Month XX, Day XX
Before I knew it, another year had passed, and I was seventeen.
In this kind of life, birthdays aren't something to celebrate. I was too embarrassed to even mention it, so I kept it to myself.
But one of the senior wives, a big fan of mine, remembered my profile. She wished me a happy birthday properly at breakfast.
...I couldn't help but feel genuinely happy.
Unfortunately, we don't have any personal belongings we can freely use, so there weren't any gifts. Instead, they passed around a blank sheet of paper like a signing board, writing messages all over it.
I'll treasure it.
I wish I could keep it close to me, but this Sea Stone accessory I always wear is in the way.
I guess I'll wait until the next time I can take it off.
---
Month XX, Day XX
Something just occurred to me... this Sea Stone accessory I wear every day. I've gotten so used to it that I barely even notice it anymore, but it really does drain my strength.
Even though I'm living my daily life like this, and still doing some light training, I wonder if it's unintentionally turning into a kind of resistance training that's actually strengthening me.
I remember reading a manga about training in oxygen-deprived environments to improve cardiovascular fitness. Maybe something like that could work here.
Since my abilities are sealed, there's no way to train them, and it seems I can't even use Haki. Could it be that Ability Users lose their strength the moment they focus their willpower to activate Haki? But my physical abilities don't seem particularly restricted.
If I could, I'd like to believe this is happening and keep up with swordsmanship and physical conditioning. If I don't, I'm worried I'll gradually lose my edge.
But if I exercise too vigorously, Saint Banosakka might find me annoying.
I just need a good excuse...
---
Month XX, Day XX
Saint Banosakka's latest "obsession" has arrived.
This time, we had another bizarre theme: "Beautiful Women in Men's Attire."
We were all issued military-style uniforms and spent the entire day wearing them.
It felt so strange, actually. Almost nothing below the neck was exposed, which made it feel really unfamiliar and awkward.
They even fussed over our hairstyles, bundling and pinning them to make them look shorter. It was like a swarm of Takarazuka-style male actors had invaded the mansion.
Honestly, though, everyone looked surprisingly cool and it was kind of fun.
I mean, we're basically a collection of beauties, so it was bound to be visually striking.
Saint Banosakka seemed unimpressed, though. The whole thing wrapped up by noon, and we were forced back into our dresses that afternoon.
---
Month XX, Day XX
Today was unusual—we were taken outside.
Not everyone, just a few of us, including me. Saint Banosakka wanted to go for a stroll and then visit another Celestial Dragon's estate... you know, the usual "human decor" thing. An on-location version, I guess.
At the house I ended up at, I had the misfortune of meeting a character from the original work whom I was definitely not happy to see.
That house... belonged to the Rosward Family.
Saint Charlos, notorious as one of the most despicable characters in the One Piece universe, and his father, Saint Rosward, greeted me. It was definitely not a pleasant encounter.
Although Saint Charlos was only five years old, his ugly face already bore traces of his original counterpart, complete with a snotty nose.
His personality was also developing into the typical vile nature of a Celestial Dragon. He was straddling a human slave, whipping them relentlessly.
What kind of upbringing is this...?
His father, Saint Rosward, was no better. Without being asked, he showed off his collection of slaves, boasting about how he'd recently been acquiring pirate captains as slaves.
Sure enough, there were several slaves dressed in pirate attire. Among them, I recognized a few I'd seen before.
Well, I'm a bounty hunter, after all. I can usually spot a bounty target, though not always.
Those pirates, who must have once sailed the seas with fiery eyes, wreaking havoc and defying the law... now their eyes were dull and lifeless, filled with despair, as if their souls had been completely drained.
Not that I feel sorry for pirates, but... what kind of hell do they put them through?
What if I had been brought here as a slave instead of a "wife"?
What if I hadn't ended up with the relatively better Saint Banosakka, but with some far worse Celestial Dragon... like the ones in that house?
Thinking about it now... a chill runs down my spine.
I managed to get back to the Separate Residence without incident that day. But when I told the senior wives about what happened, they were incredibly worried.
I heard that even among the senior wives, the Rosward Family was notorious as one of the most dangerous destinations for Celestial Dragons.
Since I was accompanying Saint Banosakka, I was unlikely to suffer any direct harm. Still, I heard that even being there could take a toll on your sanity.
That family calmly inflicts unspeakable cruelty on their slaves. Witnessing it firsthand can be deeply shocking.
What I saw today—five-year-old Saint Charlos casually whipping a slave—was nothing compared to some of the horror stories I'd heard. Some wives had witnessed slaves shot dead on the spot for minor mistakes. One of them shuddered violently, as if reliving the memory.
...Honestly, that family is utterly depraved. I never want to go back there if I can help it.
---
Month XX, Day XX
Just like before, the Main Residence hosted the "Let's Play with Ability Users as Entertainment" party. Several of us, including me, were invited again as part of the "decor." Though, I suspect I might have also been invited as an "Ability User" = part of the spectacle myself.
The Celestial Dragons who gathered were mostly the same group as last time, but some had brought their old slaves while others had new ones. This led to a tense moment midway through. And to make matters worse, I got dragged into it. Thankfully, I managed to diffuse the situation without any real trouble.
Let me explain how it all unfolded.
First off, Hancock and her companions were among the slaves brought in again.
As the slaves took turns performing their acts, the Celestial Dragon who seemed to be Hancock's master suddenly declared, right before her turn:
"The same old snake dance is boring, eh? Do something different today."
Hearing that, Hancock and her companions went deathly pale.
No wonder. They probably hadn't prepared anything else. Being hit with such a demand with less than a minute before their performance would leave anyone's mind blank. It was utterly unreasonable.
But they couldn't possibly refuse. Who knew what kind of trouble they'd be in if they said no?
Yet coming up with a new act on the spot seemed impossible. They were utterly bewildered.
Watching their distress, I thought, 'This is bad...' Then Saint Banosakka turned to me and said, "Hmm, that's right. You'll do something different today too." To me!
"Seriously?" I thought, but thankfully, I'd prepared a few tricks for just such an occasion, so I figured I could manage.
Besides the old "cut-and-reveal-it's-not-really-cut" routine, I'd practiced cutting paper vegetables, manipulating paper snowflakes like a street performer—I'd been stockpiling ideas for ages.
Even if I was okay with it, Hancock still looked like she was in trouble. As I watched her, an idea suddenly struck me.
Seeing Hancock and her group, pale as ghosts and dripping with cold sweat, I felt a pang of sympathy. I couldn't just leave them like that. So I took a chance and suggested, "Would you mind if we combined our performances?"
Both our masters readily agreed.
Meanwhile, Hancock and her group were equally stunned. "Huh?!" they exclaimed, clearly bewildered by this sudden intrusion from a complete stranger they'd never interacted with before. They must have been wondering what my intentions were.
But there was no time for explanations. If I kept them waiting, they might get annoyed, and that would be disastrous. Sorry, but we were going in cold.
Using my ability, I conjured two swords from bundles of paper and handed one to Hancock. She accepted it hesitantly, and I positioned her in the center of the hall, instructing her to assume a sword stance. Facing her, I adopted my own unique, somewhat unorthodox stance and movements.
In that instant, Hancock's expression sharpened with sudden realization. Her two younger sisters, watching from the sidelines, mirrored her reaction. Their faces seemed to convey both understanding and bewildered confusion, as if they'd grasped something profound but couldn't understand why it was happening.
Since there's no point in dragging this out, I'll just reveal it: Hancock and the others realized that the sword stance I'd taken was from one of the Kuja's traditional sword dances.
The dance tells the story of a brave warrior who defeats an evil warrior commanding two demonic beasts after a fierce battle.
This was a long time ago... probably when I was around ten years old, shortly after leaving the Kuja ship.
I'd learned the dance casually from the Kuja members as a pastime, and I somehow managed to dredge it up from the depths of my memory.
The movements were quite vigorous, making it a good workout for my younger self, so I used to practice it often. That's why I think I remember it fairly accurately.
Even though Hancock must have been wondering how I knew a Kuja sword dance, she figured she had no choice but to play along. She began dancing the role of the righteous warrior, clashing paper swords with me.
Midway through the performance, Marigold and Sandersonia, playing the roles of demonic beasts, entered the stage.
Normally, these roles would be portrayed with elaborate headdresses and feathered costumes, but both had transformed using the power of the Snake-Snake Fruit. Given that this was an Ability User showcase, it was a perfect fit.
They continued their energetic and graceful dance, a traditional Kuja art form, until Marigold, defeated in battle, fell to Hancock's paper blade.
At that moment, I used my ability to unleash a dramatic blizzard of paper, swirling it around the stage for a dazzling effect.
Simultaneously, Marigold released her transformation, shrinking her body to blend into the paper confetti as she slipped backstage, creating the illusion of vanishing upon defeat.
Sandersonia followed suit, staging her own "defeat" in a similar manner.
Finally, when it was my turn to be "slain" by Hancock... I actually let her cut me.
No, actually, the moment the paper sword struck, I turned my body into paper, scattering myself into pieces and splitting myself in two. Then I just stayed in paper form and slipped backstage.
But visually, I think it looked pretty dramatic.
Hancock then performed the closing dance, and our act came to an end.
Our performance was the biggest hit of the day.
Saint Banosakka, Hancock's master, was thoroughly pleased and, uncharacteristically for a Celestial Dragon, sincerely praised us.
Afterward, Saint Banosakka and the other Celestial Dragons left for dinner, leaving the slaves and wives behind. They were apparently told to wait until the meal was over.
We used this time to talk to Hancock and her sisters.
First, they thanked me for saving them from that dangerous situation. Then, as we chatted, the topic shifted to how I knew the Kuja's performance.
Since there was no reason to hide it, I told them I'd been rescued by a Kuja ship in the past and learned the dance during my time with them. They were surprised to hear I knew the previous Kuja Captain, who was also the Empress of Amazon Lily.
After that, we chatted casually while waiting for our masters to return, and I think we got along pretty well. They seemed to enjoy reminiscing about Kuja culture after so long—it must have been a nice change of pace for them.
It was also a good way to distract myself from the hunger gnawing at me while we waited endlessly without food.
And just like that, I unexpectedly became friendly with the Gorgon Sisters in a single day.
---
Month XX, Day XX
It seems Saint Banosakka was even more delighted by my sword dance than I'd anticipated. He said, "This is your reward!" and had piles of expensive sweets delivered to the Separate Residence. Honestly, I was genuinely pleased.
The senior wives and the slave attendants were overjoyed, and Stella, of course, was too.
As expected of someone ultra-rich, Saint Banosakka was incredibly generous to those he favored. Rumor had it that Hancock and the others had received praise—and rewards—from not only their master but also various other Celestial Dragons for their previous performance. I had no idea exactly what those rewards were, though.
It seemed I had also become a favorite of Saint Banosakka, as I was being summoned more and more frequently as "living decor." Whether I would be made to do something specific or simply stand there as usual seemed to vary each time.
It was nice to get out of the mansion for a change of scenery, but... after what happened with the Rosward Family, I was starting to fear encountering something truly awful again. That thought was kind of scary.
---
Month XX, Day XX
...My premonition came true.
I was forced to witness something absolutely horrific.
As usual, I accompanied Saint Banosakka as part of his entourage, treating it like another interior decoration trip. But when we arrived at the Celestial Dragon's mansion, a twisted spectacle was unfolding as entertainment.
Several narrow, floating platforms dotted a massive pool. Slaves perched precariously on these platforms, desperately trying to maintain their balance as they shoved each other into the water until only one remained—a twisted survival game. It was like something you might see on a Japanese TV variety show these days.
Except... here, the participants weren't just slapping each other around. They were armed with real swords and other weapons, engaging in outright slaughter. And the pool below teemed with countless ravenous piranhas.
Inevitably, blood gushed from their wounds, dripping into the water as they hacked at each other.
Piranhas are drawn to the scent of blood, instinctively swarming and devouring any prey that's bleeding.
It goes without saying what happened to the slaves who lost and fell into the pool. Frankly, I don't want to explain it, and I certainly don't want to remember it.
Let's just say I was forced to watch a live spectacle so gruesome it would make even the goriest horror movie blush. This was definitely R18-G material.
I honestly couldn't wrap my head around how those people could watch that and laugh. What kind of sick minds do they have?
Thankfully, I'm thick-skinned and as a bounty hunter, I'm used to seeing blood and corpses. So, I didn't lose my appetite or anything. But I felt nauseous all day.
After dinner, I went back to my room, let Stella listen to my rant, and crashed.
To be continued...