Chapter 27 — Children
"So that's what's been bothering you, huh?"
Hearing Marin's worried tone, Eiger finally understood why the old village chief had been running himself ragged lately—
always pacing around, never taking a break, eyes full of anxiety.
Unlike the fretful chief, Eiger sat lazily atop a massive boulder, resting his chin in one hand and saying with a faint smirk,
"It's already underway. What's the point of worrying about it now?"
"How can I not worry?!" Marin huffed, his voice rising. "That's so many Berries, lad! A single mistake and it's all gone!"
Eiger yawned.
"Then don't build it. Hand me back the money and we'll call it off. That way, you won't have to worry anymore."
Marin froze for a second, then his face went red as he barked,
"Of course not! You brat—you're mocking me, aren't you?! That's your money! Don't you even care?"
Eiger shrugged.
"Care about what? Just think of it as loot I stole from pirates. The one thing this ocean doesn't lack… is pirates."
He wasn't exaggerating. To him, that sum barely mattered.
After all, there was still a Golden City on Skypiea waiting for him to dig up someday.
If it weren't for his lack of confidence in surviving the Knock-Up Stream,
he'd already be sky-high searching for the Goro Goro no Mi.
"You really…" Marin exhaled with a defeated smile, shaking his head helplessly.
He could tell—the boy genuinely didn't care about the money.
But as the chief of Sibia Village, and one of the five permanent representatives of the archipelago,
he had to care.
This project wasn't just a construction—it was the future of the Sibia Archipelago.
Watching the old man fuss and bark orders at workers with renewed vigor,
Eiger couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu.
"Retired from the Navy, went back to the countryside to revitalize his hometown… only to be nagged by the village chief to settle down and have kids."
What a joke.
He was supposed to be living in the reckless, adventure-filled world of One Piece—
not in some rural life-simulation side story!
"Alright, alright, I get it," he said, waving a hand dismissively.
Spotting Nico finally finishing her work nearby, Eiger stood and brushed the dust off his pants.
"Anyway, that's enough talking. Nico's done for the day—we should head home."
"Darling! Sorry to keep you waiting, I was just—"
Nico's voice carried over with the soft glow of sunset behind her.
But before she could finish, Eiger had already taken her hand.
Without so much as glancing back at Marin, he said casually,
"Don't worry about whether it'll sell. I've still got some contacts over at the 315th Branch.
If all else fails, we'll just sell it to the Navy."
And with that, he walked off with Nico, hand in hand, toward home—
leaving a very stunned Marin behind.
It wasn't until Eiger was well out of sight that the old chief finally let out a laugh.
"That brat… he could've mentioned that sooner!"
Still, he couldn't deny it—those words had lifted a great weight off his shoulders.
But his relief didn't last long.
Catching sight of a lazy worker scratching his foot by the barrels,
Marin's expression darkened instantly.
"Hey, you! Which village are you from? The sun's barely set and you're already slacking off?!
Get back to work! This distillery is the future of the Sibia Archipelago!"
He pointed toward the sea, veins popping in his forehead.
"One more hour! When it's dark, then we rest!"
---
Meanwhile—
Eiger and Nico, blissfully unaware that Marin had gone full supervisor demon mode,
were walking down the forest path back home.
"Darling," Nico sighed softly, glancing at him from the side,
"Why are you in such a hurry? I didn't even get a chance to update Chief Marin on tomorrow's plans."
"Tell him tomorrow," Eiger said carelessly.
"With Marin watching over things, nothing's going wrong anytime soon."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled.
"Besides… I think he's happier bossing people around than sleeping these days."
Nico chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"You might not be wrong about that."
"That old man's been running around like a rooster on caffeine lately. If something were wrong, he'd have stormed over to ask me already."
Eiger stretched as he spoke, his tone light and unconcerned.
Nico chuckled softly at that. "Chief Marin's just worried—he doesn't want to waste your kindness, darling."
Then her expression turned thoughtful. She tilted her head slightly, her left hand propping up her right arm as her right fingers brushed her chin.
"It's also my fault, really. I didn't plan everything thoroughly. The Sibia Archipelago is so remote… once the distillery is finished, selling the product might prove troublesome. If we rely on merchant ships, they'll probably force the prices down again."
Eiger waved it off casually.
"I already told you—if it comes to that, we'll just sell it to the 315th Branch."
"One branch can't possibly buy that much wine," Nico countered gently, still frowning in thought.
"That's fine," Eiger said, lifting a hand dismissively. "I've got some connections in Headquarters now—real big shots. I'll just have them handle the distribution over there."
He patted his stomach and stood, slinging his one-handed axe over his shoulder. "Alright, enough business talk. I'm starving. We're out of firewood—I'll chop some from the yard."
And with that, he stepped outside, heading toward the woodpile.
Nico smiled faintly, shaking her head as she watched him go. "Always so restless…" she murmured with affection, before turning toward the kitchen to prepare dinner.
But once Eiger was out of sight, her hands slowed, and her eyes softened. Her long lashes trembled slightly as she whispered under her breath—
"...A child?"
Her mind drifted, unbidden, to the image of her mother—distant, gentle, yet forever out of reach.
Would she ever… have a child of her own?
---
Time passed quietly.
The framework of the distillery and docks began to take shape—
wood and stone forming walls where only sketches once stood.
Each day, more villagers gathered just to watch the progress, excitement building in their eyes.
The air buzzed with chatter, laughter, and hammers striking wood.
Sibia Village hadn't been this lively since Eiger's wedding feast—perhaps even more so now.
Meanwhile, Eiger had fallen into his usual rhythm.
With the weather warming, the beasts of the back mountain were stirring from hibernation.
Every day, after training, he would hunt during his descent—
sometimes bringing back a boar, a deer, or wild birds to supply the household and feed the workers.
To speed up construction, Marin had organized communal meals at the site—
the villagers ate together, working from dawn till dusk,
each day pushing the distillery closer to completion.
The clamor of hammers, saws, and laughter became the rhythm of their lives.
Eiger often found himself smiling quietly at the scene.
The peaceful, industrious life here…
it almost made him forget he'd once been a Marine.
He couldn't help but feel like one of those men from his past life—
a retired soldier, returning to the countryside to help rebuild his hometown.
---
By the time he finished his training that afternoon, Eiger had hunted a full-grown deer.
He slung it over his shoulder and made his way down the mountain, humming under his breath.
But as he neared the construction site, his steps slowed.
Something was wrong.
The lively energy from before had vanished.
The air was heavy, tense.
Workers stood in small groups, faces grim and angry.
Even Chief Marin, usually loud and commanding, wore a deep frown.
Eiger frowned and approached, adjusting the deer on his shoulder.
"What's going on here? Why's everyone gathered up like this, Chief Marin? Taking a day off already?"
Before the chief could answer, several villagers turned, eyes lighting up.
"Eiger's back! He's here!"
"Thank goodness—Eiger will know what to do!"
"With him around, those bastards won't dare mess with us!"
Eiger blinked in confusion.
"…What bastards?"
"Quiet! All of you, shut up!"
Marin roared, his voice echoing across the site.
The villagers immediately fell silent.
He sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at Eiger, guilt shadowing his expression.
After a long pause, he spoke gravely—
"A gang's come for us, Eiger. Some black-market thugs."