"Anna, Anna! Where are you? It's time to go home!"A middle-aged man's voice echoed through the crowd, calling out anxiously.
"Oh—Dad's here!" Anna waved toward the voice. "Marco, looks like we'll have to meet again next time. My dad came to pick me up."
"Go on, little girl," Sachi teased with a grin. "Still need your daddy to come get you, huh?"
"Hmph! If I'm a little girl, then you're definitely an uncle!" Anna replied, eyes curving into mischievous crescents.
"Uncle?!" Sachi's eyes widened. "You dare call me uncle? Do I look that old to you? How old do you even think I am?!"
Marco chuckled quietly beside them, his voice deep and amused. "Haha, Uncle Sachi is escorting the little girl home."
"Uncle Sachi, haha!" Anna chimed in, giggling.
"Haha, Sachi, stop denying it," another crew member called out. "You're totally our uncle now!"
The whole group burst into laughter, filling the night air with warmth.
Sachi crossed his arms, grumbling, "Tch, I might be old, but you lot aren't much better."
The laughter died down for a moment, then returned in waves as the pirates started talking about something else.
"Hmph! A bunch of jokers with nothing better to do than laugh," Sachi muttered, then turned to Anna. "Go on, little girl. Your dad'll start worrying. And remember—it's Brother Sachi, got it?"
He escorted her toward the edge of the harbor.
"Marco," Vista said from behind, watching Anna leave. "That girl's pretty lively, isn't she?"
"Yeah," Izo agreed with a smirk. "Marco's little Anna is quite the cute one."
Marco shot them both a half-lidded glare. "What exactly are you two trying to say? Don't beat around the bush."
Vista chuckled. "You're always complaining none of us can handle your paperwork or accounting. There's your apprentice! She's got a good head on her shoulders—and she can swing a sword too. She won't be defenseless out there. And with the whole crew watching her back, what's the harm?"
Izo nodded. "Vista's right, Marco. Don't take it so seriously."
"You two didn't even ask if she wants to come aboard," Marco replied dryly. "You're just trying to rope her in on your own."
Vista laughed. "Then ask her next time. You're too uptight, Marco."
"Or maybe you two are just too shameless," Marco muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "We'll talk about this another time."
With that, he escaped toward where Whitebeard was sitting.
Whitebeard's booming laughter greeted him before he even spoke. "Gurararara! Marco, my son, you look exhausted. If you need a helper, don't hesitate. You work too hard."
Marco smiled softly. "It's fine, Pops. I'm not tired. Being this busy… makes me happy, actually."
Whitebeard's laughter shook the deck. "Gurarara! My son, it's good to enjoy your work, but even so—you should relax sometimes. If you want that little girl aboard, I'll allow it. Of course, only if she agrees."
Marco nodded. "Understood, Dad."
— The Cute Dividing Line —
"Anna, why were you at the Whitebeard Pirates' banquet?" her father asked casually as they walked home, his hand holding hers firmly.
"I went to deliver some wine," Anna said cheerfully. "They invited me to stay for dinner! Oh, and Marco was super nice—he even turned into a phoenix and took me flying through the sky!"
Her father smiled, watching her skip ahead, eyes shining like stars. "Looks like our little Anna had a wonderful day."
Seeing her so happy, his heart softened, and his impression of the Whitebeard Pirates grew even warmer.
When they reached the family shop, Anna's mother was already standing at the door, looking worried.
"Anna! Where have you been? You're home so late!" she scolded gently.
Anna immediately ran into her mother's arms. "Mom, I'm fine! I had a great time today! I ate so much delicious food—and I even flew in the sky!"
Her mother sighed, brushing her daughter's hair. "Next time, tell us first, okay? Don't make us worry so much."
"Okay, okay, Mom. I'm really fine!" Anna laughed, wriggling away. "I'm going to wash up and get ready for bed!"
She hurried inside, still humming happily to herself. Today had truly been a perfect day.
That night, Anna lay in bed wearing her favorite pajamas.As she closed her eyes, her consciousness drifted away—and when she opened them again, she was standing in the Dream World.
"Hmm… we've had enough parties for today," she murmured, floating through the dream mist. "Let's skip Shanks' dream tonight."
Her gaze landed on a swirling black sphere ahead. "Ah… this is Doflamingo's dream."
A chill ran down her spine.
"I really want to give him a pleasant dream," she muttered. "But… I'm kind of terrified of being noticed by him. How can I even approach this?"
She floated closer, peering into the nightmare's surface, watching scenes of cruelty and ambition flicker inside."For Doflamingo, maybe not dreaming at all would be the sweetest dream," she reasoned. "I've turned plenty of nightmares into peaceful dreams before—this should be simple."
Anna gathered the shimmering orbs of beautiful dreams she had collected, pressing them gently toward the dark nightmare sphere."If I can neutralize his nightmare energy without entering the dream itself, it should work…"
But the moment the two energies met—
A violent pull yanked her forward.
"Ahhhhhhh—what's happening?!" she screamed as she was swallowed by the nightmare.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying face-first in dirt. The air smelled burnt and twisted.Brushing herself off, she groaned, "What just happened…?"
She replayed the moment in her head. "I tried to neutralize Doflamingo's nightmare, but the energy was too strong. My dream energy wasn't enough—and when Doflamingo resisted the nightmare, I got dragged in too… oh no."
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Leave the dream. Return to the Dream World."
Nothing happened.
"Wha—? Why can't I get out?!" Panic set in. "Do I seriously have to wait until Doflamingo wakes up before I'm ejected?!"
Anna looked around. The landscape was desolate, lifeless. There was no sense of time or direction—only endless emptiness.
She sighed deeply. "I really don't want to see Doflamingo unless I absolutely have to. He's way too smart. If he realizes I don't belong here… he might actually track me down."
She pressed a hand to her forehead in frustration. "Ugh, what a headache. But I can't avoid it forever. This is his dream… and even if I try to hide, the dream itself will pull me toward him."
Her expression twisted with reluctant resolve.
"I just hope his dream isn't too bloody this time…"
She scratched her head, staring at the crimson sky above the twisted cityscape.Then, with a small sigh, she whispered to herself—
"Here goes nothing."