Now then, up to this point Leona and Suzu have been hosting recreational activities to entertain Snow and Iris, but we still have the last person's turn remaining: Alice.
From Snow and Iris's perspective, Alice was their biological father (or, alternatively, their second mother), albeit from a different timeline. So naturally they'd be looking forward to whatever Alice had prepared.
That said, they'd already gained a thorough understanding of this girl's natural tendency to go off the rails, so they might have been harboring a touch of anxiety as well.
Amid that swirl of anticipation and unease, the "entertainment of this era" that Alice had prepared was...
"The wholesome stuff, like physical activities and cooking-and-eating fun, Suzu and Leona already covered... so I'll be introducing a different type of 'fun.'"
"Hold on, Alice. The way you said that makes it sound like you've prepared something unwholesome."
"...Well, I won't deny it!"
Hey.
Something about this girl made even the word "fun" sound vaguely unwholesome. Mysterious...
Did I raise her wrong? No, she was like this before I even started raising her... She'd already locked on to me back then. Yeah, this definitely isn't my fault.
Not just me. Suzu turned suspicious, narrowed eyes toward Alice as well, and the other three, Leona, Snow, and Iris, all had that "is this going to be okay..." look on their faces.
Even facing what was essentially hostility from all directions, Alice remained unfazed.
"Ahaha, don't worry, you don't have to look so scary! I didn't prepare anything that'd push the R to 18 or anything. It's all-ages entertainment that everyone can enjoy together!"
"That better be true... I beg of ye, even if they're from the future, don't go doing anything outrageous that would disillusion your own daughters."
"I get it, I get it. Geez, you really don't trust me... Are you that worried?"
"Of course I am. Put your hand on your chest and think back on your own daily conduct."
"Ah, Suzu, don't. If you say that to Alice, she'll—"
"Oh, you're giving me permission? Then don't mind if I do."
—squish <— Alice grabbing my chest
"See, this is exactly what happens..."
"Who told ye to put your hand on Mother's chest?! Put it on your own! And Mother, don't just say 'this is exactly what happens,' put up some actual resistance! This is precisely why this one never—!"
I'd expected her to lunge for either my chest or Suzu's, but... so she came for mine.
Well, the odds of getting blocked would've been much higher with Suzu. Alice probably figured I'd let it slide with a sigh, so she chose me.
Honestly. Going with a fairly classic, well-worn gag...
"Mmm, such a wonderful feel as always... I can't wait for the day these start producing milk..."
"Alice, rein it in already. Even those two are starting to pull away."
Leona sounded exasperated. Just as she'd pointed out, both Iris and Snow were getting that "yikes" expression. Yeah... the milk comment was straight-up blatant sexual harassment, plain and simple.
Also, Suzu's hand was reaching for her sword, so seriously let go soon, Alice. I don't want to see your blood.
"Fine, fine, I got it. So, we got a little sidetracked, but... let's get back on track and head out to enjoy the 'fun' I've prepared for this era! I've arranged a ship, so let's go! I've even made proper reservations!"
"Huh, reservations? Are we going to some hotel or restaurant?"
"More importantly, if we're heading out now... depending on where it is, it could be evening or night by the time we arrive?"
Iris and Snow voiced their concern, but Alice just laughed and waved it off with a "don't worry, don't worry."
"Actually, the timing works out better that way. Right, Mom?"
"...Well, if we're going there, then yes."
"Wait, Mama, you know where we're going?"
Yep, I know.
In fact, I'm the one who made the "reservation" in advance. Alice consulted me about it. So of course I know exactly where we're headed.
Hearing that, Suzu figured it out too, and then, a beat behind, so did Leona. Where Alice intended to take us, take Snow and Iris.
A place where I would need to make the "reservation," and one overflowing with the sort of "slightly unwholesome entertainment" Alice would love... that narrowed it down to pretty much one option.
She'd also dropped a huge hint earlier without even trying. "Entertainment."
"You know the saying, 'leave it to the experts'? If you want to know about fun, the fastest and surest way is to ask the masters. On top of that, the place is... you could even say it has nothing but entertainment you'd absolutely never get to enjoy in a dystopian world! So, our destination this time is! Floating on the seas of the New World, the world's greatest temple of entertainment—"
"Gran Tesoro!"
***
This hardly needs explaining at this point, but Gran Tesoro, as Alice said, was truly the world's greatest temple of entertainment.
A golden colossus stretching ten kilometers in length, sailing across the sea. Packed inside were every conceivable form of entertainment, enough to impress even renowned tycoons, Nobles, and even Celestial Dragons.
Food so delicious it could make your cheeks fall off.
Music spanning rock to classical, making your heart dance, your soul tremble, lifting you to heavenly bliss.
Theater that set your heart ablaze, or brought you to tears of emotion, making you feel as though you'd been transported to another world.
Gambling where you had to watch yourself, because once you got hooked you couldn't stop, letting you enjoy a thrill that walked hand in hand with ruin.
Everything top-tier. Everything the pinnacle.
Faced with all these entertainments... Snow and Iris were beyond words. Simply overwhelmed.
Alice had calculated everything from the start, and we arrived at Gran Tesoro just before evening.
It was still plenty bright out, so we did some light sightseeing and playing around, but even that "light" experience turned into one incredible encounter after another. That was Gran Tesoro for you.
Since it was too early for dinner, we snacked and ate while walking around.
On top of that, every shop had wonderful goods, so we wandered around doing some casual shopping.
Only about an hour, but that alone left both of them utterly spent.
Not in a bad way, of course. In the best possible way.
The barbecue Suzu hosted the other day had been delicious too, of course, but the wild flavors we'd enjoyed there, the "fun cuisine," was a completely different direction from the sheer high-level gastronomy we encountered here.
For example, when they ate the crepes from a casual food shop on the arcade street, the two of them froze mid-motion like someone had hit pause. I nearly burst out laughing.
Yeah, I get it... it's shocking, right? I mean, this is the VIP area after all... even the "casual food" is incredibly delicious.
Having lived through the dystopian food situation I'd heard about before, the flavor was apparently so beyond their frame of reference that they didn't even know how to react.
When I asked them about it later, they said the taste and aroma that spread through their mouths were so overwhelming that they were confused beyond moved, thinking 'Is it possible for food to make you feel this way?!' and 'Is this really what "delicious" feels like?!' They'd been unable to move for a while.
I ordered the same thing and ate it too, so I understand. It really was incredible.
The sweet, smooth cream melted at body temperature the instant it entered your mouth, spreading in a rush, filling every corner with its flavor.
Then the fresh strawberry and banana wrapped inside burst forward, their flavors blooming outward too, yet never stepping on each other.
Even when you chewed it all together, the distinct flavors never blurred. The strawberry, banana, and cream complemented each other to the very end, asserting their presence all the way down to your stomach, keeping your entire mouth filled with happiness.
How everything combined, how it melted and spread once it entered your mouth, how the aroma rose through your nose... every last detail was calculated and crafted. A single work of art.
And so, having been shown an entirely new world through just one crepe, the two of them were far from done.
Next up was shopping, and since we figured "might as well buy some everyday clothes," we headed to a boutique. Here too, the two of them were stunned at every turn.
The fabrics were unbelievably thin, finely woven, wonderful to the touch, and sturdy.
The ornamentation was intricate, delicate, dazzling, and yet refined.
These weren't clothes meant to be "worn." They were clothes meant to "adorn." Every aspect, from design to production, was carried out with a singular focus on how to make the wearer look as captivating as possible. Each one, yet another work of art.
This too was a concept that simply hadn't existed in their dystopia. Every item they picked up seemed to overwhelm them anew.
While the two of them were shrinking back with feelings like 'Is it really okay for us to buy this...?' and 'Are people like us really allowed to wear such things...?', Alice was happily buying up everything that caught her eye or that she thought would suit them and wanted to dress them in.
This was a fairly upscale boutique, so it would easily run into several million Berry, but she didn't care at all. Money wasn't a problem for us.
In fact, if we wanted to, we could live lavishly at this Gran Tesoro without spending a single Berry, with a few exceptions.
Because I had that Permanent Free Pass from Tesoro.
But for shops that were tenants here, we tried to pay with our own money as much as possible.
Using the Free Pass at establishments Tesoro directly owned and operated was one thing, but using it too freely at tenant shops with external connections, or in places with other customers watching, would probably cause a commotion.
Besides, properly spending the money you have to keep the economy flowing is an obligation of those who have it.
As for Alice, she'd apparently been quite active lately, working jobs as part of the Golden Lion Pirates and dabbling in various independent business ventures, and was making quite a profit.
To the point where this level of spending didn't hurt one bit. What exactly was she up to...?
So, while thoroughly enjoying ourselves... or rather, while Alice indulged her two children as a father to the fullest, doting on them, we spent a pleasant stretch of time.
But all of that was merely a prelude.
The time Gran Tesoro truly came into its own as a temple of entertainment was, after all, at night.
"Hey everyone! Welcome to the golden city's nighttime stage! Tonight, a host of artists are gonna take y'all to a musical paradise! And first up is this Soul King right here! I'll be the opening act to shake your very souls! Here we gooo!!"
"Kyaaah! Soul King!!"
Brook, who had become a signature performer at Gran Tesoro, and who'd recently been getting more and more opportunities to perform outside its walls as well.
He strummed his guitar, sending out notes that truly resonated with the soul, announcing the opening of tonight's stage.
Until recently, the nighttime stage always had Tesoro or Stella serving as both MC and opening act, but lately so many incredibly talented artists, dozens of them, had gathered and joined the roster that they'd started assigning the opening act based on the overall program flow.
Today it just happened to be Brook's turn.
Starting with him, one performer after another took the stage, world-renowned entertainers captivating and electrifying the audience with their music.
And the production values elevating each performance were magnificent... you couldn't help but be drawn in with your eyes and ears both.
Also, since it was a dinner show, we had seats where we could enjoy the meal alongside the performance. The food was properly delicious yet never competed with the music, nourishing the body while letting you fully focus your eyes and ears on the music itself.
On top of that, the menu was designed with the awareness that time would fly by while you focused on the music, so the dishes were still delicious when cooled, or were served at room temperature from the start.
And closing out this dinner show where every sense was engaged to the fullest was none other than Gran Tesoro's finest, the undisputed number one Songstress... Uta-chan.
She didn't use her Sing-Sing Fruit Powers, of course, but her own vocal ability and performance skills alone had the entire audience utterly captivated.
A standing ovation through all three songs. People all over the venue were jumping up and down in ecstasy while sobbing. She really was amazing.
Just listening filled you with more and more energy, and the food you were eating even seemed to get tastier somehow.
Maybe it was just the mood, or maybe just my imagination, but even that didn't matter. What was certain was that it made you feel that good.
Incidentally, Uta-chan's background was... kept private, naturally.
The childhood friend of Luffy part was one thing, but being the daughter of one of the Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks... that was just too much of a bombshell.
Uta-chan apparently wanted to meet Shanks again someday and had things she wanted to say and ask... I hoped that would come true eventually.
After enjoying the music, we spent some time playing various games, just as a taste.
Aboard this ship, the entertainment that rivaled the music stage was gambling. You could simply enjoy the thrill of wagering, or go for broke aiming at a fortune. As long as you exercised moderation, you could have fun however you liked.
...Well, casinos in general tend to have a lot of customers who can't maintain that "moderation"...
While you could have a great time, the fact that massive numbers of people would inevitably cross the line they shouldn't and plunge into ruin was just a classic casino reality.
And regarding that, even at this primarily well-managed Gran Tesoro, there was a fairly dark side to be seen.
To avoid being taken lightly, anyone who tried to skip out on their debts was dealt with firmly... and in fact, some operations were partnered with the Golden Lion Pirates, their affiliates, and even front companies. I'll spare the details.
Fortunately, neither Iris nor Snow seemed to be the type to get carried away, and though a bit nervous, they seemed to enjoy themselves.
For the record, I provided the gambling funds. Alice had been buying them things all afternoon, so as their mother, I should at least do this much.
I gave them five million Berry each. Iris apparently did quite well. She might look carefree, but she seemed to have a knack for competitive situations.
Snow, on the other hand, apparently lost a fair amount. She didn't end up completely broke, but she looked a little frustrated.
Both of them enjoyed themselves but didn't get sucked in. Good.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Gran Tesoro's nighttime offerings, the ship still had so much more to offer. Plenty more places to enjoy.
Theater and musical productions, a shopping mall where you could do much more serious browsing than the "light" round we did during the day... and then, a little rough perhaps, but as part of the casino there was even a Colosseum.
Also, tonight we had dinner at the dinner show, but Alice was already enthusiastically planning to take us to a hostess club sort of place tomorrow, full of beautiful Big Sisters, for food and drinks.
This girl had several favorite establishments here. I'd heard she was even a special member at some of them, a top-tier regular customer. Our daughter was far too knowledgeable about and dependable when it came to the nightlife.
Well, all that would have to wait for tomorrow and beyond.
Yes, we'd be staying multiple nights to fully enjoy Gran Tesoro.
Alice had figured that Snow and Iris, still stiff and awkward on this first day, would loosen up and relax enough to enjoy themselves after a few more days.
So, for tonight, and for a while starting today, we'd be staying here at Gran Tesoro.
Our room was, of course, the ultra-secret area True Suite, which surpassed even the Celestial Dragon quarters.
All six of us would be staying there together. When I'd made the reservation in advance, they prepared an absolutely massive bed that could fit all six of us sleeping together. The service was incredible.
...And then,
something happened that night.
Oh, let me say upfront: nothing terrible happened, and no, Alice didn't ambush me in my sleep for anything indecent, so rest easy on that front.
The most Alice did was dive into my chest while I was sleeping and take deep breaths.
That's still pretty bad, you say? This was completely normal for us.
She got kicked off the bed by Suzu afterward, too. Including that part, totally routine.
So what did happen that night? It was when all six of us were lying down together in silk pajamas (incredibly comfortable) side by side.
As I mentioned, Alice had been kicked off the bed by Suzu for the harassment incident, but upon climbing back up, she found both sides of me guarded by Leona and Suzu, blocking any approach.
So instead, Alice slipped in between Iris and Snow, took both their hands, and lay down. Like one of those heartwarming family scenes with three people sleeping together.
It was the reverse of the usual "river" formation where the kids are in the middle, with the parent sandwiched between instead.
Iris and Snow on either side were a little surprised but looked happy.
Well, from their perspective, they were literally holding hands and sleeping with their father (or mother). It made perfect sense they'd be happy, and nobody was going to say anything about it.
...I got sidetracked. The point was what happened during the night while the six of us were sleeping.
Me, Suzu, and Leona formed one cluster, and Iris, Alice, and Snow lay in a row. That's when it happened.
***
"Today was really incredible... I never knew places like this existed in the world, where you can just purely, without a single worry, soak in nothing but 'fun'..."
"Yes. I had read about such things in books and knew they existed as knowledge, but... actually experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. It was like stepping into a Picture Story. A dreamlike time."
"I'm so glad you both enjoyed it. But this is still nothing, you know? There's so much more to enjoy here. Half a day isn't nearly enough to take it all in; this place is packed with every kind of entertainment you can imagine. Look forward to the days ahead, okay?"
"Ah, so we're not done after today, then."
"Ye were saying 'let's go to bed early to prepare for tomorrow,' so I expected as much... Alice, how many days of reservations did ye make here?"
"I've got reservations for tomorrow and the day after for musicals and stage performances. There happened to be some interesting shows scheduled. But this place, if we want to stay longer, any number of days is fine, right? This room is essentially Mom's and her family's private room. So I'm planning to just decide as we go."
Well, as Alice said, just staying here required no appointment at all, in my case.
And if I really wanted to, though it was a card I didn't like to play too often, I could probably ask Tesoro and get VIP-treatment same-day tickets for any musical or concert...
But Alice apparently felt bad about that too, so she'd made proper advance plans for anything that required reservations.
Tomorrow's shows... There were many options, but which ones would be fun for these girls? Alice probably wouldn't like anything too preachy or too full of dark intrigue either, so...
While I was mulling that over and starting to doze off...
"...! Iris, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Suddenly, I heard Alice's voice.
Not the giddy tone she usually had in bed, but genuinely serious... as if something had caught her attention and startled her.
"I-it's nothing, I'm fine, Father... It's nothing."
"...Huh, Iris, why are you crying?"
Iris's reply carried a slight tremor in her voice, and at the same time Leona pointed it out. Making full use of her feline night vision, Leona had spotted the tears glistening at the corners of Iris's eyes.
But the Observation Haki I'd reflexively activated didn't pick up any particularly negative emotions like sadness or suffering.
If anything, it was the opposite...
"I'm really fine, it's okay! It's just..."
"Just...?"
"I just got a little happy, a little moved, that's all. Being together like this, all six of us side by side, spending a fun day together and then getting to drift off comfortably... it's just so, truly, I felt so happy..."
Hearing that, everyone let out a quiet "ah..." of understanding.
Especially Snow, on the other side of Alice, who nodded deeply. Looking carefully, her eyes seemed a bit moist too.
For them... yes, it must have been like a dream.
The fun itself was one thing, but being able to share that fun with all of us, as family.
In the Desperate Future they came from, some had died, some bore scars that would never heal, and there certainly hadn't been a shred of room to "enjoy" daily life.
In a world where that crisis had been averted, to be here like this, with family who cared about them and doted on them... yeah, it wouldn't be strange to cry at all.
If anything, it was impressive they'd held it together this long... oh wait, Iris actually had broken down crying when we first met.
But that was genuinely the only time since then...
"After all... family really is wonderful. I really love being together with everyone like this... And no, I'm not saying I don't care about anyone outside the family, okay?"
"I know, I know. I totally get that too. Being alone is easy in its own way, but... time spent with people you can feel safe around, just by itself... it's warm, and it makes you happy. I learned that from Mom, so I understand."
"I see... Father, you were also an orphan, weren't you..."
"Yeah. There was something like a community, but it was more like we were using each other to survive... I couldn't let my guard down, let alone trust anyone. And now, here I am like this... heh... yeah, 'family' really is great."
Alice laughed, recalling the days of her fairly Hard life in a Non-Affiliated Nation.
The fact that she could laugh about it like this was, in its own quiet way, one of her strengths. For some people, those days would have been concentrated trauma.
At Alice's words, everyone grew a bit reflective, but there was a shared, genuine feeling of "yeah, family really is wonderful" in the air.
Everyone understood and shared the comfort of this warm space, warm in both body and heart.
...And that got me thinking. Speaking of "family"...
'This group... a lot of us have lost "family" in some way. Actually... every single one of us has.'
I lost both my parents to a Pirate raid. Those parents were my adoptive ones, and my birth parents, Papa and Mama, were alive, but to me, those two were and always would be my family.
Leona lost her father, a Shandia warrior, in battle, and her mother to illness. She was taken in by relatives afterward and gained a younger step-sister named Aisa, so she probably wasn't lonely, but still.
Suzu had been separated by death from the old man and Old Woman of unknown relation who'd looked after her, and from the elderly people she'd lived with on Poison Island. Whether she had any other family was unknown.
Alice... being an orphan from the start, it was unclear whether she even had family. I vaguely remembered something about a boy who was like a younger brother? She couldn't see that child now either.
And Iris and Snow, as we all knew.
Perhaps it was precisely because we all knew the loneliness of having no family and the pain of losing them that we could understand and share the value, the preciousness, of this peaceful time.
...Well, if I said that out loud, it might bring back the somber mood, so I'd keep it to myself for now.
It went without saying. Everyone already understood.
...But then.
"Well, don't worry, Iris, Snow. I'm planning to grow our family even more from here on. There's Mom, and Suzu, and Leona, and Grandma... plus several others I plan to make into family or make family with, heheheheh~"
I didn't think that was an invitation to steer the conversation toward bedroom talk... This girl, honestly...
A chorus of sighs from everyone.
"Ye know... I've already given up telling ye to stop, whether or not we'll actually let ye go through with it, since it'd be pointless anyway... but are ye still not satisfied? Not to be rude, but I'm quite content with how things are now. Ye still want more 'family'?"
"Of course! The more the merrier, I always think... I mean, sure, that's just my personal values, but I want more family by blood and family not by blood! So I'm going to keep gathering and making more!"
"Is that so..."
"To start with, I need to add maternity leave, parental leave, and similar benefits to the Golden Lion Pirates' internal regulations. We'll need them soon."
"Wait, Alice, does that mean... you've already gotten someone pregnant?"
"No, not yet. But... ideally I wanted my first child to be with Mom, but that's still a ways off... and among my subordinates, there are some who genuinely love me... so someday. Either I 'get them pregnant' or, if I like the partner, I could be the one giving birth."
"That is a rather graphic conversation..."
"Ahaha... at this rate, we might end up with even more little brothers and sisters, Snow."
"The fact that depending on the partner, 'sibling' might overlap with 'niece or nephew' is somewhat headache-inducing... And to think she's even targeting Grandmother Sou... I can fully appreciate why Aunt Suzu is exasperated."
...Right. I see.
From Snow and Iris's perspective, Mama's position was "grandmother and great-grandmother." She was my mother and Alice's grandmother.
If Alice then had a child with Mama, she'd become "grandmother, great-grandmother, and mother-in-law." Was this some kind of incantation?
...Wait, considering that Alice herself was "father (mother) and sister" to them, "sister-in-law" might get tacked on too?
And if a child were born between Mama and Alice, that child would be, let's see... "sibling, and niece/nephew, and..." Oh no, I can't figure this out! I don't have enough vocabulary for this!
Well of course not. Where in the world would someone anticipate making children with their grandmother or great-grandmother? The words for that probably don't even exist.
And what would our family tree look like if that happened? You probably couldn't draw it flat. You'd need to draw it in three dimensions. The chaos was beyond measure.
"Having a big family is nice and warm, that's true, but... I'm learning for the first time that it brings its own kind of stress..."
"No, I believe this isn't at all typical even in this era. This is uniquely a product of Father being Father..."
"Snow, correct."
"You two sure go back and forth between happy and dismayed, huh, Snow and Iris."
"The cause is that fool right there. Honestly, burdening your descendants with such worries across time and space..."
"Heheheheh! Being able to talk this kind of nonsense without thinking, laughing and crying and getting excited together, that's one of the great things about family too! Ahh, family really is the best!"
"—Ah, I see."
"Now, I think I understand."
"The reason that child wanted 'family' so badly... was perhaps because she loved this kind of warmth."
To be continued...