One day, on Merveille.
"Yo, Sue. You got mail."
"Thanks, Beauty. Just set it down over there, I'll read it later."
"Sure thing."
THUD.
With a sound far too heavy for ordinary "mail," Beauty set it on the floor.
What she'd set down was a fairly large box. The box itself wasn't the "mail," and it hadn't arrived as a single parcel. Rather, it was packed to the brim with letters. Fan letters, addressed to yours truly, the Pirate Literary Master.
"Every single time, the amount of fan mail you get is insane..."
"Well, they're coming in from all over the world... And since Sue writes so many books of so many different types to begin with, once you factor in that each one gets its own individual letters, it naturally adds up to this kind of volume."
"No, really, I'm grateful. Not only do people buy and read my books, they go to the trouble of writing up their thoughts like this and sending them... When I'm reading these, I genuinely think, 'I'm so glad I became a writer.' ...Alright, let me take a break."
I'd been in the middle of writing as the Pirate Literary Master, but I'd reached a good stopping point, so I set my pen down in the pen stand. Then I reached out to touch the box full of letters that Beauty had brought.
The moment I did, my Paper-Paper Fruit powers activated. Letters floated up into the air, envelopes opened themselves, and the stationery inside slid out and unfolded before my eyes.
As a Paper Human, I can freely manipulate any paper I touch, so my powers come in handy even for something like reading fan mail. It might seem lazy, but when you've got several hundred letters to open one by one, spread out, and read... it takes way too much time and effort. Reading them all would eat up hours.
"Reading all the letters in that volume... actually, the fact that you read every single fan letter every time is already impressive. If it were me, I'd definitely put it off and then never get around to reading them."
"Really? I think it's pretty normal..."
If anything, reading fan letters energizes me and lifts my spirits, so there's honestly an element of reading them specifically to recharge when I'm tired. For a writer, feedback from readers is the greatest source of strength. It's the wellspring of motivation for continuing the writing profession and keeping serializations going. I look forward to your continued support.
"That said, it feels like lately you've been getting even more fan mail than before..."
"Well, the number of books Sue writes has gone up to begin with... or rather, it feels like it's still increasing as we speak. And it's not just books anymore; she's started writing all sorts of other things too."
"Let's see... novels, original stories for picture books and Picture Stories, columns and newspaper articles, reportage, stage scripts... I was already doing all of those, right? And recently I've started essays and songwriting too..."
"The volume of each has been increasing too... As an original story writer, you've currently got about twelve serializations running simultaneously between Picture Stories and everything else, right? You have publishers you're submitting manuscripts to in all four Blues and the Grand Line..."
"And you still manage to keep up without burning out... I know you write fast, but still."
"It's not just the writing; in Sue's case, coming up with the stories is fast too. I heard a little while ago that while writing one chapter with her pen, she's sometimes thinking three or four chapters ahead."
"So that's why the author's writing speed ends up outpacing how fast readers can read, leaving them in the dust. That kind of absurdity keeps happening... When it happened not just inside Impel Down but after getting out too, I went past surprised straight to horrified."
"Of those twelve serializations mentioned earlier, apparently about half already have their plots written out all the way to the final chapter, dialogue and all, and sent to the artists. So there's zero risk of missing a deadline, and it's reached the point where the artists just need to draw and the publishers just need to publish."
"She's like one of those kids who finishes all their homework on the first day of a long vacation..."
"In Sue's case, she didn't do it to get something unpleasant out of the way early. Apparently she was just enjoying herself and writing with such momentum that before she knew it, she'd written all the way to the end..."
Everyone's just saying whatever they want about me, sheesh.
Thinking that, I continued reading through the fan letters.
Hmm... yeah, lately there've been a ton for Gurren Lagann. It is the most popular of my current serializations, after all. Right now, I think... the part where the battle against the Spiral King has just concluded should be the latest published volume. The second half of the story should start coming out before long. The plot's already done up through right before the final arc.
Next most common are Fullmetal Alchemist and Fraulein of the Water Burial. Fan mail for both of those has been steadily increasing too. Seems like there's more for "Home Tutor Operative Revive" than before as well.
Then there are The Night the Half-Moon Rises and Dr. Rock, both of which I wrapped up recently. I'm pretty sure I wrote those while I was in Impel Down, and then formally brought them to publishers for publication afterward. There are quite a few voices hoping for sequels, but I already finished those stories...
Also, Lazy Meals of the Sea got revisions and additions, and I had a specialist supervise it. A specialist in lazy meals sounds a bit odd when you think about it, but anyway, a recipe book came out of that too, and fan letters have been coming in for that as well... Though shouldn't those really be going to the supervisor who put out the recipe book? ...Ah, it's mostly comments along the lines of "I love the original work, and combined with that the food is delicious and makes me happy." That makes me happy.
Hm? What's this one...
'The SU---PER--- manly spirit of Simon, who overcame the death of Big Bro Kamina and led the Great Gurren Brigade all the way to the end, shot me right through the heart! The Drill is my Soul too!!' ...Isn't the person who wrote this a certain cyborg shipwright? The pen name is "Iron Man," and the origin address, let's see, based on this collection center... Future Country Baljimore is nearby too.
Seriously, that person's become a fan too... that actually makes me happy. I hate to say it, but I wouldn't have pegged him as the book-reading type... Maybe he read it because it's a Picture Story? He does seem to like robots, so maybe he read it for reference or inspiration?
The ink is smudged in places. Could he have been crying while writing this? To think it moved someone that much... yeah, that genuinely makes me happy.
Also, completely unrelated, but Franky and I are the same age, I think... totally unrelated, though.
'Come to think of it, among all the fan letters I've read over the years... there have been quite a few that remind me of certain someones, or that are just distinctive in their own right...'
Fan Letter Example No. 1.
Title: Rabbit Knight
Pen Name: "Suitor"
"At first the married couple felt like they were just friends, but watching them think of each other, encourage each other, and deepen their understanding until they became the ideal couple was amazing! It made me want to find a husband I could have that kind of relationship with! Believing I'll find him, I fight on today!" (excerpt)
Rabbit Knight is one I put out fairly recently. The protagonist is an apprentice knight, a young man who married a girl he met through a senior's introduction. At first their marriage is practically just a formality, barely more than a friendship, but from there, supported by his cheerful wife, he strives to become a fine knight while their bond deepens at the same time. To aspire to something like that, and with descriptions that are oddly specific... does that mean this "Suitor" is in the middle of looking for a spouse or something? "I fight on," they say... Is that metaphorical or literal?
Fan Letter Example No. 2.
Title: The Woman of the Chemistry Division
Pen Name: "Lilith"
"It's rare to see a female scientist as the protagonist, but watching her prove wrong all the men around her who look down on science while using the power of science to solve mysteries and expose crimes is refreshing and entertaining. Science is a useful discipline and research must be advanced, which is why I'm always saying they need to give us more budget... If we could show off our accomplishments like the protagonist Marika, I wonder if the funding would increase." (excerpt)
Is this Lilith person a researcher for some country or maybe the Government? Not happy with how they're treated? Either being looked down on within their department, or not getting the budget they requested so their research can't proceed as they'd like... sounds rough. For someone like me who can do her job as long as she has paper, ink, and time... that's a kind of frustration I've never really experienced. But it's thanks to people like this developing technology that we all get to live comfortably...
...Oh, but I'd appreciate it if nobody goes overboard and starts going berserk the way Mama does when she gets too passionate.
Fan Letter Example No. 3.
Title: Sora, Warrior of the Sea: Tears of the Violet Poison Princess
Pen Name: "Poison Pink Sister"
"Heroine Venom Purple was born into a terrible family, but in the end her feelings reached the hero and he came to rescue her, and the happy ending made me so, so glad to see. ...It made me wonder, what if I had been a little kinder to my younger brother back then... I got uncharacteristically sentimental, I suppose. ...I wonder if it's not too late, even now... Just kidding." (excerpt)
I wonder if "Poison Pink Sister" has some trouble with a younger brother at home? I hope they can make up.
Also, "Poison Pink" is a character from the original Sora, Warrior of the Sea, if I recall. One of the warriors of the evil Legion "Germa 66," a girl who uses poison. Maybe this person's a fan of that character.
...Come to think of it, I learned recently that "Germa" is actually a real nation... That surprised me. And apparently it's a seafaring nation without any land territory, living on ships. No wonder I couldn't visit during my voyage across the Four Seas. Well, I doubt I'll have any reason to get involved with them in the future... They're apparently a military state, so there probably isn't much to see.
Fan Letter Example No. 4.
Title: Black Joker
Pen Name: "Doctor Sakura"
"Unlicensed, brusque, and cold-blooded. But when it comes to medicine itself, he's earnest, and once he takes on a patient, he absolutely saves them! That's the kind of surgeon he is! I felt my heart, which had been on the verge of giving up after so many failures, blaze back to life! No matter how many times you fail, no matter how little understanding you get, a doctor must never give up on helping people! Thank you for teaching me that! Eh eh eh!" (excerpt)
This one's from quite a while back... more than ten years ago...
...Wait, reading it more carefully now, isn't this... Hiriluk?
Black Joker is a story about an unlicensed but brilliantly talented surgeon named Hauser Macklowe who saves countless patients with his skill, but... wait, reading this letter inspired him to get even more fired up...?
I'm pretty sure the disclaimer on this novel clearly stated: "This story does not intend to endorse or encourage unlicensed medical practice. Practicing medicine without a license is a crime."
Fan Letter Example No. 5.
Title: Cross Angel
Pen Name: "Goldfish Princess"
"The heroines start out unable to understand each other, even enemies, but then they transcend their origins, their positions, even the wall between species to become friends and fight together. I think that is truly, truly wonderful! I too dream of the day when everyone can tear down the walls of species and the history of discrimination and greet a bright tomorrow, and I will keep fighting for it! No matter what anyone says, I won't give up! I don't even have time to spend feeling down!" (excerpt)
This one's also from quite a while ago... about fifteen years, actually. But it was so distinctive in many ways that I remember it well. The handwriting on the stationery was incredibly careful, or rather, beautifully written... The paper itself was very high-quality, expensive stuff... And for some reason, it had this scent of the sea, of salt air, which struck me as odd. Even living in a port town, you wouldn't normally get paper that smells like this...
Was this "Goldfish Princess" someone involved in activism against discrimination and prejudice...? Or maybe not even human... No, I shouldn't go speculating and making assumptions like that. It could lead to the very prejudice they're fighting against. I hope their efforts go well.
Fan Letter Example No. 6.
Title: "Resident Evil"
Pen Name: "Reliance on Others"
"I only read it to kill time, but it was pretty entertaining, and more importantly, it gave me several great ideas and was very useful as reference! I see, I never thought of strengthening Zombies this way. Even trying just one of these wouldn't be easy, but our doctor's gotten all fired up too. You have my thanks, kishishishi!" (excerpt)
...Hm?
So... "Resident Evil" is a series about large-scale infectious disasters caused by Zombies created through viral infection, following characters trying to escape from mansions and towns plunged into panic. It's something I started writing relatively recently, as my serializations go. Though it's still from before the Summit War, and actually before the start of the Original Work.
And this fan letter arrived just today, but... was this written by a certain former Shichibukai?
Let me check the postmark... Hmm. This island is, let's see...
Somewhere in this sea region. There's a chance it could be a fake, but given that we currently have barely any leads... If we combine this with information about incidents in the surrounding area, like disappearing corpses or missing persons...
"Blume, Beauty. I need a favor."
"Yes?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I need some people mobilized to look into something. In this sea region..."
***
After giving instructions to my two close aides and dispatching people to investigate the matter of our friend "Reliance on Others"... I continued reading through the rest of the fan mail, and... done. Read them all.
Man... reader feedback really is energizing. Knowing that someone read what I wrote and felt happy, thought it was interesting, and then went to the trouble of picking up a pen, putting their thoughts into words, and sending them all the way here to tell me... Truly, this is the greatest reward a writer could ask for.
The moment I finished reading, energy came surging up. Specifically, the drive to write my next work.
...But what to do. My plan for the rest of the day was to go hunt some pirates whose location we've identified, as part of my Shichibukai duties (pirates who are hostile to the Golden Lion Pirates). But right now, I don't want to let this heat building in my chest cool down.
Right. I'm skipping it. (Decided instantly.)
Ah, but since we already know where they are, it'd be a waste to just let them get away... The investigation team worked hard to track them down and report back. ...They're not particularly strong pirates, so maybe I'll have someone else go instead. Let's see, who's currently in that sea region... Oh, perfect.
(Den Den Mushi ringing)
"...Hello?"
"Oh, hello, Law? It's me, Sue."
"! Miss... Do you have orders?"
"Yeah, sorry about this, but... could you go hunt some pirates for me? I was originally going to go myself as a Shichibukai, but my writing's gotten really hectic... Sorry, but can I ask you?"
"Hah... Understood. Who am I hunting and where? Alive or dead?"
"Let me see..."
(Briefing in progress)
"...I see, got it. That's close to here... I'll have them hunted down within a day or two and delivered to the nearest Marine Base. Clear it with them beforehand."
"Will do. Seriously, sorry for always making you move around for my convenience."
"I'm under your banner, so it's expected. I didn't have anything else going on, so it's fine. Besides... to establish my reputation within the Golden Lion Pirates, direct missions from you personally are valuable as accomplishments."
Law answered in that flat, hard-to-read voice with little inflection. Cool, or maybe businesslike... He fulfills his obligations but doesn't try to get involved more than necessary, doesn't get too invested. There's a sense that he dislikes being overly bound to anything.
He was like that in the Original World too, after Punk Hazard, when he got involved with Luffy and the others. ...Though he gradually got corrupted and started having moments that made him look like a comedy character.
Incidentally, regarding the "accomplishments" Law just mentioned, I've actually been somewhat deliberately assigning him missions with the intention of letting him build them up. He only joined recently, but he's completed a decent number of missions directly from me. Nothing too high-priority, given that he's still new, but he's been steadily building up his reputation.
He was already a Supernova with real ability, so I don't think it'll take too long for him to reach Executive rank.
If I had to name a concern, it would be what he plans to do when "two years from now" comes around.
Based on what happened in the main story, Law's goal should be to take down Doflamingo. To that end, he became a Shichibukai, allied with Luffy and the others, kidnapped Caesar, and had a decisive battle in Dressrosa... that was how it went.
But in this world, I became a Shichibukai instead of (?) Law. It would be difficult for him to take the same position as in the Original Work. So it seems likely that Law devised a different plan than in the Original Work and joined the Golden Lion Pirates as a means to execute it. ...He never struck me as the type who'd willingly serve under someone, image-wise.
Depending on what that plan is, I might be willing to help him... or conversely, if it's something that would cause damage to our side, I might need to stop him...
Just as I was mulling over these things, Law spoke up as if something had suddenly occurred to him.
"...By the way."
"Hm? What is it, Law?"
"Well... the story you're currently writing, what is it? If you don't mind my asking?"
"? Um, what I'm writing right now is... the final arc of Gurren Lagann."
"Understood. Don't worry about a thing. I'll handle everything on this end smoothly and wrap it up. If there are any other bothersome tasks getting in the way, send them my way anytime. I'll take care of every last one without issue. Please focus on your writing with peace of mind."
"Huh? O-okay, thanks."
Click. Beep, beep, beep...
...Was it just my imagination that at the end there, he sounded oddly rushed and restless?
Was it just my imagination that his voice carried more emotion than I'd ever heard before, not once during the interview, not once over the Den Den Mushi, a voice thick with unmistakable intensity?
...
...Yeah, well... I suppose that just means he's a boy too. Probably.
Surprising as it may be... so he reads Picture Stories, huh...
Alright then! Since I've gotten encouragement from a fan I never expected, time to get back to writing the next part!
To be continued...