What if I'd given Tesoro advice on how to get the gold he needed to master the Gold-Gold Fruit… and ended up igniting a one-man gold rush?
Some time passed. I celebrated another birthday and turned twenty-three.
In my previous life, this would've been the year I graduated university and stepped into the working world—a real milestone.
This past year had been… unusually eventful compared to the ones before it.
First: my bounty.
For nearly three years, it sat untouched at the original fifty-five million berries. But recently, it was finally revised and raised.
After all, I'd repelled Marine ships more than once, and I'd taken down pirates with bounties over fifty million. Even though I've kept a low profile and barely done anything that counts as "pirate work," I guess the Marines decided my number was simply too low.
My new bounty is seventy-six million berries.
It's not that huge an increase. It's not even over a hundred million, so… it's still perfectly manageable.
And judging by how modest the jump is, they clearly don't know I once beat several bounty targets worth hundreds of millions.
If they did, my bounty would be much higher.
It's not just the Marines, either. Pirates come crawling out of the woodwork the moment you go quiet.
Some want to make a name for themselves by taking me down. Some make their sleazy intentions obvious—trying to capture me for… various purposes. Some even scheme to enslave me and sell me.
Especially those last two types… and if I'm not imagining it, they've been increasing since my teens.
Not to brag, but… I've matured a little, I guess? Maybe some kind of… adult allure has started to show. I'm completely unaware of it myself.
I'm not narcissistic, so commenting on my own looks feels awkward.
Still… I do have a rather bombshell figure, a youthful face, and fair skin without a single blemish.
I'm not towering the way a lot of One Piece women are, but I'm taller than average, right?
Though, honestly, there are tall women everywhere. Marie and Sonia both recently cleared four meters.
If I had to compare, I'm about the same height as Hancock—maybe slightly shorter.
Oh, and my hair's grown out, somewhere between shoulder-length and long now. I didn't particularly care, but Stella and Shakky insisted longer hair suited me, so I've been letting it grow.
With thick, slightly wavy hair like mine, brushing it properly every morning is a chore. If I skip a day, it just spreads out to the sides.
I'm always happy to hear compliments, so… yeah, I guess my hair is one of the things I'm proudest of.
…How did we get onto this?
Anyway—point is, I fought off a lot of attackers, and my bounty went up.
And then, more recently… I had my biggest adventure yet.
I went to a Sky Island.
It wasn't planned. I got there by sheer chance. I didn't ride the Knock Up Stream like Luffy and his crew did in the original story, and I didn't go through that "High West" route people mention, either.
And the Sky Island we reached wasn't Skypiea. It was an island I'd never even heard of—small, not uninhabited, and definitely not in the original story.
To sum it up: by pure coincidence, I reached a Sky Island that didn't exist in the original work, via a method that wasn't described there, either.
There was no "God," no guerrillas, no thunder deity, and no gold.
But I gained something far more valuable than treasure—experience.
Sky Fish and other Sky Island seafood were shockingly delicious… and the Sea of Clouds itself was surreal. Walking beside an actual sea in the sky felt like stepping into a dream.
As a Devil Fruit user, I can't swim, but I could still stroll along the shoreline, watching the white waves roll like foam.
The currency was the same as Skypiea's: extol. I traded some precious metal for spending money and did a little shopping.
What made me happiest was getting my hands on a Dial at last—something you can't find down in the Blue Sea. I've wanted one for ages; they're just too useful.
That island was small, so the variety of seafood and Dials was limited. But if I visited other Sky Islands, I might find all kinds of things—and collect even richer experiences.
I also heard there are entrances to Sky Islands all over. Not just along the Grand Line—supposedly even from the Four Blues.
Maybe hunting for those hidden entrances would be fun in its own right.
And that's not all. I picked up some good weapons fighting pirates, went on a few more "gold rushes" with Tesoro, published more books…
It was a busy year, but a fulfilling one.
Anyway—one day…
I came to Amazon Lily.
Even after escorting Hancock and the others home, I've been visiting fairly often. They told me I was welcome anytime, after all.
Well, "often" is relative. It's only been possible since I learned to cross the Calm Belt on my own, so this is still a recent development.
But today, I actually have a proper reason for being here.
What kind of business?
"Well then, let me say it again… congratulations on becoming Captain of the Kuja Pirates, Hancock," I said. "Sorry I'm late with the celebration."
"Don't worry about it, Sue," Hancock said softly. "Just you coming is enough to make me happy… thank you."
That's right. Hancock had become Captain of the Kuja Pirates.
Which meant she'd also ascended as Empress of Amazon Lily.
Two years ago, when I brought her back, I'd said she'd rise quickly… but to reach the very top of Amazon Lily in only two years? Truly worthy of being called the future Pirate Empress.
Wait—weren't people already calling her that?
When I asked, Marigold, standing nearby, explained.
"After Sister became Captain, on our first major voyage, an eighty-million-berry bounty was placed on her head. She defeated multiple Marine warships on her own, and her name spread like wildfire. Combined with her position as Empress… people began calling her the 'Pirate Empress.'"
"And the Government recently sent her an invitation to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Sandersonia added. "She's still deciding whether to accept."
Ah. The invitation already came.
So you are going to accept it after all…?
"To be honest, I'm torn," Hancock admitted. "Elder Nyon says accepting would give us leverage to fend off interference… but I worry it will invite even more attention from the Government and Marines. And even if I claim not to care about rumors… being called the Government's lapdog wouldn't be pleasant."
"There are pros and cons," I said. "When do you have to decide?"
"A week," Hancock answered. "I can respond through a Messenger Bat, or contact them directly by Den Den Mushi. I'll weigh it carefully."
She let out a heavy sigh.
Being Empress means making decisions like this all the time, huh?
In the original story, Hancock always came across as supremely confident—radiant, commanding, untouchable. But right now… she felt almost more approachable.
For the moment, I told her to come to me anytime she wanted advice or help.
I handed her the set of Dials I'd brought as a coronation gift. Then, since there was something I wanted to tell her in person, I spoke up.
"Leaving the Grand Line…?" Hancock echoed, startled. "You mean you're going to the Four Blues?"
"Yeah," I said. "The Grand Line isn't the only sea. I want more experience, so I've decided to leave for a while and travel around. I'm going to take my time."
Hancock wasn't the only one shocked. Sandersonia, Marigold, and even the Kuja women I knew well all looked at me like I'd just announced I was sailing to the moon.
Plenty of pirates head from the Four Blues into the Grand Line to chase their dreams. You don't often hear about the reverse.
Pirates are supposed to raise hell in the Grand Line, after all.
I even considered heading straight into the New World for a while… but it felt too early, like I wasn't ready for that level of challenge yet.
This trip through the Four Blues will be training—preparation for the New World.
"…It troubles me," Hancock muttered, "to see you—who has never once defeated me, the Empress of Kuja—acting so excessively humble and lacking in confidence…"
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"Nothing," Hancock said quickly. Then she lifted her chin. "With your strength, the Four Blues shouldn't pose much danger. How long do you plan to be gone?"
"I haven't decided," I admitted. "But… maybe a year or two in each sea? I want to explore them properly."
"That's… leisurely," Hancock said, then glanced aside. "Viola and Rindou may get lonely without you."
"Ahaha… sorry," I said. "What about you, Hancock? Won't you miss me too?"
"Well, now…" Hancock's cheeks warmed faintly. "You're welcome to visit whenever the mood strikes you. It's no trouble for you, after all. And speaking of which… will you keep writing in the Four Blues?"
"Of course," I said. "It's my life's work. This journey is basically research. And there are plenty of ways to send manuscripts to my publisher. I might even pop back to the Grand Line sometimes. Reverse Mountain connects the Four Blues to the Grand Line, and if I really needed to, I could cross the Calm Belt now."
"Good," Hancock said. "Many on Amazon Lily would be devastated if you put down your pen. I enjoy your work as well… though not all of it. I look forward to a new story born from your experiences in the Four Blues."
"I'll do my best," I said. "You all take care, too."
And so, I decided to temporarily leave the Grand Line—to travel the Four Blues and gather a wealth of firsthand experience.
I already told Shakky, Rayleigh, Stella, and Tesoro about my plan. They were worried, of course… but they still wished me well.
Alright. If I'm going to explore the world, I need to do it properly—experience as much as I can, then write something truly worth reading.
First things first: instead of returning to the Grand Line, I'll cut through the Calm Belt and head for the South Blue.
The original work barely described it. It's a sea shrouded in mystery.
…Which just makes it even more exciting.
To be continued...