On the deck of the Leviathan, Little Sakura was lounging in a beach chair, soaking in the gorgeous view of the fading sunset painting the blue ocean.
She took a swig from her ice-cold beer, her beautiful emerald eyes sparkling with pure relaxation.
"Whew, this hits the spot!"
After gulping down the chilly brew, Little Sakura let out a satisfied burp.
It felt just like kicking back in your car after a long day, finishing a cigarette without your nagging wife or a kid drowning in homework bugging you.
For a guy, nothing beats that sweet freedom to do whatever the heck you want!
Oh, wait—though her "bro" down there had already sailed off into the sunset.
"To my bro!"
The girl on the beach chair raised her beer bottle high, toasting her departed buddy.
"You still got a bro left?"
The Silent Man, who'd eaten the Silent-Silent Fruit, popped up behind Little Sakura without a sound.
"Whoa!"
Startled, Little Sakura jumped, nearly flinging her beer bottle overboard.
"Are you a ghost or what? You don't make a single noise!"
"Can't help it—my power's all about silence, you know?"
Leaning against the railing, Corazon plopped down cross-legged, looking totally innocent, though he couldn't hide the smirk tugging at his lips.
"So, what do you want?"
Little Sakura glanced away, using her powers to chill her warming beer again.
"Witch · Haruno Sakura, how the hell do you know my identity and abilities?!"
Donquixote Rosinante lowered his voice, scooting a bit closer to her.
"A Navy guy straight-up spilling his secrets to a pirate—not worried I'll kill you?"
She didn't even bother looking at him again, her tone super casual.
"You won't. You're not the same kind of pirate as my brother!"
Rubbing his numb shoulder, Corazon dropped his gaze. In the puddle on the deck, he could've sworn he saw his brother's cruel reflection.
"Hmph, acting like you know me so well." Little Sakura tapped her lips with a finger, then flashed a grin. "Fine, I'll tell ya—I saw it in a comic book~"
"A comi—cough cough!"
Feeling like his intelligence had been insulted, Corazon was about to press her more, but the creak of the cabin door opening cut the conversation short.
"Mr. Corazon, Sis Sakura, I'm starving. Got any food?"
Law, who'd finally regained some strength, shuffled out leaning on the railing, his stomach growling like thunder.
"Nope! If you're hungry, go catch something fresh from the sea!"
Little Sakura reached out and clenched her fist in the air. Frost spread, forming an ice fishing spear, which she jabbed symbolically a few times.
"Huh?"
Hearing her, Corazon's eyes went wide.
Did she even hear herself? Catch something fresh from the sea?
There were only three people on this boat: two Devil Fruit users and one seriously ill kid.
With that lineup, forget hunting sea beasts—we'd get dragged off by a snail if we tried fishing in a river!
But what happened next left Corazon's jaw on the floor.
Little Sakura spun the spear and hurled it straight into the pitch-black depths!
BOOM!!!
The impact with the water exploded into a massive splash, waves shoving their little boat dozens of meters sideways.
A few minutes later, a gigantic sea beast broke the surface, frozen solid in a block of ice, its red blood spilling out.
"Come help clean the fish, or no dinner for you guys!"
Little Sakura steered the Leviathan closer, tossing them two ice knives, and they got to work butchering the beast.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the aroma of grilled meat wafted from the drifting boat on the open sea.
"This is delicious. Didn't know you had skills like that."
Corazon only ate a little, passing most of the barbecue to Law, who was scarfing it down nearby.
"If that's not enough, grill more. I'm not about to let a kid go hungry on my ship."
Watching the two fight over a steak, Little Sakura couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"Who're you calling a kid?!"
Law, refusing to accept it, bared his shark-like teeth and roared again.
"Oh yeah? Then let me treat you to some juice."
Biting her lip with trembling shoulders, Little Sakura pulled out a juice box and handed it to Law.
"Oh! Thanks!"
Law's eyes lit up as he grabbed it and chugged it down.
"Hahaha, still a kid, huh!"
The girl's emerald eyes curved into crescents, her prankster grin saying she'd won.
"Fresh blood!!!"
Just as the two were bickering and laughing, the phone snail in Corazon's pocket suddenly rang.
Click!
He picked up the receiver, and a rough voice boomed from the other end: "Big Senbei!"
"Little Cracker! It's me."
After exchanging codes, Corazon lit a cigarette and clamped it in his mouth.
"Rosinante, it's been ages without word from you. I was worried!"
Mixed with the sounds of crunching senbei and sipping tea, the voice on the other end sounded genuinely concerned.
"Yes, and I was just about to report in, Marshal Sengoku!"
Corazon's cigarette tip glowed as he exhaled a big puff of smoke.
"That lead poisoning kid I mentioned before—his condition's been initially treated by the great pirate Haruno Sakura, and right now, we're on her ship."
"Wha... what?!"
Instant chaos erupted on the other end—sounded like a teacup spilling, hot tea hitting someone's crotch, and a crash to the floor...
When the voice came back, it was frantic: "Where are you? I'm coming to rescue you right now!"
At Navy HQ, in the Marshal's office, Sengoku's veins were popping as he slammed his fist through the desk.
Karp, who'd snuck in to steal senbei, stared at him in shock, his snack frozen halfway to his mouth.
"I—"
Before Corazon could finish, a hand broke into his silence bubble and snatched the phone snail.
He whipped around in confusion—Little Sakura, who'd just been messing with Law, was now right behind him.
"Hey, Marshal Sengoku, first time chatting like this~"
Feeling Sengoku's heavy breathing on the other end—he'd become Marshal way early because of her—Little Sakura was practically overflowing with troll energy.
"You witch, you..."
Sengoku started threatening, but the girl on the line wasn't here for chit-chat. "Cut the crap. Your son and grandson are in my hands right now."
"This Marshal Sen~go~ku, you wouldn't want anything to happen to them, right~?"
One hand lifting Law by the waist, the other pressing on Corazon's shoulder, Little Sakura laughed like a total maniac.
"You... don't hurt them! Whatever it is, come at me!"
The man at the heart of Marineford's power showed a rare moment of vulnerability.
"Good, then listen up. Your son brought your grandson to me for treatment, and now they owe me 50 million berries. Send the money quick, or... heh heh heh!"
Click!
The phone snail hung up, echoing in the Navy Marshal's office and leaving the two battle-hardened old sailors in stunned silence.
Wait, dude?
You're holding the Navy Marshal's adopted son hostage... and extorting just 50 million berries? What are you even after? It can't really be medical fees, right?
"Hahaha, that's the spirit of someone from Roger's crew!"
Karp broke the silence with roaring laughter from the couch, fueling Sengoku's rage as tears streamed down the old man's face.
"You idiot Karp, this is all because you let her escape in Flevance! None of this mess would've happened otherwise!"
Stepping over the debris, Sengoku snatched Karp's senbei and shoveled them all into his own mouth.
"Ah, my senbei!" Karp reached out in shock. "Can't blame me for her slipping away—her powers are too tricky."
Sengoku shot him a dirty look. "Fine, what do we do now?!"
"Pay the ransom, duh. Don't you want your son and grandson back?" Karp eyed him weirdly, like, who knew you were that kind of guy.
"Adopted son! And where'd I get a grandson from?! I mean that pirate Haruno Sakura!"
"I'm too busy to chase her anyway. But for the North Blue, isn't there someone way better suited than me?"
Karp dug his pinky into his nose and twirled it, selling out an old buddy without hesitation.
"Him, huh... yeah, that could work..."