Rumble—!
The sky-piercing current let out a deafening roar.
A massive, powerful pillar of water shot straight into the sky. From a distance, it looked like an impossibly large water gun, piercing a hole right through the thick layer of clouds above.
It was nothing short of a miracle!
"Unparalleled! What a spectacular sight!"
Major General Alan stood poised at the very top of the naval vessel's mast. Holding a telescope, she gazed from afar at the Knock Up Stream—a phenomenon rare even within the Grand Line. Even though the warship she was on was far from the giant pillar of water, she could still feel the world-shaking power of nature through the surging waves and the tremors in the air.
"This world is truly amazing! Haha, I absolutely love this sea, full of excitement and adventure!"
The black-and-white twin-tailed girl let out a heartfelt exclamation of praise. Then, she inadvertently noticed a jarring little black speck within the soaring current, rapidly ascending along the wall of water.
(What is that?)
Alan's brow furrowed slightly. She focused her vision and was shocked to find that it was actually a small ship. Although the distance made it hard to see clearly, Major General Alan's incredible eyesight allowed her to vaguely discern a skull wearing a yellow straw hat on the sail...
"Ah!" Alan's body stiffened as she slowly lowered her monocular. Her expression turned extremely strange as she muttered to herself:
"It looks like they're heading for Skypiea... What a bunch of daredevils. Or rather, are they just that confident in their own luck?"
Shaking her small head, Major General Alan took a deep breath. The air, moistened by the distant upheaval, felt incredibly fresh, causing the "expired" loli's restless heart to gradually calm down.
(Sigh~ Regardless, I should tell that 'sis-con' brother of mine about what happened before. After all, I did promise...)
(And I am definitely going to get revenge on that 'Turkey Man' who dared to mock me!)
At that thought, Alan paused to reflect. A wicked smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, giving her the adorable expression of a little mouse that had just successfully stolen cheese from the kitchen.
New World — Whole Cake Island, one of the territories of the Four Emperors, BIG MOM—Charlotte Linlin.
Today, this sickeningly sweet island welcomed a very special guest. This esteemed guest's companions were currently resting on a naval vessel anchored not far from Whole Cake Island, waiting for their captain.
Of course, the method used to acquire this Marine warship was... less than "harmonious."
Inside the captain's cabin, four women sat around a wide table. Judging by the various chips and playing cards scattered across it, these beautiful women—each with a vastly different style—were currently gambling.
"Hey, Lily, tell the truth. Did you just cheat?"
A blonde woman with a charming face and an exceptionally curvaceous figure, dressed in casual clothes, looked at their newest companion with extreme suspicion. "Is this really your first time gambling?"
"Misaka fully agrees with Sirona's viewpoint. According to Misaka's precise calculations, the probability of Lily drawing that Ace of Spades in the last round was only... Furthermore... In conclusion, Lily absolutely cheated!"
The girl speaking with this peculiar speech pattern was a clear-eyed young girl in a white lab coat. She had tea-colored, shoulder-length hair and a delicate, expressionless face. Combined with her unchanging tone despite her non-stop talking and her slightly vacant eyes, she was the textbook definition of a stoic yet talkative girl.
Most notably, as she spoke, blue-white sparks of electricity flickered at the tips of her bangs, making a biri-biri sound.
Those familiar with her knew that the electricity on this stoic girl's forehead was a reflection of her current mood. Looking at how violently the lightning was flickering now, her mood was clearly not great.
At that moment, an elegant girl in a black, high-class dress—resembling a refined young lady—spoke in a calm, steady tone: "Ara ara, Sirona, Misaka, you two shouldn't bully the newcomer."
"Besides, don't you know? Knights born in the Kingdom of Knights—Ingrand—never tell lies."
This girl in the formal dress was stunningly beautiful. Her long black hair was tied into two pigtails that draped leisurely over her shoulders. Waterfall-like bangs covered the left side of her strikingly beautiful face, while the other side revealed a deep, wine-red right eye that looked like a black hole, and lips as delicate as cherry blossom petals.
When she smiled slightly, she felt like a spring breeze, yet she possessed a fairy-like allure that could steal one's soul.
"But Kurumi, this is too uncanny. How can someone's luck be this red-hot?"
The swordswoman named Sirona sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "If this keeps up, I'll have to bet my two swords. They're both Meito, you know; they should be worth quite a few Beri."
"Misaka also has several latest research reports to use as collateral," the stoic tea-haired girl added flatly, though the electricity in her hair grew even more dazzling.
It seemed that although they were extremely reluctant, these two stubborn competitive souls intended to keep gambling.
"My, my, we don't need to go that far. I certainly don't want to bet my guns."
Kurumi demurely covered her mouth with her hand, smiling as she said, "And even if you did bet them, Lily-chan would never take something so precious from others, right, beautiful lady knight?"
The blonde girl wearing a white knight's battle skirt nodded upon hearing this. Her beautiful emerald eyes were pure, without a hint of impurity—beautiful and brimming with heroic spirit.
"Yes. As a knight, I naturally will not plunder the cherished possessions of others."
The pure-white knight girl sat upright at the gambling table. Looking at her righteous expression and the powerful aura surrounding her, one might think she was attending a critical tactical briefing.
"However, this game called gambling is truly interesting. I am very happy."
Lily looked at the thick stack of chips in front of her, a light flashing in her green eyes. The single ahoge on top of her head, which absolutely refused to yield to gravity, swayed slightly.
"When Master returns later, I'll treat everyone to a big meal. I know a Giant uncle who makes 'Volcano Cuisine' that is super delicious!"
"After all, only after eating your fill do you have the strength to fight!"
Having said that, Lily's gorgeous face was full of solemnity, as if she had just spoken some fundamental truth of the universe.
(Hmph, at least you're sensible!) x3
Sirona and Kurumi smiled simultaneously upon hearing this, and the blue-white sparks at the tips of Misaka's hair instantly vanished.
For a moment, the atmosphere became very harmonious.
"Are we still waiting for the Captain? She's attending Big Mom's Tea Party. They have her favorite chocolate pie there; she probably won't be back for a while. Sigh, if it weren't for that incident last time, we wouldn't be stuck here waiting."
As she spoke, the blonde dual-wielding swordswoman pulled a bottle of rum from under the table, popped the cap, and took a heroic swig. She then turned back to the White Knight, curious once again:
"By the way, Lily, how exactly were you recruited into the Captain's harem... sorry, slip of the tongue—how did you become a companion? And you even call the Captain 'Master,' tsk tsk..."
"Misaka is also very confused. After all, since Ingrand is one of the top powers in the New World, and Lily is the Crown Princess of the new 'Knight King,' there was no need to take the risk of joining 'Silver-Hair.' After all, Silver-Hair's enemies are..."
The tea-haired girl wanted to continue, but she stopped immediately when she noticed the look on Lily's face turning increasingly grim.
(Neferpitou...)
Thinking of her twin sister, who was now a shadow of her former self, the blonde knight's expression grew more sorrowful.
"Alright, alright, cheer up. We're family now..."
The girl code-named Kurumi gently patted Lily's shoulder in comfort. She then let out a soft sigh and continued in a steady tone:
"It's like the Captain said before: we all gathered here to rebel against certain things. Although our experiences are different, our goal from here on is the same—Freedom!"
"And in a sense, we are the unique 'Princelings' of the New World!"
A sharp light glinted in Kurumi's wine-red right eye, and a wicked, almost yandere smile appeared on her lips—a stark contrast to her usual dignified, lady-like demeanor.
However, right at that moment...
"Purupurupuru..." The unique ringtone of a Den Den Mushi suddenly echoed in the room.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze