The two embraced each other, crying uncontrollably.
"If Hyena truly has the power to corrupt human hearts, then she must have intentionally schemed to make Your Highness leave," Gance said through tears, hatred burning in his voice. "Only then would she have the chance to make me fall as well, so she could exploit my Gun-Gun Fruit ability… My God, these past days… what have I done for Hyena and the Haiqi Chamber of Commerce?!"
Ross choked up, sobbing too hard to speak.
"Speaking of the Gun-Gun Fruit," Liam said curiously, "that one guy earlier—uh…"
Robin reminded him, "Stiel. One of Hyena's subordinates."
"Right, Stiel!" Liam said, frowning. "He seemed to use the Gun-Gun Fruit's ability too. What's going on with that? It's common knowledge there can't be two users of the same fruit."
Gance wiped his tears with the heel of his hand, exhaled shakily, and shook his head. "Stiel's ability… I'm not entirely sure myself."
"I remember," Ross said, her face pale as she recalled the memory Robin had helped her see earlier, "he was holding an apple, and it rotted instantly in his hand…"
Gance's expression froze. "Then that must have been an apple processed by Hyena, like the so-called 'Water of Salvation' used by the Haiqi Chamber of Commerce… Hyena must have infused the same power she used on me and the Princess into those things, using her Rot-Rot Fruit."
The effect might have been weaker, but it was the same ability, the power to rot and corrupt the human heart.
"Rot-Rot Fruit, Hyena," Robin murmured. "Gance, Gun-Gun Fruit, Gance himself. And Stiel, using abilities linked to them. If there's no connection among all these matching powers, that would be the strange part."
Gance listened, trembling in shock and horror. These past weeks, he'd truly been like a man possessed, working side by side with monsters like Hyena and Stiel, never once questioning it. Worse still, he'd honestly believed that their fallen, war-torn kingdom of Sikeal might as well be destroyed…
He'd thought that the Princess, who had abandoned her homeland, would be better off dead at sea. That this hopeless, filthy world didn't matter, that if it were all wiped out, it wouldn't be a loss.
As Gance recalled his former thoughts, cold sweat poured down his body. The sweat seeped into his open wounds, stinging with burning pain, and that pain finally cleared his mind.
He forced his battered body upright, panting. "We have to go back. The King, and everyone in the Sikeal Kingdom, are still deceived by Hyena…"
"Gance, you're badly hurt," Ross said softly, wiping her tears and looking at him with concern.
"Not heavy enough!" Gance gasped twice, his face streaked with blood, yet a faint smile appeared on his lips. "In Hyena and the others' eyes, I'm still just a pitiful pawn, blinded and used by them. Perfect. I can use this chance to get back to Sikeal first and win their trust…"
Liam rubbed his chin. "Do you really need to go through all that trouble? Why not just call Hyena out for a duel and settle it somewhere open?"
At the mention of the name Hyena, Gance's expression instantly darkened, heavy and grim.
That name belonged to one of the super pirates, a terrifying figure who'd already made a name for herself long before the Warlord system even existed, back in the era of the Pirate King Roger. Her bounty had once reached 790 million Berries, an absolute monster of the seas.
And now, such a terrifying existence was the very enemy he, the Princess, and their nation would have to face…
Gance shook his head bitterly. "She's not someone we can confront head-on…"
Liam shrugged. "Fine. Whatever makes you happy."
Gance forced himself to stand, swaying a little. He wanted Liam to rough him up a bit more, make his wounds look even worse. Only then would it look like he had barely escaped from Liam's hands, making it easier to regain Hyena and Stiel's trust.
"I think you already look miserable enough," Liam said honestly. "But, hey, if you're that insistent, I don't really mind…" He rolled his knuckles meaningfully.
"Don't!" Ross cried out, jumping between them in alarm.
⛵ Farewell and Fire
Later that night, after secretly obtaining a small fishing boat, the royal guard commander Gance was utterly battered, naked, bandaged, and bruised from head to toe. He looked truly wretched.
Ross accompanied him to the shore. Gance asked quietly, "I remember, Princess, you used to be the Tube-Tube Fruit user, right?"
Ross lowered her gaze and sighed softly. "That doesn't matter anymore. Besides… Sikeal needs the Munch-Munch Fruit far more than the Tube-Tube one, doesn't it?"
"Hey, I never said I'd give it to you," Liam complained from behind, walking with Robin. "Though honestly, I'm bored of it, so I could hand it over. Just don't steal it, got that?"
Robin tilted her head. "Weren't you the one who stole it in the first place?"
"Whose side are you on?" Liam grumbled, tugging at her cheek.
Watching the two pirates bicker playfully, Gance suddenly remembered something. Though his mind had been clouded these past weeks, he hadn't completely lost his wits. He'd still read newspapers now and then, and there had been rumors about the pirate Giogio Chopper-na (Giorno). A man said to be capable of stealing other people's Devil Fruits.
Realization struck him. So that's it… He glanced at the Princess beside him. She must have known, but had chosen not to say anything. Has the Princess… already become friends with these pirates?
Stepping onto the little fishing boat, Gance looked back at Ross standing by the shore and declared with unwavering conviction, "Princess, we will save Sikeal!"
Ross, eyes glistening with tears, waved back. "Mm!"
Covered in wounds, Gance cast one last look toward the pirates joking behind her, Liam and Robin, but said nothing more. He disappeared into the cabin and began steering the boat toward the open sea.
Robin removed her black face mask and said softly, "I looked through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia again. If that Stiel really used both the Rot-Rot Fruit and the Gun-Gun Fruit, then the Devil Fruit he ate is most likely the Steal-Steal Fruit, a Paramecia type."
"The Steal-Steal Fruit…" Liam rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring out over the sea. "Even the name sounds lame…"
Ross stood silently, watching the fishing boat grow smaller against the horizon, her hand slowly lowering.
Liam and Robin turned to leave, after all, with everything that happened yesterday, they hadn't had time to restock supplies.
"Giorno! Robin…"
Ross bit her lip, not turning around, tears welling in her eyes. "Please…"
Robin turned back with a gentle smile. "Didn't we already promise?"
Ross couldn't hold back anymore, tears spilled over as she threw herself into Robin's arms. Robin patted her back and said warmly, "Don't forget, I'm the Captain. The next island is Klaykana Island, where the Sikeal Kingdom lies. Any objections, crewman Giorno?"
"As you wish, Captain," Liam saluted with two fingers to his temple, then raised his fist high. "Let's go see the baboons!!"
Robin corrected, "We're going to deal with Hyena."
"Yeah, yeah, go deal with Hyena…" Liam waved his fist carelessly.
"Though we could see the baboons while we're at it," Robin teased.
"Let's go see the baboons!!" Liam shouted again, pumping his fist.
Ross couldn't help but laugh through her tears, but just as she did, a distant BOOM echoed behind her. Her eyes widened in horror as she spun toward the sea—
—the small fishing boat on the horizon was engulfed in a blossoming tower of fire.
"GUNS?!!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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