Chapter 141 - 2

His head turned. On the corner of the market street stood an open-fronted restaurant with round tables and a painted sign showing a steaming bowl with grilled sky-fish curled across the top. The smell coming from inside was rich and smoky, full of cooked fish, broth, and something that made his mouth water instantly.

Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Food."

A young waitress in a neat apron noticed him standing in front of the entrance. Her polite smile faltered when she saw his lack of wings. "Oh. A Blue Sea dweller?"

"Yep," Luffy said.

Her gaze dropped to the silver pendant hanging from his neck, and the tension in her shoulders eased. "You entered legally, I see. Welcome. Table for one?"

"Yeah."

She turned to lead him inside.

Luffy paused, then added, "Maybe ten."

The waitress looked back. "Ten people?"

"No. Ten tables."

Her smile froze for a second.

Luffy grinned. "I'm hungry."

She gave a polite little laugh, clearly deciding he was joking. "Right this way."

Luffy sat down.

Five minutes later, the first bowl arrived. Then the second. Then the third.

After that, the kitchen stopped sending food out in courses and started sending it out in waves. Fried sky-fish, soft bread, bowls of soup, grilled shellfish, steamed dumplings, fruit, roasted skewers, and several dishes Luffy could not name arrived one after another. He did not ask what most of them were. By the time he thought of a question, the food was already in his mouth.

The waitress stared as empty plates began stacking beside him.

The chef leaned halfway out of the kitchen, still holding a pan. "Is he eating the garnish?"

The waitress watched Luffy swallow a decorative cloud-leaf whole. "He already did."

The chef stared.

Luffy held up his bowl. "More!"

The waitress blinked. "More?"

"Yeah. This fish is great."

"Thank you. It was caught fresh this morning."

"Then catch more."

The waitress opened her mouth, closed it, then looked helplessly toward the kitchen.

The chef slowly disappeared back inside.

More food arrived. Then more.

By the time Luffy finally leaned back, the plates beside him had become a small tower. His belly had rounded comically beneath his red vest, and he looked profoundly satisfied. "That was great!" he said.

The waitress approached carefully, bill in hand. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, your bill."

Luffy blinked. "Bill?"

Her smile tightened. "For the food."

"Oh." He patted his pockets, then frowned. "I don't have money."

The waitress went very still.

The chef peeked out again.

Luffy snapped his fingers. "But I know a guy."

"You… know a guy?"

"Yeah. Levin." Luffy nodded proudly. "He has jars of dirt."

The waitress stared. "Dirt?"

"Not dirt. The special dirt." He scratched his cheek, thinking hard. "The one everybody here likes."

The chef stepped farther out. "Does he mean Vearth?"

"Yeah! That!" Luffy grinned. "Levin can pay you with that."

The waitress and chef both stared at him.

Luffy stood, his bloated belly wobbling slightly as he stretched both arms over his head. "I'll tell him."

"Sir," the waitress said weakly. "You still need to pay now."

"I just said I'll tell him," Luffy replied, already waddling toward the door. "Thanks for the food!"

He stepped into the street, looked left, then right, and immediately perked up when he spotted another food stall.

"Ooh. Meat."

The waitress and chef stood in the entrance, watching him wander away.

The waitress looked back at the mountain of empty plates.

Her eye twitched.

…

Zoro did not know where he was, nor did it bother him.

He was walking through town. Towns had streets. Streets went somewhere. Therefore, he was not lost. The destination was simply taking its time showing up.

Several Skypieans stared as he passed the same fruit stand for the third time.

Zoro frowned at the street ahead. "This place is laid out stupid."

It was not.

Eventually, he turned down a side road and spotted a painted sign hanging from two cords above a half-open doorway. It showed a smiling sky-fish beside a bottle and cup.

Cloudfin Tavern.

Zoro's expression shifted. Kevin said this place was where he got that booze. It wasn't half-bad.

He stepped inside.

The tavern was smaller and cleaner than the rough drinking holes Zoro preferred, with carved wood around the entrance and shaped clouds worked into the walls. Wind chimes sang softly near the doorway, while a pair of Tone Dials tucked near the rafters played a mellow string tune.

A narrow bar ran along the far wall. Behind it, bottles of pale liquor stood in neat rows. Several sky-fish hung curing near a kitchen archway, giving the place a faintly salty smell.

Only a few locals were inside. Their eyes moved to Zoro's swords first, then to his lack of wings, then to the silver pendant hanging at his chest. Once they saw it, most of them looked away.

Zoro ignored them and sat at the counter.

Behind the bar stood a broad-shouldered Skypiean man in his forties, wearing a loose grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looked up from polishing a cup.

"Heso."

Zoro stared at him. "You sneezing or greeting me?"

The bartender paused. "Greeting you."

"Right." He rested one elbow on the bar. "Strongest thing you've got."

The bartender glanced toward the window. "It is still morning."

"Didn't ask what time it was."

A local at the end of the bar choked softly into his cup.

The bartender studied Zoro for another second, then set the cup down. "You are sure?"

Zoro gave him a flat look.

The bartender reached for a bottle. "Strongest thing, then."

The first drink went down easily. The second had a strange fruit taste that almost ruined the burn. The third was better. By the fourth, Zoro had settled into quiet judgment, testing each bottle like he was choosing a sword.

The local at the end of the bar leaned closer. "Do all Blue Sea dwellers drink like that?"

Zoro glanced at him. "No."

The man relaxed slightly.

"Some drink more."

He stiffened again.

The bartender gave a small, careful cough. "Is it true the Blue Sea has oceans deep enough to swallow whole mountains?"

"Yeah."

The local's eyes widened. "And people live there?"

"Yeah."

"By choice?"

Zoro took another drink. "Usually."

"That sounds terrifying."

"You get used to it."

The bartender eyed him. "To drowning?"

"To the ocean."

"That is not much better."

Zoro shrugged. "Depends on the day."

By the time the bartender placed another bottle in front of him, a neat row of marks had been made on a small slate beside the counter.

Zoro noticed it vaguely.

"What's that?"

"Your tab."

Zoro nodded once. "Fine."

The bartender waited.

Zoro stared back.

The bartender's expression slowly tightened. "You do have extol, yes?"

Zoro blinked. "Extol?"

"Skypiea's currency."

"Oh right." He looked down at his pockets like they had personally betrayed him. Then he leaned back, completely unbothered. "I know a guy."

The bartender did not look reassured. "A guy."

"Yeah. Tall guy. Muscular. Dark hair."

The bartender stared. "The other Blue Sea dweller?"

"Yeah. Him." Zoro picked up the new bottle. "He can pay. You take dirt, right?"

…

After several minutes of walking down the street and trying very hard to ignore the stares Chopper drew from passing townspeople, Usopp stopped.

Chopper looked up at him. "Usopp?"

The sniper frowned, rubbing his chin. "I feel it."

"Feel what?"

"A warning from my warrior instincts."

Chopper gasped. "Really?"

Usopp closed his eyes with grave importance. "A brave warrior of the sea must listen when danger whispers."

Chopper leaned closer. "What's it saying?"

Usopp's eyes opened and slid past him to a narrow storefront packed with shells of every shape and size. His expression changed instantly. "It's saying," he whispered, "we need to go in there."

Chopper turned, spotted the display window, and hurried over to press both hooves against the glass. "There are so many!"

Usopp leaned beside him, eyes shining. "Look at that one. And that one. And that one!"

"You pointed at the same one twice."

"That's because it demanded respect twice."

The storefront was narrow, but every inch of it was packed with Dials. Some sat in neat rows behind glass, while others hung from strings, rested in padded trays, or filled little wooden boxes marked with careful labels. The whole place smelled faintly of polished wood and the dry, mineral scent of old shells.

A beat later, Usopp and Chopper burst through the door together.

The shopkeeper looked up from behind the counter. He was an older Skypiean man with small round glasses, swept-back white hair, and wings that twitched slightly in surprise.

"Welcome," he began, then blinked. "Oh. Blue Sea dwellers. I heard a group arrived yesterday."

Usopp straightened and puffed out his chest. "Then word of the great Captain Usopp has already reached the skies. Not surprising. Fame does travel upward."

"Oh?" The shopkeeper adjusted his glasses. "What an honor, then."

His gaze drifted down to Chopper. "Though, Captain, is it wise to let your pet walk around without a leash?"

Chopper froze.

Usopp froze too, but with the grim awareness of a man standing beside a loaded cannon.

"Hey!" Chopper shouted, throwing up both hooves. "I'm not a pet! I'm a doctor!"

The shopkeeper's glasses slipped down his nose. "It talks?"

"He talks," Usopp corrected quickly. "This is Tony Tony Chopper, ship's doctor of the great Captain Usopp's eight-thousand-man crew."

"E-Eight thousand?"

Chopper whipped toward him. "I'm not in your crew!"

Usopp leaned down and hissed, "Work with me. We have momentum."

"You're lying!"

"Heroic framing!"

The shopkeeper looked between them, then focused on Chopper with careful politeness. "My apologies, Doctor Chopper. I have never seen a creature like you."

Chopper's irritation vanished. He planted his hooves proudly on his hips. "I'm a reindeer."

"I see. Forgive my mistake."

He softened at once. "Oh. Well, if you understand, then it's okay."

Usopp leaned closer. "He called you doctor."

The reindeer began swaying happily, his grin impossible to hide. "D-don't think calling me doctor makes me happy, you jerk!"

The shopkeeper stared.

Usopp waved a hand. "That means he's happy."

"I… see."

Usopp placed both hands on the counter. "Now, shopkeeper. A friend showed us some Dials yesterday. Lamp, Tone, Breath, Breathe. What else have you got?"

The shopkeeper hummed, then pulled out a sturdy shell with a narrow mouth. "This is an Impact Dial. It absorbs force and releases it outward."

Usopp's eyes widened. "That's incredible." He turned to Chopper, already seeing glory. "An enemy strikes. Captain Usopp stands firm. Then, with one fearless motion, I return their own power tenfold!"

"Not tenfold," the shopkeeper said. "Only what it absorbed."

Chopper leaned closer. "Could it protect someone from a fall?"

"In theory. But the recoil may injure the user."

Usopp's hand, which had been creeping toward the Dial, stopped.

Chopper glanced at him. "Maybe don't test it on yourself."

Usopp pulled his hand back with dignity. "Obviously. A genius inventor respects the experimental phase."

The shopkeeper set down a darker, flatter shell. "This is an Axe Dial."

Usopp's head snapped toward it. "Axe?"

"It releases a thin cutting blast. Dangerous if mishandled. It can slice through wood and softer stone."

Chopper took a small step back. "That sounds scary."

Usopp leaned closer. "That sounds useful."

"It is not a toy," the shopkeeper warned.

Usopp nodded solemnly. "Of course not. Anything named Axe Dial deserves maturity."

"It is also illegal to discharge in town."

The sniper's finger froze an inch from the shell. "I knew that."

The doctor squinted. "You didn't."

The shopkeeper slid the Axe Dial farther from him and, after putting on a mitten, lifted a pale blue shell from a tray. Frost clung lightly around its rim, and the air cooled the moment it touched the counter.

Chopper's ears perked. "Oh…"

"A Cold Dial," the shopkeeper said. "It stores and releases cold air. Useful on hot days and for preserving food."

Chopper's eyes widened. "Could it help someone with a fever? Or keep a patient cool if they're overheated?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "A very thoughtful use, Doctor."

Chopper beamed, then immediately wiggled in place. "D-don't praise me! It doesn't make me happy at all!"

Usopp nodded. "Doctor Chopper has spoken. The Cold Dial joins our arsenal."

Chopper spotted another shell, small and dark gray with ridges around its curve. "What about that one?"

The shopkeeper placed it down. "Flash Dial. It stores and releases intense light."

Usopp's fingers twitched.

"Please do not activate it in here."

"I wasn't going to."

"You were thinking about it," Chopper said.

"For emergencies," he said quickly. "Imagine it. Darkness. Enemies closing in. Then, flash! Captain Usopp appears, savior of the helpless!"

Chopper's eyes sparkled. "That does sound cool."

"It can also be used for signaling," the shopkeeper added. "Or if someone is lost."

Usopp nodded as if that had been his point all along. "Exactly. Practical heroism."

The shopkeeper arranged the Impact, Axe, Cold, and Flash Dials together. "These are the only uncommon Dials I currently have in stock. Would you like them?"

"Of course!" Usopp declared. "We'll take all four!"

"Alright!" Chopper cheered.

"Wonderful." The shopkeeper folded his hands. "They are quite expensive, but I am sure a captain of your stature can pay."

Usopp's chest puffed out. "A man commanding eight thousand followers does not fear mere numbers."

Chopper tugged on his overalls. "Usopp."

The sniper leaned down, still grinning. "What?"

Chopper whispered, "We don't have money."

Usopp went completely still.

The heroic light drained from his face.

His eyes widened in slow horror. "That," he whispered, "was what my instincts were warning me about."

…

Sanji and Conis reached Conache Café just as the morning rush began.

The café sat near Lovely Street, open and cheerful beneath the bright morning. Pale tables were arranged near broad windows, wind chimes swayed gently from the rafters, and the painted sign outside rocked on its ropes whenever the breeze rolled through. The smell of warm drinks, fruit, and baked pastries filled the air, sweet enough to make Sanji's attention sharpen the moment he stepped inside.

Conis greeted the other workers, tied on her apron, and moved behind the counter with practiced ease. "Thank you for walking with me, Sanji."

Sanji softened instantly. "Conis dear, escorting a lady safely to work is never a burden."

Conis smiled, embarrassed but polite. "Angel Island is usually very safe."

"Usually is the word villains hide behind."

"I do not think we have many villains on Lovely Street."

"Then Lovely Street is blessed," he said, hand over his heart. "But I remain available in case beauty requires defense."

"Heso, Conis!" a familiar voice called from behind the counter. "Right on ti—"

Raki stopped when she saw Sanji.

She leaned over the counter, springy brown curls bobbing, her bright conache-slice earrings catching the light. Her eyes traveled from his suit to his cigarette to the way he was practically sparkling beside Conis.

"Oh," she said, grin spreading. "Again?"

Conis blinked. "Again?"

"First Ingram. Now this one." Raki rested her chin on one hand. "Busy week."

Conis went pink. "Raki, please."

Sanji's visible eye sharpened. "Ingram?"

"He was only a visitor," Conis said quickly.

"A handsome visitor," Raki added.

Sanji's cigarette dipped.

Conis turned brighter pink. "Father and I were helping him. That is all."

Raki hummed. "You brought him here, gave him conache juice, and let him invent imaginary drinks."

"Imaginary drinks?" Sanji repeated.

"He called it a smoothie," Raki said. "Still no idea what that means. But he said it with confidence, which helped."

Conis's mouth twitched despite herself. "He was strange."

"Funny strange," Raki said, then her grin softened. "Actually… where did he go? He said he was visiting you, but I haven't seen him since."

"Ingram had to leave." Conis's smile faltered. Sanji noticed immediately.

Raki's teasing vanished. "Oh."

"Yes," Conis replied, hands folding lightly against her apron. "It was sudden."

For a second, the warmth of the café thinned.

Sanji did not know the whole story. He did not need to. The way Conis looked at the counter told him enough. Whatever jealousy had sparked in him drained away, replaced by quiet concern.

Raki's voice dropped. "I'm sorry. I was only teasing."

"I know," Conis said softly. "It is alright."

Sanji bowed his head. "Any man remembered that gently by Conis dear deserves respect."

Raki looked at him, then at Conis. "He's dramatic."

Conis's lips curved faintly. "A little."

Sanji straightened. "Madam, I am not dramatic. I am sincere with excellent posture."

"Dramatic," Raki decided.

Conis let out a small laugh.

Then Sanji saw the kitchen.

One of the cooks in the back flipped something pale and delicate over too harshly. Its edge began to darken. A second pan hissed much too loudly beside him, and a basket of sliced fruit sat dangerously close to the heat.

Sanji went still.

Conis looked over. "Sanji?"

"Forgive me," he said, already moving past the counter. "I have to intervene."

The cook blinked. "Intervene in what?"

"That pan has eight seconds before tragedy."

The cook stared. "Who are you?"

"A cook." Sanji's voice turned firm. "And that ingredient is asking for help."

Raki's brows lifted. "Conis?"

"I have only known him since yesterday."

"That is not an answer."

Sanji glanced back with a smile. "Only brief assistance, Conis dear. I cannot ignore a cry from the stove."

Within minutes, he was in the kitchen.

Within ten, he had reorganized half the prep station.

Within fifteen, Conache Café smelled even better than it normally did.

Customers began noticing immediately. Heads turned. Conversations slowed. A woman at the counter leaned to peer past Raki toward the kitchen.

"What is that?"

"Is it new?"

"I'll take one."

Raki stared as Sanji moved through the kitchen with frightening ease, adapting to unfamiliar ingredients like he had been waiting for the challenge. Each time Conis carried out a dish, Sanji added some precise little flourish to the plating before it left the counter.

One woman took a bite and widened her eyes. "This is wonderful."

Sanji glowed. "Madam, your smile has improved the recipe."

Raki slowly leaned toward Conis. "Does he always talk like he's proposing to breakfast?"

Conis watched Sanji bow to another pleased customer. "Apparently."

"He may be more dangerous than Ingram."

"Raki."

"I'm serious. Ingram joked. This one sparkles."

Sanji, unfortunately, heard her. He turned with hearts in his eyes. "If I sparkle, ladies, it is only because I stand near such radiance."

Raki and Conis both blinked. Conis gave him a small, amused look. "Sanji, you really do enjoy this."

The hearts faded for a moment. What remained was quieter and far more genuine.

"A cook who doesn't enjoy feeding people has no business in a kitchen."

Conis's smile warmed.

Then three more women complimented the food, and Sanji spun right back into hearts.

"Ladies, please! There is enough passion for every plate!"

Raki laughed outright. "Oh, he's fun."

The morning rush somehow became smoother and more chaotic at the same time. Orders moved faster. Plates came out prettier. Customers lingered longer, drawn in by the scent of Sanji's cooking and the sudden rhythm of the café running better than it had any right to. Raki had to stop teasing Conis long enough to keep up at the counter.

Near one of the tables, an off-duty White Beret paused with his cup halfway to his mouth. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Sanji moving through the kitchen.

"One of the Blue Sea dwellers?" he muttered. For a moment, he watched Sanji flip another piece of sky-fish onto a plate, irritation settling into his face. Then he sighed, pushed back from his chair, and stood. "Better let the captain know."

…

Nami forgot about most of Angel Island the moment Pagaya led her into the Waver specialty shop.

It sat along one of the quieter streets, tucked between a Dial repair stall and a small café with flower boxes under the windows. A painted sign hung above the door, showing a little Waver skimming over stylized sea-clouds. Inside, the air smelled faintly of polished wood and metal fittings.

Waver parts lined the walls in careful displays. Steering handles, small hull panels, Dial housings, tubing, braces, screws, fittings, and curved boards had all been arranged with care. Several completed Wavers rested across the shop floor as well. Some were sleek and narrow, clearly built for riders who already knew what they were doing. Others were broader, sturdier, and probably less likely to throw beginners face-first into the White-White Sea.

Nami stepped inside slowly, eyes moving everywhere at once. "Okay. Now this is dangerous."

Pagaya smiled, pleased by her reaction. "Dangerous?"

"For my wallet," she said, already drifting toward the nearest Waver. "If I knew how much these cost, I'd probably start negotiating."

"I'm afraid most Wavers are rather expensive."

"Then it's definitely dangerous."

She crouched beside the stern, her attention snapping from admiration into study. "Breath Dial goes here?"

"Yes. That placement is very important. A poor mount can make the whole craft unstable."

Nami traced the line from the Dial housing to the underside of the frame without touching it. "So that's why it fights you on tight turns. The thrust is still pushing one way while your balance is trying to force it another."

Pagaya's brows lifted behind his glasses. "You noticed that already?"

"I nearly ate cloud twice. I noticed."

"A memorable lesson, then."

She stood and continued down the display line, absorbing details with a navigator's hunger. How the frames were shaped to ride the surface of sea-clouds. How the handles controlled angle and pressure. How some models had minor adjustments near the rear to compensate for the rider's weight. A proper Waver wasn't just a toy, and the more Nami looked, the more she wanted to understand every inch of it.

Before she reached the back wall, another display caught her eye.

It was smaller than the Wavers. Much smaller.

A pair of boots sat mounted on a low stand, each fitted with narrow metal runners along the soles and small Dial housings near the heels. Beside them were spare plates, straps, screws, and what looked like reinforced ankle braces. They reminded Nami of skates, though the construction was far more delicate than anything meant for ice or wood.

She stopped in front of them. "And these?"

Pagaya followed her gaze. "Ah. Shooters."

"Shooters?"

"Yes. They are worn on the feet and used to skate along sea-clouds." He adjusted his glasses, pleased to explain. "They are not as common as Wavers for ordinary travel, but skilled users can move very quickly with them."

Nami leaned closer, studying the little Dial housings. "So they're like skates."

"In a sense, yes. But they require a cloud path. Without one, there is nothing stable to ride."

Nami's eyes narrowed with interest. "A cloud path?"

"Milky Roads, for example. Or trails produced by certain Dials." Pagaya gestured to the runners beneath the boots. "The Shooters grip the cloud surface and allow the rider to glide along it."

Nami imagined it quickly. Not a boat. Not quite a Waver. Something faster and more direct if the rider already had a path to use.

"Sounds hard to control."

"Very," he said. "A small mistake can send the rider tumbling. They are better suited for people with excellent balance, or for trained officers."

"Officers?"

"The White Berets use them at times." He gave a small, apologetic smile. "They are effective for pursuit."

"I bet." Her gaze lingered on the Shooters another moment before shifting to a display near the back of the shop. It was not the kind of Waver she had ridden yesterday.

The frame was compact, narrower and flatter than the recreational models, mounted upright beside a shelf of experimental parts. It had no proper seat, no broad steering handle, and no gentle beginner's shape. It looked more like a board than a vehicle.

Nami's smile faded by a fraction.

Her mind went back to the masked warrior who had attacked the Going Merry on the White Sea. The sharp movements. The strange board he had ridden. The way it had chased after him when the Sky Knight had sent him careening back.

She narrowed her eyes. "Pagaya."

"Yes?"

"Do people ride these?"

He followed her gaze. "Board-types? Some do. Not many on Angel Island."

"Too hard?"

"Too unforgiving. They are fast, but unstable. A standard Waver is safer for ordinary riders."

Nami glanced back at him. "So who uses them?"

"Skilled riders. Thrill-seekers." His smile dimmed slightly. "And Shandorians, at times."

"Shandorians?"

"A warrior people," he said carefully. "They have been in conflict with Skypiea for a long time. Their craft are often built for speed, pursuit, and retreat."

Nami remembered the masked man's aggression and the way he had attacked without warning. "Yeah," she muttered. "That sounds about right."

Pagaya studied her. "You have seen one?"

"Yesterday. A masked guy attacked our ship on the White Sea." Her eyes stayed on the board frame. "He rode something like this."

Pagaya's expression sharpened with interest. "Like this?"

"Similar idea. Different execution."

"How so?"

Nami stepped closer to the display, comparing memory to machine. "It looked like someone started with a board and built the rest around that."

Pagaya hummed softly.

"It was smoother," she continued. "More compact. Twin housings in the back, almost like little engines. And it didn't move exactly like the Waver I used."

Pagaya adjusted his glasses. "In what way?"

"It held steadier than it should have." Her eyes narrowed. "When he jumped back onto it, the board shifted under him, but it didn't wobble. It just caught him and pulled away from the Merry."

"That is impressive control."

"It wasn't just the rider," she said. "After the Sky Knight knocked him off, the board didn't fall. It kept humming in the air, banked on its own, and chased after him."

Pagaya's brows lifted. "On its own?"

"Yeah." Nami crossed her arms, still watching the display. "Like it knew where to go."

"That is unusual," he said, and this time his curiosity was plain. "Shandorian board Wavers are modified, but they still follow familiar principles. What you describe sounds quite unique."

Unique.

Nami's fingers brushed lightly against her own arm.

Conis had said Ben's Waver was more like a board than a standard Waver. She had said he built it himself inside Pagaya's workshop, using methods she called unorthodox. And Kevin, or Ben, had already shown that he could repair and build things that should have taken much longer, especially with that small red gremlin-like form he called Juryrigg.

A custom board Waver. Twin rear housings. Smoother design and operation. Too unusual for Pagaya to recognize as standard. And then there was Ben's reaction yesterday when the masked warrior attacked the Going Merry. He had gone still for a second, but that could have meant anything in the middle of a fight.

At first, she thought it was because he was assessing the threat. Now she was not so sure. Had that warrior found Ben's Waver after Eneru's judgment? Was that why Ben had frozen when he saw it?

Nami's mouth pressed into a thin line.

Pagaya, unaware of where her thoughts had gone, looked back at the compact board display with thoughtful enthusiasm. "If such a craft exists, I would very much like to examine it. A hover-capable board Waver would change a great deal."

"Yeah," Nami said, still staring at the unfinished frame.

Her voice stayed casual, but her mind did not.

"I bet it would."

…

By the time the others scattered through Angel Island, Ben had already stopped pretending this was a sightseeing trip. He moved through the crowd with his hands at his sides, shoulders loose, and eyes half-lidded. Skypieans glanced at him, noticed the silver pendant at his neck, and then looked away with visible relief.

To them, he was just another Blue Sea dweller touring the town. That was fine. Being underestimated was useful.

Lovely Street thinned the farther he walked from the busier market stretch. The voices of town faded behind him, replaced by the creak of ropes, the soft bump of small boats against docks, and the occasional hum of Breath Dials pushing craft across the sea-clouds.

The harbor sat along the far side of Angel Island, where the island-cloud sloped down toward a broad wharf. It was not like any harbor Ben had ever seen back home or in the Blue Sea. There was no dark water, no smell of salt, no gulls screaming overhead. Instead, white sea-clouds rolled gently beneath the docks, catching the morning light like snow under glass.

Several Dial Boats were tied along the wharf. Some were small personal craft with simple seats and curved handles. Others were wider and sturdier, likely meant for families or cargo. A few had little canopies stretched over them, while one elegant craft with a swan-like shape and folded wing details rested farther down, tied off.

Ben paused near a post and looked out over the harbor.

To his left, the White-White Sea opened wide and calm, with a few riders skimming across it in the distance. To his right, the cloud-canals bent toward more restricted lanes, narrower channels where fewer casual travelers went. Farther beyond, partly hidden by distance and light, rose the dark green mass of Upper Yard.

Ben leaned one shoulder against the post.

Guess that's the Milky Road the bartender was talking about, he thought.

His gaze shifted toward Upper Yard. So I know where I need to go. Now I just have to get there without alerting anyone, especially Dumbo.

A stealth form would be ideal. Something that could fly, move quietly, and disappear before anyone realized he was there. Ghostfreak or Big Chill could work. Ampfibian might too since intangibility was part of his underutilized toolkit.

He needed to scout Upper Yard first. Find Kami's shrine. Count the priests, the soldiers, and whatever else Eneru kept between himself and the people he ruled. Then he could choose the battlefield instead of letting Eneru choose it for him.

A clean, fast strike. One versus one on Ben's terms. Not Eneru's.

Ben pushed off the post and scanned the harbor again, eyes narrowing as he searched for a place to transform without causing a scene. He had taken two steps toward the narrow gap between two dockside storage sheds when a familiar voice reached him.

"Looking for a quiet place?"

He stopped.

Ben turned his head and found Robin standing near the edge of the wharf as if she had been there the whole time. Her arms were folded over her chest, and her expression held that same calm amusement that made it impossible to tell whether she had followed him for two minutes or twenty.

He stared at her for a beat. "You know, most people make noise when they sneak up on someone."

Robin's smile curved faintly. "Most people are not archaeologists."

"Pretty sure that's not a stealth profession."

"It can be, depending on the ruins."

He gave her a flat look. "Way too smooth of an answer."

The ravenette stepped closer, her gaze drifting over the harbor with casual interest. To anyone watching from a distance, she looked like a woman enjoying the view. Her eyes moved from the docked Dial Boats to the cloud-canals, then farther out toward the dark shape of Upper Yard.

Ben noticed exactly where she looked.

He kept his posture loose. "If you're looking for the others, I think Luffy followed his stomach somewhere with food. Probably racking up a huge bill too."

"That does sound like Captain."

"Then shouldn't someone stop him?"

"Navigator is very capable."

"Cold."

"Practical."

Ben huffed despite himself, then glanced back toward the gap between the sheds. "Well, as much as I love standing around making small talk, I've got things to do."

"Yes," she said softly. "That seemed apparent."

His eyes shifted toward her.

Robin did not speak again. Instead, she reached into the small bag at her side and removed a folded piece of paper and a pen. Ben's brow furrowed as she held the paper against the flat top of a mooring post and began to write.

The gesture caught him off guard for only a second before he understood what she was doing.

Robin finished writing and turned the paper toward him.

You are preparing to enter Upper Yard.

It was not written like a question.

Ben stared at the sentence while the harbor sounds sharpened around them. Ropes creaked against docks. A Breath Dial hissed softly as a small boat eased away from its mooring.

He slowly looked up to see her expression remained calm and pleasant. After a moment, he took the pen from her hand and wrote beneath her words.

That obvious?

She read it, then wrote again.

You are looking for a place where no one will see you change shape.

Ben glanced around to confirm no one was watching closely before writing back.

You notice too much.

Her smile deepened slightly.

I have been told.

He almost snorted, leaning one hip against the mooring post and kept the pen in hand. "Okay," he murmured. "Let's say you're not completely wrong."

Robin gently tapped the paper.

He rolled his eyes, then wrote.

I'm scouting. Not starting a fight yet.

Robin's gaze lingered on the final word.

She wrote beneath it.

That is still a dangerous errand to take alone.

Ben read the line once. His first instinct was to deflect. He could have written some joke about how he had punched worse guys than Eneru before breakfast. It would have been easy.

The pen hovered for a moment before he wrote the truth.

I know.

Robin did not look surprised.

He sighed through his nose and added another line.

But I've handled bigger things where I'm from.

She accepted the pen back, her eyes calm.

Alone?

For a moment, Ben's memories moved too quickly to separate.

Vilgax. The Highbreed. Aggregor. Dagon. Every disaster, every mission, every fight that had felt too big even with the Omnitrix. And there was one thing those memories had in common, one thing he hated forgetting whenever the pressure started closing around him.

He had not been alone.

He took the pen and wrote slower this time.

No.

Robin's expression softened just slightly, though not enough to become pity.

Ben stared at the word, then looked back toward Upper Yard. "I had my friends," he said under his breath.

Robin's pen moved again.

Captain appears to have taken an interest in you.

Ben blinked, then looked sharply from her face to the paper.

He barely knows me.

Robin wrote with the same graceful patience.

That rarely prevents him from making a decision.

He frowned, but there was no easy argument for that.

He wrote:

That's flattering. In a terrifying way.

Her mouth curved.

Captain can be both.

"Yeah," Ben murmured. "I noticed."

He then shook his head, turning to the cloud-canals. "But this isn't your crew's problem."

Robin did not answer immediately.

Her gaze drifted toward the White-White Sea, and for a moment, her expression became distant. Not sad exactly. More like the words had brushed against a memory with teeth.

Then she wrote.

That has not stopped them before.

Ben read that line carefully. "That have anything to do with Alabasta?"

Her eyes lifted to his. For once, her smile did not quite hide everything.

Among other things.

After a brief pause, she added another line.

A story for another time.

Ben watched her face for another second, trying to read what she left unsaid. Robin was good at that. Saying just enough to answer, but never enough to hand someone the whole truth.

He respected it. But also found it incredibly annoying.

"Of course," he muttered.

She wrote again.

I will not stop you if you choose to go.

Ben quirked a brow.

That was not what he had expected. He had expected a warning. Maybe a threat, subtle and polite in that very Robin way. Instead, her words stayed even.

Robin continued writing.

But I would suggest considering whether going alone is truly your best course of action.

Ben stared at the sentence.

No speech about friendship. No demand that he tell Luffy and the others everything. No heroic declaration that the Straw Hats would march into danger for him. Just a quiet observation.

He tapped the pen lightly against the paper, then wrote:

You're pirates.

She read the words and tilted her head. "Yes."

He frowned at the complete lack of concern in her voice. After a moment, he added another line beneath it.

Pirates usually don't help people.

Her eyes curved faintly with amusement. She took the pen from him and wrote with calm, elegant strokes.

These pirates are unusual.

Ben cocked a brow at the wording.

She had not said we.

Maybe that was because Robin was still new to the crew and did not consider herself fully part of them yet. Or she was simply the kind of woman who kept one careful step between herself and everyone else. Maybe both.

Ben looked down at the paper again, huffing quietly. "That's putting it lightly."

Robin added another line.

They helped a princess reclaim her country.

He looked back at her, but her expression gave away nothing more.

So that was what Alabasta was about. Or part of it, anyway.

The fact that she treated it like a story for another time told him it was not simple. He decided not to dig.

He wrote:

And you think they'd help people they just met?

Robin accepted the pen.

The captain does not seem to measure loyalty by time.

His throat tightened slightly.

Robin held the paper steady, writing the next line.

If he believes someone has been wronged, arguing with him rarely changes the outcome.

Ben immediately thought of Mock Town. Luffy taking down Bellamy had not been strategy. It had not been about gain. Bellamy had mocked a dream and hurt people who had been kind to them. Cricket, Masura, Shoujou. That had been enough.

Yeah, Robin was probably right.

Ben exhaled quietly. "I'd rather not drag any of you into this," he said, barely above a whisper.

Robin looked at him for a long moment.

Then she wrote:

Perhaps that will not be entirely your decision.

Ben read it and closed his eyes briefly.

That was the part he hated.

Not because he believed he needed full control. He knew better than that by now. He had learned the hard way that trying to carry everything alone usually ended with someone else paying for his stubbornness. The biggest wins of his life had not come from him locking everyone out and charging ahead. They had come because he trusted people. Because Gwen trusted him. Because Kevin came through. Because Grandpa Max believed he would do the right thing even when the right thing looked reckless from the outside.

Trusting others had saved worlds.

That did not make it easy though, especially here. Not when Eneru could hear the wrong word and turn it into lightning over Conis and Pagaya's home.

When Ben opened his eyes, Robin was folding the paper neatly. She left the lower half blank and offered it to him.

Ben accepted it, brow lifting. "Souvenir?"

"In case words become safer than speech," she said aloud, her voice soft and mild.

He tucked it into his pocket. "You're pretty prepared."

"I try to be."

Robin turned as if to leave, then paused. "Kevin."

The wrong name made his shoulders tense.

Robin watched him with those careful blue eyes. Her expression did not change, but her gaze sharpened just enough to show she had noticed. "I will keep my own counsel for now," she said quietly. "But I would think carefully before deciding you have no one else to rely on."

Ben's smirk flickered, then failed to fully form. "That sounded way too personal for a casual conversation."

She smiled faintly. "So it did."

Robin stepped away from the mooring post, moving back toward town with her usual unhurried grace. A few Skypieans glanced at her as she passed, but she drew no more suspicion than a beautiful tourist walking through the harbor.

He watched her go, then looked back in the direction of Upper Yard.

For a long moment, his plan stayed exactly where it had been.

He could still do it. Slip between the sheds, find a quiet corner, change into something intangible, and scout the approach before anyone realized he was gone. He could map the route, find Kami's Shrine, learn where Eneru's priests were stationed, and maybe even figure out where to strike first.

Any of his stealth forms could get him close. It made sense.

Ben's gaze lowered toward the dock.

He knew the Straw Hats were capable. He would not have brought them to Skypiea if he did not believe that. But were they really ready to face someone like Eneru?

Luffy was strong, and his rubber body apparently made him immune to lightning, which was a massive point in his favor. But he was also reckless enough to turn a careful plan into a shouting match before anyone finished explaining it. There was also the fact that Luffy was painfully easy to mislead when someone knew how to bait him. Ben did not know how cunning Eneru was, but it did not take a genius to assume the tyrant was probably better at strategy than the rubber-brained pirate.

Zoro and Sanji were monsters in their own right, but lightning did not care how hard someone could swing a sword or kick. Usopp was clever, and probably more resourceful than he gave himself credit for but fear still got its hooks into him too easily. He also seemed to be of average strength, and his weapons would be useless against Eneru's intangible body.

Nami and Chopper were sharp in different ways, but Ben had no idea how they would hold up once Eneru started throwing lightning bolts from the sky.

Robin was harder to place. Apparently, she was a former assassin with the ability to sprout limbs from almost anywhere, so he had no doubt she could handle herself better than most. Then again, how did any of that measure up against a man who could turn his body into lightning?

But none of them had seen Eneru. None of them had stood in Upper Yard with a little girl behind them while a giant lightning bolt came down from the sky. While capable, these pirates did not give the teen hero the impression that they would be much help against him.

Ben's mouth tightened. He had thought like that before.

Eight years ago, when Zs'Skayr had crawled out of the shadows again, Ben had been sure he could handle it all himself. He had the Omnitrix. He had the power and skill. In his head, that meant everyone else was just in the way.

He could still hear his younger self saying it, smug as anything.

"I still say things would have gone a lot smoother if you two just let me handle everything myself."

Then Zs'Skayr had proved him wrong almost immediately.

Ben's fingers curled slightly at his side.

That had been the part he used to skip when telling the story. The part where Zs'Skayr had taken him, and if things had gone just a little differently, the Ectonurite Lord would have taken over his body and gained control of the Omnitrix. The thing Ben thought made him untouchable would have become the worst weapon imaginable in the hands of something that hated everything.

But Gwen had been there. Not watching from a safe distance nor cheering from the sidelines. She had opened the shuttle's hatch and let the sunlight pour in. One person Ben had thought he did not need. That had been what destroyed Ghostfreak and saved him and the world from destruction.

Afterward, he had been forced to admit the truth, even if he had dressed it up in his usual ten-year-old attitude.

They were pretty good at kicking butt together.

Ben exhaled slowly.

So far, the Straw Hats didn't give him the impression they were ready, nor fully understood what they were walking towards. To him, they seemed energetic, reckless, and strange.

However, Luffy had taken down Bellamy for someone he barely knew, and according to Robin, the crew had helped a princess reclaim her country. Even her, she had followed him and spoken with paper because she understood that one careless word could put him, Conis, and Pagaya in danger.

So perhaps… they could prove him wrong too.

Ben looked toward Lovely Street, sliding Robin's folded paper deeper into his pocket.

"Okay," he muttered under his breath. "Blind faith it is."

...

Later that afternoon, Conache Café was still recovering from Sanji. Not in a bad way. Quite the opposite.

The cheerful little café near Lovely Street had not changed much since morning, but the smell had. It was sweeter now, richer, sharper in all the right ways. Behind the counter, Raki watched Sanji move through the kitchen like he had been born there, while Conis carried the last few plates to another table with practiced care. Even she kept glancing back whenever the blonde cook added some tiny flourish before letting a dish leave the counter.

At the table nearest the open window, Nami leaned back in her chair with a tired sigh. Robin sat beside her, composed as ever, looking like the afternoon had been pleasant rather than full of suspicious details and near-disasters.

Raki glanced toward the kitchen, then toward the satisfied café crowd. "Conis, let's take ten before he reorganizes the whole place."

Conis blinked. "Would that be alright?"

"The owner told us to sit before we start looking useless in our own café." Raki slipped out from behind the counter and pulled a chair beside the others. "I'm not arguing with paid mercy."

Conis smiled sheepishly and joined them.

A moment later, Sanji approached with a tray balanced on one hand.

"Nami-swan," he said, setting a plate before her with reverent care. "Robin-chwan. Conis dear. madam Raki. Today's café specials, prepared with devotion and improved only by the beauty of those receiving them."

Raki looked down at her plate. "That's our special?"

"With respect," Sanji replied, "your special had great potential. I merely helped it confess."

Robin's smile curved faintly. "How considerate."

Conis covered a small laugh. "I did not know food could confess."

"In his kitchen, apparently it can," Nami said.

She eyed the plate, then stopped with her fork halfway raised. Her expression sharpened. "Wait. We don't have Extols to pay for this."

Conis lifted her hands quickly. "Oh, no. You do not need to pay."

Nami paused. "We don't?"

"The owner covered it," Raki said, jerking a thumb toward the back. "Your cook brought in enough customers to make the kitchen panic twice. We sold out of two specials."

Sanji placed a hand over his heart. "A satisfied customer is a cook's greatest reward."

Nami picked up her fork. "Free food is mine."

Robin lifted her cup. "Navigator's gratitude is direct."

"It saves time."

The door chimes rang.

Usopp and Chopper entered first, both wearing the mournful expressions of people who had seen paradise and been told it cost too much. Luffy followed behind them, licking his fingers. Zoro came in last, looking far too relaxed for Nami's liking.

She narrowed her eyes immediately. "Why do you all look like that?"

Usopp stiffened. "Like what?"

"Guilty, hungry, and expensive."

Chopper climbed into a chair, ears drooping. "The Dial shop had so many amazing Dials, Nami."

Usopp sank into the seat beside him like a man returning from war. "Impact Dials. Flash Dials. Cold Dials. Even something called an Axe Dial."

Nami's fork paused. "A what?"

"That's exactly what I said." He pointed at her, suddenly finding strength. "If it has 'Axe' in the name, imagine the tactical possibilities."

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"You listed four things to waste money on."

Chopper raised one hoof. "But the Cold Dial could be useful for patients with fevers."

Nami hesitated.

Usopp leaned in immediately. "See? Medical purpose. Emergency purpose. Brave warrior purpose."

"The last one isn't helping your case."

"Nami," Usopp pleaded, clasping his hands together, "loan us a little Berri. Just enough for the important ones."

Nami smiled.

Usopp went pale. "No. Wait. Not that smile."

"With my usual three hundred percent interest?"

Chopper's jaw dropped. "Three hundred?!"

Usopp slapped both hands on the table. "That's robbery!"

Nami's smile sharpened. "We're pirates."

Robin took a calm sip. "A difficult point to dispute."

Luffy dropped into the nearest chair and reached for Nami's plate.

Nami stabbed her fork into the table an inch from his hand.

Luffy blinked at it. "Oh. That yours?"

"Yes, it's mine. It's in front of me." Her eyes narrowed. "And why are you licking your fingers?"

"I ate earlier."

Nami went very still.

Usopp whispered, "Uh oh. I can see where this is going."

Nami's voice lowered. "Luffy. Did you pay?"

Luffy scratched his cheek. "Nope. I told them Levin would."

The entire table went silent.

Nami slowly turned toward Zoro. "And you smell like alcohol. More than usual. Where were you?"

Zoro leaned back in his chair. "Tavern."

"Did you pay?"

"Put it on Kevin's tab."

Nami stood so fast her chair nearly tipped over. "You idiots!" Her fists came down on Luffy and Zoro before either of them could dodge.

"Ow!" Luffy yelped, clutching his head.

Zoro rubbed the new bump on his skull. "What the hell was that for?"

"For spending someone else's money without asking!"

Luffy frowned. "But he has jars of dirt."

Conis froze. "Dirt?"

Raki's teasing smile vanished. "Wait. Vearth?"

Zoro looked unimpressed. "Yeah. What's the problem?"

Conis stared at him. "Vearth is very precious in Skypiea."

Raki's eyes sharpened with sudden curiosity. "How does your friend know that?"

Luffy brightened. "Oh, because he was here before and—"

A hand bloomed from the back of his chair and clamped over his mouth.

"Mmph!"

Conis gasped while Raki jolted backward in shock.

Robin calmly set down her cup. "Pardon me. Captain sometimes speaks before thinking."

"Sometimes?" Sanji questioned from the kitchen.

Raki stared at the extra arm. "T-That is your hand."

"Yes."

"It grew out of the chair."

"Yes."

Chopper nodded eagerly. "Robin can grow limbs anywhere."

Usopp shuddered. "Usually when you've forgotten she can do that."

"It is a specialty of mine," Robin said politely. "To answer your question, Kevin researched Skypiean culture before the trip. That is how he knew Vearth was valuable."

Nami looked at Robin. Robin looked back. Neither of them blinked.

Conis relaxed by a fraction. "Oh. I see."

Raki did not look fully convinced, but she glanced at Luffy's covered mouth and wisely chose not to press. "So, uh, that hand just staying there?"

Robin's smile warmed. "Only until Captain remembers not to set off cannons indoors."

The hand vanished.

Luffy inhaled deeply. "I wasn't setting off cannons."

"You were loading one," Usopp muttered.

Sanji leaned out from the kitchen, cigarette between his lips. "Speaking of Kevin, where is he? If his name is being used to finance these two walking disasters, he should at least be here to suffer with the rest of us."

The door chimes rang again.

"Speak my name and I'll appear," Ben said, stepping inside with a leather bag hanging from his shoulder. "Technically, I also appear when I open doors. Less mystical, but more reliable."

Luffy grinned. "Levin!"

"Still wrong name."

"Hey, can you use those jars of dirt to pay my restaurant tab?"

Ben stopped. "Your what?"

Zoro lifted one hand. "And my bar tab."

Ben looked between them. "Seriously? Do I look like your personal bank?"

Nami folded her arms, murmuring, "Welcome to my world."

Zoro shrugged. "It's just dirt. And you have plenty on you."

"Not the point, dude."

Sanji pointed his cigarette at Zoro. "Mosshead creating tavern debt. Shocking."

Zoro's eye twitched. "You got something to say, cook?"

"Yes. But Nami-swan is angry, and I respect the survival of this café."

Nami turned on Ben. "And where were you?"

Ben blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You bailed before we split up this morning."

"I had important things to do."

"That sounds like something people say when they don't want to explain."

"That is exactly why people say it."

"Kevin." Even though she knew his real name, she made sure to keep using the cover.

"What?" He tucked his hands into his pockets. "There wasn't much point sticking around to hear rules that don't apply to me."

Zoro snorted in amusement.

Nami whipped toward him. "Don't encourage him."

Zoro looked away. "Didn't say anything."

"You breathed smugly."

Before the conversation could continue, the café changed.

It started with the street.

The voices outside thinned. Chairs scraped softly as a few customers turned toward the open windows. Conis's shoulders tensed. Raki's humor disappeared like a candle snuffed out.

Ben heard it next.

A faint, steady scraping. Not footsteps. Scraping.

From the far side of Lovely Street, a group of Skypiean men came into view in matching uniforms: light-purple shirts, wide blue trousers patterned with white cloud-shaped spots, and black knee-length boots.

Instead of walking or marching toward the café, they crawled.

Palms and knees moved in a practiced rhythm across the street. The customers nearest the window lowered their eyes.

Luffy leaned sideways to look. "Why are they crawling?"

Conis whispered, "Luffy, please."

Ben shut his eyes for half a second. The crawling sky police. Of course.

The squad reached the café entrance. The broad man in front rose first, crisply bringing himself to his feet. The other White Berets popped up behind him in formation, as if the crawling had been the most official thing in the world.

The captain's eyes swept the café, then settled on the table of Blue Sea dwellers.

"Heso," he said, making the quick hand gesture that came with the greeting.

"Heso," Conis and Raki replied automatically, though their voices were tight.

"Heso," Ben returned.

Luffy lifted a hand. "Bless you!"

Conis gave him a strained smile. "I-It is a greeting here, Luffy."

"Oh." Luffy nodded seriously. "Heso!"

The captain did not smile. His gaze paused on the silver pendants at their necks. "Blue Sea dwellers."

Usopp sat up too straight. "Legal Blue Sea dwellers."

"For now."

Ben stepped forward before anyone else could improve the disaster. "Captain. Something wrong?"

The captain looked him up and down. Recognition flickered, but not the right kind. "Are you the one called Kevin?"

Ben's stomach tightened. "Yeah," he said. "Is there a problem?"

"Two local businesses have named you as financial guarantor for this group."

Ben slowly looked at Luffy and Zoro the former smiled while the latter looked bored. Ben looked back at the captain. "I'd like to report identity theft."

Nami smacked Ben's arm. "Not helping."

The captain pulled the first paper free. "A Blue Sea man wearing a straw hat. Dine-and-dash, refusal to settle payment, and distress inflicted upon restaurant staff."

Luffy frowned. "But I told them it was good."

Nami yelled. "That is not money!"

Another paper.

"A Blue Sea man with green hair. Unpaid beverages, refusal to settle tavern tab, disorderly loitering, and suspected public intoxication."

Zoro leaned forward. "Suspected?"

Ben muttered, "Amazing. That's the part you dispute."

The captain continued without blinking. "A Blue Sea man with blond hair. Unauthorized preparation and distribution of food inside a licensed café kitchen without the proper registration."

Sanji stared at him. "I saved this kitchen."

"You entered it without authorization."

"The ingredients authorized me."

Raki covered her mouth. Conis looked torn between alarm and the urge to smile.

The captain flipped another page, turning to Usopp. "And you. Handling an unregistered exotic animal in a commercial district without restraint."

Chopper shot upright. "I'm not an exotic animal! I'm a doctor!"

The captain looked down at him. "Unregistered animal presence, public speech causing civilian confusion, and suspected impersonation of a medical professional."

Chopper's eyes filled with horror. "Impersonation?!"

Usopp shot to his feet. "How dare you accuse our doctor of impersonating himself!"

The captain's eyes sharpened. "Public disturbance."

Usopp sat back down. "I withdraw my objection."

Nami's fists came down on Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp in rapid succession. "All of you are unbelievable!"

Chopper trembled. "Do I get hit too?"

Nami's hand paused, then patted his hat once. "You get a warning."

Usopp pointed. "Favoritism!"

"And now," the captain said, pulling out a pen and writing across the page, "three counts of domestic assault."

Nami stared. "Domestic?"

"They are your companions, are they not?"

"That does not make it domestic!"

Luffy rubbed his head. "What's domestic mean?"

Zoro shrugged. "Sounds expensive."

Usopp clutched his fresh bump, tears in his eyes. "Finally. Justice recognizes my suffering."

Nami's smile turned dangerous. "Do you want to make it four counts?"

Usopp went pale. "I respectfully decline justice."

Nami turned her glare on the captain. "Now listen here—"

Ben stepped between Nami and the captain before the fine could somehow double again. "Okay. How about we skip to the part where you tell us how much trouble we're in?"

The captain handed him the papers.

Ben read them and his expression flattened.

He looked up. "Dude. These read like ransom notes."

"Kevin," Nami warned.

"What? This is itemized greed. It even has an administrative fee."

The captain's gaze cooled. "Skypiean law is not a negotiation."

Ben's smirk thinned. "Didn't say it was."

He reached slowly into his bag.

Every White Beret immediately shifted.

It was small, but Ben noticed. So did Zoro, Sanji, and Robin. Zoro's hand drifted a fraction closer to his swords. Sanji's cigarette stilled between his lips. Robin's eyes narrowed by the smallest degree.

Ben slowed the motion. "Relax. No weapons. Just this."

He drew out a small glass jar full of dirt.

The captain's stern expression cracked.

Behind him, two White Berets exchanged startled looks. Conis's hand rose to her mouth. Raki's eyes widened.

"I've never seen that much," Raki murmured.

The captain's voice lowered. "Is that Vearth?"

"Enough to cover this." Ben kept his voice casual. "Probably enough to cover the emotional damage to the restaurant staff too."

No one laughed.

The captain's eyes changed. Not greed. More like calculation.

"Vearth is sacred material," he said. "It is not accepted for municipal fines."

Ben lowered the jar. "How convenient."

"Display it carelessly again, Blue Sea man, and you may invite questions you do not want asked."

The warning landed harder than the fine.

Ben tucked the jar away. "Fine. Then how do you want us to settle?"

"With Extol," the captain replied. "If you lack local currency, Berri may be accepted at the standard conversion rate. Ten thousand Extol to one Berri."

"How much was the fine?" Usopp asked weakly.

Ben glanced back. "Over ten billion Extol."

The table went still.

Chopper's eyes widened. "T-Ten billion?!"

Raki winced. "That's very serious."

Conis clasped her hands near her chest, worry plain on her face. "That is… a very large fine. Even by Skypiea standards."

"What is with these crazy big numbers?" Usopp cried.

"Ten thousand to one," Nami said, already doing the math. Her face tightened. "That's over a million Berri."

Luffy turned to her. "Hey, Nami, you've got money, right?"

"That's my money!" she shouted. "There's no way I'm paying for something this stupid!"

The captain narrowed his eyes. "Lower your voices unless you would like another charge for public disturbance."

Zoro leaned back with a bored look. "Tch. So noisy."

Sanji's gaze sharpened. "Careful, mosshead. They charge by the syllable."

"These are serious crimes," the captain declared. "If you are unable to pay, you will all be placed under immediate arrest."

The air in the café tightened.

Conis went pale. Raki's hand gripped the edge of the counter. Several customers looked away, pretending not to watch.

Ben stepped forward. "Okay. We get it."

He reached into his bag again and pulled out a burlap sack heavy with gold coins. Everything he had left from selling the golden idol and fish he caught in Jaya.

So long, money. And here he had thought this new universe was being nice to him.

He dropped the sack onto the nearest table with a hard clink.

"There. That should cover it."

The captain took the bag and weighed it in his hand. "Lieutenant."

One of the White Berets snapped upright. "Sir!"

"Count it."

"Yes, sir!"

As the lieutenant began sorting the coins, Nami turned to Ben, her irritation faltering into something more startled.

"What are you doing?"

Ben did not look at her. "What does it look like?"

"Those were our fines."

"Yeah. I picked up on that part."

"You shouldn't have to—"

He raised one hand, stopping her without looking back. For once, the smirk was gone.

The lieutenant finished counting, then saluted. "It is all here, Captain."

The captain's mouth tightened, like part of him had hoped it would not be. "Very well."

He returned his attention to the group. "Your fines are settled."

Luffy grinned. "So we're good?"

Nami grabbed his cheek and stretched it. "You are so far from good I can't see you from here!"

"Ow, ow, ow!"

The captain did not move. "Do not misunderstand. Payment settles today's violations. It does not erase them."

The café fell quiet again.

Usopp swallowed. Chopper lowered his hooves. Sanji's expression cooled. Zoro's hand rested near his swords without touching them. Luffy stopped rubbing his cheek.

The captain looked over all of them. "Your group has drawn official attention."

Ben met his stare evenly. "Understood."

"You especially will be watched."

"Figured."

"Keep your companions away from restricted areas." The captain's eyes sharpened. "Especially Upper Yard."

Conis lowered her gaze.

Ben's expression did not change. "We heard the rule."

"Then obey it."

The captain held Ben's stare a moment longer before making a short gesture. The White Berets dropped to their elbows and knees in perfect unison.

Luffy's eyes widened. "They're doing the crawling thing again."

"Luffy," Nami hissed.

The squad crawled out of the café, through the doorway, and back onto Lovely Street with grim, disciplined seriousness. The scraping sound faded little by little, leaving behind a silence that felt much heavier than it had any right to.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Usopp leaned toward Conis. "Why do they crawl again?"

Conis's face went pink. "They just… do."

Raki let out the breath she had clearly been holding. "You Blue Sea people attract trouble like spilled syrup attracts ants."

Usopp pointed at Luffy and Zoro. "To be fair, some of us attract more than others."

Nami turned on the table. "Every single one of you is paying me back."

Luffy blinked. "But Levin paid."

"And now you owe me for having to witness it."

"That's not how money works."

"It is when I'm angry."

Zoro leaned back in his chair. "Wasn't a big deal."

Nami's fist twitched.

Ben raised one hand. "Before you murder him, maybe wait until we're not in the café the crawling cops just threatened."

Sanji exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "He has a point."

Zoro glanced at Ben. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Ben shrugged, his smirk sliding back into place. "What can I say? It's in my best interest to help others in trouble."

Conis stared at him. For a moment, she only blinked, her hands still curled near her apron. The words had been light. Careless, even. But something about them pressed against a memory she had not been ready to touch.

It sounded like something Ben would have said.

"Shishishi!" Luffy grinned. "Thanks, Levin."

"Still wrong name."

Nami stared at Ben, her brows drawing together as her eyes sharpened.

…

Conache Café never quite recovered its cheer after the White Berets left. The customers started talking again, but their voices stayed lower than before. Even the clink of cups against saucers sounded careful now.

Raki sighed from behind the counter and clapped her hands once. "Alright. Break's over. Conis, we've still got the late shift to survive."

Conis nodded, then turned back to the group. "I'm sorry. I must return to work."

"You don't have to apologize," Nami said. "We're the ones who brought trouble into your café."

"That was mostly them," Usopp said, pointing at Luffy and Zoro.

Luffy tilted his head. "I didn't make them crawl."

"That is not the issue!" Nami snapped.

Conis gave a small, strained laugh. "I should be finished in another few hours. You are all welcome to return to our home whenever you are ready. Father should be there in his workshop."

"Actually," Ben said, looking around the table, "before we do anything else, we're fixing this."

Luffy blinked. "Fixing what?"

"The mess you made," Nami said coldly.

Luffy looked down at the table. "I didn't spill anything."

Nami reached into her bag and pulled out a big stack of bills folded neatly, her expression tightening. She separated the money into two portions and slapped one into Sanji's hand. "Take Luffy back to that restaurant. Pay his bill. Make sure he apologizes properly."

Sanji accepted the money with unusual seriousness. "Understood."

Luffy brightened. "Can I apologize by ordering dessert?"

"NO!" Nami and Sanji said together.

Sanji grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest and hauled him toward the door. "Move."

"Hey, I can walk!"

"That has not helped us so far, moron."

Nami then turned to Zoro and held out the second portion.

"Tavern," she said.

Zoro lifted an eyebrow. "The fine's paid."

"And your actual tab?"

The swordsman looked away.

Nami's eye twitched. "Zoro."

Zoro sighed and pushed his chair back. "Fine."

Robin rose smoothly from her seat. "I will accompany Swordsman."

Zoro frowned. "I don't need a guide."

"Of course not."

"You think I'll get lost."

"I would never say that."

"You just did with your face."

Nami placed the money in Robin's hand instead of Zoro's. "Please make sure he pays and doesn't accidentally start a second tab."

Zoro scoffed. "I'm standing right here."

"That's why I gave it to Robin."

Usopp and Chopper had been trying very hard not to look too hopeful.

They failed.

Ben glanced at them. "You mentioned a Dial shop?"

Both nodded at once.

"Did you take anything?"

"Of course not!" Usopp said, offended. "We're not petty thieves."

"Yeah!" Chopper added. "Not thieves!"

Ben cocked a brow. Pirates who did not steal. This crew kept finding new ways to surprise him.

"Well then," he said, reaching into his bag, "you two actually deserve a reward."

Chopper's ears perked. "Really?"

"Really. Unlike those other two, your charges were completely bogus anyway." Ben pulled out a much smaller wad of Berri bills from his bag and handed it to Usopp. "It's not much, but it should help with the Dials you wanted. Try not to let the shopkeeper upsell you."

Usopp accepted the money like he had been handed a sacred treasure. "Kevin…"

Chopper's eyes shone. "Thank you!"

Usopp teared up. "You truly are a hero among men."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't make me regret it."

Nami's eyes narrowed. "Was that your money?"

Ben shrugged. "Yeah."

"Kevin."

"They didn't do anything wrong," he said, his tone light but firm. "And honestly? The little guy thinking about using a Cold Dial for fevers was pretty cool."

Chopper froze, then immediately started swaying. "D-don't praise my ideas, you jerk! It doesn't make me happy at all!"

Usopp clutched the money dramatically. "Fear not! Captain Usopp will make the most of this generous investment."

Chopper tugged Usopp toward the door. "Come on, Usopp! Before the Dials are gone!"

The crew split with all the efficiency of a house fire being assigned errands. Sanji dragged Luffy toward the restaurant while Robin drifted after Zoro, who immediately turned the wrong direction until she gently caught his sleeve and guided him the other way. Usopp and Chopper hurried off toward the Dial shop, whispering excitedly over what they could afford.

Within moments, Ben and Nami were the only ones left from the crew near the café entrance.

Conis looked between Nami and Ben with quiet gratitude. "Thank you for helping settle things."

Nami exhaled through her nose, the empty space in her bag feeling far heavier than the money had. "Someone had to."

Ben shrugged. "Trying to keep everyone from getting arrested is kind of becoming a hobby."

Nami looked at him from the corner of her eye.

Conis smiled faintly, but the worry in her expression remained. "Please be careful."

Ben met her gaze, and his tone softened despite the smirk he tried to keep. "We'll try."

Nami did not miss how careful the promise sounded.

A few minutes later, she and Ben walked down Lovely Street together, away from Conache Café and toward the broad cloud staircase that led down to Angel Beach. The others knew to meet them there when they finished with their errands, though Nami was already bracing herself for at least three new problems by the time they showed up.

The late afternoon sun had warmed the street to a soft glow. Shops were still open, children chased each other near doorways, and the distant White-White Sea glimmered between buildings.

It should have felt peaceful, but Nami barely noticed.

She kept her pace even, arms folded, eyes forward. She could still hear the clink of Berri hitting the table. Could still see the way Ben had paid without looking at anyone, like wiping away someone else's debt was just another annoying errand he had to deal with.

Debt.

The word sat under her skin. Money could be earned, stolen, saved, or spent. Debt was different. Debt had teeth. It was a chain someone could place around your neck while smiling like they had done you a favor. Her fingers curled against her arm before she forced them loose.

No. This was not that.

Ben, Kevin, whatever name he was hiding behind, was not Arlong. He was not holding anything over the crew's head. He had not even asked for anything back. That was part of what made it worse. People who gave too much for free were dangerous in a completely different way.

Ben glanced sideways. "You're doing the quiet angry thing."

"I'm not angry."

"Wow. Chilling. You almost sold that."

Nami shot him a look. "Where did you get your Berri?"

"Straight to the interrogation, huh?"

"Answer me."

He winced slightly, then looked ahead again. "Jaya."

Nami's attention sharpened. "What about Jaya?"

Ben exhaled. "I may have found a golden idol thing while I was there."

Nami stopped walking.

Ben took two more steps before he realized she was no longer beside him. He turned back, brow lifting. "What?"

"A gold idol?"

"Yeah."

"Like the ones Cricket had?"

"Not the same design. This one looked like a warrior or something."

Nami stared at him with slow, dawning horror as the full weight of his words settled in. Treasure had been within reach. Real treasure. Gold. And no one had told her.

"So there really was more gold on Jaya?"

"At least that one idol."

"A gold idol."

"One," Ben repeated, holding up a finger. "Not a city. Not a treasure chest. Just the one. Okay?"

"Even so," Nami's eye twitched. "You didn't think to mention it?"

"Nope." His voice turned dry. "I was lost, broke and trying to figure out how to get back here." He gestured vaguely around Angel Island. "Weirdly, treasure updates were not my top priority."

"You still could've told me!"

"So you could pester me about gold the whole time?"

"No," Nami said, offended. "So I could make sure you didn't get cheated."

Ben cocked a brow.

She held his stare for half a second, then looked away. "And possibly negotiate my service fee."

"There it is."

"It would have been fair."

He scoffed. "Doubtful." He started walking again, forcing her to catch up. "Besides, I found it the day before I met you guys. At the time, I was more focused on sleeping in an actual hotel than in the back room of a bar."

Nami huffed, but there was no real argument left in it. She then stepped closer, the humor fading out of her expression. "Was that all of it?"

Ben's smirk thinned. "The idol?"

"The money."

He looked at her for a moment too long.

Nami's voice dropped. "Tell me."

For a few seconds, he didn't say anything. Her eyes demanded an answer, and eventually Ben sighed.

"Yeah," he admitted.

Nami's stomach sank. "Yeah, what?"

"That was all of it. I'm tapped out."

For a second, Nami said nothing.

The street noise moved around them, too bright and ordinary. This strange guy they just met kept them out of legal trouble and had given what he had left after to Usopp and Chopper for a gift for not being idiots.

Paid out of his own pocket. For them.

Her voice came out sharper than she intended. "Why?"

Ben tucked his hands into his pockets. "Because you guys were about two seconds from getting dragged off by the crawling sky cops."

"That's not an answer."

"It is absolutely the answer."

"No, it's a dodge." She stepped closer, anger giving shape to the unease she did not want to name. "You used all your money to pay our fines. You're not even part of our crew. We've known you for two days."

Ben looked away toward the White-White Sea.

That bothered her more than the smirk would have.

"I'm not here for a vacation, Nami."

She went still as the breeze tugged at her hair. She understood before he said anything else.

Eneru.

Ben kept his gaze on the horizon. "I thought I could handle this myself. Maybe I still can." His jaw tightened. "But someone reminded me I'm not exactly at my best when I pretend I'm a solo act."

A moment passed as Nami searched his face. "You want our help."

His shoulders shifted. "I won't ask if your crew doesn't want in."

"That's not what I said."

"And I won't beg or demand it either. This isn't your problem." His gaze hardened, and for one moment, she saw the person beneath the borrowed face much more clearly. "If I have to go alone, I will."

Nami held his stare. He meant it. That was the problem.

He would walk straight into Upper Yard and go to war with Eneru alone if the others said no. Maybe even if they said yes and he decided they were in too much danger.

It irritated her. More than it should have. Because she understood it.

Before Luffy, before Arlong Park fell, before she learned what it felt like to finally ask for help, she had believed the same thing. Her village, her burden, her deal. She had convinced herself that if she just carried it longer, suffered harder, planned better, she could save everyone without dragging anyone down with her.

She had been wrong.

And now this shape-shifting idiot with too many names was standing beside her, making the same mistake with a different monster.

Nami took a breath, ready to say something she was not sure would come out gently.

Until a distant shout cut through the street.

"Namiiii!"

Usopp and Chopper came running first, both glowing with triumph.

"We got them!" Chopper called, holding a small bag against his chest. "The Cold Dial!"

"And the other ones too," Usopp added quickly.

Nami's eyes sharpened. "Other?"

Usopp's grin twitched. "A small, responsible number of other."

Luffy came bounding in next with Sanji behind him, the cook holding him by the back of his vest like a leash.

"I apologized," Luffy announced.

Sanji's brow twitched. "After asking whether their dessert menu was included in the apology."

"It wasn't," Luffy said sadly.

"Because that is not a thing!"

Zoro and Robin arrived last. The former looked annoyed while the latter looked pleased.

Nami glanced at them. "Did he pay?"

Robin smiled. "Swordsman's debt has been settled."

Zoro grunted. "The tavern guy was dramatic."

"You tried to pay him with the bottle you were still drinking," Robin said.

"I was giving it back."

"Half-empty."

Zoro shrugged. "Still counts."

Ben rubbed a hand over his face. "Eh, I'll take it."

Luffy leaned toward him, already bored with responsibility. "Hey, Levin. You got any more games from where you're from?"

Ben blinked. "Games?"

"Yeah. Like the beach ball one."

Nami stepped forward before Ben could answer. "No."

Luffy pouted. "Aww. Why?"

"Because we're not playing today." She turned her head and looked directly at Ben. "Kevin has something he wants to run by the crew."

The shift was immediate.

Luffy's pout vanished. Zoro's eye narrowed slightly. Sanji took the cigarette from his mouth. Usopp straightened, and Chopper's ears lifted. Robin's gaze moved from Nami to Ben, quiet understanding already there.

Ben felt every pair of eyes land on him.

"Right," he said slowly. "So. There's something I should probably explain before this gets any more complicated."

Nami crossed her arms. "Probably?"

"Definitely. I was softening the landing."

Luffy tilted his head, his tone turning serious. "Is it about the Eneru guy?"

The crew went silent.

Luffy blinked, then slowly looked around at their faces. "Oh." He scratched his cheek. "Wait. I wasn't supposed to say that out loud, right?"

Nami's smile became terrifying. "You're a real genius, Luffy," she said through clenched teeth.

Before he could laugh it off, she stepped in and jabbed her fingers hard into his forehead. "Ow!"

"Haven't you been listening to what Kevin's been telling us?!" she snapped, jabbing him again. "Or did all the food knock the warnings out of your head?"

Luffy rubbed the red spot. "Okay, okay, I get it! Sorry!"

Ben opened his mouth, ready to salvage whatever was left of the moment. But then his gaze shifted past them. Movement stirred down on Angel Beach below. The same group of White Berets from the café had reached the beach and were moving in formation through the soft cloud-sand.

Toward the Going Merry.

Ben's expression changed. "Well, that doesn't look promising."

Nami followed his stare, and the color drained from her face. "The Merry."

Zoro's hand went to his swords.

Sanji's face hardened. "Those bastards."

Luffy leaned over the rail, eyes widening. "Hey! They're going to our ship!"

Usopp grabbed the sides of his head. "Why are they going to our ship?! We paid! We paid the stupid giant fines!"

Robin's voice stayed calm, but her eyes had sharpened. "Clearly that did not end their interest."

Ben was already moving. "Go!"

Luffy did not need to be told twice. He launched himself down the grand cloud staircase with reckless speed, sandals slapping against the steps.

"Wait for us, idiot!" Nami shouted, chasing after him.

Sanji followed close behind while Zoro broke into a run beside him, with Robin moving in smooth urgency behind them.

Usopp and Chopper sprinted after the others.

"Careful!" Chopper cried. "The stairs are steep!"

"I know that!" Usopp shouted.

His foot caught the edge of the next step. For one heroic second, Usopp windmilled his arms and almost saved himself.

Then Luffy, already three steps below, looked back. "Hey guys, hurry up!"

Usopp crashed into him, and both went tumbling.

"LUFFYYYY!"

"Shishishi!"

They rolled down the staircase in a flailing heap of limbs and screaming.

Chopper skidded to a stop. "Are they okay?!"

Nami raced past him. "They're idiots! Keep moving!"

…

The White Berets gathered around the Going Merry, as the ship rested anchored on the shore. Several officers stood near the shoreline while two more walked to the Merry's anchor line. The Straw Hats reached the bottom of the grand staircase and rushed onto the beach.

Ussop scrambled to his feet at the bottoms of the stairs, wobbling from the fall, yet he pushed himself to reach the Merry on time with the others. "They better keep their hands away from the Merry!"

"Hey! What're you doing near our ship?!" Luffy pointed at the captain, as he was the first to reach the White Berets, with the rest of the group arriving seconds later.

The White Beret Captain who they encountered at Conache Cafe turned at the shout, maintained a stoic expression toward the pirates, as if he was expecting them.

"Heso" he greeted, but none of the Straw Hats returned it this time.

Ben was the last to arrive, his eyes inspecting the scene.

Nami stormed forward. "What is the problem now?!"

"Detaining and escorting your ship off this section." The Captain calmly replied.

Luffy's face tightened, not liking the captain's tone of his response.

"For what reason?" Sanji asked took one of his cigarettes and lit it up. "Our ship is not disrupting any public space"

"It's illegal stationed on top of a protected shellfish bed, with the addition of the anchor dropped in extreme proximity to it, running high risk of causing damages to its structure." The captain replied.