With Peiwa joining in, the pot of glutinous rice dumplings was emptied in no time.Yashiro couldn't help glancing at the large woman in front of him with a strange sense of admiration. As expected, her figure wasn't just for show—her appetite truly lived up to it. Peiwa devoured the dumplings without hesitation, burped loudly a few times, and rubbed her round stomach in satisfaction.
"Hey—kid," Peiwa said, grinning as she jabbed a thumb at him, "you've got real talent in the kitchen. How about learning to cook under me from now on?"
Yashiro was in the middle of clearing bowls and wiping down the large pot. When he heard Peiwa's offer, he raised his head thoughtfully."Sure," he said, "but my 50 Berries still count. Don't think you can cheat me."
Peiwa's face twisted, her cheeks puffing up with irritation."You brat! Why are you so stingy? Even now you're clinging to that tiny amount? Once you become a real chef, you'll earn way more than that!"
"Hmph! Old lady, I think you're just trying to scam me," Yashiro shot back, slamming his small fist on the table with exaggerated bravado. "In that case, I might as well stick to washing dishes!"
"Alright, alright! I'll give you your 50 Berries, okay?!"
In the end, Peiwa relented. After all, she had already recognized Yashiro's natural talent—if someone nurtured him a little, he could really become a proper chef someday.Besides, the glutinous rice dumplings alone could already become a steady source of income for the tavern. They were delicious, easy to prepare, and would definitely sell well for a while simply because they were new.
Seeing Peiwa finally agree, Yashiro allowed himself a satisfied smile. Helping in the kitchen and learning to cook was a much better job than washing dishes all day—and it came with pay. Why wouldn't he take it?
"It's getting late. I should head home," Peiwa said as she grabbed her coat. Before leaving, she turned with an oddly twisted grin. "Make sure you lock up. Don't let strangers in. With this snowstorm… who knows what might come out."
Her sudden eerie tone made both Yashiro and Nico Robin jump.Seeing their reactions, Peiwa nodded in satisfaction and waddled out into the snow.
After she left, Nico Robin tugged on Yashiro's sleeve, her little voice trembling."Yashiro… do you think snow monsters really exist?"
"You grew up on this island," Yashiro replied with a casual shrug. "You should know better than me."
"I think they're real," she whispered. "And maybe there's more than one. Otherwise children wouldn't keep disappearing whenever it snows. What's even scarier is… some children go missing from inside their homes. No footprints, no broken windows, nothing. It's like something walked right in without being noticed."
Yashiro fell silent, lowering his head as he thought."There are plenty of strange creatures in the One Piece world," he muttered, "but none that can slip into a house without leaving any trace. And this isn't the first time it's happened in this town. With everyone already on high alert, yet still losing children… that means the snow monster must have some ability to sneak in—like passing through walls, blurring itself, or elementalization like a Logia fruit user."
But after a moment, Yashiro shook his head."No way something that powerful would appear on a tiny island like this."
That left only one possibility:Someone inside the house opened the door willingly.
"In that case," Yashiro continued in his mind, "the snow monster might have disguise abilities… like transformation jutsu."
Or another possibility—There was no monster at all.
Just a human pretending to be one.
Someone the children trusted enough to open the door for.
In his previous life, Yashiro had been an elite chunin. He wasn't unfamiliar with gathering and analyzing information. Piecing the clues together, a rough picture began to form.
"Robin," Yashiro asked suddenly, "were all those kids alone at home when they disappeared?"
Nico Robin shook her head."I don't know… but I heard the neighbors didn't hear anything. It was like the kids just vanished."
"I see…" Yashiro muttered, sinking deeper into thought.
Robin leaned closer, poking his cheek with her small finger."What are you thinking about?"
Yashiro smiled faintly."Nothing much. I just figured out something important about the snow monster. I'll tell you, but don't tell anyone else."
"I won't! I promise!"
Yashiro told her his theories—about disguise, infiltration, human involvement, and the likelihood that several people were cooperating to create fake 'snow monster' incidents.
Robin listened wide-eyed and nodded seriously.
"It makes sense," she whispered.
Truth was, Yashiro was already certain: the disappearances were man-made. Someone in the town was covering it up, maintaining the legend of the snow monster and steering suspicion away.If the culprits were really 'snow monsters,' then their intelligence would be terrifyingly high.
"No matter which world it is," Yashiro sighed, "there are always people who pretend to be ghosts and monsters."
He hated this kind of criminal in his previous life. He would've beaten them to death without hesitation.But now… he was just a child. Weak. Powerless.If he told an adult his suspicion, no one would believe him. Worse—the culprits might target him next.
"It's so frustrating…" He scratched his head in irritation.
But then he forced a smile."Ah, forget it. Maybe I'm overthinking."
Robin immediately noticed the gloom lingering on his face."Yashiro… are you okay?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's already late anyway, and it's not safe outside. Why don't you stay here tonight?" Yashiro suggested, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously. "We can play the thrilling, high-level game known as… backgammon!"
He was trying to distract her.He didn't want her walking home alone in the storm—who knew what could happen out there?
"Back…gammon?" Robin tilted her head.
"Wait here!" Yashiro hopped off the bed, rummaged around in the warehouse, and found an old wooden board. He carved crude lines into it with a small knife, forming a chessboard. Then he scooped up a handful of rice and wheat grains and rushed back.
"Okay, listen up. Backgammon is a strategy game for two players…"He enthusiastically explained the rules, proudly displaying his improvised board.
Robin nodded slowly, half understanding and half confused.
Perfect."She's totally a beginner," Yashiro thought smugly. "This is my chance."
They began their match.At first, Yashiro held the advantage thanks to his experience.
But soon…
He was utterly crushed.
"Let's play again!" Robin beamed, gripping his hand tightly.
Yashiro looked like a defeated veteran who had fought three wars in one night."L-let's rest… it's late… so tired…"
He stuffed the board away, crawled under the quilt, and pretended to be dead.
Robin puffed her cheeks but eventually crawled into the blankets too.Outside, the wind howled and snow slammed against the house.Soon, both children drifted into sleep.
But at the same time, other people were wandering through the freezing night.
Among them, a small figure trudged through the deserted street, calling out desperately.
"Nanako! Where are you?!"
Roji, wearing a gray coat and a round hat, stumbled through the snowstorm, shouting as tears mixed with the icy wind.
"Nanako… I'm sorry… I should've taken you with me…""Nanako… please answer me… ahhhh…!"
His cries were swallowed by the storm—raw, painful, and heartbreaking.