"Arashi, are you happy today?!"
Carrying a suitcase full of Beli, Perona was in an extremely good mood. She bounced around beside Arashi, her twin ponytails bobbing rhythmically with every step, looking incredibly cute.
"Not calling me 'Father' anymore?"
Arashi smiled and teased, "Come on, call me 'Father' again."
"No! Way!"
Perona abruptly stopped walking and puffed out her cheeks seriously.
"Arashi, you idiot! Couldn't you tell I was acting for that red-haired woman to see? Didn't you notice the way she was looking at you?"
"So…"
Suppressing a laugh, Arashi asked, "Why did you act for her to see?"
"Because… because…"
Perona stammered for a long moment before pouting.
"Anyway, I just didn't like her. Didn't like her at all!"
"Alright then."
Arashi shrugged slightly. "As long as you're happy."
"Hehe~~~"
Perona blinked her big eyes mischievously, then suddenly jumped in front of him and looked up with her delicate little face.
"Arashi, you're single, right? Since you don't have a wife… when I grow up, can I call you husband?"
"When you grow up?"
Arashi tilted his head and looked her up and down before decisively shaking his head.
"No."
"Why not?!"
Perona instantly looked aggrieved.
"You don't have a wife anyway!"
"Wives are terrifying creatures."
Arashi rubbed her little head helplessly.
"You little brat… your thoughts are way too complicated. Leave grown-up matters to grown-ups."
"Oh~"
Perona stuck out her tongue and blinked innocently, though the smile on her face looked a little devious.
"Arashi… do you already like someone? Is it Robin-chan? Ah! I knew there was something between you two!"
Arashi stopped walking and stared at the little girl whose mind was clearly overflowing with adult thoughts. The corner of his mouth twitched.
This kid was a bit too mature.
At this age, she was already worrying about romance. Give her a few more years and she'd probably start researching philosophy of life.
Well… if Perona were in the world he used to live in, she'd probably already be in middle school. In that world, plenty of girls her age had already begun experiencing their first crushes. And the One Piece world was much more open in this regard, so it wasn't strange for her to become curious about relationships between men and women.
Seeing Arashi suddenly go silent, Perona huffily turned her head away.
"Hmph! I guessed right, didn't I?"
"Guessed right my ass, you little brat."
Laughing, Arashi suddenly pulled her over and said domineeringly:
"Stop letting your imagination run wild. We're going back to the Traveler."
"Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
Although Arashi dragged her along, Perona stubbornly continued talking.
"Do you miss Robin-chan already? Worried she's lonely on the ship all by herself…"
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing her endlessly harp on the issue, Arashi finally burst into laughter.
Not gonna lie—Perona getting jealous at this age was honestly adorable.
"Yes, I'm jealous!"
Perona puffed up her cheeks again, her expression unusually serious.
"I'm not like Robin-chan, secretly liking you but not daring to say it out loud."
"Listen carefully, Arashi!"
"I like you! I want to stay with you forever!"
"Alright, alright."
Arashi laughed and nodded repeatedly.
"I know you like Arashi. And Arashi likes Perona too."
"And besides, haven't we always been together already?"
"Eh?!"
Perona blinked in surprise before suddenly breaking into a bright smile.
"That's true! We've always been together!"
"Hehe~ Alright, let's go back to the Traveler!"
The two chatted and laughed as they headed toward the harbor.
Soon, they spotted the Traveler anchored quietly by the shore.
The cabin lights glowed warmly, and despite the chaos erupting within the city, the harbor itself remained peaceful.
The sound of waves crashing rhythmically against the coast echoed softly through the night—calm and serene.
"Robin-chan, we're back!"
Perona leaped onto the deck and hurried toward the cabin.
But Arashi didn't follow her.
Instead, he stood silently at the edge of the dock, staring motionlessly toward another small boat moored nearby.
On that boat sat the mysterious woman he had encountered earlier at sea.
She was dressed exactly the same as before. Her cloak fluttered gently in the sea breeze, and the black veil covering her face occasionally lifted with the wind, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face beneath.
If one looked only at her appearance and figure, she was absolutely the kind of woman capable of toppling nations.
But those crimson eyes—
Under the cover of night, they appeared even more eerie and demonic, almost like Sharingan eyes.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Keeping everyone at a distance.
"Quite a coincidence."
The woman had clearly already noticed Arashi. As he looked over, she turned slightly toward him and spoke softly:
"Traveler."
She was unbelievably quiet.
If she hadn't spoken, Arashi might have felt as though she didn't even exist.
This was a terrifying and mysterious existence.
Although Arashi kept associating her with the figure seated upon the Empty Throne, there were simply too many uncertainties.
After all, in the original story, only a silhouette had appeared. Judging solely from that shadow that Imu was a woman wasn't entirely convincing.
But there was one thing Arashi was absolutely certain about—
The eyes of the woman before him were almost identical to the eyes of the figure seated upon the Empty Throne.
Practically the same person.
Of course, whether she truly was the ruler of the Empty Throne didn't really matter to Arashi.
He wasn't a pirate.
He wasn't a Marine.
And he certainly wasn't a Revolutionary.
Even if she really were Imu herself, it had nothing to do with him.
As long as she posed no threat to him, everything could be discussed peacefully.
Thinking this, Arashi calmly walked toward the edge of the dock and smiled.
"One meeting is coincidence."
"A second meeting can't just be called coincidence anymore."
"It should be called… fate."
"Nice to meet you, Fate."
More to come.
Extra chapters are already prepared… waiting to be unleashed.
Get early access on Patreon:
patreon.com/c/DreamWriterStudios
Want more chapters? You decide the pace:
✨ 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 200 Power Stones = Another Release
Your support fuels the journey.
The stronger your backing… the faster the story unfolds.