Den Den Mushi rang; lounge held Sanji, Silk.
Night-watch sail planned—shifts napped, deck-vigils; duo prepped midnight fuel.
Pruru-pruru—Silk washed casual.
Sanji twitched too; she waved off.
"I'll get it."
"Sorry, Silk-chan. Thanks."
Light steps: Receiver up, mouth-near.
Shell-shut eyes popped—familiar face-mimic. Mimic-trait.
"Hello?"
"Silk? Kir here—over."
"Kir?"
Eyes wide; Sanji wheeled.
"Alive—good. No word—worried."
"Ah, my bad. You safe?"
"Yeah. Bumps, but fine. Heading goal—your Eternal Pose. Where you?"
"Thing is—goal's here. Partia isle."
Casual bombshell—unbelievable.
He'd arrived.
Race-entry? Unknown—fact alone stunned. Gasps leaked; Sanji chopped on, stole glances.
Silk voiced raw: What'd he do?
"Goal—when? Kir—what happened?"
"Long tale—later."
"Ah... Meet up?"
"Yeah—if you come."
"Got it—en route."
"Waiting."
Faceless buzzed unease; tone norm.
Probe-what? Unspoken walls—lost. Brow-furrowed fluster.
Taboo-vibe.
Odd from Pirate Isle depart.
He alone slipped ship—destination, path mum.
Subtle shift—big. No guide; Zoro's scowls spiked, words sparse.
Norm-push? Unseen warp loomed.
Kir aware? Gap yawned; he queried blank.
"Sudden—but Anaguma? Kid know?"
"Huh? How you know?"
"What?"
"Anaguma's aboard. Bounty-hunt Luffy."
"Real? Looks... Overalls, hat?"
"Yeah."
"Miracle. Skip hunt one."
Out-of-nowhere; self-satisfied. Silk baffled.
Sensing: Kir explained.
His deeds? Murkier—self-skipped, kid-only.
"Saved her grandpa here. Mind swap-check? We switch too."
"Real? Grandpa—Gasperde's ship, right—"
"Gasperde downed. That's goal-reach."
Words froze—daze. His leave? Gasperde-grudge key. Muddier now.
Stammer-agree: Later mull.
Anaguma win anyway.
Family-save drive: Glad-tidings pure.
Voice-calm her? Smile eased; Silk relaxed.
"Yeah—hold. Fetch quick."
"Thanks."
Receiver down—link live; lounge-left.
Sanji's worry-flick—fair.
Ignored: Deck-bound.
Long-haul prep: Some bunked. Anaguma? Deck-stuck—chill-urge lounge nix. Still there?
Scan: Tiny shadow clung.
Rail-perch, sea-face bowed—shoulders slumped.
Luffy rod-side: Recent company. No bolt—sat quiet. Chat-nil.
Silk stair-down: Duo-near.
Luffy first-spot: Reel-swap sync. Near-hook: Anaguma yelped; Silk wry-warn.
"Safe? Careful, Luffy."
"Sorry. Momentum slip."
"Idiot—danger."
Pout-glare Anaguma; Luffy grin-shrugged.
Edge dulled—milder now.
"Hey Anaguma—come? Grandpa found."
"Grandpa?!"
"Kir spotted. Call now—Den Den."
"Kir?"
"Where?!"
"Here."
Spark: Eyes lit joy—hope reborn. Thrill-flush: Rail-hop, Silk-tail bounce.
Luffy tagged—Kir-call hook.
Lounge-back: Anaguma snatched receiver—blurt-yell Biera-hail.
"Grandpa!"
"Oh—Anaguma! Good—safe!"
Vigorous reply: Relief flood.
Biera mirrored glee—worry-deep.
Trio hushed-watch: Duo-bond.
"You okay, Grandpa?! Still Gasperde's ship?"
"Nah—sunk. Pirates saved. Barely swam free."
"Then... We're free?"
"Aye—free. No more stake-life."
Bounce-tone: Anaguma welled—bite-back fail.
Tear-trail; hitch-soft.
"Yeah... Free."
"No cry, Anaguma. Fresh sail—rejoice."
"Yeah... Yeah...!"
"Sorry—my sins. But redo's possible. We'll guzzle freedom full."
"Yeah!"
Tear-nod: Anaguma maxed grin. Bug-side unseen—resolve vibe. Watchers caught.
"Alive? Good stuff comes. No quit—glad."
"Almost bailed. Death-anytime mindset."
"Me too—death-prepped. But nah—haha!"
"Ah—but illness? No meds-cash yet..."
"Worry zilch. Saved-plus checkup—drugged up."
"Real?! Then—"
"All fixed—aye."
Gotcha-chuckle: Anaguma beam-bloomed.
"Unreal. Gasperde lose?"
"Yup. Lots chat—but Kir's here. Details meet—isle-wait."
"Got it! Later, Grandpa!"
Handover: Bug-face shift—Kir-voice.
"Deep talk later. Silk there?"
"Here fine."
"Me too—Kir."
"Ah, Luffy? Sorry—hassle heap."
"Shishishi—cool. Where now?"
"Goal—waiting all."
Done: Anaguma receiver-ditched—chair-sank. Prior shun? Relief-win.
Sanji neared: Fresh bites table-set.
Hesitance lingered—Anaguma took, thanks plain.
Sanji Silk-Luffy-ward: Luffy-plate first—gobble-joy.
Duh-face. Ignored: Bug-eyed.
"Race done—mid-halt sorta."
"What went down?"
"Pre-me pirate here. Town trashed—brutal hit. Luffy's foe—Captain Kid, yeah?"
"Flame-hair?"
"But twists—one bil snagged. Tell Nami."
"Town-raider meet? Safe how?"
"No fight. Chit-chat deflated—bailed."
Easy tone—norm. Zero strain.
Crew-fight? Sure—but shift now.
Sanji-Silk tense-held—receiver-pitched. Luffy sandwich-munch: Chill pure.
"No rush now. They're gone."
"We hustled hard—shifts sailing still."
"Halt? Night-run risky."
"Nami-san's no-sleep sans Kir. Others helm? Nah. Dock vote."
"Dawn fine. Isle threat-nil."
"Safe beats. Luffy?"
"Stop—nap. Dawn dash."
Absent crew? Decided.
Sudden pivot—Kir sans? No.
Relief or nah—rest craved. Day-sail, sea-scrap, chaos whirl. Downtime? Consensus sure.
Luffy sealed: Shift set.
Wrap-sense: Kir end-call.
"Nap too—beat."
"Aye—tomorrow."
"See ya."
Curt drop: Link cut—bug dozed. Shoulders eased; breaths soft.
Mused: Sanji mutter.
Sandwich-gone Luffy? Meh. Silk mirrored—grave tint duo-deep.
"Still no deep dive."
"Yeah..."
"No sweat. It's Kir."
Eyes Luffy-ward: Protest-buzz.
"But Luffy—not curious? What Kir did?"
"Nope."
"So easy?"
"Fine. Wherever—what—he's crew. Won't betray."
Blunt—raw steel. Heel-turn: No flee, no awkward. Day-end cue—relay, bunk. Stride light.
Door-aim: Halt crisp.
Shuraiya loomed—block-still, pockets-deep, head-low.
Aura off—must-see.
Luffy front: Pure query.
No tiptoe—Silk rear-wry: Same-ol'.
"What's up? Issue?"
"That bug-call."
"Yeah—crew. Kir."
"Caught shady... Gasperde down?"
"Yup—Kir did. Race toast."
"Yeah."
Drained mutter: Door-side wall-lean slump.
Head-hung. Luffy arms-cross.
"Bummer—wanted first. Lost. That stall hurt. Sans? Mighta."
"Yeah..."
Luffy-echo: Feeble, flat.
Shell-shift: Done.
Slump-stuck—no rise. Face shadowed—gut-punch vibe.
"So—you? Gasperde smash-wish. Missed—but fight me?"
"Nah—pointless."
"Ah."
"Life all revenge. All in—kill him, die fine... Overshot? Nah."
Self-mock chuckle: Gaze-floor.
Shoulders sagged—force-gone. Rag-doll wreck.
Silk fret-interrupt: Probe soft.
"That deep—why?"
"...Kid-days—took all. Town, fam, friends—one raid gone. His ship? Our build."
Anaguma twitch—unseen.
Crew locked: Past-pour.
"Steam goal? Loot, dames, gold, hands—who knows. Pirate wants galore. Clear: Grabbed wants—torched, razed clean."
"Horrible..."
"Sister—only one, precious. But he—pushed hard save. Riverside. Slashed-spared—drowned, swept. Failed guard."
Hat-clamp right: Eyes hid.
Regret-deep hush.
Likely: Loss-pit spill. Prior stonewall—now flood.
Chest-unclog? Words gushed—unstoppable.
But joyless state.
Purpose voided. Foe nil.
Emptied shell—unwatchable.
Yet spill-only: Shuraiya-echo lounge lone.
"Fam gone. No home. Hate-cling only life-raft. Dumb—know it. But know changes zilch. Cling or solo-crack—impossible."
Silk wince: Shirt-clutch tight.
Sanji cig-lit: Smoke-soft.
Luffy gaze-locked: Unwavering.
Anaguma sole: Arm-quake, shock-stare Shuraiya.
"Overshot—life-raft sunk. No foe? Then what. Free? Nowhere. Anchor gone."
"Find new. Sea vast. Something turns."
"Find what? Revenge-only me—what? Hands bloodied. Norm-return? Nah..."
"Then pirate with me. Fun—treasure, quests, feasts, riot. Dull-thoughts? Vanish."
"Hah—mad. Sea-wrecker pirates—why join?"
Mid-duo-chat.
Clack: Chair-scrape—Anaguma floor-down, stood. Eyes saucer—pale shock.
Crew-odd? Ignored—tunnel Shuraiya.
Sole-focus: Mouth parted.
"You... Name?"
"Ah—me? Shuraiya. Shuraiya Basque—bounty-bit known, but now—"
"Shuraiya... Sister: Adel Basque..."
Shuraiya bolt-up: Shock-gape.
Distant Anaguma-stare: How-know probe.
Seconds: Breath-catch.
Words choked.
"You..."
First Merry: Anaguma hat-off soft.
Swoosh: Locks cascaded—chestnut, unkempt, shoulder-past. Boy-vibe flipped.
Girl clear.
Hat-hid truth.
Shuraiya eyes bulged.
Not lone: Luffy-Silk-Sanji gasp-burst—self-blind shame. Delicate bloom.
"No way?!"
"Real?!"
"Gal?!"
"Duh—who missed?"
Sheepish side-eye: Anaguma—Adel Basque—muttered.
Shuraiya daze-scan: Clicked.
No doubt—sis.
Dead-assumed: Eight years back. Faded face; growth un-prepped—yet unmistakable. Echoes stirred: Tail-along sib—here now.
Throat-quake: Voiceless.
Shock-max: Eight-year peak.
Joy-judge? Blank—thoughts jammed.
But real: Adel Basque true.
Lean-forward: Tremble-whisper.
"Truly... Adel...? Thought... gone."
Hesitant hold: Seconds lock—tiny nod.
Instant: Possession-lift.
No hunt. Lost-lost? Found.
--------------------------
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