"Shakky used to be the emperor here... what an odd feeling..." Meiser rubbed his head, experiencing a rather peculiar sensation.
Still... having such a well-connected acquaintance here made him feel things should proceed smoothly from now on. After all... she was a former emperor! No matter what, she must still have some influence.
Just then, Meiser received information from his Shadow Clone.
"I see, so it's over there..." Meiser muttered as he glanced toward a distant building. Without hesitation, he immediately sprinted in that direction.
Upon arrival, he saw Merry sitting beside a shriveled old woman. The elderly lady wore a gentle smile as she chatted amiably with Merry.
"Granny Nyon, is Luffy really okay now?" Merry asked.
"Don't worry, after treatment, that boy is recovering quite well."
"That's a relief..." Merry sighed in relief. She'd genuinely feared that idiot might have been eaten by mushrooms.
"Heh, seems you're having a pleasant chat~"
"Hmm?"
Hearing Meiser's voice, Granny Nyon instinctively looked up at him, then her pupils constricted sharply. "Another man?!" She stared at Meiser's Adam's apple, instantly discerning his gender.
'What's going on today?!' Why were men appearing one after another like this? If Hancock found out, wouldn't she petrify whoever brought these men ashore?!
The thought alone gave Granny Nyon a headache.
"Meiser!" Merry stood up cheerfully. "You're here!"
"Yeah, I'm here." Meiser smiled and nodded, then dispelled all his Shadow Clones to process their accumulated memories.
After a moment, he said, "Seems Luffy's fine now." One clone had already spotted Luffy in a prison cell. Admittedly, whoever dressed him had remarkable taste—they'd even embroidered flowers on his clothes. The image made Meiser chuckle involuntarily.
Granny Nyon: ??? What's so funny? Was he mocking someone?
"Wait... hold on!!" Granny Nyon's eyes widened in shock. "Merry, what did you just call him?"
"Meiser!"
Hearing this, Granny Nyon's expression turned incredulous. "You mean... the madman who killed a Celestial Dragon—the Blood-Eyed Ninja, Meiser?!" She scrutinized Meiser's appearance, the resemblance growing more undeniable by the second.
Frantically, she pulled out a newspaper from her clothes and compared it carefully before reaching her conclusion—this was indeed that man!
"Yep, that's me." Meiser grinned. "Didn't expect news of me killing a Celestial Dragon to reach your shores?" The newspapers sure spread quickly.
"Truly... utterly reckless." To dare kill a Celestial Dragon—this boy's audacity knew no bounds!!
No... This isn't the time to worry about such things. There's a man here!
Thinking this, Granny Nyon immediately stood up and asked, "What is your purpose for coming here?"
The fact that this person dared to kill a Celestial Dragon indeed marked him as a formidable figure.
But she still needed to clarify his intentions for appearing here, after all... this was the Island of Women!
"Purpose..." Meiser rubbed his forehead. "To be honest, the three of us don't really have one. We just ended up here by coincidence."
"Three?"
"Yeah, the idiot inside who ate the mushrooms is my captain," Meiser said.
After speaking, Meiser gave Merry a strange look. So this little one hadn't been tricked into revealing anything?
Hah, she's improving.
Merry blinked and tilted her head in confusion, not understanding his meaning.
Meiser:
Wait, maybe she hasn't improved—they just hadn't gotten to that topic yet?
At this thought, Meiser's mouth twitched.
It seemed Merry still had a long way to go.
"The Straw Hat Pirates..." Granny Nyon murmured. "I see, no wonder that guy looked familiar."
So the man called Luffy was the captain of this Blood-Eyed Ninja!
Taking a deep breath, Granny Nyon said, "Though I don't know why you're here, I advise you to leave as soon as possible."
If possible, she didn't want to clash with this guy.
After all... this was a madman who had escaped from a Marine Admiral. His strength definitely wasn't weak!
With Hancock not present, it was best to avoid a fight if possible.
"Is it because men aren't welcome here?"
"You actually know that?"
Granny Nyon looked surprised, then nodded. "Correct, men are not welcome here."
"This rule has been upheld for centuries."
Meiser: ???
Wait, for centuries?
Then how do these people reproduce?
Could it be... there really is a Mother-Child River here?
At this thought, Meiser's expression turned strange.
"Kid, what's with that look?"
"Uh... I was just curious how you all continue your lineage," Meiser said.
Granny Nyon: ...
"Asking about others' secrets isn't very polite, is it?" Granny Nyon said expressionlessly.
Seeing her reaction, Meiser wisely shut his mouth and dropped the subject.
Though he didn't understand the details... it was better not to ask.
After all... digging too deep wasn't a good habit.
Just then, Merry spoke up. "Granny Nyon, we can't leave here."
"If you came here, why can't you leave?"
"Because a big guy sent us flying here."
Granny Nyon: ???
What nonsense is this? What big guy?
"We were sent here by Kuma's ability," Meiser explained helplessly. "Right now, there's no one to send us away."
If Kuma actually appeared here, he'd honestly hope the guy would just send them straight to Impel Down—that way, they could rescue their crewmate.
Granny Nyon: ...
Granny Nyon had a headache. What was Kuma thinking, bringing such a dangerous guy to their Kuja Island?
And to do it while Hancock was away... It was truly troublesome.
"In that case..."
"Stay calm. Starting a fight won't do you any good," Meiser said. "Besides... strictly speaking, we're on the same side."
"Same side?"
Granny Nyon, who had just gripped her snake-headed cane, was taken aback. What nonsense was this about being on the same side?
She didn't even know these people.
"You know Shakky, don't you?"
"You even know that girl Shakky?" Granny Nyon was surprised.
"Not only do I know her, but we're very close."
Hearing this, Granny Nyon fell silent for a moment before saying, "How can you prove it?"
She couldn't just take a stranger's word for it. At the very least... he needed to provide some evidence!
"Proof, huh?"
Meiser pulled out two Den Den Mushi from his pocket. "Shakky told me that after meeting you, I should call her. She'll explain everything then."
"And this anti-eavesdropping White Transponder Snail... was given to me by her."
"White Transponder Snail..."
Granny Nyon stared in astonishment at the White Transponder Snail resting obediently in Meiser's hand.
These things were incredibly rare—only a select few could obtain such a prized specimen.
And Shakky had given it to him?
If that was the case... there was a chance what he said was true.
After a moment of thought, Granny Nyon nodded. "I see. Understood."
"Come with me first. We'll talk more there."
No matter what, she needed to make that call and confirm the situation.
"What about Luffy?"
Merry glanced back toward the house. Were they just going to leave him alone here?
What if something dangerous happened?
"Of course we're taking him with us," Meiser said. "He's still unconscious. I won't feel at ease leaving him behind."
After all, this country wasn't welcoming to men. If someone took advantage of Luffy's unconscious state to attack him, it would be bad.
So... they'd take Luffy along.
Granny Nyon gave Meiser a curious look. How did he know the Straw Hat Boy was still unconscious?
Had he already sneaked in and checked on him before arriving?
This guy's infiltration skills... were quite impressive.
But then again, considering he was a ninja, Granny Nyon quickly understood.
Ninjas... in the stories, they were experts at stealth, weren't they?
"Don't worry, I won't harm anyone else," Meiser said. "Otherwise, I'd have a hard time explaining things to Shakky."
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
With that, Meiser leaped onto the rooftop and disappeared.
As she watched him leave, Granny Nyon thought to herself, This kid killed a Celestial Dragon...
She wondered if Hancock, upon hearing this news, might finally be able to rid herself of that Nightmare.
That girl had been tormented by that dreadful Nightmare... for far too long.
With a quiet sigh, Granny Nyon lowered her head.
"Granny Nyon, we really mean no harm..." Merry grabbed Granny Nyon's hand and said, "We just want to leave this place and return to Sabaody Archipelago to reunite with our crew."
Granny Nyon smiled upon hearing this, reaching out to pat the little one's head. "Don't worry, I'm not overthinking it."
If they truly harbored ill intentions, they wouldn't have been chatting with her so peacefully for this long.
Besides, she'd be contacting Shakky by phone soon enough—then everything would become clear.
Still... Granny Nyon couldn't help but wonder: How exactly had the Straw Hat Pirates ended up clashing with the Celestial Dragons?
After a moment's thought, she asked, "Merry, how did you all provoke the Celestial Dragons?"
Little Merry's smile froze instantly at the question. She lowered her head and murmured, "Because of me and Camie..."
"Hmm?"
Seeing the child's reaction, Granny Nyon immediately formed a suspicion.
Could it be... this little one had been taken by the Celestial Dragons?
Those bastards were accustomed to doing whatever they pleased. Once they took a liking to someone, they'd drag them off as slaves without consequence.
With this in mind, Granny Nyon asked, "Were you taken by the Celestial Dragons?"
"No," Merry shook her head. "Camie and I were kidnapped by slave traders and sold at the human auction house. That's where we clashed with the Celestial Dragons."
Granny Nyon fell silent for a beat before sighing. "The Celestial Dragons wanted to buy you, didn't they...?"
This was something the three girls here had also endured.
"Yes," Merry nodded. "Nami said the Celestial Dragons offered one billion berries to purchase Camie."
"One... billion?!"
Granny Nyon's pupils constricted sharply. Was this the extent of the Celestial Dragons' wealth?
It was... terrifying, to say the least.
"Yes, one billion. That exceeded the limit of what we could counterbid."
"So that's when the conflict erupted..."
"Yes."
"What an... extraordinary pirate crew," Granny Nyon remarked with feeling.
To challenge—no, to outright kill—the descendants of gods for the sake of their comrades...
Such pirate crews were rare in this world.
This little one... was truly fortunate.
In any other crew, she might have been abandoned already.
She had to admit, these people had thoroughly impressed her.
"Sleeping soundly as ever."
Perched on the rooftop, Meiser looked down helplessly at Luffy snoring away in the cell. Did this guy have abnormally good sleep quality?
To sleep this soundly with a crowd watching... unbelievable.
Shaking his head, Meiser leaped down and crouched, activating his Earth Release Technique.
"Earth Release: Rock Hand Technique!"
Thud!
A massive stone hand erupted from the ground, seized the slumbering Luffy, and vanished underground with a whoosh—leaving the surrounding women utterly dumbfounded.
"Eh?!!"
"He's... he's gone?!"
"What was that giant stone arm just now?!"
"No idea..."
"He's gone underground! His presence is below us!"
"How did he do that?"
Margaret and the others stared in shock at the spot where Luffy had disappeared, momentarily at a loss.
The enemy had gone underground... What were they supposed to do now?
Did this mean... he got away?
The thought made them panic immediately.
"Keep tracking him! We can't let him escape!" Kikyo commanded.
"Right!"
Meanwhile, Meiser paid no attention to their reactions. The moment he dragged Luffy underground, he activated his Earth Release Technique to follow.
Soon, he reached Luffy's side and created a cave large enough for two people.
Glancing at Luffy, who was still snoring away, Meiser raised his fist, instantly coating it with Armament Haki.
A Haki-coated punch ought to be enough to wake this guy up.
But before he could strike, a thought occurred to him.
He withdrew his Haki, leaned close to Luffy's ear, and whispered, "Luffy... meat's here..."
"Really delicious meat~"
Those words were like a devil's whisper.
"Huh?!"
"MEAT!!!"
Luffy, deep in slumber, jolted awake instantly, shouting, "Meiser! Where's the meat?!"
As he spoke, he leaped up—only to smash his head straight into the ceiling with a loud THUD! from the sheer force, embedding his skull into the dirt.
Meiser: "..."
Watching Luffy struggle to pull himself free, Meiser facepalmed.
This idiot...
Shaking his head, Meiser yanked Luffy back down before the moron could suffocate himself.
"WAAAH!"
"I'M SAVED!!"
Luffy cheered, raising his arms triumphantly as he breathed in fresh air again.
Then, turning to Meiser, he demanded, "Meiser! Where's the meat?!"
"You're still thinking about meat?!"
Meiser's fist crackled with Haki as he glared at Luffy. "You absolute moron! I told you to keep an eye on Merry, and what do you do? Stuff your face with who-knows-what and pass out!"
"Did you even consider the consequences, you dumbass?!"
WHAM!
The Haki-coated fist slammed into Luffy's head, making him howl.
"OWWW!!"
Clutching the massive bump now swelling on his skull, Luffy rolled around in agony.
He couldn't understand why Meiser's punches hurt just like his grandpa's.
Last time, this time... Why did it always hurt so much?!
"Good. It's supposed to hurt," Meiser snapped. "Maybe this'll teach you not to eat random crap next time."
"Sorry..."
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