For some reason, I didn't want to go to the facility.
But I also didn't know what else to do. I had nowhere else to go.
So Leona ended up staying with me for a while.
She'd been anxious ever since she lost her memories, and I figured that seeing different places might help take her mind off it. Besides, I was bored anyway.
Right now, Leona was on my deck, mouth slightly open as she stared out at the endless ocean stretching to the horizon.
"Whoa… it's so huge. You can see all the way to the edge… Is this… the sea?"
"Huh? Leona, have you never seen the ocean before?"
The words came out before I could stop them.
…Right. Amnesia.
But Leona didn't seem bothered. She just kept gazing at the water, murmuring almost to herself.
"I don't remember… but I don't think I've ever seen it. I feel… moved."
"Oh. So you're from somewhere inland."
In the Great Pirate Era, you'd think it would be rare to meet someone who'd never seen the sea. But if you lived deep inland on a continent, or on a massive island far from the coast, it wasn't impossible.
If you were from Alubarna in Alabasta, for example, you wouldn't see the ocean anywhere nearby. So… not that far-fetched.
"Well, enjoy it all you want, but don't fall in," I warned. "I'm a terrible swimmer, so I won't be able to save you."
"I know," she said, still staring. "But this ship is so fast. Is it powered by your ability?"
"Yep. Oh, but it might get a little bumpy. Do you get seasick?"
"I'm fine!"
Leona stayed on deck for a long time, completely captivated, as if wind and time didn't exist.
I still couldn't pin down who she really was, but at least this detour seemed to have lifted her spirits. That alone was worth it.
After several hours, we reached another island.
With dusk closing in, we decided to dock for the night. Leona and I went ashore together.
Before the shops closed, we hurried to stock up.
In this world, where "something unexpected" is practically the default, replenishing supplies whenever you can is a basic rule of sea travel.
We bought non-perishables, then grabbed fresh ingredients too—no need to worry about spoilage if we ate them right away.
"...(staaare...)"
Even while shopping, Leona kept getting sidetracked, her eyes snagging on everything around her like she couldn't help it.
Sweets. Jewelry. Weapons. Ingredients that smelled incredible.
She looked like a country kid seeing a big city for the first time.
…Honestly, that might be exactly what this was.
Maybe because it was close to dinner and she was hungry, she kept drifting toward the snacks.
"Leona, which one do you want? I'll buy it for you."
"Huh?! N-no, it's fine! I don't want to impose… I was just looking—"
"Don't worry about it. I'm hungry too," I said. "Let's get something to hold us over until dinner."
"J-just something small. Something light."
"Besides," I added, "staring that hard at pastries and not buying anything is kind of rude to the shopkeeper, isn't it?"
Leona hesitated, still trying to be polite, still trying not to take up space.
I didn't give her time to retreat.
"These ones, right? Uncle, two of those pastries!"
"Here you go, missy! They're delicious!"
"Ah… th-thank you very much…"
She accepted them, embarrassed but clearly eager, and her eyes never left the pastries for even a second.
The shopkeeper and I couldn't help smiling.
Leona took a cautious bite—and her whole face lit up.
Ah… yeah. A child's smile really does make you happy.
Kids should be honest. They shouldn't have to choke down their joy just to "behave."
"Here," Leona said, holding one out. "This one's for Mom."
"Ah, thanks."
Mom?
So I'd been casually assigned the maternal role.
Was it the hair? Platinum blond for me, light gray for her. Maybe from a distance it looked close enough.
…I would've preferred "Big Sister," you know. I still look young.
But realistically, I'm thirty. If I had a kid by now, it wouldn't even be strange.
Then again, being a wanted criminal isn't exactly ideal for building a stable romance.
I glanced at Leona.
She was chewing slowly now, staring at me with an oddly blank expression, as if she'd said the word without thinking and only just realized it.
"Mom… Mom?"
"…?"
It caught my attention, but we couldn't stand there forever.
I took her hand, thanked the shopkeeper, and we headed out.
By the way, near the end of our shopping run, I bought a ridiculous amount of something we'd need at our next destination.
So much that both the shop staff and Leona stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
Hey—don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I'm going to use it all myself.
If I had to explain it, I'd say… they were gifts.
And so, we decided to spend the night on the island.
But we couldn't just pick any inn in town.
The reason was obvious.
Leona's… condition.
If she suddenly shifted into Beast Form in the middle of the night and went berserk in an inn, it wouldn't just be a nuisance. It would be a disaster.
When I explained that, Leona looked a little crestfallen.
…Sorry. But we couldn't pretend it wasn't a problem. Better to face it head-on than "hope it won't happen."
So tonight, we camped outside town.
Well—"camped."
Like yesterday, we stayed in a cardboard house. I could throw one up in about a minute with my power.
Unlike yesterday, the weather was perfect, so we had an outdoor barbecue for dinner.
We bought meat and vegetables in town, skewered them haphazardly, grilled them, and kept the seasoning simple.
We didn't stop there. We grilled cheese until it melted, made yaki onigiri by toasting rice balls, and even roasted marshmallows.
Everything was good.
We'd bought plenty, so Leona and I ate until we were stuffed.
Full and comfortable, we crawled into the small cardboard house we'd made like a tent and fell asleep close together, peaceful and warm—
ROAAAAAR!!
…Yeah. Of course.
---
"I can't handle it anymore. It's too much."
"Even if he's an excellent warrior, if he rampages without distinction—even against his allies…"
"Shouldn't we put him down before he becomes completely uncontrollable…?"
(…? Who is that? That voice… it sounds familiar. Like I've heard it before…)
"If that's the case, rather than letting him die…"
"What?! He's still just a child! Even that is too much!"
"But we don't have the luxury of hesitation. Especially now—given who else is on that island…"
"Yeah… If it were back when—maybe. But against—, we can't afford dead weight."
"This girl's sister… she'll resent us for this…"
Who's talking…? What are they talking about…? Is this about me?
"Come on, Leona! It'll be alright! You can—"
"If we can just save one more—just a little—"
"We mustn't—die in vain—then—"
What is this…? My head… it hurts.
I feel like I'm about to remember… but I don't want to.
What… what did I forget? My sister? Who am I?
"—GAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Who am I…? What am I?!
The dream—and the girl's consciousness—snapped off like a severed thread.
In the next instant, the sleeping child transformed into a massive, steel-colored lion.
The roar was so loud it would have reached the town—if Sue hadn't soundproofed the cardboard house beforehand.
If Leona had been conscious, she would've been stunned by the sheer volume of her own voice.
Sue, who had that roar explode right beside her ear, sat up slowly, head throbbing.
"Ah… so it's happening again after all," she muttered. "So yesterday wasn't a one-time thing."
As Sue propped herself up and looked at the lion Leona had become, the beast noticed her at the same moment and lowered its gaze.
Their eyes met.
In the next instant, the lion bared its fangs and lunged straight for Sue's throat, intent on tearing her head off.
Sue didn't even use Haki.
She caught the attack with one hand, effortless, like stopping a child's tantrum.
Then she released a restrained pulse of Conqueror's Haki—just enough to crush the violent impulse without crushing the girl herself.
Thump.
Leona shuddered, froze mid-motion, and collapsed—reverting to her human form.
Sue looked down at her.
She hadn't been asleep.
She'd only pretended.
She'd been worried Leona would lose control again, shift into a lion, and rampage. So she'd kept watch.
Her suspicions were right.
After Leona had been asleep for a while, she'd started murmuring and tossing, cold sweat streaming down her face. She writhed, whimpering under her breath, breathing so hard Sue found herself wondering what kind of nightmare could do that to a child.
Then Leona's eyes had snapped open—wide, awake—
and empty.
The light of reason was gone.
And then she transformed.
"Was it a nightmare…?" Sue murmured, straightening Leona's disheveled nightclothes. "Or…"
As she tried to settle the girl back onto the cardboard bed, Leona still struggled faintly, as if something inside her refused to let go.
If it was like last time, she might start thrashing again.
Sue reluctantly considered knocking Leona out until morning with a stronger burst of Haki, like she had yesterday.
But just as she was about to do it, she paused.
Something occurred to her.
After a moment of thought, Sue carefully lifted Leona's small body.
Then she lay her back down on the bed and settled in beside her.
"…If I remember right," Sue murmured, "it was like this."
Squish.
She pulled Leona close, cradling the girl's head against her chest.
Then she began to pat Leona's back—soft, steady, rhythmic.
Not to wake her.
To soothe her.
Ah, right. That Sister back then used to do this to calm frightened children.
Sue was remembering an orphanage she'd once visited on a war-torn island.
The country had been consumed by conflict. Many children there had lost their parents and had nowhere else to go.
Some of them had nightmares almost every night, dragged under by memories they were too small to carry. Some couldn't even fall asleep at all, swallowed by fear.
The Sister who cared for them had a method.
Little ones are soothed by the sound of a heartbeat—like when they were still in their mother's womb. So I hold them to my chest, let them hear it, and pat their backs in that same rhythm…
For a while, Leona still seemed tense, caught in whatever was chasing her through sleep.
But gradually, held in Sue's arms, her breathing eased. Her face softened.
Minutes later, she stopped fidgeting entirely.
Her expression settled into a quiet calm, and her breaths became small and even.
Sue exhaled, relieved.
For a moment she considered moving Leona back to her own cardboard bed.
Then she noticed Leona's hand.
It was gripping the fabric of Sue's pajamas with surprising strength, like she was afraid Sue might vanish.
If Sue pried it loose, she might wake her.
"…Ugh. Too much trouble," Sue muttered. "Whatever. I'll sleep like this."
She pulled the blanket up over both of them and, at last, let herself drift off too.
The next morning—
In the dim pre-dawn, before the sun had even risen—
Huh? What…?
Leona woke to find herself nestled against Sue's chest, held tightly in her arms.
And judging by the way her own body was pressed close, Leona realized she must have been clinging back.
Naturally, she was completely bewildered.
But the warmth of Sue's body, the gentle pressure of her embrace, and the faint sound of a heartbeat beneath her ear…
It was startling at first.
Then it became… comforting.
Leona couldn't explain why.
But it made her feel safe.
"…Mom…"
The word slipped out, natural and unthinking, and Leona didn't even seem to realize she'd said it.
Wrapped in that strange, dreamy calm, she sank back into drowsiness.
And for the first time since she'd awakened with nothing but a name—
she fell asleep again.
This time, there were no nightmares.
No thrashing.
No restless murmurs.
Just quiet sleep.
To be continued...