It had been a while since Suzu joined our journey, turning our duo into a trio.
Barely a month had passed, and yet in that short time… a lot had changed.
Not only in Suzu, but in Leona and me as well.
First—Suzu.
I think she's filled out a little.
Not in a bad way. She hasn't gotten "fat," exactly. She's gained weight compared to when we first met, but it's the kind of weight that makes a child look healthier. Like her body finally has something to work with.
To be honest, like Leona, Suzu had been frighteningly thin at the start.
She'd been giving all the safe food to the elders every day, then forcing herself to live on poisoned ingredients. And because she couldn't afford to "overdose," she'd been deliberately eating less overall.
No wonder she was all bones. And what little flesh she had didn't look healthy.
But once we started traveling together, she began eating real meals—proper quality, proper portions.
They're growing. Their bodies need it. They eat until they're completely full, and their bodies are finally turning food into blood and muscle the way they're supposed to.
At first, Suzu would hesitate, like… Is it really okay to eat this much?
Then she'd glance sideways and see Leona inhaling her food without a shred of restraint—sometimes even eyeing Suzu's plate like a starving beast—and Suzu would visibly decide, Well, worrying is pointless.
Now she eats fast enough that Leona can't steal from her.
Good job, Leona. I doubt you meant to teach her that lesson, but still.
It isn't some miraculous transformation, of course. It's just life returning to normal after being dragged down to the worst possible state.
But even that "small" change makes a world of difference.
And I'm the one handling most of their meals.
I do keep emergency food stored in paper form, but that's exactly what it is—emergency rations. When I have time to cook properly, I cook.
Out at sea, ingredients are basically unlimited if you fish or hunt. If you get lucky, a Sea King shows up and you can secure a mountain of meat in one go.
…By the way, did you know Sea Kings taste completely different depending on the species?
I used to assume they'd all taste like fish because they live in the ocean, but some of them taste more like beef or pork—textures you'd swear belonged to land animals. It's fascinating. You don't really know what you're getting until you try it.
You can't even tell from their appearance. Sometimes the flavor matches the way they look, and sometimes it couldn't be more different.
Like the other day—we took down a Sea King that looked exactly like a giant frog. Normally frog meat is light and tender, like chicken.
This one?
Marbled, juicy, rich—like A5-grade wagyu.
I was genuinely stunned. And it was delicious.
…Anyway. Point is, I've been cooking with whatever we can source locally.
And thanks to a certain incident on Winter Island, I can also make what I call "offensive cooking"—food based on a Kamabakka Kingdom recipe, the kind that floods your body with energy and strengthens both body and spirit.
I haven't been properly trained, so I only know the basics.
But those basics are especially effective for building the body.
Two growing kids eating that kind of food? It's almost unfair.
They eat a lot. They grow like weeds.
You can even see it in their combat training, since they treat it as exercise.
Suzu's filled out, yes—but more importantly, she's developed real muscle. The strength suits her. Now, when she uses her two swords, her dual-wielding style has bite—clean, sharp, and powerful.
She's self-taught, but she's clearly never neglected her training. Her technique is surprisingly polished.
And she has real experience, too—mostly from hunting mountain beasts.
Meanwhile, Leona keeps refining her movements, polishing both her raw power and her animal agility.
At the moment, Leona still surpasses Suzu in strength and speed. It becomes painfully obvious whenever I practice blocking her strikes.
Suzu looks frustrated about it, but she's got time. She's only just begun properly training her body under safe conditions.
Oh—another thing.
We don't use blunted practice swords or wooden gear when we spar.
Suzu uses her real blades.
Leona doesn't carry a weapon, so she fights with her fists—and with claws and fangs when she shifts into her Hybrid Form.
I'm their sparring partner, but as a Paper Human, physical attacks without Haki won't affect me.
So I tell them to go all out. Hold nothing back. Attack with lethal intent.
Of course, what I really mean is: Even if you land a hit, I won't die, so don't hesitate.
It's not like I stand there and let them beat on me, either. If they throw a weak attack—no weight transfer, no forward drive, sloppy form—I dodge, and immediately counter.
Nope. Again.
And while they're dead serious, the "weapon" I use isn't even a proper sword.
It's a stick.
But it's more than enough for them.
Think of the cardboard tube from a roll of wrapping paper—plain, round, surprisingly sturdy. I can make one with my ability, then coat it with a thin layer of Haki. That alone lets it clash with swords that aren't properly reinforced.
The first time, both of them looked genuinely offended that their real blades, claws, fangs, and techniques were being deflected by what was essentially a paper stick.
Then, instead of getting discouraged, they snapped into a furious, "Damn it!" and charged again with renewed determination.
That ambition is admirable.
Keep getting stronger.
While the kids were growing day by day… I was improving too.
I never skip my daily training, but recently I added something new—training focused specifically on Haki.
That ties into the Kurozumi Family Secret Manual, one of the things we brought from Suzu's house.
Just as I'd glimpsed before, it's a manual of swordsmanship and martial arts. But mixed into it is knowledge about Haki.
And more than that—it describes techniques I'd never even heard of.
That hit me hard. Hard enough that I ended up devouring every page.
According to the manual, the technique is something used in Wano. The book never explicitly says "Haki," but I'm almost certain it's referring to it under another name.
Ryuo.
I can't tell whether "Ryuo" is simply what they call Haki there, or whether it refers to a particular method of using it. My reading comprehension might still need work.
But for now, let's assume Ryuo refers to Haki.
One technique described in the book is literally called Flowing Armor.
The principle is simple: you "flow" Haki from parts of the body that aren't being used into the part that is, concentrating it for greater effect.
If you're striking with your right hand, keeping the same level of Haki spread across your back and left hand is wasteful.
It has its uses—guarding against surprise attacks—but as a fundamental approach, it's inefficient.
So you gather that "wasted" Haki and pour it into your right hand instead.
Simple. Obvious, even.
And yet it had never occurred to me.
The manual also claims that Haki strengthened this way can become an attack without direct contact.
Not shockwaves. Not air pressure. Not flying slashes.
Something else—an impact that hits as if you made contact even when you didn't.
I still can't quite picture it.
And beyond that, once your Haki becomes stronger still, the impact can penetrate into the opponent's body and cause damage from within.
It's not the same as techniques like internal destruction, armor-piercing, or fajin.
Just being able to use a little Haki had made me feel like I was among the "strong" in this world.
Reading this was like getting struck by a blunt weapon.
If I can master these techniques… I'll become even stronger.
One day, when I reach Wano, I want to thank whoever wrote this—if they're still alive. If they aren't… then someone from Suzu's family. The Kurozumi Clan.
That's why I've been training with the manual as my guide.
I'm nowhere near mastering it yet, though.
Hang in there, me.
There was… something similar in that Hunter manga I read once. I need to remember what it was.
Coil. Sever. Refine. Release…
No, Release might be pushing it.
Focus…?
That's probably closest to Ryuo—channeling aura, or rather Haki, into different parts of the body for offense, defense, and movement.
Movement… I need to get faster, smoother. The "flow" part.
Anyway.
Our journey has been going well.
And it's not all training, either. We travel, sightsee, research.
We eat my cooking, but we also eat food made by professionals. We go wild once in a while. We play. We laugh.
You need that balance.
Especially for my work as a writer. Output without input dries up fast.
And Poison Island… was one hell of an input.
By the way, you've probably noticed something from the way I've been talking.
Ever since we left Uubasuten Island, I started calling Suzu by her given name, just like Leona. Using "-chan" felt too distant—too polite, like we were still strangers.
And Suzu, for her part…
"Mother, I see land! Is that our destination?"
"Oh, really?! Yay! Mama, which island is next?!"
Yes.
Suzu started calling me Mother, too.
When I asked why, she told me simply: because she'd never had parents.
If we returned to Wano, she probably has them—or had them—but she was too young to remember. And after arriving on Uubasuten Island, she'd grown up surrounded by grandpas and grannies. She'd never really known what a mother was.
But after boarding this ship and traveling with me and Leona… she began to think that if her mother or sisters had been with her, she might have had a warm, joyful family like this.
And she admitted—quietly—that she was a little jealous of how easily Leona could call me Mama, without hesitation.
So if possible—just for now, even without blood ties—she wanted to call me that too.
If it made her happy, there was no harm in it. I nodded.
And from that day on, I became Suzu's Mother.
At first she'd blush every time she said it, even though it was her idea. But she always looked so happy afterward—her face soft, her smile warm.
Suzu really is adorable.
Leona never let me live it down, though.
Naturally, that made them sisters.
And naturally, they started fighting over who was older.
To be honest, we still haven't settled it. They compete over everything, bickering Me! No, me! in their ongoing war for the title of big sister.
It's… strangely endearing.
…Alright. Enough explaining.
"Eh? But you can already see it? That's awfully fast. Even at top speed, we shouldn't arrive for at least another day…" I squinted. "Oh. But I really do see an island."
"Hm. In that case…" I frowned. "Could that be a different island entirely?"
I checked the chart just to be sure.
There shouldn't be any land in that direction.
And based on our heading, it didn't feel like we'd miscalculated our position.
Which meant—
"Ah… maybe the chart is outdated."
It happens. Sometimes you buy a bad map.
Back then, they didn't have satellite imaging or any sophisticated surveying. You could understand it, to a point.
"Hey," I said, glancing at Leona, "about that map you bought…"
"Augh… sorry, Mama. I think I got scammed…"
Right. It had been Leona's first errand—buying the chart and supplies. I'd entrusted it to her.
"It's okay." I patted her head. "The overall shape looks mostly right. It's a common mistake. I'm sure it'll still be fine for getting us where we're actually going."
Besides, the truth is, I'd quietly followed her during that "first errand" in case someone tried to kidnap her.
If I didn't point out the problem then, I share the blame. I'm not about to scold her now.
Now then.
If that's the case…
"What's that island over there?" Leona leaned forward, eyes bright. "It looks pretty big even from here… I'm kind of curious."
"Oh?" I glanced between them. "Are we taking another detour?"
"I'm thinking about it," I admitted. "Leona, Suzu—should we?"
"Sure, why not?" Leona grinned. "We're not rushing to the next place for any urgent reason. Wandering sounds good… and neither of us knows much about the outside world, so Mother can decide."
"Yeah," Suzu agreed, eyes shining. "Come to think of it, we ended up on my island because of a detour like this. I wonder what kind of island this one is… and who we'll meet."
"Is that how it happened?" Suzu's voice softened, thoughtful. "So even Mother has no information on this place… That's a little scary. But it's exciting too." She hugged her arms around herself, smiling despite it. "Is this what an adventure feels like…?"
No objections.
It's decided.
We're changing our plans on the spot and heading toward the mysterious island we just spotted.
What kind of place is it?
I hope it's interesting. Worth seeing.
…Maybe we shouldn't have come to this island.
To be continued...