One hour later.
After unremitting effort, Annika finally completed a rich feast.
At the long table, Ron, Kaido, and Stussy stared at the plates and pots before them with different expressions. Suspicion was written clearly in all three pairs of eyes.
"This black thing... can really be eaten?" Stussy poked the charcoal-like object with a fork, full of deep doubt. She lifted her eyes slightly and looked at Annika, who stood beside the table full of expectation.
"Mm!" Annika nodded confidently, both hands folded in front of her. Her tone was sincere and carried a trace of apology. "Stussy-sama, I'm truly sorry. I didn't control the heat well, so it burned. But I guarantee it can be eaten!"
"Then what's this pot?" Ron asked in confusion too, stirring the brownish thick soup with a ladle.
"It's mutton, pork, beef, chicken... and some meat I don't know, all stewed together," Annika patiently explained. "I tasted it. It tastes very good!"
Ron fell silent.
Whitebeard fell silent.
Kaido fell silent too.
Stussy took a deep breath and slowly said, "Who taught you to cook like this? Tell me. I'm going to kill him."
"I'm sorry, Ron-sama, Kaido-sama, Stussy-sama..." Annika lowered her head, her pink hair covering half her face. "It's all because my cooking skills are poor."
Ron looked at her, then looked down at the pot of soup. Honestly, it looked terrible. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Hm? It was actually... pretty fragrant?
However, Ron did not think Annika had cooked it well. Most likely, it was because they had not eaten proper food for days.
-------------------------------------
A long while later.
On the sea, a pirate ship was slowly sailing away from that battered island.
Roger sat cross-legged beside the figurehead at the bow. One hand held a Den Den Mushi, while the other rested on his knee. His expression was heavier than usual.
"Sorry..." Roger's voice was slow. "In the end, we arrived too late. We couldn't stop the tragedy from happening."
The other end of the Den Den Mushi remained silent for a long time.
So long that Roger thought the other party had already hung up.
After a while, the Den Den Mushi's mouth twitched slightly, and a voice came through, choked and trying hard to suppress trembling.
"Did... did you find a body?"
"There were bodies." Roger's expression grew graver. "But because of the battle's aftermath, there were only severed limbs at the scene... We couldn't tell which body belonged to Annika."
"We searched the area and buried the severed remains we could find together. We set up a simple marker."
On the other end, the person finally could not hold back. A sob that had been suppressed for a long time came through the receiver.
Roger lowered his head slightly, hiding his expression. "Shakky, I'll help you find Ron and make him pay for what he's done."
"Ron?" On the other end, Shakky's voice suddenly rose, carrying obvious astonishment. "How does this involve Ron?"
Roger did not answer immediately. He shifted the Den Den Mushi to his other hand. "You've already reached cooperation with the Rocks Pirates, right? But while seizing treasure, that Ron ignored the condition you raised and indirectly caused Annika's death."
Shakky froze. Her mouth opened, and after several seconds, she forced out a sentence. "You... didn't you arrive late? How do you know these details?"
Roger's eyes flickered slightly. "I heard a more important inside story from Ochoku."
"They failed to split the spoils evenly and abandoned Ochoku. But before that, Ochoku personally saw Ron ignore the main condition you mentioned. In the battle with the Marines, all the imprisoned slaves died indirectly because of him."
Shakky fell silent.
She did not believe Ochoku would be kind enough to tell Roger the real situation. And even less that he would willingly reveal the shameful fact that he had been abandoned.
"You believe him?"
"I don't believe him. But I believe in his weakness. A man who values profit above all else will sell anyone out without mercy as long as the price I offer is high enough."
In Ochoku's statement, all responsibility pointed toward Ron.
And Ron was known across this sea as the Demon Butcher. For him, slaughtering innocents was as normal as drinking water.
Therefore, Ochoku's words were highly credible.
"Although we can't confirm that Ochoku's words are definitely true, at the very least, the logic has no problems," Roger said unhurriedly.
After a long while, a deep sigh came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"This was ultimately Annika's fate," Shakky said tiredly. "You've already done enough for me. You don't need to look for Ron anymore. Thank you very much, Roger."
After all, Ron was a member of the Rocks Pirates. Shakky did not want Annika's death to deepen the conflict between the innocent Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates. If that happened, it would harm the Roger Pirates.
Shakky paused, then added, "Finally... please tell me where you buried the remains."
"All right." Roger nodded lightly.
-------------------------------------
Two days later.
The New World, on a certain island.
The sea fog of early morning had just dispersed. Sunlight slanted through gaps in the clouds, coating the entire town in a faint layer of gold.
Ron and the others had gone ashore early. According to the agreement, they would wait here for all members of the Rocks Pirates to return.
After drifting on the sea for many days in a row, the moment their feet stepped on land felt especially comfortable.
Taking advantage of Ron's good mood, Annika carefully made a request. She wanted to walk around the island and stretch her legs.
Ron agreed.
The main reason... was that he had also gotten a little tired of staying on the ship.
The busy market was filled with voices.
Ron's steps unconsciously slowed as he felt the atmosphere of everyday life around him.
"Mr. Ron."
Annika suddenly turned around, walking backward a couple of steps as she asked, "Why did you become a pirate... was it for freedom?"
Through these days together, Annika had gradually come to feel that Ron was actually a good person.
Although he always scolded her for being stupid and never spared her with his mouth, every time she ruined a meal, Ron would patiently teach her. Mainly, it was so he could find someone who could cook dishes from his "hometown."
"To live," Ron said very calmly.
Annika froze, then said seriously, "But... if it's only about 'living,' there are many ways, aren't there? Like them, for example..."
"Their tomorrow rests on someone else's blade. Mine, whether tomorrow, the day after, or every tomorrow after that, must be held in my own palm."
"Living isn't breathing. It isn't a heartbeat. Living means your fate is judged by you."
For a moment, Annika could not fully understand the meaning in Ron's words. She only felt that those sentences were heavy.
Just then, a loud voice rang out behind Ron.
"Ron, good news!"