"Sue-chan! Don't you dare step outside this house!"
"Huh?"
We'd been chatting lazily for a while when the aunt suddenly blurted that out, her face going pale.
Startled, I instinctively reached out with Observation Haki—
(…That's… near the edge of the village. Something dangerous is coming. Don't tell me…!)
---
"What do you want!? There aren't any young girls left in this village—and we don't have any I.Q stockpiled anymore!"
"I know that already. Jihahah… relax. I didn't come here to torment you. There's an outsider woman who wandered in here just now, right? Hand her over."
"Wha—!?"
"Don't bother lying with 'she's not here' or 'we don't know.' I already know she's here—that's why I came. If you don't want things to get rough, bring her out quietly."
"…Are you talking about me?"
"!? Sue-chan! I said don't come out—!"
So, the situation in a nutshell:
Right in front of me was a huge, elderly man.
He was standing atop a massive rock structure near the village entrance—something like ancient ruins—looking down at us from above.
The light behind him made it hard to see clearly, but I could still make out the cigar between his teeth… and the grin tugging at his mouth.
His long blond hair was thick and wild, spreading out like a lion's mane.
He wore a kimono-like outfit in yellow, orange, and gold.
And the most striking thing—
He didn't have feet.
Instead, two swords jutted out from below his knees—no, not "jutted." They were attached there, like they were his legs.
And on his head…
Wait. What is that?
That's not a crown.
Is that… a ship's wheel?
Is it stuck on there… or—
Is it impaled?
"Yo," he drawled. "So you're the 'guest' that showed up in this village."
The ship's wheel was still screaming for my attention, but he'd spoken to me, so I forced myself to focus.
In that low, gravelly voice—
Shiki the Golden Lion.
"I don't know if 'guest' is the right word, but… sure. I'm just lost."
The aunt had told me not to come out.
She probably meant to hide me. Protect me.
But if I let them lie for me, there was a very real chance the entire village would pay for it.
I wasn't about to drag them into my mess.
So… sorry, Aunt. I'm ignoring you.
"Oh? So that's what it is. Poor kid. Must've been frightening—alone in a strange place." His grin widened. "How about it, then? Come to my place. I welcome capable people. And you look plenty capable."
"No, I can't impose like that. I'll pass." I lifted a brow. "Also… 'capable' how, exactly?"
"My men told me. You predicted yesterday's storm, didn't you?" He tapped the cigar with a finger, unhurried. "Weather prediction is one of the most important things in my crew. So I came to recruit you. Get on my ship—be my navigator."
"Recruit me out of nowhere, and you're really just saying it straight." I exhaled. "That's… bold."
"Hm? Ah. I figured you'd prefer it that way." His smile sharpened. "Rather than me yammering on with pointless fluff, you strike me as the type who likes the point. Was I wrong?"
"…I mean." I shrugged. "Either way is fine."
That "I understand you" tone bothered me.
Like he was speaking from a premise I didn't have.
But I pushed it aside for now.
His goal was clear enough: he wanted me.
Apparently, yesterday I'd told some random pirates—Kitajima, right?—that a storm was coming, and I'd been right. So he'd decided I was a "good navigator" and took interest.
…This sounded less like navigation and more like meteorology, but sure.
Why he valued that so much, I couldn't say. Every pirate crew had its own priorities, and overthinking it wouldn't help.
Especially since I had no intention of saying yes.
The real question was whether he'd accept no as an answer.
Because his eyes—
His eyes were pure predator.
A hunter who'd already decided the outcome.
My Observation Haki wasn't picking up outright murderous intent, but malice was there, thick and unmistakable.
This wasn't going to end with polite negotiation.
And then, as if my thoughts amused him, Shiki went on:
"Of course, recruiting you isn't my only reason." His gaze pinned me, heavy in a way that made my skin crawl. "I'm personally interested in you."
"…In me?" I kept my tone light, but my grip on reality tightened. "Why?"
"Before that." He tilted his head slightly. "How old are you?"
A legendary pirate, casually asking a woman her age without hesitation.
Seriously?
Still, I wasn't the type to get offended by that.
"Twenty-seven."
"…Thought so." His grin deepened. "The math checks out."
"…What?" A chill ran up my spine. "What have you been calculating since you showed up?"
Something was wrong.
Not just "he's a pirate and he's arrogant."
Not just "he's about to abduct me."
Something else.
A strange, skewed sense of attention—like he was looking at me…
…but not seeing me.
Like I was a window, and he was staring at whoever stood on the other side.
(He's talking like he already knows something about me. Something I don't even know. And he's building everything on that assumption—what is this feeling?)
Questions kept multiplying, piling up so fast I couldn't even grab one to answer—
And then Shiki made a decision.
He snapped his sword-legs together with a harsh metallic clack.
The sound was ugly, and the shift that followed was even uglier.
His presence changed.
The air changed.
I tightened instantly, drew my standby paper umbrella from the holder on my back, and set my stance.
"It would've been easiest if you came quietly," Shiki said, almost conversational. "But fine. If you won't—then I'll invite you the hard way. And while I'm at it… I'll see what you can do."
"You recruit me as a navigator, and now you want to test my combat ability?" I clicked my tongue. "Sure, pirates should be able to defend themselves. But let's not pretend—you never planned to respect my choice from the start."
"Jihahahaha!" He laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. "Of course not. We're pirates. We live on selfishness and arrogance. If we want something, we take it. And as for 'why'…" His eyes narrowed with something sharp and hungry. "Forget it for now. I'll tell you eventually—after I bring you back to my ship."
Again.
Even while he said something so violent, I felt it again—
That sensation of being seen… and not being seen.
It should have made my stomach turn.
And yet, strangely—
It didn't.
I didn't understand why.
Only that it didn't.
(Everything about this is wrong. Who is this man?)
"Show me what you've got, 'Pirate Literary Master.'" His grin widened. "If you're useful, I'll treat you well!"
"I said no—right at the beginning!"
I didn't have the time to untangle the rest.
A great pirate from a legendary era was finally baring his intent openly—
And when he took to the air and swooped in, I let hesitation drop like dead weight.
I raised my umbrella and met him head-on.
---
Not long after the fight began, a blunt truth cut across my thoughts.
(He's strong… of course he is. A legendary great pirate, my ass—this is the real thing.)
For over a decade—ever since I'd set foot on the Grand Line, even back when I'd been a bounty hunter—I'd trained.
And after that, even while traveling the Four Blues, I hadn't stopped.
Swordsmanship. Haki. I'd tempered both until I could say, without arrogance, that I'd built them into something solid.
But none of that changed the fact that this fight demanded everything.
Every breath. Every heartbeat.
No room for carelessness—none at all.
Shiki darted through the sky with the Float-Float Fruit, moving as if the air belonged to him, carving slashes with the twin swords that served as his legs.
The impact traveling through my umbrella told me immediately: Haki.
And there was no guarantee he was even using his full strength.
He might not be serious at all.
No—he probably wasn't.
His expression was too relaxed.
And the truth was simple, no matter how many times I repeated it—
This man had once been counted among the "Four Emperors" class of monsters.
There was no way this was all he had.
I wasn't out of options. I had cards left to play.
But I also knew—instinctively, immediately—that this was not a fight I could afford to underestimate.
(He's not using anything beyond flight. His slashes still have a leisurely rhythm… Is he holding back to make a point? Or does he just think I'm not worth more? Either way—fine.)
If he was careless, I wanted to punish it.
But I couldn't.
Because Observation Haki made it clear: even while "holding back," he wasn't leaving openings.
He wasn't careless.
He was watching.
(…Not "watching" like caution. Watching like… interest? Like he's studying what I'll do next. Enjoying it.)
A hard clash rang out—umbrella and blade biting with a sharp, ugly note—and Shiki kicked off into the air again.
I chased, unfurling paper wings from my back and surging upward after him, refusing to let him dictate the distance.
Shiki looked almost impressed.
"Ho."
Then he casually blocked with his sword-legs and kicked me away.
"Paper wings, huh?" he said, amused. "Not bad. Interesting trick. And you're trained—ability, swordsmanship, Haki… all of it's high level. Better than I expected."
"Thanks—!" I snapped, using the recoil to break away, then whipped out a storm of paper flakes from my hand.
Each one was a blade.
I drove them toward him in a rushing swarm.
But Shiki responded the moment he saw them—his sword-legs flashed too fast to track, and flying slashes shredded every single flake before they reached him.
I could have launched another wave easily.
But if he could swat them aside that cleanly, they weren't going to be my answer.
I pulled the flakes back, retrieving them to my side.
(…What now? This is bad. I can't see a win. And I definitely can't run—his flying speed is better than mine.)
"Jihahahaha…" Shiki's grin twisted with something possessive. "Yeah… I like this. I want it."
And then—
He stopped.
Just like that, he withdrew.
He didn't just pause his attacks; he reined in that sharpened intent, the near-killing edge in the air, and dropped back down onto the ruins where he'd first appeared.
I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then landed as well.
He was at one edge of the structure, leaving enough space at the opposite side for me to touch down.
Enough distance, too—enough that if he suddenly lunged again, I'd have a chance to react.
Then Shiki spoke, and the words hit like a hook in my ribs.
"Benerdi Toto Sue. That's your real name, isn't it."
I nodded, wary.
Shiki spread his arms as if he were addressing an audience, voice swelling with certainty.
"I'll say it again, 'Pirate Literary Master' Sue. Get on my ship. Even as you are now, you're already strong enough to be immediate force. But with me, I can take you higher—much higher. Strength. Sword. Ability. Haki. I can show you a world you'll never reach alone."
My brows knitted.
"And that's not all," he continued, eyes burning. "If you come with me, you'll learn things you didn't even know existed. Not just martial power—everything. Even the talents sleeping inside you… talents you haven't even realized you have. I can teach you. And I can awaken them."
"…What?" I stared at him. "What are you even talking about?"
"You're a 'Literary Master,' so I've heard you've got talent with words." His smile sharpened. "But you don't understand. The talent sleeping inside you isn't limited to that. Medicine. Physics. Weather forecasting. Biology. Any field—if you learn, you'll display rare ability in all of them."
"…I don't understand." My voice edged colder. "How would you know what I'm capable of? You're overestimating me. I'm not some genius monster. And I'm not a science person. My navigation and weather knowledge is surface-level at best."
"That's only because you've never truly tried to learn." Shiki's tone turned almost… assured. Like he was stating something he'd already proven. "Your mind has more capacity than you've ever used. You could take all those fields into your head and still have room left."
Then his gaze narrowed, and the next words came slow, deliberate—like he wanted them to cut.
"And why do I know?" he said. "Because I can. You're that woman's daughter. Of course you'd have that kind of talent."
"…?"
My head filled with question marks so fast it was dizzying.
(That woman's… daughter? Like he knows my mother?)
I swallowed hard.
"…What are you saying? Are you claiming you knew my mother?"
"Yeah," Shiki said, unapologetic. "Though she's probably not the 'mother' you're thinking of."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Tell me. The woman you call your mother—her name is 'Kuu,' right?"
"!"
My throat went tight.
"…Yes," I managed. "That's right."
Benerdi Toto Kuu.
My mother.
The mother I'd lost over twenty years ago.
A name I almost never said aloud.
A name almost nobody knew.
Even people close to me—Hancock, Rayleigh, Shakky—shouldn't have known it. I'd mentioned my past before, yes, but I'd never given details like that.
So why—
Why did this man know?
Shiki's grin turned cruel, satisfied.
"I'll tell you something interesting."
His voice dropped.
"The father and mother you remember—the ones who raised you?"
"They aren't your real parents."
"…!"
My breath caught.
"And you said this, didn't you?" he went on, laughing softly. "'A complete stranger like you.' Jihahaha… what a nasty thing to say."
His eyes gleamed.
"Even if you didn't know—what's standing in front of you isn't a stranger."
"Not even close."
"In fact…" His grin widened. "I'm the only blood-related family you've got in this world."
(…What is he saying!?)
Then, with the casual cruelty of someone dropping a bomb just to watch it explode, he continued.
"Your true mother's name is Benerdi Sou. She was one of my subordinates—part of my research and development division."
"…And your father is—"
A beat.
A single, deliberate pause.
Then—
"Me."
Shiki bared his teeth.
"I, Shiki the Golden Lion, am your real father!"
"THAT'S A LIE—!!"
…
…
…
"…Huh?"
"Hah? What's with the 'huh'?"
"No, I was just—" My voice cracked with disbelief. "I was waiting for the 'Tettelee~♪' to kick in."
"This isn't a prank," Shiki snapped. "There's no 'gotcha,' no 'prank success' sign. I didn't prepare any big reveal. This is real."
"…Oh." I blinked rapidly. "You… weirdly understand comedy."
Then it hit me again.
Wait.
"Real… as in real, real?"
"Real," Shiki said flatly.
"…So." I swallowed. "Parent and child?"
"Parent and child," he confirmed. "Me and you."
"…Blood-related?"
"You got it backwards," he said, irritated. "Blood-related. Family."
"…Parent and child…" My brain stalled. "What is 'parent and child' again…?"
"I'm the father," Shiki said, slow and emphatic. "You're the daughter. Do you understand?"
"......"
"......"
"EEEEEEHHHHHH!? W-What!? THIS—!? THIS!?"
"What do you mean 'THIS,' you idiot daughter! And don't point at people, that's rude!"
SMACK!
His palm cracked down on the top of my head with a clean, brutal sound.
"OW—!?"
I clutched my skull, swaying in pain, while Shiki sighed like he'd just discovered a new, exhausting truth about the universe.
"Tch. Not just the brains—your mother's wild imagination in the worst possible direction, too." He shook his head. "Whatever. You've got questions now, don't you?"
"I have nothing but questions," I muttered.
"I'll answer." Shiki jerked his chin. "But first, come to my hideout. It'll be easier there. Leave your ship at the village port. You don't need to disarm. Just think of it like going home."
Then he added, almost amused at his own phrasing—
"Actually… this really is your home, isn't it."
"…So it's really real," I whispered.
"Of course it's real," Shiki snapped. "If I were bluffing, you think I'd pick something this insane? Honestly, even I didn't expect you to be born—and to grow up safe." His gaze sharpened. "Now move. We're going."
"…Okaaay," I said, voice hollow. "Sure. Yep."
The air was unbelievably slack now—way too slack for what had just happened.
We'd fought seriously, even using Haki.
Then he'd casually detonated a secret that should have shattered the world.
And now we were… like this.
Shiki pointed off in a direction with a flick of his hand, then lifted into the air with his power and flew that way without another word.
I followed, paper wings spreading as I took off after him.
And behind us—unseen by either of us—the villagers who'd been watching from the shadows assumed I'd been kidnapped.
They were left with a quiet, heavy guilt for not protecting me…
…without ever realizing I hadn't been taken against my will at all.
To be continued...