"SO GOOOOOOD~~~!!"
Yep—Sue here.
Right now, I'm having a cheerful little barbecue with the Straw Hat crew on a small Island Cloud near the edge of the White Sea.
Today's main ingredient is the giant sky fish that attacked us earlier—the one Lupus kicked into the afterlife in a single move.
Sanji decided to turn it into a seafood barbecue, and he even invited us along with a, "This is my apology for the trouble. Please, help yourselves."
And that triumphant shout just now? That was Luffy—and our maid—both yelling at the exact same time.
Honestly, I'm glad to see their appetites are still working perfectly.
And… yeah. It really is delicious.
The seasoning. The heat. The timing.
It's all flawless.
As expected from a top-tier cook.
Maybe because the food's that good, the sharp edge in my companions' expressions has finally softened too. The anger and irritation from earlier hasn't vanished completely, but it's eased—just enough to make the air feel livable again.
"Keep it coming, Sanji! I'm still eating!"
"Yeah, yeah—eat as much as you want. We've got plenty of meat left. You too, Lupus-chan. Don't hold back."
"Like I'd hold back! This is just getting started for me! Man… you're seriously good, huh? I'm shocked!"
"Honestly… Lupus is still as simple as ever… but…"
"It truly is delicious."
"Me too! Seconds!"
So yeah—an impromptu feast, with everyone happily eating and talking over the crackle of the fire.
Good. Good.
Looks like things are smoothing out.
The fishman trio are enjoying it, and even Honey—still a little stiff earlier—looks genuinely impressed.
"The method is simple, and the seasonings aren't even rare… yet the result is on a level you'd struggle to find even in a luxury hotel restaurant," she murmured, staring at the food like she'd just witnessed a magic trick. "Incredible."
"Right?!" Luffy bragged, stuffing his face without slowing down for even a second. "Our cook's amazing! Shishishishi!"
He chewed like a beast, crunching bones like they were snacks, grinning like a kid.
He was clearly thrilled someone praised Sanji.
We chatted a bit more like that, until—
"Huh?! So you're a pirate too?!"
Luffy suddenly blurted it out.
Robin—who apparently already knew—had mentioned it casually during the conversation.
"Uh… kind of," I said. "Though I don't remember ever introducing myself as a pirate."
"But they call you 'Lady' and 'Sister,' so I thought you were some sheltered rich girl," Nami said, still stunned. "And your bounty is seventy-six million berries…"
"So does that mean you're stronger than Zoro?!" Luffy's eyes lit up.
"Obviously!" Lupus declared, puffing out her chest like she'd accomplished something. "Our Miss is cute, strong, and smart—she's the best Master ever!"
"Why are you proud?!" I snapped immediately. "Don't you 'obviously' me!"
Robin tilted her head, gaze thoughtful.
"Venerdi Toto Sue…" she said, like she was testing the name on her tongue. "Maybe this will ring louder for everyone. Your alias… 'Pirate Literary Master.'"
"WHAT?!"
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Ah. Right.
That name.
Yeah… I guess that one was more recognizable.
I'm not going to pretend I'm humble about it—I am pretty famous as a writer.
"W-wait—YOU'RE the Pirate Literary Master?!" Nami stammered. "The real one?!"
"No way!" Usopp leaned forward, eyes shining. "I've read your stuff since I was a kid! Adventure novels, hero sagas—Kaya's house had a bunch, and whenever I visited I'd borrow them…"
"Me too! Me too!" Chopper bounced like he couldn't sit still. "They're all so fun—I read tons! And—um! Is it true you came to Drum Kingdom a long time ago? That's my home!"
Okay, that was… unexpectedly adorable.
Apparently they really were fans, because next thing I knew I was shaking hands with them—and then, because Usopp and Chopper looked like they'd die if I said no, I ended up signing autographs too.
Being praised like that by original-story characters—especially people on the protagonist's side—felt… honestly, kind of unreal.
I was grateful. And a little embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro looked totally blank.
Guess they don't read much.
That's… a shame.
Sanji did seem to know who I was, but he wasn't the type to get starry-eyed over books.
He looked surprised and offered a polite, "It's an honor," but since his default setting is already "treat women like rare treasures," his behavior didn't really change.
And Robin, of course, knew me.
Not only that—she'd read a lot of my work.
She said she'd been reading me since she was a child… meaning, in terms of pure years, she was probably the longest-running fan in the crew.
Which made me pause.
Robin's childhood had been… brutal. A life of running, hiding, surviving.
Did she really have time to read in the middle of that?
I only started writing publicly shortly before Ohara fell, too…
Luffy, hearing the timeline, blinked.
"Wait—Robin as a kid… then that means you're older than Robin?"
Zoro sighed through his nose.
"Oi, idiot. You don't ask a lady her age—"
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine," I waved it off. "I don't care anymore. I'm thirty-four this year."
"Thirty-four?!" Nami's mouth fell open. "But you look—"
"Way younger," Usopp said, completely serious. "Like… seriously. Wait—does that mean you're twice Luffy's age?"
"Come to think of it," Chopper said, squinting hard, "some of your books are over twenty years old… I wasn't even born yet."
Aw. Thank you.
And yes—before anyone says anything, I do have some confidence in my looks.
A newspaper once did a "World's Most Beautiful Female Pirates" ranking, and I placed in the top ten.
So I'm allowed to feel at least a little smug.
Luffy, however, ruined the moment instantly.
"So you're an auntie, but they still call you 'Lady'?"
Sanji's aura turned murderous.
"LUFFY, YOU—! Don't you dare disrespect a lady again!"
Lupus leaned in too, eyes glittering with mischief.
"Hey, Straw Hat—don't you think you're running your mouth a little too much? Hm? Got a problem with our Miss's age? It's fine. Even if she's an adult outside, her head's still basically a kid."
"You're the most disrespectful one here, you idiot Lupus!"
☆☆☆
By the time the barbecue ended, the last traces of awkwardness from our first meeting had completely vanished.
Somehow—food really is terrifying—we'd ended up properly getting along with the Straw Hats.
And with the momentum of that good mood, we decided to head for the White-White Sea together.
Luffy's crew were following their Log Pose—the needle pointed higher than the White Sea.
And we were heading up too, because the truly rare Dials wouldn't be found down here.
(Well… we've already gotten involved pretty deeply, haven't we? No point in acting scared or overly cautious now.)
We moved forward with the Going Merry alongside us, weaving between the scattered Island Clouds, and before long we reached the Gate of Heaven—the entrance to the White-White Sea.
And right away, someone came out from the building.
An angel…?
Or something that looked like an angel?
She raised a camera and—click—took our photo without warning.
"Tourists?" she asked. "Or invaders?"
Her smile didn't change either way.
"Either's fine. If you want to go up, pay the entrance fee: one billion extol per person. That is the law."
"O-one billion extol…?" Usopp's face went pale. "How much is that in berries?"
"Um… what if we don't have money?" Chopper asked timidly.
"You may pass."
"YOU CAN?!" Usopp screamed.
Ah. Right.
I remember this scene.
I can't recall the old woman's name, but I do remember what happens next.
She tells them they can pass… and then if they enter without paying, they get labeled illegal immigrants and everything becomes a mess.
If I leave it alone, the Straw Hats will absolutely walk through with a, "We don't have money, but we're going in anyway!"
And if that happens…
We'll probably get dragged into trouble too.
Sure, considering what's coming, you could say "it's too late to worry about paperwork."
But our goal is to collect Dials. Even just a few peaceful days would be—
…Hm.
Alright.
At this point, I might as well stop tiptoeing and intervene properly.
"Excuse me," I said to the angel-lady. "Quick question. Besides the entrance fee, there's no extra charge, right? No processing fees or anything. Just one billion extol per person?"
"That's all," she replied. "So? Will you pay? Or not?"
Instead of answering with words, I pulled out cash—paper bills I keep stored against my body. Since they're paper, it's easy. Safer than a wallet, smoother than digging through a bag.
Okay. One, two, three…
For six of us: 600,000 berries.
Add the Straw Hats' seven: thirteen total.
That makes 1,300,000 berries.
"Lupus," I said, handing it over. "Take this to her. And… this."
"Got it."
Lupus hopped over in a single leap, landing right in front of the gatekeeper like she'd teleported. The old woman blinked, visibly startled.
Lupus held out the money.
"Here. It's in berries—does that work? Any exchange fee?"
"Berries are Blue Sea currency," the old woman said. "No fees. If the amount matches, that's enough. The rate is one berry to ten thousand extol."
"Great. Then this is for thirteen people—1.3 million berries. Count it."
"Wait—thirteen?" Nami snapped her head toward me. "That includes us too? That's… no, we can't let you—"
"Yeah!" Usopp panicked. "You don't have to—she said we can pass without paying!"
I shook my head.
"In my experience, stuff like this turns into a headache if you don't pay properly. If you can avoid a problem in advance, you should. I'd like our stay to be calm and peaceful."
"But, Sue-chan—our share alone is 700,000 berries!" Usopp nearly cried. "That's insane! One hundred thousand per person just to enter?! Isn't there any way to lower it, granny?!"
"It's fine," I said, waving him off. "I'm not short on money. And entering without paying feels like a much bigger risk. Unless you can pay your share yourselves?"
Sanji immediately turned to Nami.
"Nami-san. Current finances?"
Nami answered without hesitation.
"About fifty thousand berries left. If we spend normally, maybe one or two days."
"FIFTY THOUSAND?!" Usopp screamed. "That's nothing!"
Zoro frowned at the crew like he'd just been personally offended.
"Oi… why are you all so broke? You can't even pay for one person. As captain, let me say this—you people need to think more about money and—"
"It's your food budget."
"It's your food expenses."
"Yeah. Yours."
All three of them answered at the exact same time.
"And Captain," Nami added, "it's not an 'entry fee.' It's an entrance fee. For a country."
Honestly… the timing, the rhythm, the whole thing.
Watching them bicker like a comedy duo was kind of fun.
Usopp, still trying to squirm out of it, muttered, "Maybe we should just go through without paying…"
"No," I cut in. "If you enter illegally and something happens, the people who came with you can get dragged in too. And since we arrived together, we're going to be treated like one group anyway. So I'd rather we all pay and keep it clean."
Usopp hesitated. "If we're paying you back… what does that even look like?"
"Carry shopping bags," I said lightly. "We came here to buy a few things as well. Having extra hands would help."
"Oh! Then I'll cook!" Sapphire chirped. "I want to eat Sanji's food again!"
"We could also ask them to help search for something," Honey added, calm as ever.
"See?" I said. "Nothing dramatic. Just normal, peaceful repayment."
Sanji, by the way, looked dangerously happy after Sapphire said she wanted his cooking again.
In the end, we paid for all thirteen.
We entered Skypiea properly—no "illegal entry" nonsense.
Alright. White-White Sea, here we come.
I hope we find rare Dials.
And I hope we finish this whole trip peacefully, without any trouble.
As the gatekeeper summoned the White Sea specialty—an "Express Shrimp"—to haul our ships up the cloud road toward the White-White Sea, I found myself thinking that same optimistic thought again.
…Even though—
(Yeah. I know the odds are low.)
☆☆☆
"Report from Gate of Heaven Watchman Amazon, to the Almighty 'God' and the Priests."
"Thirteen entrants to the God's Country, Skypiea. Two ships."
"All entrance fees collected. No legal issues at this time."
"However, these newcomers show a tendency to disregard and disobey the rules presented to them."
"The possibility of future trouble cannot be dismissed."
"I advise continued surveillance after entry, and immediate action if any problems arise."
"In the event of an emergency… swiftly subject them to 'Divine Judgment.'"
To be continued...