that explains everything. If you ate this, what happened to you is only natural."
"? Galdino, is that fish poisonous?"
"No, it's not poisonous... And I'd say it hadn't gone bad either. However... this fish is fatally unsuitable for consumption for an entirely different reason."
Hearing this, the former BW members and Bonney alike looked puzzled, waiting for Galdino's next words.
"This fish is called a 'Trow Sunfish.' It's large and well-fleshed, with delicious meat, and because it's slow-moving, it's easy to catch. It seems like the ideal fish for food, but... contrary to its appearance and taste, it barely fills you up at all. Its nutritional value is extremely low. Eating it hardly qualifies as a meal."
"Huh!? That's ridiculous... it was incredibly fatty and delicious!?"
"That's precisely the trap. Including that delicious 'fat,' nearly everything in this creature, flesh and skin alike, is composed of substances the human digestive system cannot break down. In other words, your body cannot absorb it as nutrition. No matter how much you eat, almost everything besides water passes straight through. And the small amount that is absorbed is so low in calories that despite feeling full and satisfied, your body receives virtually no nourishment. On top of that, consuming large quantities of indigestible material can cause severe stomach problems."
"So if you ate your fill thinking you'd had a proper meal and took it easy afterward... it was actually the same as not having eaten anything at all... If that happened..."
"Exactly. Before you know it, you've developed malnutrition without ever feeling hungry. And if your stomach acts up, dehydration gets piled on top of that."
"That's worse than a simple poisoned fish..."
"...Damn it, what kind of fish even does that...? Just let yourself be digested and absorbed like a normal fish, you stupid thing..."
Bonney muttered her curse with tears streaming down her face, voice thick with resentment.
Even Marianne and the others couldn't help but feel sorry for her at the sight.
"And on top of all that, getting found by people under a Shichibukai's umbrella while in this state..."
"C-Captain Bonney..."
"I already told you... I won't beg for my life... just hurry up and kill me."
"...So she says, but what do we do?"
"Well, if we hand her over to the Marines, we'd collect the bounty, but..."
As those words were murmured, Bonney, despite being starving and barely able to muster any strength with the Seastone handcuffs on, glared at them with eyes full of fierce intensity.
"Don't screw with me! I'd rather die than be captured by the Government... if that's the alternative, just kill me!"
She shouted it out.
With such ferocity that Marianne and the others nearly recoiled, despite the fact that Bonney couldn't even move.
Whether she simply despised the humiliation of being captured that much, or whether there was some other reason... that was unclear. But the fierce anger in Bonney's eyes, still fixed on them, was unmistakable.
On top of that, Galdino felt something nagging about what she had just said.
'Hmm... she specifically said "Government" rather than "Marines"... Is there a reason for that? Something seems to be going on here...'
Grrruuuurrrrgle...
But even in the middle of such serious contemplation, her stomach refused to stay quiet.
The moment it rumbled, all the strength drained from Bonney, as if the anger had been the only thing keeping her hunger at bay, and she crumpled to the ground.
"Captain Bonneyyy!!"
"A-Are you okay!?"
"Damn it... I've got no strength left... just hurry up and kill me already. I'd rather die than be captured by the Government... simmered dishes... yakisoba... fried chicken, bang bang chicken... ugh, I'm so hungry..."
"She's started listing specific menu items."
"She's getting worse."
"Shut up already! Hurry up and vongole... I mean, hurry up and kill me! I've already made my teriyaki... I mean, peace! I'll never potato! I won't let the Government... those people... tuna mayo me! I... I swore I would absolutely... pizza... Margherita... I swore... that's why, all this time...!"
"Sorry, I know you're saying something really heartfelt through your tears, but I genuinely cannot understand a single word!? Your appetite is undergoing Erosion on your brain!?"
"The one whose words are a jumbled mess is you, not her..."
"I-I think, maybe... the Captain's position isn't helping either..."
"Position?"
"See, from where the Captain is right now, she has a clear view of our ship... Our ship has a pizza-and-toppings kind of design, so having that in her line of sight is probably making it impossible to concentrate..."
"It's your own ship, you know... How is it becoming a source of confusion...?"
"...Shouldn't we just get some food into her first? If communication breaks down any further, what are we supposed to do?"
"Hmm... sounds like quite the peculiar situation you've got there."
"""!?"""
Startled by the voice that suddenly came from behind them, Galdino and the others turned around.
Marianne's hands were holding the Den Den Mushi that should have been put away. The voice had apparently come from it.
And the owner of that voice was...
"Galdino, got a minute? That person... Jewelry Bonney, was it? I'd like to try talking to her directly."
"Y-Yes ma'am, understood, Miss..."
It was the current Admiral of the Golden Lion Pirates, to whom they all belonged: Pirate Literary Master Sue.
Marianne, Den Den Mushi in hand, stepped forward in front of the slumped Bonney.
From the conversation she had just overheard, Bonney realized that the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was one of the Shichibukai, a massive figure who had fought brilliantly on all fronts during the recent Summit War and had a bounty exceeding one billion placed on her just before it was rescinded. She tensed up visibly.
"So... nice to meet you. I'm Sue. Well, not to toot my own horn, but... I probably don't need much introduction."
"Yeah... and you just heard about me from that shorty over there, so we're good, right?"
"Yep. I already knew about you on my end too... You were quite the topic of conversation, being called a 'Supernova' and all. Of course a pirate who hunts pirates would keep tabs."
"Heh... that a jab at me for ending up like this right after entering the New World?"
Bonney bit back without a shred of deference.
Even though they weren't face to face, her crew watched nervously as their captain took that tone with a Shichibukai.
...They had also noticed that throughout the conversation, Bonney was desperately trying not to look at her own ship, the Jewelry Margherita, but made a point of saying nothing about it.
"So... you said you wanted to talk. What do you want?"
"Yeah, I've got a little proposal..."
"How about joining the Golden Lion?"
""" ...Huh!?"""
☆☆☆
[Sue's Perspective]
"That was awfully quick of ye to decide, Mother. Are ye sure about this? Making up yer mind so easily... An Over 100 Million Berry Supernova is nothing like yer run-of-the-mill wild horse. If she were to get on the inside and start causing trouble..."
"It'll be fine. She'll be treated as a rank-and-file member for a while... I'll properly look into things and make sure."
A few minutes after the call between me and Bonney.
Sue, at the Hideout, had wrapped up a stretch of work and was taking a break over tea with Suzu, who had been watching the call from beside her.
"Besides, the other party... this Jewelry Bonney, did deliberate somewhat herself... but ultimately accepted Mother's proposal. For someone who so despises the Government, agreeing to be taken in by the Shichibukai, who operate directly under that very Government... what could she be thinking, I wonder?"
When Bonney heard my invitation over the Den Den Mushi, her first reaction was something along the lines of 'What kind of joke is this...' But after a contemplative silence, she surprisingly accepted.
I then instructed Marianne and the others to bring them back to a nearby base.
Not an important base like Merveille, of course. A peripheral one.
It functioned as something like a forward operating base, equipped well enough for conducting operations, but it wasn't exactly critical to the Golden Lion Pirates.
The plan was to start Bonney there and gradually assess her over time. ...Using Heaven's Gate too, if necessary.
Additionally, I arranged for a reasonably capable guide and escort to bring them there.
"She hates the Government, but she must have some kind of business with it. Something she doesn't want to get involved with but can't afford not to. That kind of business."
"...? Why would ye think that, Mother? Ye've never met her, have ye?"
"I haven't, but... let's just say I have my reasons."
There were two major reasons I had taken interest in Bonney.
The first was that in the One Piece Original Work, she was one of those called the 'Worst Generation,' and I knew she possessed promising power.
In the Original Work, she had been captured by Blackbeard the moment she entered the New World and subsequently handed over to the Marines... but it seemed that in this world, that hadn't happened and she had survived.
And the second reason was that her name had appeared in a certain document.
What came to mind, or rather, what I recalled, was a particular document I had obtained from the Marines not long ago using my Shichibukai title.
It was a list of pirates the Marines considered high-priority, along with those flagged for urgent apprehension and capture.
I had requested it, saying I wanted to review such materials as part of my ongoing work as a Shichibukai, a pirate who hunts pirates.
Bonney's name was on that list.
Since she was a pirate classified as a Supernova, there was nothing strange about her being on it. The problem was the date.
According to the documents, her age was listed as 22. But the date she had been registered as a Priority Target was far, far earlier than that.
Going by the paperwork, she would have been around ten years old at the time.
'She'd been on the Government and Marine lists since she was that young... and not as a Bounty Target, but specifically as someone to watch and secure...? There's definitely more to her than just being an ordinary pirate... Even in the Original Work, Akainu said some pretty loaded things about her... And that comment earlier about loathing the Government... Something's going on with her, for sure.'
Having been curious about her already, the fact that an opportunity to make contact while putting her in my debt had presented itself was fortunate for Sue as well.
Besides, the fact that she accepted my proposal meant there must have been merit in it for her too. Being under my Shichibukai umbrella meant Amnesty for pirate activities, protection from prying eyes, a position shielded not just from pirates but even from the Marines.
I didn't know what kind of relationship this would become going forward.
We might get along well. We might not mesh and she'd leave. And though I'd rather it not happen, there was always the possibility of becoming enemies.
But if possible... I hoped we could find a good fit and build a positive relationship.
☆☆☆
"C-Captain... are you sure about this?"
"...Yeah, it's not like we can do anything in our current state anyway... If we play this right, we can shake those annoying Government pursuers off our backs and maybe get our hands on some intel too. ...I plan to use them, so I'll let them take care of us for a while."
"...I'd really prefer you had that conversation somewhere we couldn't hear it, you know."
"Do you people have some kind of grudge against the Government?"
"...Sorry, but I'm not telling. You wouldn't believe me even if I did."
"...Fine. Whatever... Lady's orders, so I won't ask. And if it really becomes necessary, Lady will properly read... I mean, look into it herself."
"...?"
A scout had been made, and accepted.
But the reality was that their relationship was still nothing more than mutual probing. Or perhaps it was a kind of businesslike arrangement, each side using the other.
Neither Bonney, nor Marianne and the others escorting her, had any idea what their future dealings would look like as they set course together for one of the Golden Lion Pirates' bases.
Several months later.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Bonney! I had my eye on that piece of meat!"
"Haaah!? Don't be stupid, Lady Leona! I've been nursing this one along! No way I'm giving it to anyone!"
"Stop fighting, the both of ye... There's plenty more meat, so just grill as much as ye want. Here, I'm adding more... Don't fight over the raw meat before it's even cooked! Settle down, I say! Are ye a pair of starving waifs!?"
"Ahaha, whenever Leona and Bonney are together, depending on the menu it turns into a war every single time!"
"Wasn't it the same at the takoyaki party the other day, and the sukiyaki before that?"
"It was the same at the temaki sushi before that too... On top of it all, they competed over who could stuff in more luxurious fillings and roll a bigger one, and they ended up using hundreds of sheets of nori to make sushi rolls the size of cannons..."
"So what? That was super fun, and it was delicious!"
"And we ate every last bit without wasting any. Oh, my bad, can you make some room? I brought more stuff to grill."
"Hm? Go ahead, but what... Hey, Bonney!? Why are ye... Is that pizza...? We said today was yakiniku! Why do ye do this even now...?"
"This is my first time seeing pizza being grilled alongside kalbi on a barbecue grate... What is this chaos... Can you even cook pizza on a grate?"
"Who cares about the details? It's good, so... Oh, Lady Leona, anything you want? I brought a full selection, so there's all sorts."
"Really!? Then teriyaki and German potatoes!"
"You got it!"
"...We should add another grate. This one clearly doesn't have enough space."
"Yeah, clearly."
"Oh hey, the stone pot bibimbap's done. Who was it that said they wanted some?"
"Me!"
"Hey, wait, don't lie, Lady Leona! I'm the one who ordered it!"
"But I want some too! We just ran out of plain rice, so I need more!"
"Then order your own! Don't try to swipe other people's food, or it'll start a war!"
"Don't start one then, fights or wars... Look, I saw this coming and made enough for two. Eat."
""Nice, Beauty!!""
"Honestly... Ooh, look at them eat. And they'll clean every last grain of rice too. You sure are a pair worth cooking for, every time."
"I must agree on that point... For me as well, seeing them eat this happily makes it all worthwhile as a farmer."
"This season's rice turned out great too, Suzu. The oil clings to it nicely, and it goes so well with meat!"
"Doesn't it, doesn't it? I tried changing up my growing methods a bit this time, ye see. Glad it worked out!"
""Seconds!!""
""" That was fast!"""
Such scenes of mealtime harmony had, by that point, already become... not at all uncommon.
To be continued...