Impel Down. Level 5.5. Newkama Land.
It had already been several days since we arrived.
A Paradise for prisoners... that sign really doesn't lie.
After arriving, Blume, Beauty, and I focused on simply resting for a while.
We needed to recover from all the fatigue and damage that had piled up during our brutal life of torture.
Iva-san himself recommended it, after giving us a brief explanation of the place.
He told us there was all the food and drink we could want, and even arranged a quiet private room for us.
There, for the first time in ages, we ate until we were full, drank our fill, slept in soft beds instead of on hard floors, and spent nights free from fear and stress.
We continued like that for a while.
The whole time, Alice stayed by my side, looking after me. That made me incredibly happy, and I felt safe.
When I heard she'd infiltrated Impel Down to rescue me, I was so shocked I got angry, but... one way or another, she really did save me, and I'd been leaning on her pretty heavily.
By the time a few days had passed, all three of us had made a full recovery.
Our wounds had healed, our exhaustion was gone. Even the scars from the torture had vanished completely. I couldn't see my own back, so I had Alice check for me.
After that, everyone settled into enjoying life in this Secret Flower Garden however they pleased.
Beauty was eating and drinking plenty herself, of course, but she was also busy working in the kitchen, cooking meals for everyone.
She'd always loved cooking. Her epithet was Chef of the Winter Sky, after all. She said she didn't even think of it as work and was having a blast, churning out one delicious dish after another for the residents here.
Her cooking was a big hit. People were saying things like, "That new girl makes insanely good food!" "Seriously? Let's go eat!" "I'll get as many ingredients as you need!" She was incredibly popular.
Within just a few days of taking her place in the kitchen, she'd already been counted among Newkama Land's Symbol cooks.
On top of that, the act of watching her cook was apparently entertaining in itself, like a live performance.
I went to watch a few times myself. She put on a spectacular show butchering an enormous fish, whipped up fried rice for about twenty people at once by sending rice flying through the air in a massive wok, and seared meat alongside towering pillars of flame to produce perfectly cooked steaks. Cooking was truly entertainment with her.
Blume, on the other hand, was playing an important role in procuring, or rather, stealing the ingredients Beauty and the others needed for cooking, along with various other supplies.
She was a Mist-Mist Fruit Ability User, a Mist Human. She could transform her body into Mist to infiltrate all sorts of places, and she could also blanket an area in Mist to disorient people or conceal things from sight.
Putting those Powers to use, she was apparently helping camouflage the supply-raiding teams so they wouldn't be spotted by Guards or other staff.
You'd think sudden Mist appearing inside a prison would just make things more suspicious, with people going "What the heck is this!?" But apparently, the Mist she produced also had the effect of disrupting the perception of anyone who saw it.
Even spread thinly, barely enough to notice it was there at all, it could prevent people from registering that something unusual was happening or that someone was sneaking around.
That was the same trick she'd used to help us escape when the Wolf Units attacked.
In the dimly lit corridors, even a thin layer was more than effective enough. During the night, she'd spread a thin Mist inside the food storerooms while supplies were being stolen and carried out. If someone happened to make a noise and a Watchman came to investigate, they'd just go, "What was that? ...Nah, nobody's here. Must've been my imagination," and head right back. Incredibly useful. Incredibly reliable.
Both of them were showing sides of themselves I'd never gotten to see back when all we could do was endure torture in our cells. It made things more fun, and I felt like we'd all grown closer.
Of course, I was having a great time in Newkama Land too.
In my case, the first thing I did was greet Iva-san with a "Thank you for looking after my daughter." From what I gathered, Alice had apparently won Iva-san's favor quite thoroughly and was being treated almost like a disciple.
Alice had always been open to "both sides," so to speak, and she possessed the power of the Reva-Reva Fruit, which let her change sex at will. Switching between male and female held no resistance for her whatsoever. Apparently, she'd attracted a great deal of attention as a rare talent who already possessed the qualities and Powers to be a true Newkama the moment she arrived.
She personally had the easygoing attitude to keep right up with Newkama Land's vibe, was constantly up on stage dancing with maximum enthusiasm, frequently switching between female and male forms, changing her body type and whatnot on a whim using either Iva-san's Hormones or her own Reversal just for fun, and switching between outfits to match: bunny girl, race queen, micro bikini, Boomerang briefs, slingshot, bondage gear, all sorts of costumes... Wasn't she enjoying herself a little too much?
"She's a wonderful Newkama who gets everyone fired up-CABLE!" Iva-san praised her. I was genuinely surprised at how much she was liked.
Counting from when she'd disappeared as Kisack, in terms of actual days... she couldn't have been here all that long. But apparently the wavelength matched so perfectly that the time didn't matter. Alice and Newkama Land. Iva-san had flat-out declared her a Newkama, after all.
...It was fine that she was having fun, but I couldn't help feeling like my daughter was drifting just a little further away from me.
Especially right now, watching her up there on stage dancing with total enthusiasm in a reverse bunny costume.
...No, it's fine. If that's what makes you happy.
Following that... this next part is a bit more serious. Iva-san also tried to recruit me into the Revolutionary Army.
Since it was publicly known that Iva-san's crime was participation in the Revolutionary Army, there was nothing to hide. The offer was made openly, with the straightforward appeal: "If possible, we'd like you to join us."
Inazuma (in male mode), Iva-san's subordinate and fellow revolutionary, joined in as well.
They prefaced it with an apology, saying, "This might be off-putting, but..." before explaining that with my name recognition, I could become a powerful force for spreading the call for Revolution far and wide.
The two of them were also well aware that the reason the World Government had captured me, imprisoned me here, and tried to break my spirit through torture was precisely to exploit that name recognition.
To state my conclusion first: I turned them down.
The reason was, as I always say, I have no intention of using my fame or standing as a writer for anything other than my writing.
Even if the cause meant opposing the Government and Marine, who are my enemies. Even if it was for the sake of Revolution.
As my absolute policy as a writer, that was something I could not permit.
Besides, I want to remain a writer above all else. My adventures, fighting Pirates, and everything else are all ultimately means to that end, research and experience to fuel my work.
I'm sorry, but I simply don't want to become a revolutionary.
When I explained all that, the response was, "It seems we were being presumptuous," and the matter was dropped immediately.
I wasn't angry about it at all.
They'd been courteous enough to preface the conversation properly, and once I explained my position, they backed off without pressing the issue. They hadn't known the full details of my convictions, after all.
Quite a difference in caliber from certain people who'd try to absorb me by force even knowing all of that.
...However, immediately after that, Iva-san announced, "Things got all Serious-nable, so let's shake it off and FEVER it up-CABLE!" and took to the stage personally, breaking into dance.
The party room instantly descended into a wild free-for-all, every mirror ball spinning at full power as the whole place transformed into a dance party.
Inazuma, seeking a change of pace, had Iva-san's Hormones switch him to female, and joined the dancing.
I wasn't going to say anything at this point, but... casually switching to female for a change of pace, huh. This person...
So serious in male mode, too. So this was what the Newkama species was like.
And then, the thing that mattered most in my life here.
That was, of course...
Scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch scritch...!!
Of course... writing.
Those weeks upon weeks of torture... with rest periods every other day in between.
Partly to distract myself from the lingering damage of the previous session and the dread of the next, I'd been thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking until new story ideas had piled up into an absolutely massive traffic jam. Right now, I was outputting them at full power!
Scritch scritch scritch scritch SKRITCH SKRITCH SKRITCH SKRITCH SKRITCH (fwoom) SKRITCH SKRITCH...!!
Oh. Whoops.
"Manuscript's done!"
"Thanks, Sensei! All right, boys, next job! Everyone on deck, full effort! Typeset it, print it, bind it, and deliver it to the people of Newkama Land! It's a new release rush from the Pirate Literary Master herself!"
"""YEE-HAW!!"""
A team of volunteers was helping out like a little printing press, or more like a whole publishing house. They were mostly fans of mine who'd been thrilled to learn they could read new works right here in prison and eagerly stepped up.
They were taking the manuscripts I wrote and turning them into simple handmade booklets, following exactly the process just described.
"The title is... 'Saga of a Young Girl'! Ooh, looks like a war chronicle with a fairly weighty story but some comedy mixed in... sounds great!"
"Thanks. Oh, and sorry, the manuscript on page 259, I was writing too fast and it caught fire a little. It's a bit charred, so it might be hard to read. Watch out for that."
"You got it, I'll be carefu... Caught fire!? Wait, the pen caught fire from the pressure and speed!?"
"Can that even happen...? I've never heard of that before!?"
"How fast are you moving that pen!? And actually, even assuming your hand can move that fast... that means the story's being constructed in your head even faster than that, right?"
"That's insane... so this is the Pirate Literary Master..."
"Oh, I might finish one more today, so heads up! But no rush even if I do. Take your time, go in order, don't overdo it."
"""Are you serious!?"""
"What even is a writing speed that outpaces the binding team...?"
"At this rate, the readers might not be able to keep up either..."
"Normally, after you finish a book, you reread it over and over while desperately waiting for the next one. ...Having the next one added before the reader even finishes... oh, a new one..."
"There's this local dish called Wanko Soba from a country I visited before, where they just keep piling on more bowls before you finish. This reminds me of that."
"The world sure is a big place... people like this actually exist?"
"No wonder the Government wants her..."
People were saying all kinds of things, but never mind that. Write, write, write!
Ah, the words had never flowed this well! Right now I felt like I could blow through dozens of hours of continuous writing!
'Saga of a Young Girl' was done, so next... let's see. 'The Night the Half-Moon Rises,' 'The Woman of the Science Squad,' 'Departures,' 'Dr. Rock,' 'Fullmetal Alchemist,' 'Lazy Meals of the Sea,' 'Spy x Home,' 'Made in Submarine'... Ah, the genres were all over the place. What should I start with?
Mulling that over, I walked back to the private room I'd secured for my use, ready to begin the next manuscript.
This was always the case, but when writing, I generally liked to hole up in my room or somewhere similar so I could concentrate without distractions.
For short pieces like columns or articles, I could dash them off quickly enough at a cafe, but for full-length novels... those needed to be written in solitude, at a proper pace.
Right now, I'd just stepped out to deliver the finished manuscript to everyone who was helping.
But on the way back to my room...
"Mom? It's great that you're fired up about writing, but make sure you're eating and sleeping properly, okay?"
Alice popped her face out from the side, putting me on notice.
She was holding a tray with a light snack and a drink, so she'd apparently come to check on me while bringing a care package.
She was giving me the stink-eye, but those were eyes that worried about me. Back at the Hideout, she'd seen me get too absorbed in writing, pull all-nighters, and end up staggering around way too many times.
Right now I was going at the same pace as back then, or maybe even faster, so she was probably worried I'd push myself too hard again. ...Sharp girl.
Alice followed me all the way to my room and set everything out on the table for me, stink-eye still firmly in place.
"I know, I know. I'll make sure to take proper breaks."
"Really?"
"Really really. I'll eat and sleep once I reach a good stopping point."
A good stopping point might mean finishing the whole thing, though.
Now shoo, out you go. When I'm writing, I need to focus, so I can't pay attention to you.
But apparently, my intentions were completely transparent to Alice.
Still fixing me with that same stink-eye, she thought silently for a moment, then said:
"You promise, okay? There's no point if you wreck your health. ...So if you push yourself until you pass out, or collapse from exhaustion..."
"...Then what?"
"...While you're sleeping, I'll do things to you... or rather, I'll take what I want. Just so you know."
"..."
...Oh no. Those were serious eyes.
This was bad. I'd been thinking I could just write flat-out until I hit my limit and then collapse into sleep, but now there was a real possibility I'd wake up to find I'd lost something precious.
In my mind, that level of thing was well within acceptable bounds, but there was no guarantee Alice would see it the same way.
Fine, I'd just draft my outlines first and then write the actual manuscripts at a relaxed pace with proper breaks. But then again... ideally, I wanted to ride this Heat while it lasted... Hmm...
"...Worst case, even if that happened, if my first time's with Alice, I wouldn't really mi..."
"Wait, you'd carry our baby!?"
"Hold on hold on hold on hold on HOLD ON, Alice! Calm down, how many steps did you just skip!?"
The moment I let that little mumble slip out, Alice lunged forward with terrifying intensity.
She leaned toward me, face suddenly right there, close enough to kiss. Her breathing! The heavy breathing was incredible! And wait, had she just... switched to a male body!? Instantaneous sex change!?
And she was still wearing the reverse bunny costume, which meant things were getting extremely problematic in the crotch area! If I described the details, this would definitely get an age restriction... and also it was visible! I could see it! Put that away! No, change your sex back!!
After that, I somehow managed to calm Alice down.
Muttering "Aww, man..." she switched back to female and left the room, casting lingering, reluctant glances at me as she went.
Th-that was close... If I'd just said "okay" right then, she probably would have taken it for real... It was a private room, so probably no one would have come to help, either...
No, wait. I'm stronger than Alice, so if I'd really wanted to, I could have pushed her off and pinned her down... I think. But the sheer Spirit coming off her was so overwhelming, I froze up.
...Well, she was right that it would be better for my health. I'd just behave and listen to her.
For now, let me see what Alice brought... Donuts and cafe au lait. Looked delicious.
I'd eat these and take a proper rest. ...Couldn't have my daughter worrying about me, after all.
***
And then, the next day.
It came... without any warning.
"Mooom? It's morning already. Are you oversleeping? I told you pulling all-nighters for manuscripts is no good... Mom?"
Alice came to my room to check on me, worried that I still hadn't gotten up.
When she walked in, what she found was me... having rolled off the bed, curled up on the floor.
It had started the moment I woke up that morning, and from there, I'd been unable to even stand, completely immobilized.
Alice showing up was such a relief...
After a brief moment of blank surprise, Alice's expression changed to alarm and she rushed to my side.
"Wh-what happened, Mom!? Does something hurt!? Are you injured!? Are you sick!?"
"Ngh... ah... Alice... help me..."
"What happened!? What's wrong!?"
Even speaking was painful, and my words came out broken and halting.
Still, I mustered every bit of strength I had and, as Alice lifted me up and brought her ear close, I desperately moved my lips to tell her.
"...I'm... I'm..."
"I'm? ...What?"
"...I'm... hungry...!"
"...Huh?"
To be continued...