I was dreaming. Such a warm dream.
A beautiful woman with purple hair held me close, talking to me. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but her expression looked so gentle and happy.
Something told me this woman was my mother. The mother I remembered wasn't this young or beautiful, but I felt certain this person was my mom.
Ah, this is just a dream.
While I drowsed with that thought, I heard someone's voice. Seemed like they were talking to my mother.
A woman with a distinctive buzz cut walked toward us. She was gorgeous too. She wore some kind of uniform, but what kind was it? Her hairstyle felt familiar, but I couldn't place it. Had I met her somewhere before?
Being held by my mother felt so warm and happy, but I was getting really sleepy. I wanted to think about this more, but I couldn't fight the drowsiness.
When I squirmed a little in frustration, my mother gently rocked me.
The frustration melted away, replaced by peace.
I'll just let myself sink into this warmth for now.
I gave in to sleep.
The purple-haired woman was soothing her baby when the distinctive-haired woman's voice rang out loudly.
"Akari!"
"Hey, Bellemere! Keep it down! You'll wake the baby!"
"Haha, sorry, sorry."
"Honestly... You made colonel, so why don't you act a little more mature?"
"If I did that, the pirates would get me."
My friend Bellemere laughed cheerfully as she answered.
"But I guess my promotion stops here."
"Why would you think that?"
It was unusual for my normally confident, tomboyish friend to sound so defeated.
"I've mastered Soru from the Six Powers, and I'm getting somewhere with the others, but Haki..." She glanced at me. "The stuff you used to use is giving me trouble."
"The fastest female officer in Marine HQ to make colonel without a Devil Fruit, and you're feeling down? That's not like you."
"Coming from you, that sounds like sarcasm," Bellemere said with a smile, but her words lacked their usual energy. She really was feeling low.
"You won't master Haki with that attitude."
"I know, but I just can't get motivated... It's hard."
"Is this about Ohara?"
"Akari. Don't mention that anywhere else."
"I know. I don't want to be separated from this little one."
A small island had vanished from the sea not long ago. The Marines were keeping it secret, but I'd learned about it through my old connections. Bellemere had been there when it happened, and it seemed to have shaken her badly.
This world has privileged classes like nobles and Celestial Dragons. When those nobles and Celestial Dragons do terrible things to ordinary people, Marine soldiers have to look the other way.
I used to be a Marine too, but questioning my role led to fighting Roger's crew, where I met him. That's how I ended up leaving the Marines and joining the Roger Pirates.
It meant becoming enemies with Bellemere, my friend and fellow graduate, but we stayed close. After Captain Roger's execution a few years ago, he said he'd start his own crew, so I joined. But I left his crew after a short time for personal reasons.
That's when I realized I was pregnant and started looking for somewhere to settle down. Bellemere laughed and told me about her hometown, welcoming me with open arms. I was so grateful. She's got such a good heart and she's absolutely beautiful, so why doesn't she have a boyfriend...
"Hey Akari? You're not thinking something weird, are you?"
"Mm? I was just thinking it'd be nice if you found someone."
"Just because you had a kid doesn't mean you need to worry about me!"
My baby started fussing.
"Bellemere! Shh! You'll wake him!"
I managed to whisper-shout, which was pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Mothers are strong.
"Sorry. But you know, if I wanted to, I could snag a guy or two easy. Maybe I should go seduce Genzo."
"Don't tease him too much. Poor Genzo seems so innocent."
"Nah, Genzo's got more game than you'd think. He blushes but doesn't push me away."
Genzo was the police officer stationed in Cocoyashi Village, where I was staying now. He looked tough but was actually really gentle and kind.
Speaking of tough-looking guys, I wondered what happened to that kid with the scary face I'd met in Loguetown on the day of Captain Roger's execution.
"What is it, Akari?"
"Hmm? I was just thinking about Genzo's tough face, and it reminded me of that kid we met in Loguetown that day. I wonder how he's doing."
"Oh, you mean Smoker? He's doing fine as a Marine. He had a rough time after his first real battle recently though."
"Really?"
Apparently the kid was doing well.
"He was in such bad shape I had to get him drunk and drag him home."
"You dragged him home... Isn't he not even fifteen yet?"
"Don't worry. I just stripped him down and slept next to him all night. Hahaha!"
"Honestly... Playing with a poor boy's innocence..."
Bellemere was caring but sometimes pulled outrageous pranks like this. It wasn't her first time either. Poor Smoker.
"He keeps holding back because of Max, but I'm over it already."
Max was Bellemere's ex-boyfriend. He'd died protecting Smoker from the aftershocks of the battle between Golden Lion Shiki and Garp and Sengoku on the day of Captain Roger's execution.
"Even if you're over it, for Smoker he's still the guy who saved his life. Of course he'd feel awkward."
"Look, when you're a soldier, people you know dying isn't exactly rare."
"Then maybe you should get a new boyfriend to put Smoker at ease?"
"I'm not making any new relationships while I'm still active duty."
Bellemere waved her hand dismissively. It wasn't uncommon for pirates to take Marine families hostage, and plenty of soldiers worried about that.
"So I can't get a boyfriend, not that I can't. Don't get that wrong, Akari."
She pulled out a cigarette from her uniform's chest pocket. The same brand Max used to smoke.
"You say you're over it, but you're still smoking his cigarettes."
"This? I tried one once and got hooked. Can't give them up now."
She said it casually, but she looked like she really had moved on. That was probably because she was such a strong woman.
"They're bad for your health."
"I'm a Marine living 'one plank away from hell.' I can't worry about every little thing."
"Well... Just don't smoke around the baby. I don't care if you want to hurt yourself, but I won't let you hurt him too."
"Whatever. On ships I can't smoke freely anyway because of fire safety."
Fire safety was literally life-or-death on wooden ships. The Marines had strict rules about flames, not just for smoking but even for lamp handling inside the ship.
"The military's so strict about everything. Pirates had way more freedom and fun."
"You could party whenever you wanted, right? I'm honestly jealous of that."
"Ahahaha... cough, cough"
I started coughing. It had been calm lately, but...
"Hmm... I probably overdid it during labor. Maybe I caught a cold?"
"Hey, are you really okay? Don't give whatever you have to the baby."
"I know."
She could be childish sometimes, but she was genuinely caring about things like this. That's my proud best friend.
"The Unicorn Princess Akari getting worn down enough to catch something... Being a mother must be pretty great if you'd push yourself that far."
"You won't understand until you try it yourself, Bellemere."
Right. The joy and warmth of carrying the child of someone you love—you can't understand it until you experience it. It's a woman's... a mother's privilege.
"By the way, Akari. What's the baby's name?"
"Wait, Bellemere? I'm pretty sure I told you in a letter before you came back."
"Sorry, I accidentally threw it away with some disciplinary paperwork about Smoker. Hahaha!"
My best friend was careless about stuff like this. But she was actually good at cooking and had surprisingly high feminine skills. This gap was part of Bellemere's charm too.
"Akari?"
"It's nothing."
"Okay. So what's the baby's name?"
I looked down at my child in my arms and told Bellemere.
"His name is Shu... My beloved son, Shirakawa Shu."
The sea breeze caressed him—Cocoyashi Village's sea breeze. It felt like it was blessing Shu, which made me happy.
I could spend these peaceful moments thanks to Bellemere, who'd invited me to Cocoyashi Village, and the villagers who'd welcomed me with smiles despite my pirate past.
Another breeze blew...
I offered my silent gratitude to the people of Cocoyashi Village, carried on that breeze.