Hancock, her two sisters, and Tesoro were rescued safely.
We got them out before either the Government or the Marines could find them.
By sheer luck, all four of them were hiding—maybe resting—behind a cluster of rocks a fair distance from Mary Geoise. I whisked them away with my usual magic carpet of paper.
Under the cover of night, we descended the Red Line and took temporary refuge in one of my hideouts.
From there, I contacted Shakky on a Den Den Mushi and asked if I could bring them to her for protection.
I'd already told Shakky about Hancock and her sisters—the Kuja girls taken in Mary Geoise—so the conversation was quick. She agreed immediately.
And as a bonus, Tesoro got protection too. Good, good.
This hideout is fine when I'm alone, but with four extra people it's cramped, and getting in and out is a pain.
Shakky said, "If the Kuja are involved, I can't just sit back," and added, generously, "Bring them here."
After they rested and regained some strength, we set sail for the Sabaody Archipelago on my ship.
The trip was uneventful. We reached Shakky's bar without incident.
On the way, I bought them proper clothes so they wouldn't stand out in those tattered, slave-like rags.
I also made sure they bathed and cleaned up, so they wouldn't draw the wrong kind of attention.
"S-Shakuyaku-dono… is that… really you?!"
"Hehe. I'm just a humble bar owner now. No need to be so formal… 'Shakky' is fine."
Naturally, Hancock and the others were stunned to see Shakky.
Well… who wouldn't be? The former Empress of Amazon Lily running a rip-off bar in a place like this—anyone would freeze.
"The former Empress of Amazon Lily…!"
"We heard you'd passed away…"
"Oh, there were… circumstances," Shakky said, smiling with a hint of embarrassment. "After I handed the throne to the current Empress, I was allowed to retire here. Of course, she knows, and she approves."
I could see a trace of guilt in her expression, like she was thinking, I've caused her enough trouble already.
Even though Shakky retired long ago, Hancock and the others still knew her face. They'd lived as Kuja warriors—pirates, too, in their own way—since childhood. Shakky was someone they'd always looked up to.
Even the future "Pirate Empress" looked painfully nervous in front of someone with that much experience.
Rayleigh told her to relax, but how could she? It made perfect sense.
…And later, when she learned who Rayleigh really was, she got even stiffer. Marie and Sonia practically turned to stone, too.
".........(speechless)"
And Tesoro?
He looked like he'd been petrified without a Devil Fruit in sight.
That was only natural. Hancock and the others at least had the Kuja connection. Tesoro had never met Shakky or Rayleigh before. He barely knew me, and now he'd been dropped into the same room as the Pirate King's right-hand man and a former Kuja Empress without warning.
It's a miracle he didn't pass out on the spot.
Right now, he was curled up on a seat in the corner, trying to become invisible.
Not out of malice. I could tell.
Just now, when Rayleigh glanced his way, Tesoro's shoulders jumped like he'd been struck.
And honestly… our timing couldn't have been worse. When we first walked in, Shakky was choking the life out of some thug who was whining about not being able to pay—he was several times bigger than Tesoro, probably a pirate. I'm sure Arlong and Tiger would've misunderstood if they'd been there.
Hancock and the others, who respect strength, looked at Shakky with even more awe after that. As for me, it was just another day at this bar.
So, yes—I brought Hancock and the others here.
But I couldn't leave them here forever, and I didn't plan to.
In fact, I'd already spoken with Shakky and the others, and we had a plan.
First, we decided to send Hancock and her companions home.
Back to Amazon Lily—Woman's Island—the home of the Kuja Pirates.
For the escort, Shakky and… another person—Elder Nyon, also known as Gloriosa, a former Empress of Amazon Lily—agreed to take them.
I've known Elder Nyon for a while. She drops by Shakky's place fairly often.
Shakky has told me plenty of stories about her from back when she sailed with the Kuja. And Elder Nyon is also a fan of my writing.
Whenever we ran into each other here, she'd ask what I thought of my newest books. Those talks were always fun. Even with the age gap, it felt natural—like friends… or, depending on her mood, like she was treating me as a daughter or granddaughter.
As you'd expect from a former Empress, even when she was relaxed and approachable, there was still an air of authority about her—never crushing, but always present.
Just like with Shakky, our conversations were easy. Comfortable.
Elder Nyon said she'd been planning to return to Amazon Lily soon anyway, and she saw this as the perfect chance.
And then—get this—she invited me to come along.
Not permanently. Just to visit.
Apparently, there are still quite a few people from my old ship on Amazon Lily—whether they're still active warriors or not—and I've even heard there are Kuja who are fans of the "Pirate Laureate."
Outsiders aren't usually allowed anywhere near that island, but Elder Nyon said that since I had business there and she was bringing the girls home, she could smooth things over.
Shakky has been talking about Amazon Lily for ages, and I'd always thought, if the chance ever comes… but I'd never actually been.
Looks like that chance finally arrived.
And then there's Tesoro.
I brought him here under the excuse of it being "a quick detour," but in his case, we'll probably just drop him somewhere suitable and let him start over.
Before he was enslaved, he made his living through various trades. He's got skills. He's sharp. He'll manage.
But before anything else… I need to reunite him with Stella.
They haven't seen each other since I rescued Stella from Mary Geoise four years ago.
Stella never stopped worrying about whether Tesoro was safe.
And Tesoro… he hadn't gone a day without thinking about Stella.
I'd already told Stella that Tesoro had been freed—escaped, really.
As expected, she reacted with a passion completely unlike her usual calm, almost shouting, "I want to see him!"
So I plan to arrange it as soon as possible.
Honestly, if they care about each other that much, I want them to settle down together and live happily. Stella seemed to want that too, but… Tesoro's feelings are more complicated.
It's not that he dislikes Stella, or that he wants distance from her.
It's… pride.
Right now, Stella has a steady job. She supports herself. She even has her own place, even if it's rented.
Tesoro, meanwhile, escaped Mary Geoise with nothing but the clothes on his back. He's still malnourished, still recovering. No home. No work.
So if they got together right now, it would almost certainly mean Stella supporting him.
And that's what Tesoro can't swallow.
Personally, I think it would be fine—temporary, even. He just needs time to recover, get back on his feet. Stella wouldn't mind at all. She'd probably be happy just to have him alive and beside her.
But boys being boys, logic doesn't always help.
We'll need to think it through later—find a solution, or at least a compromise.
No matter what, the important thing is that they both want to see each other.
So we should give them that, soon.
With that in mind, we decided to take Hancock and Tesoro where they need to go, let them meet the people they want to see—quickly, while we can.
And there was one more thing Shakky and the others told me.
It was about Hatchan.
"I see… so he joined a pirate crew after all."
"Yes… 'after all'? Did you already know?"
"No, I'm hearing it now. But… he admired Tiger so much, I guessed it might happen."
"That does sound like Hachi," Rayleigh said with a chuckle.
As the one who attacked Mary Geoise, Tiger became a wanted man.
Tiger had been prepared for that. After the incident, he left Fish-Man Island so his homeland wouldn't be punished for his actions, taking the fish-men and merfolk slaves he freed along with him.
But the rougher types on Fish-Man Island—the ones who idolized Tiger—refused to abandon him.
"We can't forsake the fish-man hero!"
Even those who normally clashed and bickered united and gathered around him, forming a crew with Tiger as captain.
They haven't chosen a name yet… but someday, they'll be called the Sun Pirates.
Hatchan came by a few days ago to say goodbye.
"He said he might not be able to visit as often, or as casually, but he wanted to thank us," Shakky told me.
"He even apologized to Sue-chan, saying, 'I'm sorry I couldn't take you to Fish-Man Island like I promised.'"
That's ridiculous.
He doesn't need to apologize for that.
The only reason I haven't gone yet is that my schedule never lined up. And, honestly, I wanted to wait until fish-men had started to heal from their fear and hatred of humans before visiting.
Even with Whitebeard claiming Fish-Man Island as his territory and all but eliminating human trafficking there, the scars left by years of pirate rule don't vanish overnight.
…And I'll admit it: the thought of running into Arlong scares me a little, too.
Still—Hatchan is a pirate now.
I don't know if we'll meet again, but I'll pray for his safety and good fortune.
…Maybe I'll visit Fish-Man Island on my own someday.
Going underwater is a little terrifying, but it sounds like a worthwhile experience.
Right, then.
Looks like things are going to get busy for a while.
Amazon Lily is far, and coordinating schedules with Elder Nyon and Shakky will take time. I probably won't be able to go for a while.
Maybe I should take care of Stella and Tesoro first.
To be continued...