Chapter 479: Hawkeye's Departure, Yakumo Ran's Incisive Remark
At that moment, Boa Hancock was adrift in a sea of utter bewilderment. She stared down at her own hands, her gaze fixed and unblinking, as if they belonged to a stranger. Were these truly the hands that now held the power—the magic—to wash away the cursed brands seared into her sisters' backs? The symbol of their lifelong shame and torment, erasable with a touch?
Her stunned silence was so deep that it was impossible for anyone to miss. Yet, Yakumo Yukari and her shikigami, Yakumo Ran, seemed to have other priorities. Lady Yukari continued to gracefully sample her meal, her movements unhurried and elegant. With the immediate drama concluded, Ran refocused her full attention on her plate of fried tofu, a picture of blissful concentration.
In her heart, however, Ran was immensely grateful to the pirates. It wasn't because she held any particular disdain for the Marines or their twisted sense of justice. No, her reasoning was far simpler and more personal. Nami was a pirate. Hancock was a pirate. Their timely arrival and subsequent crisis had caused Lady Yukari's sinful little hands to retract from her plate, successfully saving a precious piece of fried tofu from being 'sampled'.
This, and this alone, was the foundation of Yakumo Ran's newfound positive impression of pirates. She was deeply intrigued by all these novel ways of preparing food. To miss a single piece was to miss an entire dimension of taste. And if a piece of fried tofu was divided, a single bite would never be satisfying enough. Therefore...
'Sure enough,'Ran mused internally,'everyone who comes through that door is a pirate...'
"Hmm? Ran, what are you muttering about?" Yukari's voice, laced with amusement, cut through her thoughts.
Ran straightened up immediately. "Nothing, Lady Yukari, nothing at all. I was just pondering... how does this door choose people when it opens in different worlds? If it's completely random... wouldn't that be a little too coincidental?"
"Oh? How so?" Yukari asked, her curiosity piqued.
Nami and the others turned their attention to the nine-tailed fox as well. Tonight, Yakumo Ran had been unusually brilliant, inadvertently dropping crucial insights that hit the very heart of the matter. It was almost absurd how perceptive she was.
Ran tilted her head, organizing her thoughts. "Miss Nami, and Miss Hancock over there."
"What is it?" Nami replied.
"Are Dark King Rayleigh and Shakky also pirates?" Ran asked.
Nami nodded without hesitation. "Of course! The Dark King was a member of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's crew—a legendary great pirate! As for Shakky... I'm not entirely sure about her history, but she's almost certainly a pirate, too."
Hancock affirmed this. "That's right. Shakky is a pirate, though it seems she has long since retired from that life."
After a moment's thought, Ran turned her gaze to the head of the table. "Then, Lady Lucifer, has the owner had any other guests from their world?"
"Ren mentioned... a man named Hawkeye came, and another called Red-Haired Shanks. And, of course, Nami's friend, Zoro."
"What?!" Hancock shot to her feet, her chair scraping against the floor. The disbelief in her voice was evident. "You mean to tell me that Hawkeye and Red-Hair have visited this shop?!"
Her outburst brought the conversation to a halt. Yakumo Yukari raised a delicate eyebrow. "Are these two individuals particularly famous?"
Nami's expression was a mixture of shock and awe. "Famous is an understatement! 'Hawkeye' Mihawk is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and he's also recognized as the World's Greatest Swordsman! His power is immense!"
Aoandon, ever the curious archivist, chimed in, "The Warlords seem to appear quite frequently... Is it a common title?"
A muscle in Hancock's cheek twitched. It was becoming a bit frequent. She shook her head, regaining her composure. "How could that be possible? We Warlords are not figures one can easily meet!"
Aoandon simply nodded, then asked, "So, what kind of Devil Fruit does this Hawkeye possess?"
"He doesn't have a Devil Fruit," Hancock stated, her tone heavy with respect. "But his strength is terrifying still! As for Red-Hair... he is one of the Four Emperors!"
Yukari paused, a flicker of weariness in her eyes. "Pirate King, Four Emperors, Three Admirals, Seven Warlords... your world certainly has a lot of factions."
"No, it's not like that," Hancock corrected, shaking her head. "The Four Emperors are the four great pirates who rule over the New World like kings. Their power is absolute. Among them is the man known as the World's Strongest, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate."
Lucifer's casual demeanor shifted, a genuine spark of interest glinting in her crimson eyes. "The world's strongest? Just how strong are we talking?"
"His Devil Fruit is the Tremor-Tremor Fruit," Hancock explained. "It grants him the ability to generate massive vibrations—or quakes—anywhere, at any time, according to his will. He can create airquakes, seaquakes, and earthquakes. It is said he could shatter an entire island in an instant. He is called the World's Strongest Man for a reason... he is an existence capable of destroying the world."
Lucifer's lips curled into a faint, predatory smile. "Now that's a bit impressive. And the powers of the other Emperors... actually, never mind, it's not important. What about this Red-Haired Shanks?"
"He also does not possess a Devil Fruit. He relies purely on his own physical prowess and his incredibly powerful Haki."
Pandemonica, who had been listening quietly, set her cup down. "Haki... Your world is truly abnormal," she said, her expression deadpan. "Can such a thing—an 'aura'—actually be used to harm people?"
Hancock paused, then shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, no, that's not quite it. Haki is..." She trailed off, struggling to articulate the complex concept. "...it's a manifestation of spiritual energy, a willpower so strong it can coat you like armor or overwhelm the minds of the weak... it's... well, that's what it is."
Yakumo Yukari's playful gaze drifted to the black, hardened substance coating Hancock's leg. "So this is Armament Haki, is it? It looks like a fascinating ability. I'm finding myself quite interested in your world. But Ran, you can tell us now. What exactly was it that you guessed?"
Ran looked at her master, a hint of confusion in her own eyes. "Lady Yukari, didn't you notice? Every single one of them... they're all pirates. Not a single Marine or even an ordinary civilian has come through that door."
The moment she said it, a stunned silence fell over the table.
Lucifer's eyes widened slightly. "Now that you mention it... isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"
While they chatted in the otherworldly diner, the scattered members of the Straw Hat crew were either nearing their destinations or had already crash-landed, including a certain swordsman who was still sound asleep.
On a dark, gloomy island dominated by a looming castle, a girl with a unique sense of style was complaining about her dreary existence when a shadow blotted out the moonlight. Something soared through the air and slammed into the ground nearby with a deafening crash.
The girl froze, and the next moment, her eyes lit up with manic excitement. She shot to her feet, shouting, "Excellent! Someone else came flying over!"
She floated gracefully towards the impact crater, but when she saw the battered and bloodied figure lying unconscious within, her mouth twisted in annoyance. "Why is it that guy from the Straw Hat crew?!" she yelled at the sky.
"Was he sent flying by Kuma, too? In this state... is he dead?" she wondered, poking him cautiously. "He's still breathing?! But... at this rate, death is only a matter of time! Serves him right! I..."
The girl was about to turn and leave him to his fate when a memory struck her. She spun back around, her eyes wide. Glancing at the unconscious Zoro on the ground, she gulped.
"Didn't Hawkeye say before he left... to bring the person who flew here back?! Is it him?!"
'Bring the person who flies here back and heal him,'the memory of his voice echoed in her mind.'Once he's healed, tell him to stay put. I need to leave for a while. Just tell him about Ren.'
Those were the words the World's Greatest Swordsman had spoken as he departed that night. At the time, the girl had gritted her teeth in frustration, watching him leave. Ordering her around again?!
She felt utterly helpless. She, too, had been sent flying to this forsaken place. She'd originally thought it was uninhabited, but then the great pirate Hawkeye had suddenly returned. He hadn't said much, merely telling her to stay put before immersing himself in reading newspapers. All she knew was that he had returned to handle some affairs and planned to leave again soon after.
She had been desperately hoping he would leave quickly, tired of his constant, unspoken commands. But it wasn't as if his presence was entirely boring...
Suddenly, a dreadful thought occurred to her. She stared at the horizon, her voice trembling with disbelief. "This... nothing bad happened, did it?! It's been three days since he left, counting today... Did something really happen to him?!"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]