Today also happens to be New Year's Eve. The Red-Haired Pirates and Rocket Team are celebrating together.
Dice's side also wrapped up quickly. With a bruised and swollen face, he followed Tant and Bonez to join the banquet. In the future, Dice will be very strong. Right now, he can't even beat Tant and was thoroughly taught a harsh lesson.
But being taught a lesson is exactly what makes him feel good—he enjoyed it immensely.
"It's about to be the year 1505! Our Uta is an amazing singer. Come on, Uta, give everyone a performance!"
Red-Hair looked just like a parent showing off their child during the New Year, insisting the kid perform a talent. Fortunately, Uta genuinely loves singing and is more than happy to perform in front of everyone.
Baccarat stepped forward and activated her Vision-Vision Fruit ability. In this crude setting, she forcefully created the lighting effects of a grand song-and-dance stage.
In the end, she even choreographed a dance to accompany Uta's youthful singing voice. The others clapped and cheered from the side.
Charizard and Electabuzz also jumped out—one breathing fire, the other releasing electricity. Flames and lightning intertwined, mixing real special effects into the illusions, pushing the atmosphere to an even higher peak.
"A fire-breathing dragon!"
"And an electricity-shooting… tiger??"
"This is incredible!"
In such a joyful atmosphere, they welcomed the Sea Circle Calendar year 1505.
Vane's current body should now be sixteen years old. Judging from his physical development, calling him twenty wouldn't be an exaggeration. At the very least, in terms of height, he's no shorter than the twenty-one-year-old Red-Hair.
The bonfire banquet ended with Baccarat's illusory fireworks. Slightly drunk, the Red-Haired Pirates left the abandoned yard with their arms slung over each other's shoulders.
If it were others heading out in such a drunken state, safety would be a concern. But when it comes to the Red-Haired Pirates, Vane isn't worried at all.
With Red-Hair here, no one on this island can harm them.
"Everyone worked hard today. After cleaning up, head back, wash up, and get some rest."
"Happy New Year."
"The new year will only get better, Captain."
They exchanged a few congratulations, tidied up the venue, and returned to rest.
The shipwrights mostly slept in the dock. The others stayed in the prefabricated rooms set up like construction site dorms.
As leader and captain, Vane received special treatment in lodging. He had his own small standalone prefab house, separated into a living room and bedroom, with better interior furnishings.
After washing up, Vane repeatedly activated Armament Haki, wrapping it around his arm, then picked up chopsticks, pens, and similar objects to try wrapping them as well.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Three knocks—neither light nor heavy. Vane's Observation Haki immediately extended outward.
It was Baccarat outside the door.
"What is it?"
Vane opened the door to let her in, then turned to pour some hot water. He heard the sound of the door closing behind her.
Baccarat: "Earlier, I told Lena and the others that my specialty is dancing. Actually, I have other specialties too."
Other specialties?
"Medical skills? Navigation? Cooking? It can't possibly be combat, right?"
Vane didn't recall Baccarat having any combat techniques. Even when fighting was involved, she relied on the Luck-Luck Fruit to create various accidents to defeat enemies.
"I know a lot of theoretical knowledge."
"Theoretical knowledge? In what field?"
Can theoretical knowledge really count as a specialty?
Vane was still puzzled when Baccarat snapped her fingers. The lighting in the room instantly shifted into a soft pink glow, like ambient mood lighting.
"It's precisely because it's all theoretical knowledge that I'd like to practice it with you."
As she spoke, Baccarat lifted her hair with both hands and tied it back into a ponytail.
Her expression shifted subtly.
In that instant, Vane felt as though his throat had been parched for days, able to produce only hoarse sounds. His body grew stiff.
What Baccarat possessed was indeed theoretical knowledge—but with her rather impressive physical advantages, handling a pure and inexperienced young man was no problem at all.
She also had the added boost of her Devil Fruit ability, layering one atmosphere effect after another.
Aside from not having developed voice-related effects with her fruit yet, her performance tonight was no different from those late-night seductive dance streamers.
Vane might be powerful in other areas, but in this one, he was a complete novice—utterly unable to restrain himself.
He had the overwhelming feeling that after suffering through three lifetimes, he had finally endured long enough to reach the moment of a beauty trap.
...
"Baccarat didn't come back all night. It's this late already—nothing happened to her, right?"
There were three women in Rocket Team. The three of them shared one prefab house, essentially Vane's house divided into three small compartments.
Early in the morning, Martha noticed Baccarat's room was still empty. Everything was arranged exactly as it had been the previous night—clearly, she hadn't returned at all.
She hurried to find Lena and told her about it.
Lena yawned and said somewhat helplessly, "She went next door."
The women's prefab house was right next to Vane's. Lena's space was the closest. Baccarat's bed was in the middle. Martha was the farthest from that side.
The soundproofing in the prefab house was poor. Lena suffered the most from it. Martha, being the farthest away with two layers in between, wasn't affected.
"Next door… isn't that Captain Vane's room?"
"Yeah. She stayed there all night."
As a doctor, Martha immediately understood what happens when a man and a woman spend the night in the same room.
Her cheeks flushed red. "She's that bold?"
"After being immersed in brothel life, how could a woman like that not be bold? The moment she gets a chance, she'll seize it."
Back at the auction house, Lena already knew this day would come sooner or later. She just didn't expect that girl wouldn't even last a single day. She ate the Devil Fruit at night—and along with it, she devoured Vane too.
"Take it calmly. She needs absolute attachment to Captain Vane. You and I have our own value—don't overthink it. Just do our jobs well."
...
Once you've tasted the marrow, you know its flavor. In the following days, Baccarat would occasionally not return at night.
Soon, everyone in Rocket Team knew her status had been elevated. She was no longer just an ordinary dancer. In fact, when she ate the Devil Fruit, they should have already understood that.
Baccarat herself became more integrated into the team. Before, she had been somewhat lost. Now her position was completely secure. All she needed to do was serve Vane well.
That feeling of everyone else having tasks to do while she alone could accomplish nothing—it could truly drive a person mad.
For Baccarat, the turning point of her life was complete. For everyone else, it had little impact—at most, it was gossip.
During this period, they had something far more important to focus on—the great ship they had been building for so long was finally nearing completion.
"The great ship is about to be finished! A very real problem now stands before us."
"That is—what should we name the ship!"