Soon, Yamato's subordinates finished searching through the wreckage. They returned having found only a small amount of Berry and several wooden boxes filled with various gemstones.
"Oh? You guys actually have a hobby of collecting gems? That's a pretty interesting thing to be into," Yamato said, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked over the loot.
The gemstones were stunning, varying in size, shape, and clarity. While some were high-grade jewels and others were slightly inferior, one thing was certain: they could all be sold for a high price. Besides their value, sparkling stones like these held a natural attraction for women. Even Yamato felt a strange, instinctive pull toward the shimmering treasures as she looked at them.
"Those are my gemstones!" a man shouted from the water, desperately clinging to a floating wooden plank.
"Yours?"
Yamato turned her gaze toward him. Her golden pupils were as brilliant as the sun, shining with an intensity that made it impossible for anyone to look her in the eye. Instantly, the man fell silent. His face turned pale, and his eyes filled with overwhelming fear. He found himself so terrified that he couldn't speak, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. He thought to himself that this woman was nothing less than a monster.
"Well, these gemstones belong to me now," Yamato said with a faint, sharp smile.
"Save us! Please! Our ship is gone. Let us board your vessel; we'll even join your crew!"
Suddenly, several other pirates began to clamor from the waves. Their pirate ship had been smashed to pieces, leaving them stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing around them. They knew they would surely die if they continued to drift, so they could only beg Yamato for mercy.
"Save you? Why should I? Hey, you guys don't actually think I'm some kind of hero, do you?" Yamato chuckled wickedly, looking every bit like a dangerous witch of the sea.
The expressions of the drowning men froze in horror. "Please, save us! As long as you let us on the ship, we'll do anything you ask!"
"That won't work. How can there be no price for doing something wrong? Fate was originally on your side, but you didn't cherish it. Therefore, you have to pay the price," Yamato replied with a cold, unforgiving smile.
Normally, when pirates met on the Grand Line, they would fight and plunder. Yamato had actually planned to let them be, but the other party had been foolish enough to fire their cannons first. They had brought this death upon themselves.
"Struggle all you want in this sea. It's best if you use your final moments to remember your mistake," Haruko added coldly, waving her hand to signal the crew.
The ship began to pull away, leaving the wreckage behind.
"No! Save us, please!"
"I don't want to die yet! I still have to find the Great Treasure!"
Seeing Yamato and the others leave them to fend for themselves, the pirates shouted out in utter desperation.
"The Great Treasure? That's a grand ambition. Don't worry, I'm sure there's a treasure waiting in heaven, too. Though, in your case, you'll probably end up in hell, so you can look for it down there," Yamato called back with a smirk.
Hearing those words, the survivors felt a chill run through their entire bodies.
"Why didn't you just kill us? You're a devil!" in their despair, they shouted with resentment, their faces contorted with rage.
"Yes, yes, I'm a devil. Well, bye-bye. If you somehow manage to survive, you're welcome to come find me for revenge. My name is Jack, so don't get it wrong!" Yamato waved her hand dismissively.
"Young Lord, aren't you afraid of Lord Jack finding out if you keep doing this?" Haruko asked, stepping up beside her.
Yamato shrugged. "They'd have to survive first for that to happen. Otherwise, how would Jack ever know? If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, he'll never find out."
Haruko just shook her head, silently hoping her Young Lord wouldn't make a habit of setting up Lord Jack like this.
"Hey, boys! Everyone gets a share! It's a gemstone giveaway!"
On the deck, Yamato opened the boxes and began distributing the gems to her subordinates. Regardless of her status, these men followed her orders, and whenever there was a profit to be made, she made it a point to share the wealth. It was her way of keeping them motivated and winning their loyalty.
"Thank you, Young Lord!"
The subordinates didn't refuse. Even if they didn't care for the jewelry itself, gemstones could be exchanged for a lot of Berry at any port.
"It's definitely best to follow the Young Lord. Every time we find something, we get a cut. The Young Lord is truly amazing!"
"That's right! Following her, we're going to be rich in no time!"
Soon, one entire box of gemstones had been handed out to the crew.
"Young Lord, aren't you spoiling these people a bit too much? You give them a portion of the harvest every single time," Haruko remarked.
"Am I? Everyone gets a share. It's just a little bit, like a work bonus. I'm not one of those black-hearted bosses," Yamato laughed. After a pause, she opened another box. "Haruko, you should pick some too. Take as many as you like. We women need to treat ourselves better."
Haruko thought about it for a moment and decided not to refuse, picking out a few stones that caught her eye.
"I'll join in too. With so many gemstones, it would be a waste not to wear them. I'm going to really dress myself up," Yamato said, beginning to sift through the pile.
Half an hour later, Haruko was absolutely stunned when she saw the transformed Yamato standing before her. "Young... Lord..."
"Haha! Haruko, how is it? Do I look cool? Do I look pretty?"
Yamato spread her arms, proudly showing off the results of her "styling." She was practically covered in gemstones, sparkling so brightly she could blind someone. They were hanging from her hands, her feet, her neck, and her head. She had even managed to hang several colorful stones from her horns. At a single glance, she exuded the chaotic aura of a nouveau riche tycoon.
"Sigh." Haruko pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling a deep sense of embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and pulled Yamato aside. "Young Lord, you really don't understand the first thing about women's fashion."
"That's a bit much, Haruko! I carefully considered this outfit. I spent a long time choosing the sizes and coordinating the colors; it matches me perfectly!" Yamato retorted, launching into an explanation. In her mind, rich people wore gold and silver, so she would wear gemstones. It was supposed to be high-end and classy.
"It's not like that at all. Forget it, just let me do it," Haruko said, sighing as she began to pluck the gems off Yamato.
After a while, the removed stones formed a large pile on the deck. The total number of gems, both large and small, exceeded fifty. No normal person would ever wear so many at once. Furthermore, with that many stones on her, the weight was actually quite heavy.
"Ah! My carefully selected gems! Haruko, why are you taking them all off?" Yamato complained.
"Young Lord, just stay still," Haruko said, pressing down on Yamato's head to keep her in place as she began to properly arrange the jewelry.
Seeing how serious Haruko was, Yamato finally stopped moving. "Haruko, I'm warning you, this is a challenge to my personal taste. I don't believe you can coordinate these better than I did!"
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