Chapter 27 – Towards the future
“Hmm…? Mary Geoise, reconstruction delayed… Lunacia’s parting gift.”
Lunacia read the newspapers while eating breakfast.
About a year has already passed since the attack on Mary Geoise.
The heat of the festival has subsided, but the number of pirates both before and after the attack has clearly increased. On the other hand, for the Marines, some retired marine soldiers returned, and the number of applications has increased dramatically.
Although Lunacia and others killed the World Nobles, the Marines received devastating casualties as well, their morale was higher, and the rebuilding of their forces was quicker than expected.
However, just like how it was written in the newspapers, they were having trouble with the parting gift Lunacia left in Mary Geoise.
“Not to imitate Viet Cong, but I also learned some similar things in this world.”
Lunacia can create countless clones within the area her fog covers.
It is a great advantage not only in direct combat but also in setting traps, civil engineering work, and other non-combat situations that require manpower.
It was one of the tactics she came up with when she trained her abilities in the past. She just used the trick of secretly invading the enemy territory and returning after scattering traps.
“It’s too bad for them if they only experience the pain of having something get taken away, so I also left for them many bombs. Just a small mischief… they shouldn’t mind it, right?”
Lunacia whispered and sipped coffee.
She did not only put the bombs on the ground. She also created booby traps.
There were many kinds, from the classic type that explodes when the string is pulled to those that explode when a corpse is moved.
And for Lunacia’s so-called “small mischief”, she gathered several corpses found nearby, and after destroying the faces to some extent that you could tell who it was, she placed them on the ground and covered them with a cloth.
She finishes the touch with a sign saying “Epidemic and Infected Patient’s Morgue”.
At first, Lunacia thought of calling it Black Death Morgue, but she didn’t know if the people of this world could understand, so she chose the more specific word epidemic.
According to the information, the Marines are struggling yet doing their best to deal with her booby traps and small mischiefs.
“I have no plans for today… good, let’s train. It should also be around the time Bullet’s going to attack.”
After the Mary Geoise Incident, although Lunacia continued to expand her sphere of power, she did not stop training herself.
Of course, she trains on her special abilities, she is training more on Haki if compared.
She has continued the training method she was taught in the past until now.
“Oh, right. Professor Clover from Ohara sent me a message a while ago saying he wants to report his research report. I should go next time I’m free.”
‘I’m gonna train today’, Lunacia thought while checking the schedule book she had at hand.
Considering the time to travel to Ohara, she thought that it would be after half a month at the latest, so she decided to eat breakfast first.
And half a month later, Lunacia listened to the research report in Ohara as scheduled.
With Professor Clover as their representative, they announced their results and the hypothesis they had until now, and she said after she finished listening.
“This is just my guess, but if you leak this outside, the World Government will probably use any means to come and kill you.”
Seeing Lunacia say that with a serious face, the archeologists of Ohara, led by Professor Clover, showed a stern look.
Although she was not very familiar with this world’s history, Lunacia could understand that even their hypothesis would be very inconvenient for the World Government.
Even Nico Robin, who was sitting on her lap, understood the significance of the matter despite having a young age.
Because she was too young, Robin was mostly forbidden to participate in this research, but Lunacia asked them to allow her to participate.
‘Sooner or later, she is likely to reach it by herself, so it’s better to guide her before that happens――’
Professor Clover and her mother, Olvia, did not look very good, but there could only be trouble if they offended Lunacia.
Because of that, in addition to listening to the report this time with Lunacia, Robin can decide whether or not she would participate in their research.
“Is it really Laugh Tale?”
Professor Clover and his colleagues tilted their heads, hearing the words Laugh Tale.
“Oh, I forgot that not many know about it. Do you know what Roger said just before his death?”
“I know that… but what does that have to do with what we are discussing right now?”
Lunacia smiles after hearing Clover’s question.
“Roger named the island at the end of Grand Line Laugh Tale, a funny story. He said he left everything this world has to offer there… perhaps everything this world has to offer means the truth of this world?”
“It might not be so, but the possibility is not zero.
Hearing his words, Lunacia continued.
“He told me it’s not always good to move forward. That I should just follow the Poneglyphs.”
Clover and the others gasped upon hearing the information revealed by Lunacia.
“Now, your research is connected to Laugh Tale. This is also just my guess, but… perhaps the city of the Great Kingdom can be found in Laugh Tale?”
Clover and the others did not have proof to deny Lunacia’s words.
She continues.
“I asked Roger. I asked whether he had treasures nearby, not in some faraway place like Laugh Tale. But he answered that there was nothing at all, that he used every penny when they disbanded.”
Pausing there for a few moments.
“If Laugh Tale has some amazing treasures… treasures in the sense of gold and silver, they should’ve brought it back. And such things would make the market react if they are turned into cash no matter openly or in the underground… but…”
Lunacia shrugs her shoulders.
“I’ve been free these days, so I used my connections and investigated both openly and overtly, but there wasn’t anything like that. There weren’t even traces that the records were erased.”
“…is it a treasure they can’t bring back?”
It was Robin who asked that.
Lunacia answers while stroking her head.
“Probably. There are many pirates, but perhaps only a few could think of that as treasure after seeing it… such as giant Poneglyphs that describe the truth of the world, maybe it has historical value but couldn’t fit their ship, or maybe it’s something that can’t be turned into money even if they bring it back.”
After listening to Lunacia’s guesses, Clover says.
“…this might be very shameless despite receiving much of your support, but…”
Lunacia accurately guessed what he wanted to say but showed a charming smile.
“Wanna go to Laugh Tale? As an archaeologist.”
“Yes…!”
Seeing Clover answer with a bright face, Lunacia lightly sighed.
“It isn’t good right now. The other four are too active. The treasure in Laugh Tale is too uncertain, that it’s unlikely I could gather all of them saying that I have a get-rich-quick scheme… if it isn’t treasure for them, we’d start a war immediately.”
Clover and the others knew who the four people she was talking about were.
Clover asks.
“If so, then when…?”
“Maybe 20 years later… at that time, they’d probably be weaker than right now… how about leaving it to little Robin here?”
“Me!?”
Robin is surprised at the sudden nomination.
Lunacia asks her.
“You don’t want to?”
“No, not at all! I’ll go! I’m going to Laugh Tale!”
“You’ve heard her. Professor, what do you think of entrusting your will to her?”
Hearing Lunacia’s question, Clover sighed deeply.
“If possible, I want to see it with my own eyes…”
“Well, if I get strong enough to crush the other four with one hand, the time will get shorter… I mean, you’re quite old already, right? Can you even survive the voyage…?”
Hearing Lunacia’s logical claim, Clover answers resolutely.
“As long as we can find out whether or not our hypothesis is correct, the voyage cannot hinder my path!”
“I heard that you had a backache the other day.”
“…how did you know…!”
“I heard it from Robin.”
Clover’s face became bitter, and Lunacia laughed when she saw that.
And reminds them once again.
“You shouldn’t let your guards down and leak it out, thinking that you’re under my protection. If they find out about it, the World Government will send their CP-0 while preparing for war.”
Hearing Lunacia’s words, not only Clover and the others, even Robin, nodded heavily.
After hearing the research report and hypothesis in Ohara, Lunacia kept the current speed of the expansion of her powers and put more emphasis on her training.
If she wants to search for Laugh Tale in earnest within 20 years, she must maintain an advantage over the other four and other prominent rookies who will stand out.
It is necessary to have an advantage not only in her personal fighting strength but also in various aspects, such as improving the quality and quantity of the pirates under her control, improving her economic and technological capabilities, and maintaining and expanding her territory.
Of course, she is not placing war as a premise, but if they knew she wanted to go to Laugh Tale, the situation would change, and no one knows what they’d do.
As for Laugh Tale, if archaeologists want to follow her to Laugh Tale, she could make do with anyone.
However, if the so-called treasure in Laugh Tale is some kind of ridiculous weapon of destruction, there’s no way she could hand it over to anyone else.
Newgate might not be interested in such a thing, but the other three are suspicious.
To find out what the treasure was as soon as possible, Lunacia searched for Rayleigh and asked him, but he only told her to see for herself.
Since he did not tell her what it was, so Lunacia could only train herself, expand her power, and strengthen her organization since that was required to search for Laugh Tale, but she got mixed up in a small battle.
It happened three years since the reporting session in Ohara, and she’s flying around in East Blue that day to inspect the islands under her control.
While moving from island to island, Lunacia coincidentally found that island.
It was an island that was not under her control.
“Is it a war? The Marines and… pirates?”
It’s been a while since Lunacia has seen marine soldiers and pirates fighting in East Blue.
The pirates in this sea are basically ones with small bounties, but Lunacia knows that the strongest pirate and the strongest marine came from East Blue.
“I’m glad I brought Yomi… there might be a pirate like Roger or a marine like Garp!”
Lunacia was excited and told the next inspection area that she would be a little late using Den Den Mushi and headed towards that island.
“Oh, it’s kind of cute…”
Lunacia landed a short distance away from the town that was turned into a battlefield, quietly got on top of a random building, and watched the battle.
Both the marines nor the pirates weren’t using Haki, and no such thing as the town exploding because their attacks couldn’t bear it happening.
It was a very peaceful battle, making Lunacia relax.
‘Right, this should be how an ordinary fight should be’, she nodded while recalling her kind of battle.
It’s a common sight to create huge shockwaves with the collision of Haki, and the surroundings are turned into fine dust.
It was then, Lunacia heard a baby’s voice.
Looking around, she found the baby in a nearby back alley.
Lunacia did not have the choice not to pick the baby up.
Collecting orphans has already turned to her life’s work.
She jumps off the roof, approaches the baby, and picks the baby up.
She cradled the baby very skillfully, and the baby laughed cheerfully.
Feeling a presence approaching, she saw another girl walking there.
“Want to come with me?”
Lunacia asked with a friendly smile, and the girl nodded a little.
“Then, for the time being… I’ll end this fight, so follow me.”
Lunacia started walking with the baby in her arms.
The girl followed behind.
Bell-mère was seriously injured.
There are only a few marine soldiers who survived, but there are still pirates.
They came in a rush after receiving the report from Oykot Kingdom, but the result was devastating.
It was that time when a girl with a sword on her waist came out of the alley carrying a baby in her arms and a little girl following from behind.
‘Are they three sisters――?
Anyway, it’s dangerous――!’
Bell-mère tried to force her body to move, but the severe pain did not allow her to do so.
The pirates seem to have noticed the girl. They attacked her but――they collapsed forward in front of the girl.
Bell-mère couldn’t believe what had happened. She blinked many times, but it was reality.
The pirates who collapsed in front of her didn’t even move a flinch.
A baby’s laughter echoed then.
Seeing their companion defeated, pirates came out of the streets here and there.
‘There are too many of them. I must use myself to buy them time to escape――!’
Bell-mère was prepared to die, she forced her body to move while shouting at the top of her lungs.
“Run!”
“Oh, I’m fine, thank you.”
Her reply was so ordinary, Bell-mère was caught off guard.
‘Is this girl so stupid she doesn’t feel danger’, she thought while anger rose inside.
However, the girl seems to not care at all about her feelings. She says to the pirates approaching.
“I’m sorry, dealing with you one by one is troublesome, so… forgive me.”
The girl handed the baby to the little girl and unsheathed the katana hanging from her waist.
Its blade was black.
And no one knows when but――she already finished swinging her sword.
Bell-mère gasped.
It was so fast she couldn’t see when she took action.
But something even more astonishing happened a few seconds later.
Everything in the direction where she swung her sword was chopped into two as if a giant had cleaved its sword horizontally.
Everything was cut in a fan-shaped from her.
Not only pirates but also buildings and rubbles, everything, without exception.
“Are you a marine?”
She turned around and asked.
Bell-mère stood up staggeringly while affirming.
Her coat has gone somewhere and doesn’t seem to be nearby.
Apparently, the other party thought of her not as a field officer but as an ordinary marine.
But there, Belmer noticed.
She seems to have memories of having seen the girl’s face despite meeting for the first time.
“Hmm~… looks very gutsy. Since you’re a marine, we might meet each other again somewhere… oh, by the way, I’ll take these girls. I’m actually very good at raising orphans.”
Before Bell-mère could yell wait, the girl carried the baby and the little girl and ran away in no time.
Bell-mère, who was left behind, couldn’t help but feel anger rising inside of her.
Being famous as a bad girl in her home village, she was originally not a mild-mannered character.
“You fucking, do what you want…!”
Turning the situation into a mess――although she was grateful for defeating all the pirates――she ran away after saying what she wanted to.
It pissed Bell-mère off.
She had given up on living before that girl appeared, but right now, she has no intention of dying.
‘If I meet her again, I’ll make that brat eat my fist――’
That was all that was in her head.
[Prev Chapter] [TOC] [Next Chapter]
You can become join my patreon to read up to more than 30 advanced chapters!