"Alright, that's enough," Annie said with a helpless smile as Mobius and the others wiped at their eyes. "You always cry like this."
"No," Mobius said firmly, "Big Sister Annie's kindness is unforgettable."
He meant it.
As a half-blood Snake-Neck child, he had grown up hated, bullied, treated like an outcast. Annie was the first person outside of his ragtag band who had ever cared for him.
"Our motto is this!" Mobius raised a finger to the sky. "Everything is for Big Sister Annie's safety! Until we fall, no one can touch her!"
His little army roared in unison, voices echoing across the street.
Annie sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, fine. Just… follow at a distance, and don't disturb me." She turned to Teach with a grin. "Come on, let's go."
"Where to, my Queen?" Teach asked, amused.
"The amusement park!" Annie beamed, bolting off like the child she still was.
Teach followed at an easy pace, chuckling to himself. After weeks of grueling training at sea and braving the New World's unpredictable storms, this was the first time he'd felt truly relaxed.
Seth Island was a famous resort spot in the New World, and its amusement park was the crown jewel. Colorful, noisy, packed with tourists, it raked in mountains of Berries every day.
Annie ran straight for a ride called the Spinning Giant Bowl. It was simple; sit in a massive bowl-shaped platform, grab the disk in the center, and spin until your head felt like jelly.
"Ahaha! So fast!" Annie laughed wildly, cranking the disk until the world blurred around her.
Teach, who had never touched such a contraption, tilted his head in curiosity.
"Your turn, Teach!" Annie cried, slowing the bowl and gesturing for him to take over.
"You sure?" Teach grinned, eyes twinkling.
"Of course! Today I'm the queen so you have to obey me!" Annie declared proudly.
"Zehahaha! As you command."
Teach set his massive hands on the disk. His grin widened. "Better hold on tight, my Queen. My speed's no joke..."
Before Annie could retort, he spun the disk with terrifying force. The bowl roared to life, far faster than before. To the onlookers, Annie and Teach blurred into unseeable streaks.
"Waaah!" Annie screamed, her body bouncing in the seat. Then her screams shifted into exhilarated laughter. "Faster! Teach, this is amazing!"
"Zehahaha! I told you, this is nothing. I can go even faster!"
"Do it!" Annie shouted. "If I fly out, you'll catch me, right?"
"Of course, my Queen!"
He spun the disk again, harder. Annie's grip slipped. In the next instant, she was airborne, flung high into the sky.
"Big Sister Annie!" Mobius and his crew gawked from afar, their mouths hanging open.
Annie shrieked, eyes clamped shut, until she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. She opened them to find Teach's grinning face inches from hers.
"Caught you," Teach said simply.
Annie buried her face against him, heart pounding, but full of trust.
Teach landed lightly on the ground, still holding her in a princess carry.
Annie flushed, wriggling free. "That… that was close. But so fun! Let's go again!"
And just like that, she sprinted off toward the next ride.
For two hours they tore through the park, from rides to games to endless snacks. Eventually Annie slowed, dango skewers in hand, cheeks flushed with joy.
"Teach," she said softly, "you'll be leaving soon, won't you?"
Teach gave her a calm smile. "That's right. I've got my own journey to follow."
Annie looked down, suddenly quiet.
Before she could say more, a thunderous boom split the air.
The ground trembled. Then came another explosion, and another.
Screams erupted as smoke billowed over the port.
At the Marine branch, Vice Admiral Anthony slammed his fist against his desk, Den Den Mushi crackling with reports.
"Blood Scythe Barton…" Anthony muttered, veins bulging at his temple. "And I only hear of this now?!"
A great pirate worth 700 million, Barton was steering his fleet straight for Seth Island.
"Too late to intercept," Anthony growled. "Evacuate the coast. Prepare to make our stand at the port!"
He donned his coat of justice. In his mind's eye, he saw two faces, one gentle, one lovely.
He clenched his jaw. For them, I fight to the death.
Out at sea, Barton's fleet bore down on Seth Island. His massive flagship cut through the waves, flanked by four warships. Their sails flew a crimson sigil; a skull behind a slanted, dripping scythe.
Barton himself was a mountain of a man, a black coat on his back and an eyepatch across one eye. His right hand morphed into a giant, glistening scythe as he barked orders.
"Faster, you worms! Delay me for even a minute, and I'll feed you to the sea!"
A sailor dared to protest. "Captain, Seth Island is large, its factions won't take this lightly. And the Marine Vice Admiral there..."
"Shut your mouth!" Barton roared. His scythe flashed, cleaving the man clean in half. Blood sprayed across the deck. Barton licked it from his blade with a smile.
"I'm Barton! A 700 million man! What's one Vice Admiral to me?!"
The crew roared in fear and awe.
"Fire the cannons!" Barton bellowed. "Burn their port to ashes!"
Moments later, the harbor of Seth Island exploded in a storm of fire and smoke. Warships, merchant ships, even civilian boats were obliterated. Screams filled the air.
Anthony's Marines scrambled into formation. "Rescue civilians first!" Anthony commanded. "Then with me to face the Blood Scythe Pirates head-on!"
He kicked into the sky with Moonwalk, streaking toward the battlefield.
Back on the central street, Annie licked sweet dango from her fingers when the explosions shook the ground. Her eyes widened as panicked citizens stampeded past.
"Teach… what's happening?" she whispered.
Teach's smile faded. The air smelled of smoke and blood.
The storm had come to Seth Island.