Kuri, on the beach.
The Oro Jackson lay beached like a stranded whale, and the Roger Pirates ringed three pint-sized oddities with great interest.
"So you're a cat, a dog… and a pufferfish," Rayleigh mused, stroking his chin. "Names?"
"Nekomamushi."
"Inuarashi."
"Kawamatsu—I'm just an innocent kapp— I mean, river otter! Don't kill me!"
"Hah! Relax," Roger laughed, huge and warm. "We don't bite."
His crew shared looks that said uh-oh.
"Captain, you're not going to invite them aboard, are you?"
"They're kids. Let 'em be."
"We already have two kids on the ship."
Twenty heads pivoted toward the ship's resident menaces.
Red-haired Shanks scratched his scalp. Beside him, a little red-nosed terror planted fists on hips. "Listen up, monster cat, monster mutt, and monster kappa! Even if you join, you'll be my underlings. Got it?"
Bonk. Roger rapped Buggy's head with a knuckle. "We're not here recruiting, Buggy."
He lifted his face to the sky. "They're here."
Observation Haki blossomed around the crew. Two powerful auras arrowed in.
"A dragon?" Jabba squinted. "That'd be Kaido."
The mink trio stared upward just in time to see a vast azure dragon descend, wind scything the dunes. Perched on its brow, Dimon grinned down at the pirates and raised a hand.
"Long time no see, Roger. Why'd you park your ship on the sand?"
"I came to find you, Dimon!" Roger flashed teeth.
"How'd you know I was in Wano?"
"Shakky told me—you and Kaido ran off here." Roger's eyes twinkled.
Dimon dropped from the dragon's crown, landing light in front of him—then paused at the sight of the three kids. "And you three… why are you here?"
"Do you know us?" Nekomamushi blinked.
Kawamatsu's knees knocked. "Th-that's the shogun!"
The child had grown up in Kuri—he knew the face that now ruled Wano. Dimon let the moment pass with a noncommittal hum. In this line, Oden had been dead five years; fate had been edited.
"Not a place to chat. Come inside the city." He tipped his chin to the mink and the kappa. "You three, too."
—
Beast Castle (formerly Oden Castle), guest hall.
Geisha-graceful attendants poured sake and set lacquered trays. Dimon's eyes drifted—again—to Shanks. Five years old. The mirror of the boy he'd seen in the Holy Land—Shamrock. Twins down to the bones.
"Why do you keep staring at Shanks?" Roger asked, amused.
"I met… another one in the Holy Land," Dimon said, then let it lie; now was no time to crack a child's world in half.
Roger understood and let a small smile curl. "Picked him out of a treasure chest. Thought he was a Devil Fruit. Speaking of—how'd you end up shogun?"
Dimon's expression never wavered. "The innately wicked Kōzuki line oppressed this nation. I liberated it. The people of Wano now live fulfilling lives."
"…" said Roger.
"…" said Jabba.
Rayleigh sipped and snorted. "So you stole the country."
Dimon cut him a side-eye. Social IQ? Zero.
The kids whispered on their end of the tatami.
Buggy nudged Shanks. "He was staring and said 'another one.' Roger got it instantly. They're hiding something from you!"
"Stop bumping me. You're spilling the sake," Shanks muttered.
"You're five!"
Across the mat, Nekomamushi hissed, "Did you hear him say 'innately wicked Kōzuki'?"
"Shh!" Inuarashi's ears flattened.
Kawamatsu, sotto voce: "Kōzuki… are gone."
So much for 'brothers across the sea.' The mink duo traded baffled looks.
Dimon ignored the gossip eddies. He met Roger's gaze. "So. You were looking for me—why?"
"To finish our promise!" Roger leaned forward, grin bright as a cutlass. "Rocks is dust. Come sail with me, Dimon."
"You found all four Road Poneglyphs?"
"Nope," Roger admitted. "Found a few ordinary ones. I can't read them. You can, right?"
Dimon rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can read. But you haven't even gathered the set. You want me to babysit you while you look? No."
Roger set his jaw like a tragic hero and slapped the table. "Then I've decided. As payment— I'll give you my beloved Shakky!"
Dimon stared.
"…Shameless."
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/MugiwaraTL