They didn't stay long in Shells Town. After replenishing fresh water and food, Kaguya took Perona and left.
Before departing, Kaguya placed her hand on Kuina's head and sealed a ninjutsu technique inside her body. If Kuina encountered any danger or accident, the ninjutsu would automatically activate to protect her.
This wasn't a pointless act of kindness. In the original story, Kuina died after falling from a ladder while fetching a whetstone, suffering fatal injuries. There was no guarantee such an accident wouldn't happen again.
To prevent that, Kaguya sealed the technique inside her. Kuina was a likable girl—it would be too much of a pity if she died like that.
As for Zoro from the original, Kaguya hadn't encountered him at Koushirou's dojo. Could it be that Zoro hadn't appeared yet at this point?
More likely, that directionless wanderer had simply gotten lost again.
In any case, it didn't matter to Kaguya anymore.
Perhaps for others, sailing was a thrilling adventure or an exciting exploration of the unknown. But for Kaguya, it was utterly dull.
It was like asking someone who could freely fly at 10,000 meters to ride a rollercoaster—there was no thrill to be found.
That was exactly how Kaguya felt. Whether it was the unpredictable sea weather, the ferocious Sea Kings, or the rampant pirates, she paid them no mind. To her, they were utterly insignificant—not even worth being concerned about.
Just like now.
"Hey! Stop right there! This is a robbery!"
"You'd better be obedient and hand over anything of value on that ship!"
"Try anything funny, and we'll blow you to pieces with our cannons! Haha!"
"Hahahaha!"
Blocking the path of their small boat was a massive ship, several times larger than Kaguya's. Though it looked a bit old, the pirate flag on the mast made it clear they weren't to be trifled with.
"Shut up already!" Perona marched forward angrily, shouting, "What kind of street punks are you? Blocking my way—are you looking to die?!"
The pirates aboard the ship froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"A little squirt like her, mouthing off like that?"
"She's clearly just a little girl!"
"A brat like that should be at home with her mommy instead of sailing the seas!"
"Hey now, hand over your valuables and maybe we'll let you live, out of pity for you!"
"Yeah, haha!"
Perona turned red with rage, shouting, "You're all done for! If you want a harsh beating, then I'll give it to you!"
"Hey hey, did you hear that? She says she's gonna teach us a lesson!"
"Hahaha, what a riot!"
"Ow, my stomach's hurting from laughing so hard!"
"What a childish brat."
Just as Perona was about to explode, a stunning girl with waterfall-like long hair walked out of the cabin, yawning.
"Seriously, what's going on? So noisy... Don't you know it's nap time?"
In an instant, the atmosphere turned completely silent. The pirates on the enemy ship stared blankly, all showing dazed, mesmerized expressions.
Was it even possible for someone to be this beautiful?
"It was these guys who blocked our path and tried to rob us," Perona said angrily.
"Eh," Kaguya glanced at the pirate ship with sleepy eyes. "Just a bunch of small fry. Kill them and be done with it."
However, hearing such blunt words only seemed to excite the pirates further. Their infatuated expressions didn't waver—if anything, they grew even more intense.
"She said she's going to kill us!"
"Come on, little lady, do it!"
"Yeah, yeah, we won't resist~"
"Didn't expect someone to make such a weird request," Kaguya yawned. "Well, if you all want to die, then go ahead and die."
As she spoke, she raised her arm. A black orb crackling with lightning suddenly materialized in her pale palm, radiating a terrifying, soul-shaking energy.
At that moment, the pirates started realizing something wasn't quite right. The pressure made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up.
Before they could say anything, it was already too late.
The black orb tore through the air, launching at the pirate ship in a split second like a bolt of lightning.
"Mini Tailed Beast Ball."
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted.
In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb smashed into the pirate ship, and with overwhelming force, the massive vessel was shredded into fragments.
Wood splinters scattered, blood and limbs flew.
A violent shockwave from the blast roared outward in expanding rings, creating towering waves across the sea.
When it was all over, the surface of the water gradually returned to calm.
The ship that had blocked their way was gone without a trace. Only the debris floating on the ocean proved it had ever been there.
"Hey! Were you trying to kill me too?!" Perona shouted furiously, completely soaked.
If she hadn't dodged in time, she might have been swept into the sea by the shockwave.
"Don't be so dramatic. It wasn't a big deal," Kaguya replied nonchalantly.
"It's exactly because you have that careless attitude that it's dangerous!" Perona yelled, fuming. "Idiot! Big idiot!"
"If that happens again, just handle it like that," Kaguya mumbled sleepily as she wobbled back toward the cabin. "I'm going back to sleep."
"Hey, hey, how unfair!"
At the same time, a figure floated on the distant waves, glaring toward the small boat with gritted teeth.
"Using sea mines... That was way too underhanded."
He was one of the pirates who had been on the now-destroyed ship. But he obviously couldn't believe that a fragile-looking beauty could have blown up a ship nearly a hundred meters long. He was convinced it was a sea mine that caused the blast.
"I have to report this to Captain Krieg immediately." With that, he began paddling furiously toward the horizon.
Although the cabin's fridge had plenty of food stocked up, the sea voyage—especially in hot weather—meant even a fridge couldn't keep things perfectly preserved.
Not long after leaving Shells Town, the fresh fruits and vegetables had already spoiled.
Going without fresh produce was unacceptable. Just as Kaguya began to feel troubled, a shadow appeared on the horizon, making her eyes light up.
When they sailed closer, they realized it wasn't an island as Kaguya had imagined, but a sailing ship. Though it looked a bit odd, resembling a fat-headed fish, the "fish" also had wings on both sides that supported it on the surface of the sea.
"Baratie: The Sea Restaurant."
Kaguya blinked. That name sounded strangely familiar.
"Welcome, miss. Are you here to dine?" At that moment, a burly man with a thick beard and an apron enthusiastically greeted them.
He looked somewhat like a waiter, but his overly obsequious expression was downright nauseating. Kaguya even suspected that his presence might be dragging down the restaurant's business.
"Yes, that's right." Kaguya headed straight into the restaurant.
"Ugh, that guy's so gross," Perona pinched her nose with a disgusted look. She clearly couldn't handle his enthusiasm.
The man didn't seem to mind, and with a goofy smile, he gestured and said, "Two lovely ladies, please come in. What would you like to eat?"
"Just bring us something random," Kaguya said as she and Perona found a seat by the window.
"Of course! I'll let the kitchen know right away." The man quickly bustled off to the kitchen.
"Who would've thought there'd be a restaurant like this out at sea? Quite surprising," Perona said in amazement.
"The atmosphere isn't bad," Kaguya noted as she glanced around the restaurant.
The interior was simply yet elegantly decorated. It was spotless, with no trace of dust, showing how much care the owner put into maintaining it.
A young boy with golden hair, around Perona's age, came out carrying a tray.
Judging by the boy's age, the restaurant's business clearly wasn't booming—they were even hiring child labor.
But that made sense. After all, it was in the middle of the vast ocean with no roads or signs. Only those familiar with these waters could make their way here.
With few customers, business naturally struggled. And operating at sea meant daily transport of fresh ingredients, significantly raising costs. It was no wonder sea restaurants were so rare.
The boy walked over and placed the dishes on the table, saying, "Hello guests, here is your juice, fruit salad, and veal steak..."
But midway through his sentence, he suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Kaguya asked, puzzled by his silence, and looked up.
She saw the boy staring in awe at the two girls at the table, eyes bulging, mouth agape, and drooling slightly.
"Disgusting," Perona said, frowning and scooting closer to Kaguya with a look of revulsion.
When Kaguya looked at the boy, her eyes narrowed. This kid was...
Hearing Perona's comment snapped him out of it. The boy struck a pose he thought was cool, cleared his throat, and said with forced charm, "Ahem... beautiful ladies, may I..."
If those words came from an adult, they might not have seemed strange. But from a ten-year-old? It was downright laughable.
Kaguya didn't respond. Instead, she pointed behind him.
Still trying to act suave, the boy said, "Don't worry, miss. The food is ready. I prepared it myself with great care. Please enjoy it—you won't be disappointed."
Kaguya coughed lightly. "I meant, someone's behind you."
The boy froze. Before he could turn around, a fist the size of a bowl came crashing down on his head.
"You little brat! What are you slacking off for?! Get back to work!"
The person standing behind the boy was a burly middle-aged man. The most striking features were his towering chef's hat and the two braided mustaches on his face. One of his legs seemed to be injured, replaced by a prosthetic limb strapped to his thigh.
The boy sat on the floor, holding his head, and shouted in protest, "Stupid old man, why'd you hit me again?!"
"I told you to serve the food, not harass the guests! Now get back to the kitchen and help out, you little brat!" the man scolded, raising his hand as if to strike again.
"Hmph, fine, I'll go! What's the big deal, you old fart!" The boy got up, patted the dust off his clothes, and stomped off toward the kitchen.
Kaguya smiled knowingly. She had figured out which restaurant this was.
If she wasn't mistaken, that pervy little brat just now must have been Sanji, and the middle-aged man before her was likely Red-Leg Zeff.
No wonder the restaurant had seemed so familiar at first glance. It was them.
She hadn't expected to run into them here. What a pleasant surprise.
"Sorry about that. That little rascal caused you trouble," Zeff said apologetically.
"It's fine," Kaguya replied with a casual smile.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the restaurant.
"Bad news! Krieg is approaching with his fleet!"
"That bastard Krieg? What the hell is he doing here?!"
"He must be here to plunder us! We can't let that scumbag have his way!"
Zeff furrowed his brow, turned back toward the girls, and said, "Sorry, something came up. Please enjoy your meal." With that, he headed outside.
But before he could get far—BOOM!—a loud crash echoed, and someone was flung into the restaurant, slamming heavily to the ground. It was one of the waiters.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal, truly, but I'm afraid it can't be helped. Just bear with it, haha!"
A loud, arrogant voice rang out.
A tall, heavily built man clad in golden armor walked in with a wide, smug grin.
"Krieg!"
Someone immediately recognized him.
"Isn't that the infamous pirate Krieg with a bounty of 17 million?!"
"Wasn't he supposed to be headed to the Grand Line? Why is he here?!"
"This is bad. That guy's a notorious villain."
Panic erupted in the restaurant. Guests jumped from their chairs in alarm, some attempting to slip away quietly, but with Krieg blocking the door, escape was impossible.
Seeing the fear on everyone's faces, Krieg smirked smugly.
"What are you doing here?" Zeff came out and said sternly, "This is my place. Don't cause trouble here."
"Cause trouble?" Krieg mocked. "Old man, don't flatter yourself. This is just a shabby little restaurant."
He then raised his leg and kicked a table over.
"What exactly do you want?" Zeff asked, barely containing his anger.
"What do I want?" Krieg grinned. "I'm just looking for two people."
As he spoke, Krieg turned his head, his gaze landing on the dining Kaguya and Perona.
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