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Cover Story Extra • The Days of Kuja's Eastern Route • Let's Try Makeup
On Kuja Island, the youngest of the Boa sisters, Marigold, dug several boxes of cosmetics out of the spoils and found them incredibly novel. She immediately dragged her second sister, Sandersonia, and Princess Jolyne over to try them together. Sandersonia was very interested, but Princess Jolyne only smiled and politely declined. Mari and Sander clumsily smeared makeup across their faces for a while, then burst into laughter at each other's bizarre-looking results…
......
The sky had grown brighter. The entire group passed through the underground tomb chamber corridors crisscrossed with claw marks and sword scars, then leapt back onto the surface, well, the elephant's back, at the edge of the massive swamp pit that had been emptied by the Bubble-Bubble Fruit.
After leaving the gloomy tomb chamber and returning to broad daylight, the mink tribe still felt hollow inside.
The homeland they had lived in for generations, whether the forests or Kurau City, had actually once been part of Wano Country a thousand years ago…
And Zou, the colossal being carrying this nation across the seas, was the very one who had committed a grave crime and split apart Wano Country's territory. Zou had once been a samurai of Wano named Amatsuki Kumi…
Zou had been sentenced to this punishment by the Kozuki Clan a thousand years ago as atonement for his sins…
Did Lord Oden know about this ancient history?
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi could not help wondering.
Lord Oden had never mentioned it to them. Perhaps he himself did not know.
But the person who had recorded this matter on the Seastone walls of the tomb chamber was unmistakably an ancestor of the Kozuki Clan, a man named Kozuki Musashi…
He was a samurai of the Kozuki Clan who had lived in the same era as the Wolf Lord. In other words, it was highly possible that the brotherhood and generations-long friendship between the mink tribe and the Kozuki Clan had begun during Kozuki Musashi's time…
But if that was the case, why had the Wolf Lord died inexplicably inside the underground tomb beneath this swamp?
Could the claw marks and sword scars within the tomb chamber be traces of a battle between Kozuki Musashi and the Wolf Lord?
If they had truly been sworn brothers, and Kozuki Musashi was even the one who had carved this history into the Seastone walls for the mink tribe… then why would the Wolf Lord fight him to the death?
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi continued walking silently with Geppo-like steps. It felt as though many mysteries had been solved, yet even more questions had appeared.
Zou, that is, Amatsuki Kumi, and his wife… even if she had opposed his atrocities back then, why was the Kozuki family crest left upon her coffin lid after her death?
And how had Kozuki Musashi died?
Did he perish together with the Wolf Lord?
Was it really necessary for things to end that way?
…
Leaving several members of the Fire Gun Team behind to handle the situation around the underground tomb after the swamp had been cleared, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi brought Robin and Giorno back to Kurau City.
Robin glanced at Nekomamushi and Inuarashi before saying to Liam, "My business here is basically finished. What about you?"
Liam raised his voice and asked, "Boss Nekomamushi, Duke Inuarashi, how many days until the Amatsuki Full Moon Festival?"
Nekomamushi and Inuarashi snapped out of their thoughts and exchanged glances.
Biting down on his pipe, Nekomamushi said, "Tomorrow night will be the time of the full moon."
"There." Liam looked toward Robin.
Inuarashi smiled. "At that time, I'll also be there. Giorno, I'll make sure you properly witness the true power of the mink tribe."
Nekomamushi said irritably, "Who needs you there? Why are you butting in?"
Inuarashi could not even be bothered to respond to that oversized cat.
Yet even with such unfriendly attitudes, the fact that the two of them had not immediately started fighting was already enough to leave the mink residents on the streets of Kurau City utterly shocked.
Liam said, "But Robin, your business here isn't over yet."
"Hm?" Robin tilted her head and blinked.
Liam reminded her, "Has someone forgotten how we even got here in the first place?"
Robin thought for a moment…
Liam said seriously, "The reason we came here is because we had absolutely no idea how we ended up here…"
He pointed at the cat and dog ahead of them with a grin. "Since these two used to sail the seas as pirates, they must have plenty of experience navigating the New World, right? Boss Nekomamushi, could you teach my captain some tricks for using a Log Pose in the New World?"
"Oh, sure!" Nekomamushi turned back with a cheerful grin. "Though I probably can't teach her everything in a short time…"
Liam replied, "That's fine. Just explain everything in one go. As for how much she can remember or understand, that depends on her abilities as a student."
Hearing that, Inuarashi said in surprise, "You're very strict with your captain."
Nekomamushi thought for a moment before saying, "Back during the Ohara Incident, Nico Robin, you were only eight years old, right? At eight, you had already inherited the knowledge of Ohara's scholars. She was already incredible to begin with!"
Robin merely smiled softly at that and shot Liam a sidelong glare.
No matter how intelligent she was, there were limits to it, especially in the field of navigation, which was not her specialty.
Liam's true intention was obviously for B.I.B. to sit in on the lesson and memorize all of Nekomamushi's navigation experience, so Robin could review and study it slowly whenever she needed in the future…
…
And sure enough, when Robin sat inside the treehouse at Nekomamushi's base in the Whale Forest, listening to him enthusiastically lecture about all sorts of sailing situations in the New World seas, B.I.B. followed along as well, practically looking ready to move over a little stool and formally attend class.
Darcy and Carrot, being playful children, also came over to listen. But after only hearing a few sentences from Nekomamushi, their eyelids started drooping, and before long they had fallen asleep leaning against Robin's legs, one on each side.
"You're not even writing down the important points?" Nekomamushi asked curiously.
Resting her chin on one hand, Robin smiled. "It's fine. I never forget anything I hear once."
"That amazing? Then great!"
So Nekomamushi continued talking endlessly. Although he was normally nocturnal, this was a special situation, so he spent the entire day, and even the entire night, teaching Nico Robin navigation experience.
For a monster-level powerhouse like him, if necessary, going several days and nights without eating, drinking, or sleeping was no issue at all. Besides, while teaching Robin, he had never stopped eating and drinking anyway. Whenever mealtime arrived, he would call for the brothers of the Heroic Traveler crew in the Whale Forest to bring over the most luxurious forest feast to entertain Nico Robin, and also Giorno, who had followed the smell of food over.
Seriously, that kid could really eat!!
Robin was not completely lacking in navigation fundamentals, so after such an intense lecture session continued until noon the next day, Nekomamushi had basically taught everything he could. The rest could only be learned by Nico Robin through real experience.
So Nekomamushi immediately collapsed into loud snoring sleep.
Robin also lifted the back of her hand to her mouth and gently yawned. Staying up all night researching and studying like this was something she had often done as a child, though after being with Liam, it had become rare.
I should head into the City Fortress and sleep for a while.
Standing nearby, Stand Armor A got to its feet and looked toward the blazing midday sunlight outside the treehouse. Even during the day, the outline of the moon could vaguely be seen in one corner of the sky. Tonight would be the night of the full moon…
The true form of the mink tribe, you don't want to miss it either, right?
Robin nodded. Before entering with Vane, she asked curiously, "Boss Nekomamushi was lecturing all night, and Duke Inuarashi was asleep too. Where did he go by himself?"
…Let me put it this way. The black battle armor turned its head, a cold gleam flickering in its narrow eyes. During these twenty to thirty hours of Nekomamushi's lecture, I didn't seriously listen to a single word.
"…" Robin was speechless.
Skipping class was one thing, but why say it with such a serious expression and tone?
She had thought there was some incredible reason for it!
Robin laughed helplessly and shook her head before leaping into the Den Den Mushi City Fortress to rest. Vane lazily opened one eyelid, noticed nothing unusual, then continued dozing…
…
At dusk, Zou drew water with its giant trunk and watered the nation upon its back once again.
Soon, darkness deepened and night descended…
At the top of the tallest watchtower, a figure sat cross-legged with eyes closed. A heavy gold-banded iron staff rested horizontally across his knees as he remained motionless in the slightly chilly night wind.
…
A gigantic full moon hung in the pitch-black sky, its cold moonlight illuminating the entire nation upon the elephant's back.
Suddenly, from the Whale Forest and from the palace district of Kurau City alike, beast-like howls rang out one after another.
"Jooo~~~Bana~~~~!!"
"Jooo~~~Rno~~~~!!!"
The howls surged like roaring wind and thunder, sweeping in all directions as they echoed the same name together.
Within the night…
In the Whale Forest, the members of the Heroic Traveler crew stared at Boss Nekomamushi as he walked out of the treehouse. His already massive body had grown even larger, his fur wildly spreading outward as though his entire body were bathed in burning flames…
In Kurau City, the Fire Gun Team members and the mink citizens throughout the streets and alleys witnessed Duke Inuarashi entering his long-unseen Sulong form. His body, over six meters tall, resembled a gigantic demonic wolf. His usual gentle and steady temperament had transformed into an overbearing and tyrannical aura. Merely walking down the street caused crackling arcs of electricity to burst and flash around him…
Nekomamushi of the Whale Forest. Inuarashi of Kurau City.
The eyes of the two Sulong-transformed mink kings glowed with eerie crimson light as they looked toward the same direction.
The peak of the towering watchtower.
Liam opened his eyes and smiled lightly. "Finally, I can have a proper fight."
He stood atop the high watchtower. With a slight flick of his toe, the gold-banded iron staff dropped into his hand. Then his entire body casually tipped forward, relaxing completely as he fell freely through the air…
Suddenly, with a sharp explosive crack beneath his feet, he abruptly changed direction at an impossible angle just before landing. Gripping the iron staff tightly, he sprinted through the air straight toward the cat and dog whose fur bristled beneath the full moonlight…
…
While the main body was moving, B.I.B. also headed toward the battlefield.
Before leaving, it entered the Den Den Mushi City Fortress to remind Robin, who was catching up on sleep in the bedroom.
B.I.B. nodded at the sleepy-eyed Robin, then quickly transformed into a black ghost-like shadow and drifted out of the City Fortress, speeding toward the distant forest where fierce figures battled beneath the full moon.
Inside the bedroom of the City Fortress, Robin closed her eyes and took two deep breaths before forcing herself awake and sitting up.
She was still only wearing underwear below, her long fair legs exposed. After pulling on a top suitable for going outside, she sat before the bedroom mirror, lightly applied some makeup, then casually tied her long hair into a ponytail with a hairband.
Finally, she smiled faintly at her reflection.
With a thought from her mind, flower petals suddenly surged up around a tree trunk deep within the distant forest, gathering together into the form of a neatly dressed Nico Robin with light makeup and a single ponytail.
(End Of This Chapter)