The main objective when I go on adventures, or rather, the thing I place the most importance on, is Experience.
Things I've never encountered before. Knowledge and firsthand encounters you can't get just from reading books or documents. Experience Material, so to speak.
That's what I'm after, which is why I keep traveling all over this dangerous sea called the Grand Line, going places in person, seeing things with my own eyes, touching them with my own hands, living them firsthand.
Reading logbooks and other documents when I hunt down pirates as a Bounty Hunter is part of that too. Though I suppose that doesn't quite count as "firsthand experience."
When I have a really good Experience, it stimulates my intellectual curiosity, and that in turn sends my writing motivation skyrocketing! Then, while the Heat is still fresh, I pick up my pen and write a new novel... that's how it works.
Since I write on momentum, the mood of the moment tends to influence everything from my writing style on down.
Still, after a particularly vivid experience, that Heat can persist for weeks, and there are times I've been writing novel-length amounts of text every single day... Honestly, Experience is something truly irreplaceable.
And so, I research and seek out places where I might have good Experiences, then set out on adventures.
That said, it's not like I'm adventuring year-round. Even I'd burn out doing that, and both money and time are finite. You have to use them wisely.
Between adventures, I take it easy and recharge my energy, or devote time to writing itself. If a reasonably manageable Bounty Target shows up in the meantime, I'll hunt them down for living expenses and adventure funds.
It's a recharging period in every sense of the word, all while keeping my eye on The Real Deal, the next big adventure.
And right now, I am smack in the middle of one such recharging period.
"Ahh... I feel alive again. Nothing beats a proper bath where you sink in up to your shoulders..."
After filling the bathtub at the inn nice and full, soaking thoroughly, and letting the fatigue melt away, I changed into a bathrobe and settled onto the living room sofa.
Opening the window let in a cool breeze. Lovely.
The inn I'm staying at is, well, not quite the best in town, but definitely on the higher end. Naturally, the price tag reflects that.
But for me, it's a perfectly manageable amount.
I'd just turned in a Bounty Target to the Marines and collected the reward, after all.
Neutralized and captured alive, for a cool 36 million Berries. On top of that, I helped myself to all the plundered treasure and other goods they'd been hoarding, so my wallet is feeling quite warm.
Being a Bounty Hunter really does pay well... In this Great Pirate Era, especially on the Grand Line, there are Bounty Target pirates everywhere you look. Take your pick.
And if you can also get your hands on their looted treasure like I did this time, it's like the universe is handing you free money on a silver platter.
Of course, goes without saying, it's equally dangerous.
Let your guard down and you'll get killed in a counterattack, or... suffer something worse than death.
Especially for a girl like me.
Not to brag, but appearance-wise, I'm fairly confident I've grown into something quite, no, considerably attractive. I've grown taller since my days as an Elite Slave, and various parts have gotten bigger.
My face, though... hard to say? Personally, I think I lean more cute than beautiful.
My hair is still medium-length, but it's gotten a bit longer than before, reaching around my collarbones and just below my shoulders.
I seem to have a lot of hair, so it's surprisingly voluminous for its length. If I don't brush and style it properly to some degree, it starts spreading out sideways, which is a little annoying.
On top of that, my everyday clothes tend to show a fair amount of skin and follow my figure.
No, it's not like I have that kind of preference or anything... I just prioritize ease of movement, okay?
When I say "showing skin," I don't mean my chest is on display or anything. It's mostly my arms and legs. My bottoms are pants, for crying out loud.
My usual outfit is a sleeveless dress shirt with a long vest that has plenty of pockets. On the bottom, three-quarter-length jeans-style pants and boots chosen for durability. That's the most mobile combination.
On top of that base, I add layers, accessories, or equipment as needed.
I got sidetracked talking about fashion, but anyway, because of all that, when you board a pirate ship full of men, which is to say almost exclusively men, you tend to get looked at in that way.
If I ever lost a fight in that situation, there's no doubt I'd end up in a not-safe-for-children mess. Absolutely no doubt.
Fortunately, so far I've managed to navigate things pretty well.
Well, no need to think about that stuff right now.
I've had my bath, I've relaxed, and the sun's already gone down. For the rest of the day, I think I'll just take it easy in my room.
I ordered dinner through room service. While waiting, I read the day's newspaper that had been left in the room.
I'd been out on a sortie since morning to make sure the Bounty Target didn't escape, so I hadn't had a chance to read it yet.
Now then, let's see what news we've got... Whoa!?
"The island of archaeology, Ohara, destroyed... huh. So that's happening right about now."
If this incident has occurred, that means Robin's life on the run has begun. And, come to think of it... ah, yep, there it is. A Wanted Poster tucked inside.
Devil Child Nico Robin... 79 million Berries on such a small girl. The World Government really doesn't pull punches. And to make it worse, they've twisted the facts all out of shape on top of it.
Well, but this happened in West Blue. That's far away from here, and it has nothing to do with me.
...Truthfully, though, I had been thinking I'd love to visit the place someday, a haven of scholars with knowledge dangerous enough to warrant that level of threat...
Even setting aside the legally questionable stuff, it seemed like it'd be full of fascinating knowledge and records.
Well, it wasn't a distance you could travel casually, and I'd already thought it over and given up since it would probably put me on the World Government and Marines' radar.
Going forward, maybe visiting the ruins as a tourist would be okay? There probably won't be anything left, though.
What else... Oh, this one's getting major coverage too.
Golden Lion Shiki, following his Impel Down Prison Break, remains at large. Marine Headquarters abandons continued search of surrounding regions...
The Prison Break itself was reported a while back, and at the time it was top news in every paper. The impregnable Undersea Prison that had never allowed a single escape, finally breached.
...Impel Down... the Undersea Prison, huh.
"I wonder if writing a Prison Break-style novel would be popular? ...I'd probably get in trouble."
Even if it's entertainment, anything that could damage the image of the Marines or the World Government would invite interference from all sides. And even without being told directly, publishers would probably self-censor.
That said, I'm honestly... fairly interested in Impel Down itself.
Going in as a prisoner is absolutely out of the question, but if possible, I'd love to see the inside. Do some research. Take a tour. Turn it into an Experience.
Being a realm completely cut off from the outside world, I have a feeling there are unimaginable stores of knowledge and extraordinary Experiences waiting in there!
...No, I don't need the torture-related Experiences, thanks.
But yeah, it's probably impossible... If I remember right, in the Original Work, it's a Facility where anyone unaffiliated is absolutely forbidden not just from entering but even from approaching. Even when the Shichibukai Hancock went for a "tour" (if you can call it that), she had extremely tight surveillance on her. An ordinary person would never get the chance.
Other than that... Oh! There's an article about the Kuja too.
But... the Captain's name in the report isn't Shakuyaku anymore.
Did she retire and pass the title on? If so, she'd be at Sabaody Archipelago by now... right?
In that case, maybe I could go see... No, I can't. It's way too far.
But someday, I'd like to visit her... She helped me out in all sorts of ways, and I want to say hello, let her know I'm alive, things like that...
Well, I'll just wait patiently for the right time.
While I was mulling all this over, room service arrived.
I'd ordered a seafood doria, loaded with ocean bounty.
Lifting the cover, steam wafted up in a warm cloud. Freshly made and looking absolutely delicious.
Careful not to burn my tongue, I ate while continuing to read the newspaper.
That's when I spotted something interesting in the events section.
"Fireworks Island 'Fireworks'... The annual Grand Fireworks Festival approaches... huh. That sounds fun."
Looking at the details, the festival was coming up very soon, but the island serving as the venue was fairly large, and it didn't seem like it'd be too crowded.
...Oh! There's even a Regular Service running from this island for tourists? A little pricey given the season, but nothing I need to worry about.
Fireworks, huh... I haven't seen any in ages since my Reincarnation.
I've seen explosions from pirate and Marine cannons from time to time, but as a former Japanese person at heart, part of me really wants to see that art of gunpowder painting the night sky again after so long.
That boom, and the way the air trembles and you feel it right in your gut... takes me back.
From the looks of it, there'll be food stalls and everything, so I could enjoy it with a festival, carnival kind of vibe... Right. Let's go!
Here's hoping I get some Experience that feeds into my writing!
To be continued...